The wait time for Tesla Model 3 deliveries has extended again. New buyers of the EV maker’s popular electric sedan will not sit behind the driver’s seat until March, 2022, at the earliest, and may have to wait as long as April.
At one point in the second half of 2021, it was not unheard of for drivers to order a Model 3 and receive it the next week, thanks to a backlog of vehicles that arrived before the end of the financial year.
However, in November this changed, and the wait time was extended from eight to 12 weeks, effectively meaning all new orders would not take delivery until 2022.
Now, this has been extended again, indicating that inventory for the first few months has already been accounted for.
An update on the Tesla website says that the wait time is now 14-20 weeks. With only a little more than a week left for 2021, this means new purchasers could be waiting until late April.
While it’s bad news for new Tesla customers, extended wait times for new vehicles is something of an issue across the industry, as carmakers struggle with inventory limits due to supply chain issues on top of freight delays (another example being the Polestar 2 for which we understand orders have been taken through to mid-2022 at least).
And with the continuing popularity of the Tesla Model 3, in lieu of the Model Y’s arrival (our best guess now is first half of 2022, but who knows really), the extended delay is unsurprising.
It is however the longest wait we’ve heard of – this writer waited 12 weeks before taking delivery of a Standard Range Model 3 in March 2020.
The real question is – will Tesla be able to beat its 2021 sales in 2022? With this year coming to an end, it will be the biggest year for the V maker yet, and while multiple state incentives encouraging greater uptake of EVs, there are also more rivals on the way – see our 2022 EV Calendar here.
Bridie Schmidt is associate editor for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She has been writing about electric vehicles since 2018, and has a keen interest in the role that zero-emissions transport has to play in sustainability. She has participated in podcasts such as Download This Show with Marc Fennell and Shirtloads of Science with Karl Kruszelnicki and is co-organiser of the Northern Rivers Electric Vehicle Forum. Bridie also owns a Tesla Model Y and has it available for hire on evee.com.au.