Tesla is working aggressively to release its long-awaited Model 3. However, existing customers are still not happy with the long waits while the car is in the repair shop. The EV firm also acknowledges the issue that the repair shops are not performing up to its standards.
What’s causing the delay?
Repair issues with Tesla’s network were highlighted recently when a Model S owner complained that it had been about eight months since his car was taken to the repair shop. In response, the EV firm said that between August 2016 and February 2017, there were eight different orders registered for the Model S. As the shop was not able to clear its backlog, the owner did not get his car repaired and delivered in time. The shop also did not order all the needed parts at once, further delaying the repairs.
Tim Dorr, whose Model S was damaged in October, told Mashable that mechanics at the Tesla-certified shop were aware of the parts availability and said that repairs would take them until December to mid-January. However, it has been months since then, and Dorr has yet to receive his Model S.
According to The Economist, a larger issue is that Tesla manufactures most of the body parts for all its models in-house. In 2016, the company produced 83,922 vehicles, and all the cars were fitted with Tesla-manufactured parts. However, there is a lag between the number of parts produced and demand for them.
How does Tesla plan to end the wait time?
The Tesla Model 3, which is expected to come with a price tag of about $35,000, could hit the road by next year, significantly increasing the number of Tesla cars on the road. And that’s not all; CEO Elon Musk has set a target of producing 500,000 cars in 2018.
Although the Palo Alto-based company has its own service centers, it has outsourced the body work to other third-party shops as well. The EV manufacturer is, however, in no mood to carry on with the repair centers that are not performing well and is looking to replace them with high-performance shops.
Only a couple of weeks ago, the company said it would expand its mobile service network. To do this, the EV firm will send mechanics and technicians to the owners’ home or office for minor repairs.
“In service, since more than 80% of our repairs are so minor that they can be done remotely, we are expanding our mobile repair service that allows Tesla to make vehicle repairs at an owner’s home or office,” the EV firm said.
