Expectant buyers of high-end Tesla electric car models have been told their orders have been cancelled as the pioneering car company said it was discontinuing some right hand drive versions.
Potential owners of the Tesla S and Tesla X models across Ireland and Britain confirmed they had received letters telling them their orders have been cancelled. Tesla said it will continue with left hand drive versions of these models, but for “the foreseeable future” right hand drive models will not be available.
Some expectant owners have been waiting between two and three years for delivery of their new cars, largely due to supply line issues.
The move is likely to disappoint only a small number of potential Tesla owners in Ireland given that the Model X, a Tesla SUV, sells for between €72,000 and €78,000 depending on levels of trim and specification. The new Model S is an even more rarefied beast with prices starting at €90,900 and rising to €140,000 for the Plaid Plus version.
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It is understood that both cars amount for a very small percentage of Tesla cars in Ireland, possibly as low as three per cent.
Those who had placed a deposit and were waiting for cars were advised they would receive a full refund automatically as all orders would be cancelled by June 5th. Tesla also said the deposit could be converted to alternative models, the Model 3 or the Model Y and a €2,000 “thank you” would be applied to their order.
It would also be possible to buy a left hand drive Model sor Model X, the company said.
Tesla sold 675 cars in Ireland last year, according to figures from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry. The numbers included 175 units of the Model X but no Model S. The motoring press autotrader.ie reported the last sales of Tesla S were in 2019, when 25 units were sold.
The Model 3 and Model Y remain Tesla’s two biggest sellers in Ireland.
The Tesla Model Y was Europe’s best-selling new passenger car in March and across 27 markets in Europe, it was also the best-selling car in the first quarter of 2023.
Media adviser Tom McEnaney told The Irish Times he had been waiting for more than two years for a delivery of a Tesla Model S, to replace his current Model S. He said he believed the issue was that the right hand drive market was very small and amid soaring demand for Teslas in left hand drive markets, the company had decided not to provide a production line for right hand drives.
Mr McEnaney said it was “disappointing” to have waited so long and then to have his order cancelled. He added he did not think selling the left hand drive versions, in right hand drive markets, was a good idea.
