Elon Musk Admits Refreshed Model X Delays Are Tesla's Fault

The CEO says the new Model X is extremely difficult to produce, and Tesla "dropped the ball" on its production ramp.

2022 Tesla Model X

Steven Loveday

By: Steven Loveday

Feb 11, 2022 at 10:18am ET

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If you order a Tesla today, you may have to wait a long time to take delivery, especially for certain models and trims. That said, the refreshed Model X seems to be the biggest cause for concern, as some people have been waiting over a year to get their electric SUV.

A few avid Tesla fans were interacting on Twitter when the conversation turned to whether or not they're okay with criticizing the company. Whole Mars Catalog noted that while some people think Tesla fans refuse to criticize the company, he believes they are constantly pointing out issues and providing feedback and suggestions.

Sawyer Merritt replied with a criticism, essentially saying that the Model X rollout has been beyond bad. He said there has been a lack of communication with customers, people have been waiting a year or more, and the delays continue. CEO Elon Musk, who tends to interact with Whole Mars and Merritt on the regular, made the decision to respond and take the blame.

As you can see, Musk admits that Tesla "dropped the ball badly" related to the updated Model X's production ramp, and the company is still working to recover from the disaster. He also says it was a bad plan to stop building the outgoing Model X way back in December 2020.

People want their Model X, and Musk says there was demand for the outgoing model back then, so it makes sense that Tesla should have kept producing and delivering it while readying the refreshed version.

The Twitter conversation went on with a reply to Musk from Merritt. Merritt added that he appreciated Musk's willingness to respond and provide some transparency. He also asked when Tesla might fix the issues with the Model X ramp and increase deliveries.

Sadly, Musk didn't really answer the question, and he didn't say anything about the issues with communications. However, he arguably made it more clear that the issue probably isn't going away any time soon. He said the Model X is "an extremely difficult car to build." In typical Musk fashion, he actually claimed the three-row electric crossover is the "Most complex passenger car ever," suggesting that its interior trim is the biggest challenge.

Keep in mind, many people who placed an early order for the refreshed Model X were told to expect delivery in April 2021. Some of those same buyers were recently told to expect April 2022.

Meanwhile, a visit to Tesla's website confirms that if you order a Model X today, you'll be looking at a delivery estimate of January 2023 or March 2023, depending on the configuration. This is for the base model, and, of course, the more expensive option is the one that's estimated to be delivered first.

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If you splurge for the Model X Plaid, which starts at $126,490, you may be able to get it by October 2022.

See More Tesla Model X Coverage:

Tesla Model X Plaid Review: The Quickest SUV In The World

Tesla Model X Plaid Now Comes Only As 6-Seater, Costs $6,500 More

It's important to continue to reiterate, nearly every automaker across the globe is facing production and delivery issues. Some manufacturers have halted production completely on specific models since they simply can't get the parts. However, while the chip shortage can be blamed in many cases, Musk made it clear here that the Model X issue is essentially Tesla's fault.

Source: Elon Musk (Twitter)

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