How (And When) To Order A Tesla Model 3 In Australia

Australia will be the first country in the world to take pre-orders for Tesla Motors’ upcoming Model 3 electric car. When stores open in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane on March 31, you’ll be able to put down your cash and secure your place in line for Tesla’s mass-market EV — so here’s how much it’ll cost.

In Australia, you’ll pay $1500 in Aussie dollars to secure your Model 3 pre-order — and to do so, you’ll have go to any Tesla location in Australia after the time and date below, and make an EFTPOS or credit transaction. That’ll get you your place in line. If you don’t want to order in person, you can also do so online at 2:30PM on April 1, once the Model 3 unveiling live-stream begins in the United States.

Melbourne Service Centre and Store – Shop 4 650 Church St Cremorne, 8.00am opening time
Chadstone Store – Chadstone Shopping Centre Melbourne outside of Myer, 9.00am opening time
Sydney Service Centre and Store – 10 Herbert St St Leonards, 8.00am opening time
Carindale Display – Carindale Shopping Centre Brisbane, 9:00am opening time

“Each region” will have its own queue, and that almost certainly means a dedicated queue for Australian buyers. Existing customers get preference, which is a little annoying, but Tesla says “the fastest way to buy a Model 3 is to buy a Model S or Model X”. I don’t know that anyone is going to pay $100,000 for the privilege of buying a circa-$50,000 car, but I guess some Model S owners will want a second or third car for their family garage.

Update: Tesla’s Australian reps say that we’ll be part of the Asia-Pacific region. But we’re getting in early, so we should have a head start in deliveries versus our Pacific cousins.

Of course, you’d be reserving a Model 3 sight unseen — and not even knowing the price you might be paying — and that’s a big ask. The $1500 is fully refundable if you wish to cancel your preorder, and you can also put that money towards a Model S or Model X if you want to step up in size and luxury as well. The car itself will be delivered probably in 2018, with production scheduled to begin “in late 2017”. The US left-hand-drive market is being catered for first, too, with international shipping well after that. Tesla’s official document for pre-order holders is here.

From Tesla’s blog:

Model 3 production is scheduled to begin in late 2017. When production begins, we will begin deliveries in North America starting on the West Coast, moving east. As we continue to ramp production, we will begin deliveries in Europe, APAC and right-hand drive markets. It is not possible to ship to all regions simultaneously because regulators in each part of the world have slightly different production requirements. Staggering deliveries in this way also allows us to provide the best possible customer experience.
 
We recognize that everyone wants to get their Model 3 as quickly as possible. Our overarching goal is to maximize total customer happiness within the bounds of what is physically possible.


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