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Old 12-14-21, 07:35 AM
  #1171  
Hameed
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Originally Posted by bitkahuna
i love a lot of what tesla has done for the market and society, and is doing, but about this plaid, besides the (big) 'novelty' factors, like blinding speed you can't use 99% of the time, it's just not that great. a terrible steering 'yoke' and no variable steering makes regular driving difficult and horrible quality control don't help. and selling cars over 100K isn't a slam dunk unless you're a brand like ferrari (who has earned it over a very long time).
It boils down to different strokes for different people. Quality is hit and miss no doubt.

Here is an owner's experience after having owned the car for 6 months - https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/thre.../#post-6213239

Feedback pasted below:

So, six months ago tonight, I was lucky enough to pick up one of the first Model S Plaid to be delivered to customers. I thought folks might be interested in how things are going.

This is my post from the night I picked up the car: Wiki - Model S Delivery Update

Some statistics:
  • 5,191 miles
  • Running 2021.36.8.9 and FSD Beta 10.6
  • Quickest I've gone 0-60: 2.1 sec (1 ft rollout)
  • 1/4 mile: 9.6 sec @ 150 mph (at drag strip)
  • Fastest I've gone: 156 mph (at drag strip)
  • Lifetime efficiency: 335 Wh/mi
  • Name: "HellPony" - named through a thread here on TMC [img]data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7[/img]
Service issues:
  • Wind noise from passenger a-pillar area
    • Triangular glass loose in its bracket
    • Replaced by mobile service
  • Rattle from rear of car during turns
    • Play in latches for rear seats
    • Temporarily fixed by Service using tape--waiting on permanent fix from Engineering
  • Side mirrors do not properly return to auto-tilt set position
    • Service validated issue and replaced both mirrors but did not resolve the issue
Exterior:
  • Car was great at pickup in terms of pant quality, fit and finish, and panel gaps and that has held up--in fact car looks great (car is OptiCoated and I hand wash)
  • There was some concerns around stone chips on the rear quarter panels, but I have not encountered that so far
  • Widow tint is highly recommended
Interior:
  • Having lived with the new interior for a while, I more appreciate the time and effort someone took son picking materials, textures, etc
  • White seats are still while--easy to clean, no creasing, puckers, etc
  • The wood trim nicks easily--ended up getting some touch-up
  • Still impressed by the low noise floor--the double-paned glass and all the soft surfaces help.
  • Like the fixed glass roof--opens up the interior and does a good job blocking heat. I do, however miss the open air driving of the pano roof
  • Coming from a 2013, there is an embarrassing amount of storage--the center console is nice in that it is has little cubbies to help keep things organized
Driving experience:
  • Acceleration never gets old, but beyond 0-60, the rollin acceleration is great for merging on freeway, passing, etc
  • The new suspension is superb--the car is poised in every situation I have thrown at it from curvy river roads to flat-out acceleration runs
  • Vision-only AP worked well. The only thing it seemed to struggle with for me is keeping proper distance with a lead car
The Yoke!:
  • I love mine, I would not trade it for a round wheel, even if Elon himself offered to come swap mine out
  • It took a while to get used to it--some of you have seen the video of my travails as I got acclimated [img]data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7[/img]
  • My best advice it to approach the yoke as a different control interface--treating it like a wheel will lead to more challenges
  • For the actual yoke, I am pretty much driving like I my old wheel--one handed, palming, etc
  • The stalkless piece took a bit longer -- what I really like is having key controls under my thumbs--the ergonomics are like an Xbox or Playstation controller. It is compact and efficient--going back to my wife's X seems awkward now
  • The force touch controls are a work in progress--they have made tweaks to both the control and the haptic feedback that have improved the experience, but there is still opportunity to improve
Wish list:
  • Big thing is I wish they were further along with the software:
    • There are still a number of features from the launch that are still outstanding like games (Witcher, etc), ANC, IIRC torque vectoring
    • The Bluetooth implementation, in relation to the rear seat audio appears unfinished
    • V11 - the current UI seems cobbled together and unfinished
Bottom line, this car has been a blast for the last 6 months and expect that to continue. I've included everything that I thought folks would find interesting--let me know if folks have other questions.
Old 12-14-21, 07:52 AM
  #1172  
EZZ
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You are reading way too much into the inventory. This happened in August before the quarter end because Tesla builds the car as fast as they can regardless of who orders it so there is excess inventory of Plaids for a month. The first couple months of a quarter are for export purposes then the last month is dedicated to deliver in the US. In August, people had an opportunity to buy the Plaid in inventory for a week or two and then they sold out. They have also dedicated Model S production to mostly Plaid units for now as it fetches a much higher price than the standard version. They will sell out of these pretty quickly and when they release their quarter end reports, the deliveries typically are pretty closely aligned with production meaning they sell every car they make. Much ado about nothing...

