Diarmuid O’Connell, Tesla’s vice-president of business development, confirmed the number of orders at an electric vehicle conference in Amsterdam yesterday, two weeks after the low-priced model’s glitzy unveiling, Electrek has reported.
Orders of the life changing, marriage-saving Tesla Model 3 are poised to hit 400,000, but Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne doesn’t think they’ve got the right stuff.
The numbers seem like a slam dunk win for the electric automaker, but turning those orders into actual cars in a timely fashion is where the trouble lies. Following the launch, Tesla founder Elon Musk said production capacity will need to be ramped upin order to deliver vehicles as fast as possible once production starts in late 2017.
“It’s a success as far as it is right now,” O’Connell said during a question-and-answer session. “The real success will be delivering a great product at the volumes are possible and necessary.”
One industry leader doubts Tesla’s ability to turn a profit with the Model 3, and that man is none other than Sergio, lover of aggressive metaphorsand industry partnerships that never happen.
Sergio tossed a wet sweater onto Tesla’s enthusiasm, telling Automotive News Europethat if the Model 3 was able to make money, he’d copy it in a second and add some Italian “flair.”
“I’m am not surprised by the high number of reservations but you have then to build and deliver them and also be profitable,” he said, adding that FCA was in some ways dodging a bullet by not diving headlong into the EV fray.
“Better late than sorry,” he said, probably right before phoning Musk to ask for a meeting.
[Image: Tesla Motors]