New Model S & X in LHD only in UK

[Puzzles]

You’ll have to let us know how it goes

[Heres Johnny]

If anyone is thinking of buying one, in France the demo cars have recently been listed with up to 16k euro off so something similar may well happen here, maybe bigger if they’re poor sellers. Whether you want a car that’s had several test pilots is another matter, but abuse in these cars isn’t the same as in an ICE.

[anonymous-user]

David87 said:

PurpleFox said:

Are they not making any right hand drive cars at all or just not sending any to the UK?

If it's no RHD at all then it seems mental to shackle sales in what must be reasonable sized markets. When I was in Hongkong there were loads of Teslas. Australia, South Africa, NZ I suspect have their fair share too.......It's not like the new model is radically different either.

LHD only production - nowhere gets RHD.

Also, the Tesla grabber thing… that can’t be real? They’re trolling us if so.

If this turns out to be a permanent Tesla policy, it’s a massive fk you to the markets in the U.K., Aus, NZ, Japan. It’s ludicrous to offer LHD cars in those markets as a sop, just as it would be to offer only RHD cars in mainland Europe and the Americas.

Seems to me this is step 1 in Tesla withdrawing as a manufacturer from this markets, and flogging off its charging infrastructure to others.

[David87]

I’m a bit more optimistic than that - I think it’s probably just the beginning of the end of the current Model S and X as even in LHD they don’t sell in huge numbers.

[gangzoom]

Just coming to end of another family road trip in our soon to be 6 year old 75D X. I still cannot think another EV on the market that can carry so many people so easily. The number of EV rapid chargers appearing ever where now means even the relative low range of our 75D X (200miles 100%->Zero), isn’t really an issue.

Real shame we wouldn’t be getting any new RHD Xs in the UK .

Edited by gangzoom on Thursday 1st June 18:08

[caseys]

Took out a Model S LR today. What an utter shambles.

One car there. My hour test drive in fact is 15 minutes of a loop with a sales bod in the car.

Car also not allowed in ludicrous mode. Been told there will be no RHD of S, X, Cybertruck or roadster. It’s not profitable to retool for it.

No option either to buy apart from all cash. Not even Tesla’s own finance. No PCP. No PCH. Told little will be sold to lease companies.

Insurance it seems they aren’t looking into brokering anything. You’re on your own.

There will never be UK inventory. Every order after the load that’s here now will be built to order and shipped over.

Distinctly unimpressed by the ride of the S compared to the Taycan. It also suffered a lot of hop on a warm day under acceleration as it seemed to scrabble for grip on the 19s it was on.

Just get the feeling they’re placating shareholders / upper management just seeing if anyone will buy.

Makes you wonder if they’ll eventually drop the 3 or Y RHD.

Looks like it’ll be a Taycan or maybe a Lotus for me next time around if they manage to improve the efficiency of it at all. Just not willing to drop over £100k on something which I have to decide is or is not for me by a brief spin around the block.



Excuse awful photos.

Edit : got told might get to test drive a plaid - but it’s not w given. Also liked the look of all the suspension customisation but again you got naff all time to adjust. And you can only adjust in park and not change it dynamically.

Edited by caseys on Saturday 3rd June 20:33

Edited by caseys on Saturday 3rd June 20:33

[Puzzles]

That’s disappointing. I do wonder what I’ll do after my M3P.

Ideally I’d like something with more sophisticated suspension as it’s a bit stiff.

[LivLL]

Currently £4k of inventory Model 3s now.

£38700 loads of stock.

What the Jp heck is happening, they were £10k more not long ago.

[skwdenyer]

LivLL said:

Currently £4k of inventory Model 3s now.

£38700 loads of stock.

What the Jp heck is happening, they were £10k more not long ago.

Tesla should be glad they’re not in the computer game - manufacturers reporting sales down nearly 50% YoY. Despite the protestations of many, the economy isn’t doing well.

[Heres Johnny]

skwdenyer said:

Tesla should be glad they’re not in the computer game - manufacturers reporting sales down nearly 50% YoY. Despite the protestations of many, the economy isn’t doing well.

Car Sales overall are up, EV sales were up in Q1 compared to q1 last year, Tesla sales are however down. Globally Tesla are still ramping production and selling more cars, but their customer base isn’t naturally so they’re trying to buy the business. Unfortunately that’s also causing increased depreciation on cars out there which lease companies are now pricing for, coupled with higher interest rates, so even with the lower headline list prices, lease and company car deals seem to be getting more expensive

There’s also more “normal” people experiencing the way tesla do stuff, the way Musk acts, and the reality of that is spreading. Some love it, there’s a guy on the owners forum who’s been around for years who just can’t see sense and is buying a LHD car. It could have 3 wheels and need to be driven backwards and he’d still buy it. But for other people it’s just a car with stupid windscreen wipers that dry wipe the windscreen when you engage cruise control and don’t have parking sensors. Doesn’t matter to them the rest of the stuff, the basics are rubbish, and that word is getting around.

