We've already tipped you off that Tesla's massive delivery push is underway in the US, and more specifically, at its factory in Fremont, California. It comes as no surprise that the same situation is already beginning to unfold in Europe, despite CEO Elon Musk saying the automaker needs to put an end to these crazy delivery waves.
Demand for Tesla's EVs has been high for years now, but it skyrocketed at the beginning of 2023 thanks to well-calculated price cuts in many global markets that started an EV price war. The US EV maker has been setting records in many markets, and it seems it's aiming to break records for the first quarter of the year as a whole.
As reported by Teslarati, the Tesla delivery wave in Europe has reportedly forced some customers in Portugal to pick up their new EVs at the delivery trucks. Tesla doesn't rely on franchised dealers, and it doesn't have a ton of stores and service centers across the globe. This is one main reason the delivery situation can be a logistical nightmare. The current reported solution in Europe is to contact new owners and have them take delivery off a car hauler.
As you can see, it appears the car haulers are parked at a truck company in Portugal, since there's no room to unload or store the cars at delivery centers. Reports suggest the delivery centers are already overloaded with Teslas, so the trucks can't show up expecting to unload. Instead, buyers can head to where the trucks are parked and take delivery remotely.
While it may not be the most convenient situation for buyers, at least Tesla is working out a plan to get them their cars as quickly as possible, which clearly benefits both sides. Once they take delivery, these new Tesla owners in Portugal may also be up against challenges when it comes to Supercharging, since it appears the country can't yet open more Tesla Superchargers. Thankfully, most EV charging is done at home.
According to Teslarati, Portugal currently only has eight Tesla Superchargers available for public use. As Tesla continues with these delivery waves, it also needs to do everything it can to ensure that there's adequate charging infrastructure, as well as an appropriate number of service centers for owners.
How many EVs will Tesla deliver in Q1 2023? Will it set new records? Do you expect the price war to continue, or will we see electric car prices begin to rise again? Leave us your words of wisdom in the comment section below.
