Tesla Model 3 price rise, longer wait times ahead of Model Y arrival

December 22, 2021May 16, 2022 Toby Hagon 4840 Views Tesla

The wait for a Tesla Model 3 just got longer – and when it does arrive it’ll cost you at least another $210 compared with a week ago.

Tesla recently updated its website informing customers that if they order a Model 3 today it is estimated it will take between 14 and 20 weeks to be delivered.

That means someone ordering before Christmas will have to wait until at least April or possibly until near the end of the financial year.

Only a couple of months ago the wait time for a Model 3 was as little as one week and more recently owners were told it would take between eight and 12 weeks to take delivery.

The added wait times are likely a result of increasing demand, especially in NSW where eligible buyers can get a refund of $5185 on the entry-level Model 3 Rear-Wheel Drive (the car formerly known as Standard Range Plus); $3000 is for a rebate and the remaining $2185 is for stamp duty.

However, wait times could also have blown out due to the anticipated arrival of the Model Y, which is effectively an SUV version of the Model 3 sedan. The Model Y was initially expected in Australia this year and while Tesla hasn’t said anything about timing locally, it’s expected some time during 2022, which may require adjustment of build schedules to accommodate.

But a portion of those EV incentives will be eroded by a recent price rise due to an increase in the order fee.

Tesla charges a $1375 delivery fee as well as a non-refundable order fee that must be paid when you place an order.

The soon-to-arrive updated Tesla Model 3 has had its order fee increased from $150 to $350, translating to a $210 increase in the drive-away price. The increase is slightly more on the Model 3 Performance as it has luxury car tax applied to it.

Tesla Model 3 made in America and Tesla Model 3 made in China charging — Not much has changed with the look of the Model 3 since it went on sale in Australia in 2019, but an MY22 update sees perfornance reduced but EV range increased

It’s unclear why the order fee has more than doubled, although it could be to dissuade people from making orders they aren’t necessarily committed to – or it may just be a way of introducing a price rise without changing the model 3’s list price, which still starts at $59,900 before delivery and on-road costs.

The Tesla Model 3 has had almost two years of price reductions despite increases in other parts of the world.

The added delay leaves those living in NSW with a quandary over whether the $3000 rebates promised by the government will still be available by the time their car arrives. The government has only committed to 25,000 and it is unable to say how many have been allocated and when they may run out.

Some are predicting a surge of rebate applications in the first quarter of 2021, at which point fresh deliveries of new models will arrive.

The Tesla Model 3 ordering changes come as the company recalls some early build Model 3s.

On December 16 Tesla lodged a recall notice affecting 106 Model 3s to fix front suspension fasteners.

“If a fastener is not secured to the correct specification, the fastener may loosen over time or separate from the sub-frame, which could cause the lateral link to separate from the sub-frame,” the Tesla recall notice stated.

A list of VINs shows that all 106 cars were from the Fremont factory in California; since early 2020 all Model 3s delivered to Australia have been sourced from a factory near Shanghai in China. The recall includes a mix of single motor and dual motor vehicles.