So you dropped a smooth $1000 to reserve your new Model 3, but decide that Tesla’s latest mass market car isn’t in your future anymore. What are your options?
The company’s website says deposit holders can cancel at their own will, with the company’s Model 3 Reservation FAQ saying that “refunds can take up to three weeks depending on your country of delivery.”
A recent piece by Wired did a deep dive into the topic, and found that some people have been waiting longer than those 3 weeks to receive their refund.
Shashank Chitti, a former Model 3 reservation holder, told the outlet that he was done waiting and frustrated by Tesla’s lack of transparency. He canceled his reservation more than two months ago, but still hasn’t received his refund.
“Every time I reach out I get the same explanation: They have a lot of cancellations to process, they’ll prioritize my request, and that my refund should go out in the next batch,” Chitti said.
Users on Reddit have echoed those sentiments and told stories of waiting even longer.
“It has been three months,” wrote Reddit user UnDosTresPescao on July 3. “I have called/emailed them several times over the last month and a half asking about status. Every time they ask for my address and say that a check will be promptly on its way. The check never comes.”
Other holders, such as Jeff Maggard of Ithaca, New York, had less trouble.
“I did it all online without talking to anyone,” Maggard told Wired. “There was no number to call so I could be talked out of it by a representative. No dumb tricks to make me stay. It was great.”
Of the 23 people interviewed for the Wired piece, six received refunds to their credit cards within three weeks, and two others were reimbursed within 21 business days. Of the remaining 15, 14 canceled their reservations after more than a year. Seven received their refunds after 6 weeks or more, while the remaining people are in Tesla limbo, still waiting after two months or longer.
It is apparent that the sooner you canceled your reservation after first making it, the sooner you get your refund, so it’s not surprising that those who made their reservations a year ago are having trouble getting their refund now with Tesla’s systems likely being overloaded after Friday’s delivery event.
Do you have a story about canceling your Model 3 reservation? Share it with us below!
News
Tesla Model 3 ‘Highland’ rumored to bring ‘major’ exterior redesign, slew of modern improvements
Tesla’s Model 3 “Highland” has been speculated upon for nearly a year after being brought to light in late 2022 by a leaked report. More details continue to pour out, and rumors of a “major” exterior redesign and a slew of modern improvements are set to bring the automaker’s first mass-market vehicle out of the late 2010s and into 2023.
After being brought to light in late 2022, more details about “Highland” have been revealed through various sources. Teslarati has revealed that Tesla has been working on the project for a year now, despite it only being known about since October.
Periodic sightings of the “Highland” Model 3 have shown slightly redefined front ends, new wheels, new taillights, and other improvements cosmetically. However, initial reports had pushed for more attention to be paid to infotainment.
Tesla Model 3 Highland design details and upgrades confirmed
Teslascope is now indicating that Tesla is planning to implement “dozens” of technological advancements that will update the Model 3 significantly. And although Tesla “refreshed” the Model 3 just two years ago, these changes were mostly to update the look without changing the overall design. One example of this is the “chrome delete” look it now equips.
The Model 3 will now feature steer-by-wire, a system that relies on digital signals to adjust the driving experience and remove anything from vibrations to sudden bumps that can be caused by things like potholes.
Tesla will also rumoredly use matrix LED headlights across the entire Model 3 lineup and also use RGB ambient lights for a more modern feel.
Tesla is incorporating dozens of technological advancements within Highland, including, for the first time, steer-by-wire Yoke and steering wheels.
Other additions include matrix LEDs on all trims & redesigned RGB ambient lights, providing a more modern feel for all passengers.
— Teslascope (@teslascope) June 22, 2023
Tesla is also looking to be more sustainable with its powertrains for the Model 3 through the use of recycled materials. This a detail that will reportedly spread through the Model 3 program and extend to the Model Y.
It seems Tesla’s biggest goal with the Model 3 “Highland” revamp was to give owners what they wanted, as suggestions were routinely received by CEO Elon Musk on Twitter.
