Tesla Motors delayed the Model X SUV’s release two years but finally unveiled it at an extravagant public event a few days ago. The surprising part is that despite the long delay, it delivered only five units of the futuristic, falcon-winged crossovers to customers, while one unit was taken by Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk, who got Model X no. 1, says a report from LA Times.
Early adopters still waiting
Tesla has not shared any details on when it will be able to deliver more units or how many units its Fremont factory manufactures. This news is a bit disappointing for Howard Ganz, who is customer No. 2,084 for the Model X and put down a deposit almost three years ago.
On Tuesday night, Ganz watched a live stream of the Model X unveiling, saying, “The car looks amazing!” But he also said it would have been better “to actually get in and drive it.”
Ganz was an early adopter, and in December 2012, he put down a deposit of $5,000 to register for the Model X. This 59-year-old resident of Santa Monica, drives an all-electric Nissan Leaf at present. He wanted a Model S sports sedan initially but shifted his deposit after learning about the crossover and has been waiting for it ever since.
Each time he visits the “My Tesla” section on the company’s website, he is greeted with a message assuring him that he will “be contacted in order of your reservation….” Apart from waiting for the car, Ganz is also waiting for an invite to configure his car and is also wondering about the final cost of the car. For now, Tesla has released pricing for the Model X Signature version, which starts at $132,000.
Tesla was under pressure to start delivery
Initially, Tesla said it would begin manufacturing the Model X by the end of 2013 and begin sales in 2014. Since the Model X is already delayed by two years, Musk was determined to start deliveries by the fall even if he was not in a state to deliver a lot of them, suggested Karl Brauer, an analyst at Kelley Blue Book. After the long delay, the vehicle was known to go on sale in the third quarter this year, so there was lot of pressure on Musk not to delay it anymore.
“But I wonder how many vehicles are actually available. Apple, to which Tesla is often compared, doesn’t put an iPhone on sale when just one is available,” Brauer said.
