Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, said Wednesday that supply chain shortages continue to stress the automaker and that the company is delaying deliveries of the new version of the Roadster until at least 2023.
Specifically, he tweeted: “2021 has been the year of the super crazy supply chain shortage, so it wouldn’t matter if we had 17 new products, as none would be shipped. Assuming 2022 doesn’t be a mega drama, the new Roadster should be shipped in 2023. “
Tesla is not alone among carmakers facing supply chain pressure. Other automakers, including Toyota and Ford, have reduced production volumes to cope with the shortage of chips.
The new version of Tesla’s high-performance electric car was due to debut in 2020. Tesla first unveiled plans for the next-generation Roadster in late 2017 during an event to unveil a large truck tonnage, the Tesla Semi, which the company also has yet to mass produce.
At the time, the company said the next-generation Roadster would have a top speed of at least 250 miles per hour, a 200-kilowatt-hour battery that would provide more than 620 miles of autonomy with a full charge and three electric motors. which would allow the Roadster to go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in less than 2 seconds (and a quarter mile in less than 9 seconds).
Musk later promised that the next-generation Roadster would be sold with a premium “SpaceX option,” including rocket propellants that would allow the car to be positioned well above the ground. He described it as a “complete James Bond” vehicle in an episode of “Jay Leno’s Garage.”
According to the Tesla website, Roadster reservations require an initial credit card payment of $ 5,000 with a bank transfer payment of $ 45,000 in ten days. Booking money will be refunded until the customer signs a purchase agreement. Tesla says it will ship these purchase agreements close to the production date.
Musk and other Tesla executives have discussed supply chain issues and parts shortages in earnings calls in recent quarters, emphasizing chip shortages.
In a second-quarter shareholder call, Musk said Tesla went through a “big fight” to get enough modules to control the airbags and seat belts of the company’s cars. The lack of these modules limited the company’s production in Fremont, California and Shanghai.
Musk said on May 31 that Tesla had raised the prices of some of its vehicles and withdrawn some parts of them, due to rising cost of parts and raw materials amid recent chain pressures. supply.