Tesla makes end-of-the-year push with referral program, cancellation waitlist, and more

Tesla is now in full end-of-the-year/end-of-the-quarter push with several initiatives to finish strong, including a referral program extension, a cancellation waitlist, and more.

As is usually the case at the end of a quarter, Tesla is making a big boost to sell and deliver vehicles in order to increase its quarterly numbers.

This quarter is particularly special since it marks the end of the availability of the full $7,500 federal tax credit for Tesla customers.

Only cars delivered by the end of the year will get the full credit, which created a lot of demand for Tesla this quarter.

The automaker set November 30th as the deadline for new orders to be guaranteed a 2018 delivery, but it has also taken other steps to boost orders in the last few weeks of the year.

CEO Elon Musk said that buyers can ask to be added to a “cancellation waitlist” to get a chance to get a 2018 delivery if someone who ordered before November 30 decides to cancel:

Important note for US Tesla buyers: Federal tax credit drops by $3750 in 3 weeks.

To be on the cancellation waitlist for delivery this year or if you want a display car, order at https://t.co/46TXqRJ3C1 or visit our stores. Full refund if Tesla can’t deliver your car this year.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 11, 2018

Tesla also has inventory and display cars available at some stores for faster delivery than customer orders.

In order to help maintain demand for those, Tesla also extended its referral program last night.

Tesla buyers have one more week (until December 17th) to use a referral code and get 6 months of free Supercharging with new Model S, Model X, and Model 3 orders.

Tesla’s inventory vehicles are sold as new and therefore, they can get the federal tax credit for electric vehicles.

Furthermore, Musk has also been pushing Tesla’s new policy of allowing returns within 3 days for people who order without a test drive, which is not unusual when buying an inventory vehicle.

The automaker’s capacity for test drives is limited at the end of the quarter as the whole sales force is focusing on deliveries and they often end up selling their test fleet.

Musk also said that Tesla would refund people if they can not deliver by the end of the year.

Electrek’s Take

I don’t like these end-of-the-quarter pushes because I think it puts a lot of pressure on Tesla’s staff and inevitably effects the quality of service.

But in this case, I get that the push itself is inevitable because of the demand in the US due to the start of the federal tax credit phase-out.

It will likely result in a very strong quarter for Tesla and definitely its best 4th quarter of all time.

I would estimate between 80,000 and 90,000 deliveries with the vast majority of them in the US.

What do you think? Let us know in the comment section below.