Model X Demand Prompts Tesla To Adopt Anti-Sales Strategy

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Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) doesn’t provide information about its forthcoming Model X crossover in its stores or on the website. It has been delayed several times, and is now scheduled to hit the roads in early 2015. However, customers seem to be crazy about the Model X. Reports suggest that pre-orders for the vehicle have already surpassed 20,000.

Tesla convincing Model X buyers to go for Model S

Tesla requires $5,000 in deposits for a car that isn’t even available for test drive. And people are flocking to drop a $5,000 deposit. In fact, about 8,000 of advance orders were place in the last six months. More than 1,300 units of the falcon door vehicle were pre-ordered last month. Tesla is yet to disclose the price and single-charge range of Model X. According to Gas2.0, about 75% of advance orders are from North America.

Due to rapidly rising pre-orders, Tesla CEO Elon Musk admitted during the company’s Q2 earnings call that they have adopted the anti-sell strategy. That means when someone visits one of the company’s stores to buy Model X, Tesla convinces them to buy Model S instead. There is a huge demand for the forthcoming vehicle. The company could drive demand up at will, Musk said. But if they pump up the demand, customers will get upset with the long wait, reports Car and Driver.

Tesla mum on Model X pre-orders

Amid all the buzz, Tesla is quiet about the advance booking figures. Tesla spokeswoman Alexis Georgeson told AutoblogGreen that the estimated sales figures were “mere speculations.” During the second quarter, the company delivered 7,579 Model S vehicles worldwide. The San Francisco-based EV maker is on track to deliver well over 35,000 units this year.

Anyway, Model X is not the only thing on Elon Musk’s list at the moment. The company is also working on its mass-market Model 3 car, which is expected to launch in 2017. Meanwhile, Tesla is expanding its supercharger network in North America, Europe and China. Recently, the company announced that it would build its massive Gigafactory near Reno, Nevada.

Tesla shares fell 5.29% to $264.26 at 10:23 AM EDT on Monday.

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