So while the economy is tough, it’s not stopping more cars be sold including EVs, so it’s not a reason, it’s simply what Tesla are doing.

[gangzoom]

Heres Johnny said:

Car Sales overall are up, EV sales were up in Q1 compared to q1 last year, Tesla sales are however down. Globally Tesla are still ramping production and selling more cars

Tesla sales are down but selling more cars? I thought part of the reason why Tesla doesn't care about the S/X is because the Ys are making them more than enough money and selling like mad?

https://electrek.co/2023/05/25/tesla-model-y-is-no...

[Heres Johnny]

gangzoom said:

Heres Johnny said:

Car Sales overall are up, EV sales were up in Q1 compared to q1 last year, Tesla sales are however down. Globally Tesla are still ramping production and selling more cars

Tesla sales are down but selling more cars? I thought part of the reason why Tesla doesn't care about the S/X is because the Ys are making them more than enough money and selling like mad?

https://electrek.co/2023/05/25/tesla-model-y-is-no...

First part was uk, second part is global. Electrek have a US focused view as do most of the websites like that.

Berlin production, something everyone craved serving the Europe market reached 1000 new inventory cars waiting for homes, that’s fallen back to 600 but still higher than anyone expected. A local, relatively low volume location compared to China and Fremont not selling everything they make in Europe? Tesla are now directing China production to Canada because there’s an excess in China production.

So UK Tesla sales falling, EV sales rising
Globally, Tesla sales rising, production rising faster

Edited by Heres Johnny on Sunday 4th June 08:32

[gangzoom]

caseys said:

Took out a Model S LR today. What an utter shambles.

I think you have to be mad to consider any LHD S/X in the UK. These are NOT some kind of super rare weekend toy car you can tolerate something as fundamentally flawed as sitting on the side of the road every day.

The 'new' S/X is essentially the same car Tesla designed over 10 years ago, their job was first and foremost a family car that people can use daily without issues. In that regard our 2017 X is does that very well, we spent nearly 9hr in it getting home amounts half-term traffic chaos - All to traffic, no issues with charging



But to put up with LDH in a family wagon......no thanks. It really is a shame, because the massive windscreen in the X really does add something to the experience of holiday road trips.

An iX is probably what we go for next when ever the X dies (Hopefully not for a long time yet).

[gangzoom]

Heres Johnny said:

First part was uk, second part is global. Electrek have a US focused view as do most of the websites like that.

Berlin production, something everyone graved serving the Europe market reached 1000 new inventory cars waiting for homes, that’s fallen back to 600 but still higher than Tesla expected. A local, relatively low volume location compared to China and Fremont not selling everything they make in Europe? Tesla are now directing China production to Canada because there’s an excess in ch8na production.

So are these figures wrong? EU sales of the Y is 72K units for Q1 2023 (Is that just EU?), the nearest none Tesla EV is the ID3 at 17K. Thats some difference in sales figures. I remember when 17K sales for Quarter globally was a big number for Tesla. Our first 60D X was I think nearly half the price of the top spec 90D L at the time I seem to remember that's how desperate Tesla were to shift Xs at the time.

https://www.jato.com/tesla-model-y-becomes-europes...

I'm honestly surprised Tesla still make any S/Xs, from a pure numbers point of view, these cars are now surely just there for nostalgia versus Y sales.

It's all pretty irrelevant, given no one in their right mind is going to buy a LHD S/X, they will get pulled from the UK market pretty soon all together. Very few people will notice, given most probably don't even realise Tesla hasn't built any RHD S/Xs for a few years now. Better not crash mine again.......trim parts will become almost impossible to source in a few years time I suspect.

Edited by gangzoom on Sunday 4th June 08:35

[Heres Johnny]

gangzoom said:

So are these figures wrong? EU sales of the Y is 72K units for Q1 2023 (Is that just EU?), the nearest none Tesla EV is the ID3 at 17K. Thats some difference in sales figures. I remember when 17K sales for Quarter globally was a big number for Tesla. Our first 60D X was I think nearly half the price of the top spec 90D L at the time I seem to remember that's how desperate Tesla were to shift Xs at the time.

https://www.jato.com/tesla-model-y-becomes-europes...

I'm honestly surprised Tesla still make any S/Xs, from a pure numbers point of view, these cars are now surely just there for nostalgia versus Y sales.

It's all pretty irrelevant, given no one in their right mind is going to buy a LHD S/X, they will get pulled from the UK market pretty soon all together. Very few people will notice, given most probably don't even realise Tesla hasn't built any RHD S/Xs for a few years now. Better not crash mine again.......trim parts will become almost impossible to source in a few years time I suspect.