Tesla stops taking Model S and Model X orders outside North America


Tesla announced to potential buyers today that it stopped taking new Model S and Model X orders outside North America.

It now expects deliveries in other markets to start during the second half of 2022.
The news comes from an email that Tesla started sending out to people who have Model S and Model X vehicles on order in Europe.

Tesla writes in the email that it is not accepting any new orders (translated from German):

In order to expedite the delivery of existing orders, including your Model X order, as much as possible, we are currently no longer accepting new orders for the Model S and Model X from markets outside of North America.

This is in response to Tesla likely having a large backlog of Model S/X orders in Europe and other markets, where there has been no new Model S/X shipment in a year.

Tesla shut down Model S and Model X production in January of last year to update the vehicles.

During that year, the automaker kept taking new orders, but production was delayed with new Model S starting to slowly come off the assembly line in June and Model X in October.

Tesla is still catching up to the backlog in North America while new orders kept coming in from Europe and Asia.

In the email, Tesla says that it now aims to deliver the first Model S and Model X in Europe during the second half of next year:

Your Model X is getting closer to delivery. We currently expect shipments outside of North America to begin in the second half of 2022.

This means that Europe would be without Model S and Model X for a year and a half.

Here’s the email in full:

Hello [redacted],

We are contacting you regarding the timing of your Model X order. As we expand production capacity, the launch dates for markets outside of North America have been postponed. We will inform you of the delivery times through your Tesla account when production begins.

Your Model X is getting closer to delivery. We currently expect shipments outside of North America to begin in the second half of 2022.

In order to expedite the delivery of existing orders, including your Model X order, as much as possible, we are currently no longer accepting new orders for the Model S and Model X from markets outside of North America.

The price of your Model X will continue to be the same as it was when you placed your order, unless your vehicle configuration has been changed. To apply your order fee to another model, or to receive a full refund, request a call to speak directly to a Tesla representative.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Kind regards,
Your Tesla Team Testa


Last edited by EZZ; 12-14-21 at 07:59 AM.
Old 12-14-21, 06:30 PM
  #1173  
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Originally Posted by Hameed
Here is an owner's experience after having owned the car for 6 months
interesting, and thanks for sharing, but not exactly objective imo as obviously a die' hard tesla fan (previously a 2013 s owner and forum member for over 4000 posts since 2013). When it refers to "elon" in the review, you know they're smitten.

i'd rather read a review of someone who went from something like a panamera or m5 to a plaid.
Old 12-14-21, 06:31 PM
  #1174  
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Originally Posted by EZZ
You are reading way too much into the inventory.
Who are you referring to by "You"?
Old 12-14-21, 07:35 PM
  #1175  
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Originally Posted by bitkahuna
Who are you referring to by "You"?
Just the posts referring to inventory being there and lack of demand. Just pointing out that this has happened before and just because we see inventory for a short time doesn't indicate that demand has slowed. The article I posted actually says that there is too much demand and backlog so Tesla has stopped European orders.

Maybe I should have said people but it wasn't a knock on anyone but pointing out a pattern from Tesla near end of quarter.
Old 12-14-21, 07:44 PM
  #1176  
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Originally Posted by bitkahuna
Who are you referring to by "You"?
There is some Tesla inventory all over …










Here is Plaid model I saw last week. Quite nice 👍. Interior is pretty nice with the updated design

Have you seen one yet?



Last edited by Toys4RJill; 12-14-21 at 08:00 PM.
Old 12-14-21, 08:34 PM
  #1177  
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Originally Posted by bitkahuna
interesting, and thanks for sharing, but not exactly objective imo as obviously a die' hard tesla fan (previously a 2013 s owner and forum member for over 4000 posts since 2013). When it refers to "elon" in the review, you know they're smitten.

i'd rather read a review of someone who went from something like a panamera or m5 to a plaid.
I will give you an unbiased review, the good, the bad and the ugly. I have just had zero time write something up. I will even tell you what the ordering and service is like.
Old 12-15-21, 01:27 AM
  #1178  
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Umm, I'm a moderator at a FB group specializing in Tesla inventory. I view their inventory almost on an hourly basis and can readily tell you what is and isn't a available across the US. Since the beginning of this year, inventory has steadily decreased to the point where it is almost nil (especially on the popular Model Ys). The X is also a rare sight, but probably because it hasn't built in droves yet. The number of Model S that have appeared in the fast few months, you can probably count with your fingers and toes, so when 170+ show up suddenly, it is not "something that has happened before", and if it somehow miraculously has in these panic times, it certainly hasn't sat in inventory long, which it still is.

Originally Posted by EZZ
Just the posts referring to inventory being there and lack of demand. Just pointing out that this has happened before and just because we see inventory for a short time doesn't indicate that demand has slowed. The article I posted actually says that there is too much demand and backlog so Tesla has stopped European orders.

