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It’s no secret that Tesla is experiencing a few growing pains while it ramps up production of its newest sedan, the Model 3. One of the largest complaints that have been brought to the internet’s attention is the automaker’s trouble with painting its cars. In a Tweet by CEO Elon Musk, it was announced that Tesla would be further limiting the paint choices available on its website when ordering a Model 3, and in addition, quietly raised the price on its dual-motor cars.
The two colors, Obsidian Black Metallic and Silver Metallic, will disappear from Tesla’s site on Wednesday, confirms Musk. But don’t worry, if you really want them, they can be made available as a special request, just as long as you’re willing to pony up a bit more than their current $1,500 price tags.
One common concern for some owners was the potential increase for repair length should their car visit a body shop. Tesla has had a certain notoriety with its parts availability. Although it has worked to decrease time in the shop for mechanical issues by deploying mechanics to the customer’s home directly, body problems often leave owners without cars for extended periods of time. Musk noted that body shops will still stock all colors, easing some fears.
In addition to removing the two colors, Tesla also decided to raise prices on two other paint options, Pearl White Multi-Coat and Red Multi-Coat. Musk says it requires the entire paint shop to halt while batches of cars are painted. Both of the options will increase 25 percent in cost, from $1,500 to $2,000.
Lastly, another price hike was initiated. After lowering the cost of its dual-motor car just one month ago, Tesla has raised the retail price of its all-wheel-drive car back from $54,000 to $55,000, representing a 20 percent increase from its single-motor Model 3 equipped with a long-range battery.
Though the price increases may be disappointing to consumers who have waited to purchase their cars, it is refreshing to see Tesla taking small steps to decrease the complexity required to complete their cars. Hopefully, this will reduce the variance found in Tesla’s paint jobs and help to set a particular level of quality control that new owners will find more acceptable.
