You can order a new Model Y Launch Edition today in the US, and Tesla can deliver it on the same day. This points to weak demand just weeks after the new vehicle’s deliveries started, while CEO Elon Musk indirectly suggested strong demand.
TLDR: Tesla is having issues selling its new Model Y Launch Edition.
In January, Tesla unveiled its new redesigned Model Y and started taking orders for the Long Range AWD ‘Launch Edition’, which is basically a fully equipped version of the electric vehicle.
Model Y is Tesla’s best-selling vehicle, and the production changeover limits availability.
It will result in Tesla arriving at lower deliveries in Q1, but Tesla investors are hoping that strong demand for the vehicle will carry over to the rest of the year.
However, Tesla’s only delivery timelines point to demand being weak for the new version.
Since it comes fully loaded, the only thing you can choose on the $60,000 new Model Y Launch Edition is the color.
Tesla currently lists all colors, except for ‘Ultra Red’, as available for delivery “today”:
Even the Ultra Red can be delivered within a few days, according to Tesla’s online configurator.
This would indicate that Tesla has no backlog for the new version of the Model Y in its currently available trim.
That’s despite CEO Elon Musk recently reposting Tesla investors claiming that Tesla was seeing record demand without supplying any credible source.
Tesla is expected to soon launch the non-Launch Edition for a lower price since it doesn’t include all options, like the $8,000 Full Self-Driving package.
The RWD version will also lower the entry price and should see more demand.
Electrek’s Take
In short, it means that after taking orders for two months, Tesla managed to get enough orders for the new Model Y Launch Edition for just over two weeks of deliveries in the US.
I thought it would happen next month, but I’m not surprised. It’s hard to gauge Tesla’s demand in the US right now amid all the brand destruction that is happening and a fully loaded Model Y at $60,000 before tax credit is hard to sell with or without a refresh.
Tesla has now almost entirely exhausted the inventory of the old Model Y, thanks to deep discounts of up to $8,000:
The rest has remained stable other than Cybertruck inventory, which is exceptionally high since Tesla had a containment hold on deliveries due to the cantrail problem.
I think Tesla is in a challenging situation now with only the new Model Y Launch Edition to sell for its best-selling vehicle program.
The non-Launch Edition and RWD can’t come soon enough, or Tesla will have to go back to 0% financing as soon as April, like it did for Model 3 and even for the new Model Y already in China.
I think those who are hoping that Tesla’s only issue right now is that they haven’t reached volume production of the new Model Y yet are in for a bad surprise this year.
Model Y will still sell well, but not as well as last year and Tesla will still need to offer discounts to be competitive.
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