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Tesla’s Model 3 delivery challenges in Europe are growing pains for a global ramp
The arrival of the cargo ship Glovis Captain on the port of Zeebrugge earlier this week heralded new opportunities and challenges for electric car maker Tesla. The massive vessel is estimated to be carrying around 3,000 Model 3, which are expected to start an electric disruption in Europe’s passenger car market. At the same time, the arrival of the highly-anticipated sedan also means that deliveries to reservation holders in the region are about to begin.
Delivery Logistics Hell, Part 2
In true Tesla fashion, plans were underway to get the recently-arrived Model 3 to customers as quickly as possible. Thus, instead of taking a while before starting handovers to reservation holders in the region, Tesla immediately went to work. Reports from the Tesla community even indicated that they received messages from the carmaker indicating that they could pick up their Model 3 starting Wednesday at the company’s Tilburg facility, shortly after the cars arrived on Zeebrugge.
Soon, social media posts from the Tesla community revealed that the first Model 3 deliveries in Europe were already underway. That said, it did not take long before Tesla became unable to deliver as many vehicles as they estimated. Some reservation holders even went so far as to state that they were advised to pick up their Model 3 the following day. While an additional day is but a drop in the bucket compared to the nearly three-year wait for the electric sedan experienced by reservation holders, Tesla’s inability to deliver as many vehicles as it expected became a great inconvenience nonetheless.
On Wednesday, Elon Musk took to Twitter to apologize for the delivery delay in Europe. In a tweet, Musk explained that Tesla met some “unexpected challenges” with the vehicles coming through the Belgian port. Nevertheless, Musk noted that Model 3 deliveries should start moving on Thursday.
Sorry, many unexpected challenges with cars coming through Zeebrugge first time. Cars will start moving out in volume tomorrow.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 6, 2019
Logistics Challenges – Not Sweeter the Second Time
Ultimately, this is yet another case of Tesla miscalculating and shooting itself in the foot in the process. In the case of Europe’s first Model 3 deliveries, reservation holders were expecting their vehicles at a later date to begin with (the reservation holder Musk responded to on Twitter, for example, had a delivery date of 02/16/2019). The earlier delivery estimates, and the succeeding failure to meet said estimates, all transpired under Tesla’s own doing.
That said, Tesla’s journey with the Model 3 to date hints at something positive following the company’s logistics challenges in Europe, considering that the electric car maker faced the same issues in the US last September. During that time, Tesla was just hitting its stride with the production of the electric sedan. Tesla was also going for profitability, which required a record number of vehicle deliveries. Tesla’s deliveries became so backlogged that reservation holders saw their handover dates rescheduled multiple times.
Thanks to @LucWaterlot, some pictures of #glovisCaptain arriving full of #tesla #Model3 in #portofzeebrugge pic.twitter.com/rVxWBkWHNU
— FalconU (@UlricDabe) February 5, 2019
Just like Elon Musk’s recent tweet, the Tesla CEO owned up to Tesla’s challenges then, explaining that the company had gone straight from “production hell” to “delivery logistics hell.” Musk also mentioned later that challenges in logistics are easier to solve than production issues. True to the CEO’s word, Tesla delivered a record number of vehicles in the third quarter, with Q3 2018 handovers totaling 83,500 vehicles including 55,840 Model 3. Ultimately, these deliveries helped the company achieve its first definitively profitable quarter in years. These logistics challenges were completely absent in Q4 2018 as well, when Tesla delivered a total of 90,700 vehicles, including 63,150 Model 3.
Lessons Learned and Experiences Gained
With this in mind, it appears that Tesla’s current challenges in delivering the Model 3 to European customers are something that the company can handle. Tesla’s experience in the United States alone should help the electric car maker gain enough footing to conduct handovers in the region in a manner that is smooth, convenient, and well worth the nearly three-year wait for Model 3 reservation holders.
While Tesla appears to have miscalculated its initial European Model 3 deliveries, the company is in a constant effort to improve its logistics. Elon Musk took particular notice of this issue in the recently held Q4 2018 earnings call, when he was discussing the probability of Q1 2019’s profitability.
