Tesla CEO Elon Musk responded to criticism of the slow production output regarding the company’s new Model X refresh.
Despite delivering the first Model X refresh SUVs back in October 2021, Tesla has been slow to ramp up production of the latter, along with the Model S.
During Tesla’s Q4 2021, the company produced 13,109 Model S/X vehicles and delivered 11,750 of them, whereas the Model 3/Y saw 292,731 produced and 296,850 delivered, according to the automaker’s first numbers released in early January.
Musk responded to @SawyerMerritt’s criticism of Tesla today, related to the “horrible” rollout and lack of communication for owners that have been waiting one year or more for their new Model X.
“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!,” said Musk on Wednesday afternoon.
Musk added, “Model X is an extremely difficult car to build. Most complex passenger car ever. Limiting factor is interior trim,” said the Tesla CEO.
We’ve seen frequent flyovers of Tesla’s Fremont factory, showing numerous vehicles parked in overflow lots, seemingly ready to be delivered, but likely missing some key parts that may have halted production, amid global supply chain shortages.
A recent report from CNBC said Tesla allegedly reduced a steering wheel component for the Model 3 and Model Y, due to the ongoing chip shortage. It’s likely Tesla is suffering from parts shortages for its premium sedan and SUV.
Tesla North recently reported the automaker was contacting Model X Plaid delivery holders, asking them to seek free upgrades to 6-seats, or get a discount to downgrade from a 7-seat option, after the company revised its layout to only offer the 6-seat option.
Tesla said during its Q4 earnings call it would not be releasing any new models this year, due to existing heavy demand for vehicles and its production backlog. Debuting a new car would slow down the production of existing orders, said Tesla.
