LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - A Tesla Model X is parked in the Central Station during a media preview of the Las Vegas Convention Center Loop on April 9, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
(Photo : Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Elon Musk made the headlines again following a candid conversation with a frustrated Tesla customer on Twitter on Wednesday, February 9. The topic revolved around the delayed rollout of Tesla's revamped Model X, as per CNET's Roadshow.
It all started when Twitter user @Wholemarsblog posted a message saying that "Tesla customers are constantly giving relevant and salient feedback to make the products and company better." The user said that he does not accept that Tesla fans cannot criticize the company.
Sawyer Merritt replied to this tweet, offering his own criticism of the world's leading electric car maker. According to Merritt, "the refreshed Model X rollout has been horrible and the lack of communication to customers who have been waiting for a year or more for their car and keep receiving delays is disappointing." Merritt added that he knows there are global supply chain issues, but some communication would be nice.
Musk provides Model X update with Twitter reply
Much to everyone's surprise, Musk replied to Merritt's comment. Fox Business reported that he said that Tesla dropped the ball badly regarding the new Model X production ramp, and they still have not fully recovered. Musk admitted Tesla's culpability in the delays, saying "it was idiotic to stop production of old X in December 2020 when there was still plenty of demand!"
We dropped the ball badly regarding new Model X production ramp & still haven’t fully recovered. Was idiotic to stop production of old X in Dec 2020 when there was still plenty of demand!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 9, 2022
Merritt appreciated Musk's response and transparency regarding the issue, replying that New X is a great vehicle. Merritt then asked Musk if he had any idea when the production ramp for the Model X might smoothen out and catch up with demand.
Musk did not provide any concrete details in his reply, telling Merritt in his tweet that "Model X is an extremely difficult car to build. Most complex passenger car ever. Limiting factor is interior trim."
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Production of Model X goes down in 4Q of 2021
Production of Model X and Model S was at the bottom of Tesla's priority list in the fourth quarter of last year, with the output of those vehicles down 19 percent compared to the same period in 2020. The same cannot be said of the Model 3 and the Model Y, which became the cash cows of Tesla last year. Production for the Model Y and the Model 3 went up by 79 percent from October to December 2021, with Tesla putting a premium on making more affordable models.
As per CNBC, during Tesla's earnings call last month, Musk said that he expects the company to remain chip-limited this year. He then confirmed that Tesla would not launch new vehicle models due to the computer chip shortage. Production of the Model X will surely be affected by the ongoing semiconductor shortage, resulting in even longer delivery times for the electric SUV.
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