“We’re going to get cars to China and Europe and make sure that we have good logistics for the whole delivery process, from factory gate to the customer. That’s obviously pretty far from California to get to Europe and China and make it to, again, our two customers. So, we’re working every aspect of that logistics chain. And I think we’ve — I think it’s going to be good. I would say at this point; I’m optimistic about being profitable in Q1. Not by a lot, but I’m optimistic about being profitable in Q1 and for all quarters going forward,” Musk said.
For the meantime, the beast that is the Tesla Model 3 is still waiting for its chance to fully saturate the European market.
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Tesla preps to build its most massive Supercharger yet: 400+ V4 stalls
The project will be an expansion of the current Eddie World Supercharger in Yermo, California, and will take place in several stages.
Tesla is preparing to build its most massive Supercharger yet, as it recently submitted plans for an over 400-stall Supercharging station in California, which would dwarf its massive 168-stall location in Lost Hills, California.
The project will be an expansion of the current Eddie World Supercharger in Yermo, California, and will take place in several stages.
The expansion, adjacent to the existing Eddie World Supercharger, which is currently comprised of 22 older V2 and V3 stalls limited to 150 kW, unfolds across six phases.
Construction on Phase 1 begins later this year with 72 V4 stalls. Subsequent stages will progressively add hundreds more, culminating in over 400 next-generation chargers. Site plans label expansive parking arrays across Phases 1–5 along Calico Boulevard, with Phase 6 design still to be determined.
Tesla is planning an absolutely massive Supercharger expansion in Yermo, California!!
Over the course of 6 phases, Tesla is set to add over 400 V4 stalls in a commercial development known as Eddie World 2.
The first phase, which should begin construction sometime this year,… pic.twitter.com/ks5Y5dE8lR
— MarcoRP (@MarcoRPi1) March 6, 2026
The project was first flagged by MarcoRP, a notable Tesla Supercharger watcher.
Strategically located midway on I-15 between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, the station targets heavy EV traffic on this high-demand corridor.
The surrounding 20-mile stretch already hosts over 200 high-power stalls (including 40 at 250 kW, 120 at 325 kW, and more), plus 96 in nearby Baker—yet bottlenecks persist during peak travel.
In scale, it eclipses all existing Tesla Superchargers. The current record holder, the solar- and Megapack-powered “Project Oasis” in Lost Hills, California, offers 164 stalls. Barstow’s former leader had 120. Eddie World 2 will be more than double that size, cementing Tesla’s dominance in ultra-high-capacity charging.
Tesla finishes its biggest Supercharger ever with 168 stalls
Development blends charging with convenience. Architectural drawings show integrated retail: a 10,100 square foot Cracker Barrel, a 4,300 square foot McDonald’s, a 3,800 square foot convenience store, additional restaurants, drive-thrus, outdoor dining, and lease space.
EV-centric features include pull-through bays for Cybertrucks and trailers, ensuring accessibility for larger vehicles and future Semi trucks.
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Tesla makes latest move to remove Model S and Model X from its lineup
Tesla’s latest decisive step toward phasing out its flagship sedan and SUV was quietly removing the Model S and Model X from its U.S. referral program earlier this week.
Tesla has made its latest move that indicates the Model S and Model X are being removed from the company’s lineup, an action that was confirmed by the company earlier this quarter, that the two flagship vehicles would no longer be produced.
Tesla has ultimately started phasing out the Model S and Model X in several ways, as it recently indicated it had sold out of a paint color for the two vehicles.
Now, the company is making even more moves that show its plans for the two vehicles are being eliminated slowly but surely.
Tesla’s latest decisive step toward phasing out its flagship sedan and SUV was quietly removing the Model S and Model X from its U.S. referral program earlier this week.
The change eliminates the $1,000 referral discount previously available to new buyers of these vehicles. Existing Tesla owners purchasing a new Model S or Model X will now only receive a halved loyalty discount of $500, down from $1,000.
