Live data from Hacker News

Tesla’s Model 3 Is Becoming One of America’s Best-Selling Sedans

bloomberg.com

21–30 of 278 posts

Re: Tesla’s Model 3 Is Becoming One of America’s Best-Selling Sedans

#21
post #13

> Tesla’s competitors are feeling it. Sales of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, the best-selling luxury sedan in the U.S., plunged 24 percent last month and are down 28 percent for the year through September. > And it’s doing so at a higher price than other mass-market cars. The most expensive versions of the Model 3 are currently the most popular, with an average selling price approaching $60,000. It would be very interes…

There is only a finite number of people willing/able to spend $60k on a recreational vehicle.

Re: Tesla’s Model 3 Is Becoming One of America’s Best-Selling Sedans

#22
post #8

I am guessing this will die down once they clear all the backlog

Wait times in the US for the existing models are already low enough that there's basically no backlog. (out of the 420k reservations they had at some point, you can think of it as half those reservations being overseas -- not yet tapped, and of the remaining 210k half or likely more of those are for the 35k version. They've already shipped 91k cars, pretty much only to the US and Canada, so the US/Canada backlog for reservations is mostly new reservations. Also, they don't yet offer a leasing option, which is how most people like to buy cars these days.

Either the demand will die down REALLY soon, or not at all. Having seen the effect of someone I know test driving a tesla with no intent to buy, and then complaining about how intensely bad "regular" cars have felt for her since then, if anything sales will grow as more cars are distributed and people's immediate family and friends get to experience the car. In other news, 40% of Europeans said in a recent Ipsos Mori survey that their next car will be electric.[1]

In other words, I wouldn't hold my breath that this is going to die down any time soon.

[disclaimer: I am a big fat tesla fanboy (if it wasn't obvious) and have bought stock in the company, but I hope I am making the case with logic and data and can be convinced otherwise. That said, my phone background image looks like this: https://i.redd.it/lx9635tjoyf01.jpg]

[1]:https://www.treehugger.com/cars/europe-40-drivers-say-next-c...

Re: Tesla’s Model 3 Is Becoming One of America’s Best-Selling Sedans

#23
post #10

Anecdotal but I see more and more tesla’s On the road especially model 3s

Same here (in Australia). They used to be special to see, now I can't go for a walk without seeing a few. Haven't seen a 3 yet (I'm assuming they're not here yet, I don't follow it), just the S and X, but I see multiple S every time I take the kids to the park.

Re: Tesla’s Model 3 Is Becoming One of America’s Best-Selling Sedans

#25
post #13

> Tesla’s competitors are feeling it. Sales of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, the best-selling luxury sedan in the U.S., plunged 24 percent last month and are down 28 percent for the year through September. > And it’s doing so at a higher price than other mass-market cars. The most expensive versions of the Model 3 are currently the most popular, with an average selling price approaching $60,000. It would be very interes…

I would like to go on the record as saying that the big car companies of today, short of a miracle, are on track to meet the big mobile phone companies of the pre-iPhone era. Remember when Blackberry, Nokia, Motorola, Alcatel, Sony seemed unassailable?

Re: Tesla’s Model 3 Is Becoming One of America’s Best-Selling Sedans

#26
post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not just a status. Any electric vehicle of that size/speed/image would cost that much or more. I know, I've looked. The Model3, even LR, is a pretty good deal compared to other EVs.

I guess what the comment echoed was that Tesla sell much better because of the status. And the other EVs don't enjoy such futuristic image. I'll add my own point that Tesla's image is very undeserved, it is only kept by the cult of Elon musk and incessant lies about self driving technology.

They are objectively nice cars. They look nice, they drive nice, they are high performance, and they are usable in daily life. That is plenty of reasons for people to buy them.

The only viable electric vehicles at the same price point are the Chevy Bolt and the Nissan Leaf, and if you ever see one of those parked next to a Model 3 you'll notice that the Model 3 is far more attractive.

Re: Tesla’s Model 3 Is Becoming One of America’s Best-Selling Sedans

#27
post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not just a status. Any electric vehicle of that size/speed/image would cost that much or more. I know, I've looked. The Model3, even LR, is a pretty good deal compared to other EVs.

I guess what the comment echoed was that Tesla sell much better because of the status. And the other EVs don't enjoy such futuristic image. I'll add my own point that Tesla's image is very undeserved, it is only kept by the cult of Elon musk and incessant lies about self driving technology.

I will add my own anecdote that if anything Tesla is underrated. Not only is the drivetrain in the car worlds ahead of anything else on the road, but the fringe parts of the company like the supercharger network and service organization so far ahead of the legacy automakers that I don't see how they will ever catch up without an organizational split to separate the ICE business from the EV business.

Re: Tesla’s Model 3 Is Becoming One of America’s Best-Selling Sedans

#29
post #8

I am guessing this will die down once they clear all the backlog

Wait times in the US for the existing models are already low enough that there's basically no backlog. (out of the 420k reservations they had at some point, you can think of it as half those reservations being overseas -- not yet tapped, and of the remaining 210k half or likely more of those are for the 35k version. They've already shipped 91k cars, pretty much only to the US and Canada, so the US/Canada backlog for…

The backlog may be down but I’m with the GP that this was probably pent-up demand. I would expect another jump when (if) the fabled $30,000 model comes out.

But can they keep up this level of demand for two years? Three years? I’m not so sure.

Only time will tell.

Re: Tesla’s Model 3 Is Becoming One of America’s Best-Selling Sedans

#30
post #8

I am guessing this will die down once they clear all the backlog

Wait times in the US for the existing models are already low enough that there's basically no backlog. (out of the 420k reservations they had at some point, you can think of it as half those reservations being overseas -- not yet tapped, and of the remaining 210k half or likely more of those are for the 35k version. They've already shipped 91k cars, pretty much only to the US and Canada, so the US/Canada backlog for…

There is at least a 2 month wait for certain options. White interior, dual motor, red. Source is myself.
Post reply on HN