Edited by gangzoom on Sunday 4th June 08:35

We're off topic, but Tesla are pile it high brand with, in reality, 2 models and not even a lot of variation between them, or a lot of customisation choice for the customer. So VW make the ID3, they also make the ID4, starting to mae the ID5, e-golf, e-up, ID Buzz. Then with the Audi badge they make the Q4 etron, etron, etron GT RS etron GT, with the skoda badge they have the Enyaq etc, So VW group make something like 12 different models, so when you compare the Model Y with any one VW model there's going to be a big difference.

[skwdenyer]

Heres Johnny said:

We're off topic, but Tesla are pile it high brand with, in reality, 2 models and not even a lot of variation between them, or a lot of customisation choice for the customer. So VW make the ID3, they also make the ID4, starting to mae the ID5, e-golf, e-up, ID Buzz. Then with the Audi badge they make the Q4 etron, etron, etron GT RS etron GT, with the skoda badge they have the Enyaq etc, So VW group make something like 12 different models, so when you compare the Model Y with any one VW model there's going to be a big difference.

That’s true. So which should actually be profitable?

[TheRainMaker]

gangzoom said:

Heres Johnny said:

First part was uk, second part is global. Electrek have a US focused view as do most of the websites like that.

Berlin production, something everyone graved serving the Europe market reached 1000 new inventory cars waiting for homes, that’s fallen back to 600 but still higher than Tesla expected. A local, relatively low volume location compared to China and Fremont not selling everything they make in Europe? Tesla are now directing China production to Canada because there’s an excess in ch8na production.

So are these figures wrong? EU sales of the Y is 72K units for Q1 2023 (Is that just EU?), the nearest none Tesla EV is the ID3 at 17K. Thats some difference in sales figures. I remember when 17K sales for Quarter globally was a big number for Tesla. Our first 60D X was I think nearly half the price of the top spec 90D L at the time I seem to remember that's how desperate Tesla were to shift Xs at the time.

I think it's a UK thing, Tesla is now seen as a bit crap (within my circle of friends), and it will be hard to shift that, not helped by the price drops, which keep happening.

The UK is very "brand" focussed, I was adding up the EVs which mates own, and none are now Teslas.

Tesla registered 497 fewer cars this year than in 2022, but the EV market has grown by 19691 units in 2023.

There is no shortage of supply, so it can only be people who don't want them as much as they did now other options are available.

That said, the Model Y is still by far the most popular EV on sale in the UK, but I do wonder for how long, the second-hand market is going to be hit by a massive wave of second-hand Model 3's coming to the end of leases, which will have a massive effect on used prices. Which in turn will affect the brand even more.

[Heres Johnny]

skwdenyer said:

That’s true. So which should actually be profitable?

I’m not sure I care. Porsche are very profitable but that’s not a reason to buy one

The price cuts devalue the brand. The old mantras were no discounts, we all pay the same and they sell everything they make hasn’t been true for a year now.

[gangzoom]

Heres Johnny said:

The old mantras were no discounts, we all pay the same and they sell everything they make hasn’t been true for a year now.

Was that ever true? Tesla end of quater incentives have been around long before the 3/Y. Let not forget the home battery and wheels they essentially gave away free to lots of people.

The 3 is overpriced to me, the Y still have little interest to me. At least the X has stuff that no other car has.

I'm pretty sure we've bought our one and only Tesla. But as it happens hopefully we wouldn't have to buy any new car for another 5 years+.

Cars as a whole hold little interest for me these days. Saw a few of the new MG SUVs around Scotland last week, looks nice enough to me.

[caseys]

gangzoom said:

I think you have to be mad to consider any LHD S/X in the UK. These are NOT some kind of super rare weekend toy car you can tolerate something as fundamentally flawed as sitting on the side of the road every day.

Oh don’t worry GZ, it was to see what it was like in the hope there would be a RHD. Being told there won’t be RHD when I got there it would have to be exceptional to even think about it. And alas it’s not. It’s a little more refined but evolutionary not revolutionary. Even in RHD I’d say a nice Taycan beats it for driving feel, handling and cabin quality. Tesla beats it massively on efficiency and the SC network.

I wasn’t at all disappointed to get back in my 3LR and have a nice sunny drive home through the Test Valley. I was worried I’d test an S and my 3 would then feel lacklustre - just like Porsches strategy of lovely courtesy card.

A lot of caterhams and Porsches seen on the way home just made me think of more weekend cars.

The X would definitely be a great all round vehicle. The SC network again and the general UX in the car being massive benefits.

My shortlist now would be bmw and Porsche. Audi looking at the Audi Q lines they just seem big and bland. May go look at the Lexus RX when it comes out as there was an ad for it during the race today. And there’s a lotus dealer down here in Bournemouth.

Or I may just get the extended warranty on my 3 and run it for 5-6 years until the market moves on again.