Tesla Model 3s Held at Salt Lake City Rail Yard Finally Make Their Way to Buyers
Finally, this saga has a happy ending.
Last week The Drive broke the news of some Tesla Model 3s being held in Salt Lake City at the Union Pacific Railroad due to an unknown issue between the rail company and the automaker. Tuesday, The Drive received word from Utah Tesla-buyer Megan Gale that the electric car company contacted her to set up a delivery time for her Model 3 from the railroad yard. Gale confirmed Tesla then delivered her Model 3 Tuesday afternoon after being delayed for several weeks.
"As frustrating as the wait and miscommunication was, the car absolutely makes up for it. I've been smiling nonstop since I picked it up," Gale told The Drive.
On Sept. 17, Elon Musk replied to a tweet about this particular situation and claimed that Tesla had gone from a "production hell" to dealing with this "logistics hell" which was causing the delays in delivery. On Sept. 18, Gale was told by a Tesla delivery representative that the Model 3s were being released in groups and her vehicle was one of the first ones released and prepared for delivery.
With reports that the entry level Model 3 production is around the corner Tesla will have to come up with solutions or the problems may start compounding as production increases.
The electric vehicle giant now faces more competition than ever in the EV space as Audi has revealed the specs of its 2019 E-tron, which directly competes with the Tesla Model X. For Tesla to maintain its position as a leader in the luxury electric vehicle space they will need to shore up some of these issues or risk losing market share to its more established competitors.
The Drive reached out to Tesla for comment about the situation and we will update when they respond.