Getting on the currently very long list for the Tesla 3 requires a $1,000 deposit that’s fully refundable. You can’t trade or sell your place in line, but you could take delivery and then resell the car fast and maybe make a small profit, if the demand stays as high as it is right now (when there are no cars actually available). That’s a big “if,” however. The reservation list for Tesla’s entry-level electric car is now at least 400,000, because that’s the number of preorders the company received in April. Musk recently said the plan is to build 500,000 units in 2018.
The risk that comes into play for those seeking to hold their reservations in order to profit on resale involves at least three factors. For lots of reasons, other people on the list may change their minds and take their refunds. Also, other potentially desirable electric cars, such as Chevrolet’s Bolt EV, will be available. And there’s also the question of how well the Tesla 3 is received once the first cars actually roll off the line, especially as the company rushes to expand production capacity. The recently shipped Tesla X SUV had early build quality issues, after all. As a result, there are many questions, but at this point, the demand is still high.
So if you actually do want a Tesla Model 3 in 2018, get on the list now. If you’re prompted by wanting the newest thing, however, be aware that if you actually have to wait until the end of 2018 to receive your car, the news of its initial announcement will then be almost three years old, and other people will have been driving Model 3’s for over a year.
