Following Consumer Reports’ decision not to recommend the Tesla Model 3, CEO Elon Musk has promised to fix the car’s dismal brakes.
In a tweet, the outspoken executive suggested the braking issue could be fixed through a firmware update. Musk went on to say owners can expect the update will roll out “in the next few days” and it should improve braking distances. He added, “Tesla won’t stop until [the] Model 3 has better braking than any remotely comparable car.”
This is a sharp contrast to yesterday when Consumer Reports revealed the braking system on the Model 3 was “far worse than any contemporary car we’ve tested.” Their car required an average of 152 feet (46.3 meters) to stop from 60 mph (96 km/h) and the group noted this was about 7 feet (2.1 meters) longer than the Ford F-150.
Looks like this can be fixed with a firmware update. Will be rolling that out in a few days. With further refinement, we can improve braking distance beyond initial specs. Tesla won’t stop until Model 3 has better braking than any remotely comparable car.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 22, 2018
It also looked like Tesla was planning to go to war with Consumer Reports once again as a company spokesperson disputed their findings and said the company’s own tests showed the Model 3 only needs 133 feet (40.5 meters) to stop from 60 mph (96 km/h).
In other news, Musk revealed the $35,000 Model 3 isn’t coming anytime soon. In a second tweet, pointed out by CNBC, Musk said shipping the entry-level Model 3 right away would have caused the company to lose money and “die.” He went on to say Tesla needs to get Model 3 production up to 5,000 units a week and then wait an additional 3-6 months before they can ship the base model.
The news will likely anger fans who reserved the entry-level model as the company’s website was claiming the base car would go into production this year. Yesterday, the page was quietly updated to say the standard model won’t arrive for another 6-12 months.
With production, 1st you need achieve target rate & then smooth out flow to achieve target cost. Shipping min cost Model 3 right away wd cause Tesla to lose money & die. Need 3 to 6 months after 5k/wk to ship $35k Tesla & live.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 21, 2018