Hailed by some as the answer to all the world's vehicle problems, there's a lot of expectation placed on every new product Tesla makes. So far, they've generally done a great job of making innovative and popular cars, really being the first company to make a success of EVs. They make products that are fast, desirable, and well-loved among their owners. For that, they should be applauded.
But, despite what many hardcore Tesla enthusiasts might think, the brand isn't without its flaws. In fact, now that the rest of the market is starting to catch up and make EVs, Tesla has stiffer competition than ever. They might have shown the world that EVs are a viable and desirable option, but that doesn't mean they won't be overtaken in the global market. In fact, in some respects, they already have been. Let's take a look at some of the reasons why Teslas aren't quite the perfect solution that many of their fans think they are.
8 Price
Tesla's starting prices for their models have always been reasonable, if never cheap. But, the catch is that the starting price is almost never the price that buyers will actually pay. Most will want to make use of all of the car's innovative features, many of which come with a hefty premium.
Not to mention, Tesla likes to make a big deal of its prices then quietly remove its cheapest options from sale. As reported by Electrek, the $35,000 Model 3, previously the least expensive Tesla on the market, has been taken off sale, despite being repeatedly advertised by Tesla during the Model 3's launch phase. Moves like that will be seen as deception by the general car-buying public and aren't a good look for a company as PR-sensitive as Tesla.
7 Build Quality
There may well be plenty of happy owners that have never had a problem with their cars, but there's no denying that Tesla has had plenty of build quality issues throughout their production. Various owners and publications have reported uneven panel gaps, misfitted trim, and improperly sealed windows.
Every carmaker will suffer from a few imperfections in the manufacturing process, but it seems Tesla's quality control department is seriously lacking. Revolutionary automaker or not, buyers still want a car that's put together correctly.
6 No, Seriously, Build Quality
One particularly concerning report centered on the cooling system in some Model Ys delivered in 2020. Owners found some units were mounted in place with pieces of fake wood and bits of tape. The original poster only discovered this after they'd spent multiple hours disassembling their new Tesla to fix its oversized panel gaps.
With a car that's as expensive and supposedly as luxurious as a Tesla, this sort of low-quality production is unacceptable. Perhaps it was a quick fix that went on for longer than it should have, but it begs the question of what other hidden issues there might be that just haven't been found yet. And anyway, cars that cost $55,000 shouldn't be held together with tape, period.
5 Choice
To be fair to Tesla, this next issue is one that they're in the process of fixing, but for now, it remains a valid criticism. The current range of Tesla's cars cover many of the main segments, but there's a lot of places where they're still lacking.
For example, the pickup market is the biggest segment in North America, and although the Cybertruck will eventually launch for now it's just a glossy marketing campaign. There's also no small Tesla hatchback, a market still very popular in Europe. Other automakers are already filling those gaps in the market, so Tesla needs to be quick if it doesn't want to permanently lose market share.
4 Lack Of Storage Space Inside
The interior of a Tesla may be a very aesthetically pleasing place to be, but a few of the brand's design choices have not sat well with more practically-minded buyers. One issue is the lack of storage space in comparison to other modern cars.
Some owners on Tesla forums have tried to spin this as a positive, saying that having less "clutter" is a good thing. But, as anyone with children will be well aware, families take up a lot of space and so just taking less in the car often isn't an option. The family car is really the next big EV frontier, and if Tesla wants to get in on that market they'll need to start making interior designs that better balance function and form.
3 Service Centers
Dedicated service centers are in one sense a good thing, as it means the mechanics should always know everything about the car they're looking at. The issue with Tesla's is that there just isn't enough of them yet.
Buyers of Teslas in more rural areas of the US might find that the nearest shop that knows anything about their car is hundreds of miles away, which is not only inconvenient but will be expensive if the car needs towing. More established automakers generally have more widespread outlets to fix their machines, which also doesn't help Tesla's case.
2 No Federal Tax Credit
In some ways, Tesla is a victim of its own success, especially in terms of the lack of Federal Tax Credits available on its cars. These credits are available to the first 200,000 buyers of EVs from any manufacturer, but once a company reaches that number, all benefits are cut.
Tesla reached that milestone at the start of 2020, which was somewhat of a mixed blessing for the brand. For customers, it meant that better value could sometimes be found in other places, as buying a car from a manufacturer that hadn't sold so many EVs essentially meant the government paid up to $7,500 off the car's price. That's a discount that might continue to tip indecisive buyers in favor of other brands in the immediate future.
1 Production Delays
One of Tesla's biggest issues is CEO Elon Musk's consistently over-optimistic production dates. While the brand has managed to get all the models into production that they've said they would, it's often been years later than Musk had originally promised they'd release.
Currently awaiting production are the Cybertruck, the Roadster, and the Semi truck. It remains to be seen whether any of these will actually be delivered to customers within their scheduled delivery windows. But, if customers want a definite date for the arrival of their new vehicle, Tesla probably isn't the brand to be looking at.