But there’s also an improvement in the quality of parts, which includes upgraded cameras that have been seen on the Hardware 4-equipped Model S, Model X, and Model Y vehicles. These improved quality cameras are set to help Tesla’s self-driving efforts, and many owners have reported the new installations are obviously of higher quality than the old iterations.
Based on those working closely on the Highland project, we’ve been told that Highland will not only include the upgraded cameras we’ve seen on HW4-equipped vehicles but will be one of the first models to incorporate a new front fascia.
Yes, that includes a new bumper camera. 📸
— Teslascope (@teslascope) June 22, 2023
Routine sightings of the Model 3 Highland project have continued through the past few months, and hopefully, we’ll be able to see a less-covered version of the car moving forward.
I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.
Tesla is rumored to be purchasing wireless charging company Wiferion, a Freiberg, Germany-based entity with charging and power solutions.
Wiferion describes itself as “the industry’s leading supplier of automated, wireless power supply systems.” The company has worked to provide over 100 companies with wireless charging solutions since 2015, when it initially started developing products.
BREAKING: Tesla in process of buying Wiferion – wireless charging for both Electric Vehicles and Robots pic.twitter.com/ER9ajNwe2N
— Herbert Ong (@herbertong) June 21, 2023
Wiferion entered the North American market after reaching a global licensing agreement with WiTricity last year, which unveiled its wireless charging tech using a Tesla last year.
A report from Gründerszene/Business Insider states that Wiferion is set to offload its business to Tesla International BV, a filing in the German Commercial Register indicates. “The shareholders intend to sell their shares in the company to Tesla International BV by means of a purchase agreement,” the filing said.
Tesla International BV is a wholly-owned subsidiary that operates out of the Netherlands.
The publication went on to ask two Wiferion investors if the sale was taking place, and they confirmed it but would not say what company the deal would be with.
The deal could be a work in progress toward Tesla’s wireless charging device, which it seemed to quietly unveil during the Shareholder Meeting earlier this year. Tesla showed a vehicle sitting above a wireless charging pad in a garage, seemingly hinting toward a wireless charging module that would soon be on the way.
Tesla teases mysterious “wireless” home charger on Investor Day
Tesla has used company acquisitions as a means to move certain projects forward in the past. In 2019, Tesla acquired Maxwell Technologies, only to sell it a couple of years later in 2021. It also bought Hibar Systems in late 2019.
Both of these purchases were groundbreaking moves to help Tesla develop in-house battery cells, which it produces at several of its manufacturing locations, including in California and Texas.
I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.
Tesla is reportedly planning to show off its new Model 3 “Highland” during CEO Elon Musk’s visit in China this Thursday.
Tesla has been rumoredly developing a new, revamped version of its mass-market sedan for nearly a year. Last year, several reports came out during the Fall that indicated Tesla was in the process of updating several parts of the vehicle, including its infotainment system and some exterior designs.
It turned out that Tesla had been planning to develop the vehicle for some time, as Teslarati discovered filings from the Fremont Factory with the Highland nametag that dated back to last Summer, basically confirming the project was moving forward.
Now nearly a year in, Tesla is reportedly planning to show off the new vehicle on Thursday during Musk’s trip in China, where he’s been for most of the week, according to Bloomberg.
Tesla China shrugs off rumors of Model 3 Highland trial production in Shanghai
Citing people familiar with the matter, the publication said the updated version of the sedan is “slightly longer and sportier than the earlier version,” and the interior is also “sleeker.”
Tesla could be planning to roll out some other features, because initial reports last Fall stated the infotainment systems were also getting new functionality as a part of the massive overhaul.
Musk made it to China earlier this week, and it is his first visit to the country in three years. During his visit, he met with several government leaders.
Tesla’s Musk meeting with China brass ‘key point’ with ongoing EV price wars
Despite Musk’s prolonged absence from the country, China has been a strong market for the electric automaker, contributing to a majority of its sales through both domestic and exported sales from its factory there, known as Giga Shanghai.
Tesla has operated Giga Shanghai as an export hub for several years, shipping vehicles to Europe mostly. However, earlier this month, Tesla started shipping vehicles from China to North America, specifically Canada.
I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.
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