Tesla CEO Elon Musk highlighted his company’s ability to keep demand high during the coronavirus pandemic thanks to the efficiency of ordering a vehicle online.
In the first part of a three-part interview with Automotive News’ Jason Stein, Musk stated that Tesla’s online ordering process, which avoids visiting a dealership to purchase a car, might have helped the electric automaker maintain a healthy demand volume during the pandemic.
“We saw strong orders through the whole pandemic; we still had good order volume,” he said.
Tesla thrives on the idea that all of its cars are available to any customer at the same price and negotiating with demanding automotive sales reps is not something the company has ever been interested in.
To keep the stress and uncertainty of buying a new car at an all-time low, Tesla has used an online ordering process and a direct-to-consumer sales process. This technique was used to eliminate any anxieties a car buyer may have about dealing with salespeople and negotiating the price of a new automobile.
“We make the buying experience very easy. You can buy a Tesla in just two minutes by going to our website. Go onto our website. You can literally order a Tesla in two minutes, maybe one minute if you’re really fast,” Musk added. “I guess people are less inclined to want to go to a dealership, do the test drive, and hang out in the lobby and that kind of thing.”
It seems that this technique has complimented Tesla’s sales figures throughout the pandemic, which shut down many Tesla showrooms and forced car buyers to either wait to purchase a car or order one online.
Demand was something that many carmakers seemed to struggle with throughout the first half of the year. While people were unemployed or out of work complete, car companies experienced slumps in demand for their vehicles, and buyers were not willing to spend the money on a new car, or they were not willing to risk their health to shop for a new ride.
The efficiency of Tesla’s online ordering process, along with the relatively stress-free process that it entails, has helped the electric automaker stay on top of the game amidst the pandemic.
Among the comfortable buying experience, Musk also said that the reason Tesla has been able to sustain success throughout the pandemic is that the company simply loves its cars more than traditional legacy manufacturers. The addition of video games, in-car entertainment, Easter eggs, and autonomy all contribute to the company’s success during rough times.
The demand for the company’s vehicles has undoubtedly not slowed. In the second quarter, Tesla delivered 90,650 cars, led by the Model 3 sedan, which was the most popular vehicle in June across the world.
Tesla also confirmed that it would be opening a new Gigafactory production plant in Austin, Texas, that would produce the widely popular Cybertruck, along with the Model Y for the Eastern half of North America.
Part one of Automotive News’ interview with Tesla CEO Elon Musk is available here.
