Excitement Builds in the Australian Tesla Model Y Community
The experience of one new Tesla owner epitomizes the excitement in the Tesla Model Y community in Australia as they track shiploads of Model Ys coming from China and watch the expected times of delivery for new orders blow out. Michelle ordered her Model Y in the few minutes after she got her email saying the portal was open.
She told me about it all recently, her voice still betraying that initial excitement. “I was at work and the email came and I was on the phone to a client! I had to stay professional. I ran downstairs and found my brother (who owns a Model 3) and he helped me do the order while I was still on the phone discussing childcare. If he hadn’t been there, I wouldn’t have been able to get my order in during that first window.”
As Michelle found out later, that would have meant a much longer wait and even a price increase. She checked the ordering status later that night for a friend and found that the estimated time for delivery had gone from August 2022 to between November 2022 and February 2023. A week later, the website was signaling delivery between February 2023 and May 2023. And the price had gone up $4000.
She later heard from an unofficial source at Tesla in Australia that they received over 10,000 orders in the first hour.
When she got home from work that evening, she told her teenage children that she had ordered the “Y.” Yeah, right…. Michelle had wanted a Tesla since 2020 and decided to wait for the Y since she has two teenage children and wanted the extra space. She has told her family and friends many times about this, and watched every scrap of information on YouTube. This month her dream should come true. And then the kids will believe her!
Why a Tesla, I asked. Well … mum has a Model 3 Long Range, brother has a Model 3 Performance. Brother in law is the odd one out — he has ordered an Atto 3. What sold her was the tech. She loved the minimalist dash — just like a tablet on wheels! Accessing the features of the car through the screen was a large positive. That, and the fun — fart mode, karaoke, and old-time Atari games!
Even though she hasn’t had a test drive yet, she knows how Teslas drive because of her family’s vehicles. She is looking forward to the torque. Michelle goes camping with friends and family, but she is not a tent person, so she and kids are looking forward to camp mode — she has already bought the mattress. Her car will be white and she will add pink accents — and a hot pink number plate — YEAHHHH. She was so excited when the plates arrived that she made a TikTok.
Her son, 16, is learning to drive and will be able to drive the Tesla under her supervision and covered by her insurance. Once he has his license, he will not be able to drive it anymore — bummer! That will be a shock, going back to an ICE!
We discussed charging, some of the safety features of the car, and the support that can be had through Facebook Groups. I think Michelle joined every group available that she knew about — I told her about a couple more and she joined them while we were talking. She was most interested to know about the speed limit alarm (should be good for the learner).
As far as charging goes, it’s all sorted. The family works together in their own business and has installed a charger at work — smart move when you have 3 Teslas in the parking lot! If she needs a top-up at home, Michelle plans to trickle charge from the solar on her roof. When she takes delivery, she is planning a 1000 km road trip to Sydney so her son can get in plenty of driving practice.
Now she is counting down the days….
Featured photo: Michelle tries out the Model Y. Photo courtesy of Michelle.
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