Model 3 is here!

Delivery Day

On March 31st of 2016, I stood in line (like thousands of others) to reserve a Tesla Model 3. This car was the culmination of Tesla's 2006 master plan to make a compelling, affordable, electric car. The Model 3 is far and away the best selling EV; as well as the best selling car in its segment, outselling all other cars in the small and midsize luxury sedan segment in the US. That's more than the BMW 3 Series, the Mercedes C-Class, Audi A3, and many others. This car is a game changer, putting more electric cars on the road.

Here's our car's configuration.

Timeline From Reservation to Delivery

Date	Days Since Reservation	Event
3/31/2016	0	Stood in line to reserve a Model 3
7/28/2017	484	First Model 3s delivered to Tesla employees
2/4/2018	675	Invited to order First Production. Opted to wait for dual motor.
6/26/2018	817	Ordered dual motor
7/29/2018	850	Changed to white seats
8/21/2018	873	Delivered

VIN Decode - Yep, It's Dual Motor 

The badge on the back says dual motor. Without climbing under the car, how could I confirm this? One method is by the VIN. In addition to telling you where the car occurred in the production sequence, the VIN also tells you many other things about the car. Here is our VIN breakdown (or at least one close to it).

VIN decoder from http://teslatap.com/vin-decoder/ 

The VIN confirms that it has a second motor.

Getting Ready for the Road

Before taking off on a road trip, we're getting a paint protection film and window tinting installed. Tesla might be leaving some money on the table by not offering these. Dashcams are another product that many Tesla owners install. If these were an option in the design studio, I'm sure Tesla could sell a few and increase their margin on the vehicle. However, at this point in time, Tesla are trying to increase their production volume, so these minor revenue items would only slow them down, but they might be something to consider later. These are just minor issues, let's look at the bigger issue.

The Harbinger of Change

Telephones were invented in 1876 and they had very few changes for over a century. They had rotary dials until touch-tone phones came along in the 1980s. The next big change was the adoption of smartphones after the iPhone burst onto the scene in 2007. The iPhone was not the first smartphone, but it was the one that spread beyond the early adopters. Similarly, the Model 3 is not the first electric car, but it is the one that has captured the public's imagination. Many people that have never been interested in electric cars before are buying Model 3s. The transition of personal transportation will not happen as quickly as the move to smartphones, but it has begun. 

I'll be driving around in our 3 (as soon as the paint protection is applied), giving people rides, and letting friends drive it to help bring the future here a little sooner.