• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechGlobal 500

Tesla Says New Model 3 Reservations Won’t Arrive for Close to 2 Years

By
Katie Fehrenbacher
Katie Fehrenbacher
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Katie Fehrenbacher
Katie Fehrenbacher
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 18, 2016, 3:39 PM ET
Fortune/Katie Fehrenbacher

If you plan on making a reservation for one of Tesla’s upcoming $35,000 electric cars, the Model 3, expect to wait almost two years—and maybe longer at this point.

The electric car company run by Elon Musk, which is in the process of acquiring solar company SolarCity, updated its website to say that production of the Model 3 will begin in mid-2017 and that delivery estimates for new Model 3 reservations are now “mid 2018 or later.” Tesla is hoping to ship its very first cars to early customers by the end of 2017.

Earlier this year, Tesla (TSLA) opened up reservations for its Model 3, the company’s first mainstream electric car that can drive 215 miles per battery charge and costs $35,000. Tesla’s other cars commonly cost six figures depending on the model and features.

The demand for those first Model 3 cars has been huge, and almost 400,000 people put down a $1,000 refundable deposit to get in line for one. Some customers even camped out over night in front of stores to get at the beginning of the queue.

But because Tesla has only been making its current cars in smaller volumes, the company needs to build out its production capacity to be able to meet such high demand. Tesla delivered about 50,000 cars in 2015 and plans to deliver about 80,000 in 2016.

But by 2018, Tesla intends to grow its manufacturing capabilities to be able to make 500,000 cars per year. Many of those are supposed to be Tesla’s Model 3. The time that Tesla needs to grow its production capacity and to start shipping cars is the reason for the lag time.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

But everyone expected as much. Fortune noted that as the reservation list starting growing earlier this year, new reservation holders might not get their cars for even three or four years. Pushing the date out also could mean that a customer might miss out on a federal tax credit that expires after Tesla sells 200,000 cars.

Tesla could ship 76,860 Model 3 cars by the end of 2018, according to analysts at Cairn Energy Research Advisors. That includes 12,200 shipped within the year of 2017, and 64,660 shipped within 2018. Tesla could ship 212,646 Model 3 cars (that’s cumulative) by the end of 2019.

For more on Tesla’s 3rd quarter deliveries, watch:

Assuming all of the Model 3 reservations convert into buyers (which they won’t), you’d need to have a reservation number lower than 76,860—the predicted total to be shipped by the end of 2018—to get one before the end of that year. And you’d need to be on the reservation list under 212,646 to get a car in 2019. (Again, not all reservation holders will convert).

After Tesla sells 200,000 cars, it’s set to lose a $7,500 federal tax credit for its customers. So if you fail to get your car in 2018, the Model 3 could be more expensive without the credit.

About the Author
By Katie Fehrenbacher
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Lists Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Lists Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

gen z
LawEducation
The Gen Z stare meets the mysterious perfect homework assignment in the age of ChatGPT. Enter the oral exam
By Jocelyn Gecker and The Associated PressApril 23, 2026
38 minutes ago
ServiceNow CEO Bill McDermott, wearing a casual jacket over a tope shirt and sporting sunglasses, raises his arms in a shrug-like gesture.
InvestingServiceNow
Investors continue to punish ServiceNow despite strong earnings and CEO McDermott’s forecast of blistering growth in AI product sales
By Jeremy KahnApril 23, 2026
52 minutes ago
Swoop founder Aubrey Niederhoffer
Startups & VentureFintech
A 19-year-old Thiel fellow just raised $7.3 million to build an African ‘super app’
By Jack KubinecApril 23, 2026
1 hour ago
Fewer than 1 in 4 workers feel their job is safe. Here’s why worker ‘FOBO’—fear of becoming obsolete—is hurting companies
Future of WorkLayoffs
Fewer than 1 in 4 workers feel their job is safe. Here’s why worker ‘FOBO’—fear of becoming obsolete—is hurting companies
By Claire ZillmanApril 23, 2026
1 hour ago
lecun
AIGoldman Sachs Group
Goldman tackles AI’s missing link: the ‘world model’ that every AI godfather is racing to figure out
By Nick LichtenbergApril 23, 2026
2 hours ago
Software developers discussing programming code and planning how to create innovative software at co-working office. Two software developers checking programming code on computer screen. working through a coding problem together.
Commentaryregulation
Inflated AI claims are under fire—and the regulatory reckoning is coming
By Perrie M. WeinerApril 23, 2026
4 hours ago

Most Popular

‘Something sinister’: What we know about the FBI probe into dead and missing scientists linked to space and military industries
Economy
‘Something sinister’: What we know about the FBI probe into dead and missing scientists linked to space and military industries
By Jim EdwardsApril 22, 2026
1 day ago
Cursor’s 25-year-old CEO is a former Google intern who just inked a $60 billion deal with SpaceX
AI
Cursor’s 25-year-old CEO is a former Google intern who just inked a $60 billion deal with SpaceX
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezApril 22, 2026
20 hours ago
Officials will flush 50,000 toilets to flood a Utah lake in order to generate electricity
Environment
Officials will flush 50,000 toilets to flood a Utah lake in order to generate electricity
By Mead Gruver, Dorany Pineda and The Associated PressApril 22, 2026
19 hours ago
The tables have turned: Florida and Texas are the biggest losers in the housing market as Ohio emerges a surprise winner
Real Estate
The tables have turned: Florida and Texas are the biggest losers in the housing market as Ohio emerges a surprise winner
By Sydney LakeApril 21, 2026
2 days ago
'Something sinister could be happening': FBI looks into dead or missing nuclear and space defense scientists tied to NASA, Blue Origin, and SpaceX
Politics
'Something sinister could be happening': FBI looks into dead or missing nuclear and space defense scientists tied to NASA, Blue Origin, and SpaceX
By Catherina GioinoApril 21, 2026
2 days ago
Palantir published a mini manifesto calling some cultures ‘harmful’ and ‘middling’ and said Silicon Valley has ‘a moral debt’ to the U.S.
AI
Palantir published a mini manifesto calling some cultures ‘harmful’ and ‘middling’ and said Silicon Valley has ‘a moral debt’ to the U.S.
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezApril 22, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.