Waiting for Tesla

Monday this week, Tesla issued its quarterly "Vehicles production and delivery" note for investors, corresponding to Q3-2017. Tesla issues to reach the targeted production rates were known, and the new Model 3 is suffering same kind of problems as the previous models S and X. Model 3 production target for Q3 was 1,500 units, but actual production was only 260 units. Disappointing. After the ramp-up issues for model X and S, one expected that some lessons had been learnt, and Model 3 was going to have a better ramp-up process. Tesla production update estates that "there are no fundamental issues with the Model 3 production or supply chain. We understand what needs to be fixed and we are confident of addressing the manufacturing bottleneck issues in the near-term". Let′s see what happens in Q4 and in 2018, but reaching 20,000 units per month in December, and 500,000 units per year at some point in 2018 seems extremely difficult - if possible.

Tesla has been instrumental in the electric car perception change, from old “small car, short range, poor performance” perception to “clean, cool, high performance” nowadays. I wonder whether some big German carmakers were working on all-electric car models for the near future, and whether we were already talking about electromobility and all-electric transportation if it wasn′t for Tesla.

Well, you can be genius and visionary - but still you need to take the learning curve for new activities, and making cars on a safe, efficient, quality way is not an easy one. Because I think Tesla has been essential for the wide adoption of electric cars - and because I would like to own a Tesla in the future - I hope Tesla can definitely ramp-up production and succeed. We need them, and we need more like them to change the way we drive and the air quality in our cities for the better.

Fortunately, they are the most famous, but not the only one.