Electrek.co
by Fred Lambert
October 20, 2021
Tesla Model X buyers are left in the dark as deliveries start and some people who have placed an order a year ago still don’t know when they will get their car. Electrek has learned that Tesla expects more clarity on Model X delivery timelines next month.
Tesla didn’t produce the Model X for about eight months as it refreshed both the Model S and Model X programs and focused on Model S production first. But during those eight months, the automaker kept taking orders for the new Model X, also known as Palladium, after the refreshed version was unveiled in January 2021.
Some of them placed their orders almost a year ago before Tesla unveiled the Palladium Model X. Now Electrek has obtained some communications that Tesla sent to employees that should help Model X buyers better understand the production and delivery ramp-up.
First off, Tesla says that deliveries are now only happening in the Bay Area, but it should expand soon: “First deliveries of Model X Long Range have begun in the Bay Area and will expand to all North America locations in the following weeks.”
For the “first few months,” Tesla says that it will only produce the six-seat configuration of the Model X. Customers who ordered the five- or seven-seat options will have to wait. The automaker says that they can ask to modify their orders to a six-seat, and they can use the original pricing at the time of order with “director approval.” But either way, they will not guarantee a faster delivery time.
Tesla wrote that they expect to soon give delivery windows to Model X buyers: “We will continue to update Tesla Account so they can follow along with their vehicle delivery timeline. At this time, all Model X Palladium customers are currently seeing either no timing, or Q1 or later in their Tesla Account. Early-to-mid Q4 2021, we expect to update timing in customer accounts to be more specific (i.e. date ranges such as “January XX to January XX instead of showing only “January”).”
In another communication, the automaker says that those delivery windows should start showing up in November for Model X customers. Therefore, the automaker should be able to start communicating more clarity next month to Model X buyers who have been mostly left in the dark for the last year.
Tesla does note that Model X software is not completed and some features might be missing for early deliveries: “Please note that, at first deliveries, these cars may not have all software features that are currently available to non-Palladium Model X.”
Lastly, Tesla told employees to suggest month-to-month lease extensions to Tesla owners who are coming off their leases and were buying a Model X.