Nearly A Quarter Of Tesla Model 3 Reservations Cancelled In U.S.

Tesla may have the most fiercely loyal fan base in the automotive world but even this can’t help the company in the face of ongoing Model 3 production delays.

When the order books for the entry-level model opened in April 2016, Tesla received hundreds of thousands of deposits within a matter of weeks. However, data published by Second Measure asserts that as of the end of April, 23 per cent of all Model 3 deposits in the United States had been recalled.

Figures reveal that 18 per cent of all Model 3 refunds happened in April, the same month when Elon Musk said the sedan would be delayed six to nine months. Of course, not all the cancellations would be because of the delays as the financial positions of many would-be customers could have also changed in the past 24 months.

Nevertheless, the data reveals that at least some customers are growing tired of waiting.

Tesla still has over 400,000 orders to fulfill.

Unsurprisingly, Tesla claims that the figures published by Second Measure don’t match its internal data but failed to mention how many orders had been cancelled. Before Musk started his ongoing crusade against the media, he said that Tesla had secured 455,000 net reservations out of 518,000 gross reservations as of August 2017, indicating roughly 63,000 cancellations.

Last year, Tesla was actively trying to “anti-sell” the Model 3 and convince customers to opt for a more expensive Model S or Model X.

Recode reports that the Californian carmaker admitted that delays had indeed impacted cancellations during its most recent earnings release.

“Delays in production in general and delays in availability of certain planned options, particularly dual motor AWD and the smaller battery pack [have resulted in cancellations],” the company said.