Tesla’s second-quarter deliveries in China are getting a rather unexpected boost, thanks to a number of electric car owners who are volunteering their time to help the company hand over as many vehicles as possible before the end of the month. Tesla is currently attempting to set new delivery records this Q2, and it would take every one of its delivery teams across the globe to dig deep to achieve its goal of beating Q4 2018’s numbers. The fourth quarter, after all, was a time when Tesla delivered more than 90,000 vehicles globally.
Reports from local Model 3 owners in China indicate that several owners have already become more involved in Tesla’s end-of-quarter delivery blitz. Similar to their counterparts in the United States, the Beijing-based Model 3 owners are helping new buyers get familiarized with their new vehicles. Some electric car owners have been doing this in actual delivery centers, while others are doing their part by providing useful information online. One Model 3 owner, who took delivery of his vehicle back in March, has even remarked that the cars coming to China today exhibit improved build quality.
Tesla has a tendency to accelerate deliveries towards the end of a quarter, and this has allowed the company to hit delivery records multiple times in the past. Even in the first quarter, which saw the company deliver significantly fewer vehicles than expected, Elon Musk noted that a good part of the company’s deliveries happened in the last two weeks of March. During a similar time last year, something rather remarkable happened.
Tesla was in a much different situation back in Q3 2018. Model 3 production was finally hitting Musk’s goal of around 5,000 vehicles per week then, and with thousands of cars to deliver every week, Tesla experienced what the CEO described as “delivery logistics hell.” This resulted in some Model 3 deliveries being pushed back multiple times, since Tesla’s delivery teams were, quite simply, overwhelmed. It was at this time when a Tesla owner-enthusiast and Ride the Lightning podcast host Ryan McAffrey suggested that electric car owners could offer some help in handing over vehicles to new owners. Musk loved the idea.
This started what could only be described as a community-powered delivery blitz that saw Tesla owners volunteering their time to help new owners get familiarized with their vehicles. Others even brought food and refreshments for new owners and fellow volunteers. YouTube influencers, longtime Tesla owners, and new Model 3 owners alike all volunteered their time. Together with Tesla executives such as Musk, who also delivered vehicles himself, these initiatives helped the company reach then-record delivery figures, eventually beating Wall St. revenue estimates by posting $6.8 billion in revenue with a GAAP profit of $312 million.
As could be seen in the efforts of Tesla owners in China, this willingness to help the company is not only true for electric car owners in the United States. Even in a place such as China, where the Model 3 only started deliveries earlier this year, owners are volunteering their time to help out the company. This is quite remarkable, and it all but shows the strength of Tesla’s brand. Slowly but surely, and despite the negative narrative surrounding the electric car maker, it appears that Tesla is transitioning from a disruptive electric car company to an idea, or even a movement of sorts. And this could very well be one of Tesla’s biggest strengths today.
