Hyperdrive

Why Tesla's Long Model 3 Waitlist Could Be a Massive Problem

  • Many deposit holders are standing by for $35,000 base version
  • Would-be buyers could pinch profit margins, or lose patience
Tesla Model 3Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg
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Elon Musk has backed himself into a corner with Tesla Inc.’s most crucial car.

Some would-be customers have waited almost three years to take delivery of the Model 3, a sedan they plopped down a $1,000 deposit for as early as March 2016. Musk, Tesla’s charismatic chief executive officer, has pitched it as the company’s first car for the masses, with a base price of just $35,000.