Several British customers of Tesla have had their orders canceled, sometimes after waiting for two and a half years. They express their annoyance and their decision to turn to another electric vehicle manufacturer.
Recently, Tesla announced the discontinuation of right-hand drive production for the Model S and Model X. Elon Musk, the company’s CEO, explained this decision as a way to improve productivity on a global scale. Producing different cars in small quantities was slowing down the manufacturing process.
Ford then mocked its competitor with an advertisement highlighting the availability of the Mustang Mach-E with right-hand drive. According to the affected customers, it is likely that some of them turned to the blue oval brand.
Several customers shared their frustrations with Autocar, revealing the extent of their disappointment. They learned about the cancellation of their orders after waiting, in some cases, for 30 months, without any explanation or transparency.
“I have owned a Model S 100D since its release in 2018 and had ordered a Model S Plaid since October 2021,” said Paul Jones, one of these customers. “I love these cars, but this is a real blow.”
“Since 2021, I have been repeatedly told that my car is delayed but will arrive, and now this, without any explanation. It’s really disappointing. The first thing I did after receiving the email was to go to my Porsche dealership. I immediately booked a test drive of the Taycan Turbo S.”
Harry Green, who placed an order for a Model X two years ago, shares the same frustration. “I had ordered a Model X since October 2020. Now, I will order a Mercedes EQS.”
Another driver explained the reasons why he canceled his order. Indeed, Tesla could have provided cars with left-hand drive. However, according to this customer, it is impossible to decide to drive on the wrong side of the car.
“Overtaking is far too risky,” said John Scarnott, another British Tesla customer. “You have to have half of the car on the other side of the road to see what’s coming.”
It is unlikely that Tesla will reverse its decision given the low sales volume of these models. In the UK, sales of the Model S and Model X represent about 10% of those of the Model 3 and Model Y.
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