The updates extend beyond the two flagship vehicles. New Cybertruck buyers using a referral code on Premium AWD or Cyberbeast configurations will no longer get $1,000 off. Instead, both referrer and buyer receive three months of Full Self-Driving (Supervised).
The loyalty discount for Cybertruck purchases, excluding the new Dual Motor AWD trim level, has also been cut to $500.
NEWS: Tesla has removed the Model S and Model X from the referral program.
New owners also no longer get a $1,000 referral discount on a new Cybertruck Premium AWD or Cyberbeast. Instead, you now get 3 months of FSD (Supervised).
Additionally, Tesla has reduced the loyalty… pic.twitter.com/IgIY8Hi2WJ
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) March 6, 2026
These adjustments apply only in the United States, and reflect Tesla’s broader strategy to optimize margins while boosting adoption of its autonomous driving software.
The timing is no coincidence. Tesla confirmed earlier this year that Model S and Model X production will end in the second quarter of 2026, roughly June, as the company reallocates factory capacity toward its Optimus humanoid robot and next-generation vehicles.
With annual sales of the low-volume flagships already declining (just 53,900 units in 2025), incentives are no longer needed to drive demand. Production is winding down, and Tesla expects strong remaining interest without subsidies.
Industry observers see this as the clearest sign yet of an “end-of-life” phase for the vehicles that once defined Tesla’s luxury segment. Community reactions on X range from nostalgia, “Rest in power S and X”, to frustration among long-time owners who feel perks are eroding just as the models approach discontinuation.
Some buyers are rushing orders to lock in final discounts before they vanish entirely.
Doug DeMuro names Tesla Model S the Most Important Car of the last 30 years
For Tesla, the move prioritizes efficiency: fewer discounts on outgoing models, a stronger push for FSD subscriptions, and a focus on high-margin Cybertruck trims amid surging orders.
Loyalists still have a narrow window to purchase a refreshed Plaid or Long Range model with remaining incentives, but the message is clear: Tesla’s lineup is evolving, and the era of the original flagships is drawing to a close.
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Tesla Australia confirms six-seat Model Y L launch in 2026
Compared with the standard five-seat Model Y, the Model Y L features a longer body and extended wheelbase to accommodate an additional row of seating.
Tesla has confirmed that the larger six-seat Model Y L will launch in Australia and New Zealand in 2026.
The confirmation was shared by techAU through a media release from Tesla Australia and New Zealand.
The Model Y L expands the Model Y lineup by offering additional seating capacity for customers seeking a larger electric SUV. Compared with the standard five-seat Model Y, the Model Y L features a longer body and extended wheelbase to accommodate an additional row of seating.
The Model Y L is already being produced at Tesla’s Gigafactory Shanghai for the Chinese market, though the vehicle will be manufactured in right-hand-drive configuration for markets such as Australia and New Zealand.
Tesla Australia and New Zealand confirmed the vehicle will feature seating for six passengers.
“As shown in pictures from its launch in China, Model Y L will have a new seating configuration providing room for 6 occupants,” Tesla Australia and New Zealand said in comments shared with techAU.
Instead of a traditional seven-seat arrangement, the Model Y L uses a 2-2-2 layout. The middle row features two individual seats, allowing easier access to the third row while providing additional space for passengers.
Tesla Australia and New Zealand also confirmed that the Model Y L will be covered by the company’s updated warranty structure beginning in 2026.
“As with all new Tesla Vehicles from the start of 2026, the Model Y L will come with a 5-year unlimited km vehicle warranty and 8 years for the battery,” the company said.
The updated policy increases Tesla’s vehicle warranty from the previous four-year or 80,000-kilometer coverage.
Battery and drive unit warranties remain unchanged depending on the variant. Rear-wheel-drive models carry an eight-year or 160,000-kilometer warranty, while Long Range and Performance variants are covered for eight years or 192,000 kilometers.
Tesla has not yet announced official pricing or range figures for the Model Y L in Australia.
Tesla preps to build its most massive Supercharger yet: 400+ V4 stalls
Tesla makes latest move to remove Model S and Model X from its lineup
