First Tesla Model 3 Goes To Billionaire Rather Than Paid Customer Or Charity

Elon Musk just jumped the Tesla Model 3 line ahead of almost a half million regular folks who paid a $1,000 deposit on their dream car starting in May of 2016. In an unusual move, A Tesla Inc. board member, Ira Ehrenpreis, purchased the first car and then gifted it to Elon Musk as a birthday present. This, rather than have the car go to one of the almost half-million people who put down a $1,000 deposit on the car, some of whom have been waiting over a year.

Elon Musk Just Took $7,500 From Some Future Tesla Buyer
One outcome of the move will be that at some point in 2019 a paid customer will not be eligible for the $7,500 federal tax break that EVs presently come with. That is because if all goes to plan, and the car sells like Tesla claims it will, the break will expire after the limited number of vehicles Tesla can sell with the break have been built.

A Car For a Billionaire Rather Than The Needy
Typically, automakers give away the first of a notable car model to charity. Chevrolet is known for this and auctions almost every new special edition car to raise funds for needy children. These first-edition cars sell to collectors who usually put them in museums, but are happy to pay for them. The cars generate millions for those in need, like the recent Dodge Hellcat first edition that raised $1.65 million for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Elon Musk is a billionaire who already owns a more expensive, larger, and more powerful Tesla.

Tesla Model 3 Business Plan
The Tesla Model 3 is to be an "everyday Joe's" EV that will sell starting at $35,000 according to Tesla. It is smaller than the Model S sedan, and will not have the amazing performance that the Model S does. Although the Model 3 is apparently now in production, Tesla has not provided any to the automotive media to review. Nor is the car listed at the U.S. government's EPA site, www.fueleconomy.gov, which rates the efficiency of every vehicle for sale in the United States. The Model 3 has also not yet been safety tested. Tesla says that it will sell about two dozen Model 3 cars in the coming month. However, Elon Musk recently boasted that by the end of this December the company will be producing the car at a rate of 20,000 per month.