Maybe I should have said people but it wasn't a knock on anyone but pointing out a pattern from Tesla near end of quarter.
Old 12-15-21, 01:31 AM
  #1179  
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On a different note, there seems to be another refresh on the horizon judging by some of these spy pix. My friend also got a chance to preview it....



Old 12-15-21, 06:39 AM
  #1180  
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I refer to Elon Musk as "Elon" and I'm not "smitten". I refer to Akio Toyoda as "Akio" and I think he's an idiot. I wouldn't read anything into how people refer to these people.
Old 12-15-21, 06:47 AM
  #1181  
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Originally Posted by ST430
Umm, I'm a moderator at a FB group specializing in Tesla inventory. I view their inventory almost on an hourly basis and can readily tell you what is and isn't a available across the US. Since the beginning of this year, inventory has steadily decreased to the point where it is almost nil (especially on the popular Model Ys). The X is also a rare sight, but probably because it hasn't built in droves yet. The number of Model S that have appeared in the fast few months, you can probably count with your fingers and toes, so when 170+ show up suddenly, it is not "something that has happened before", and if it somehow miraculously has in these panic times, it certainly hasn't sat in inventory long, which it still is.
I didn't realize that many were available all at once. Typically, some inventory becomes available near end of quarter due to cancellations in the US and some excess inventory in the past and those get scooped up quickly.

170 being available all at once though doesn't equate to a demand issue though. It could be they got in a part and was able to get the cars completed and ready for sale quickly. Let's see how long these Plaids last. If demand is an issue, it's complete illogical for Tesla to stop non North American orders per the article I posted. Europe and the other regions are clamoring for the Plaid.
Old 12-15-21, 09:13 AM
  #1182  
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Originally Posted by EZZ
I didn't realize that many were available all at once. Typically, some inventory becomes available near end of quarter due to cancellations in the US and some excess inventory in the past and those get scooped up quickly.

170 being available all at once though doesn't equate to a demand issue though. It could be they got in a part and was able to get the cars completed and ready for sale quickly. Let's see how long these Plaids last. If demand is an issue, it's complete illogical for Tesla to stop non North American orders per the article I posted. Europe and the other regions are clamoring for the Plaid.
This does not make any sense whatsoever. If there is high demand, even if there was a delay in getting parts, all of those Plaids would've been spoken for already and delivered as soon as they arrive.

The gist of the article you posted is a letter from Tesla saying the S/X launch has been delayed in Germany. The rest is conjecture and opinion. Of course there will be backed up orders from a year ago; but who's to say after the initial rush for the new model, there won't be a softening of demand like what we're seeing now in NA with excess inventory?

As an anecdote, here in Tesla/EV capital of BC, there are tons and tons of Model 3 and Y all over. I see a huge number of Taycans, likely the Plaid/S's closest equivalent in terms of price. I have yet to see a single new S on the road in the past year since it came out; and there's quite a few in Tesla's Vancouver inventory.
Old 12-15-21, 09:42 AM
  #1183  
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if inventory is tight it doesn't mean something is selling well.

this is the same old nonsense about 'fastest selling' vehicles, which is just means demand is meeing or beating supply, but if supply is lame, not a great win.

i think tesla is making hardly any S/X.
Old 12-15-21, 09:55 AM
  #1184  
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Originally Posted by bitkahuna
if inventory is tight it doesn't mean something is selling well.

this is the same old nonsense about 'fastest selling' vehicles, which is just means demand is meeing or beating supply, but if supply is lame, not a great win.

i think tesla is making hardly any S/X.
Neither does "I haven't seen a single new Model S" mean that it is not selling, or the fact that there are 4 Plaids in inventory in Toronto mean the car is not selling.

This is all anecdotal evidence. Let's see what the sales numbers are at the end of the quarter.

However, as you also pointed out, production of both the S and X is low right now. Is it because they are not selling? I doubt that's the reason.
Old 12-15-21, 10:17 AM
  #1185  
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Originally Posted by kolokmee
This does not make any sense whatsoever. If there is high demand, even if there was a delay in getting parts, all of those Plaids would've been spoken for already and delivered as soon as they arrive.

The gist of the article you posted is a letter from Tesla saying the S/X launch has been delayed in Germany. The rest is conjecture and opinion. Of course there will be backed up orders from a year ago; but who's to say after the initial rush for the new model, there won't be a softening of demand like what we're seeing now in NA with excess inventory?

As an anecdote, here in Tesla/EV capital of BC, there are tons and tons of Model 3 and Y all over. I see a huge number of Taycans, likely the Plaid/S's closest equivalent in terms of price. I have yet to see a single new S on the road in the past year since it came out; and there's quite a few in Tesla's Vancouver inventory.
The inventory popped up recently referenced a few posts above. We are all just going by anecdote at this point as I see Plaids here in southern Cal already. Lets see if there is actually a demand issue when Tesla releases earnings. I bet production and deliveries will still be closely aligned meaning they probably sell almost every car they make.


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