How long to wait for the 2022 Tesla Model 3? Australian shipping process falters again for top-selling competitor Polestar 2 amid recent steering removal

Model 3 buyers better be patient as delivery times continue to increase.

Tesla appears to have eluded the effects of the global semiconductor shortage throughout the pandemic, but its impact appears to be growing as waiting times for the best-selling Model 3 midsize sedan to arrive in Australia have shortened again.

Model 3 delivery wait times were reported to be just one to three weeks last October but jumped to two to five weeks and then eight to 12 weeks in November before settling to 14 to 20 weeks in December.

Now, the wait time for delivery of the sought-after Model 3 has increased to five to seven months, covering an unnamed entry-level variant ($59,900 plus travel expenses), a mid-range Long Range ($73,200), and flagship performance. 86,629 XNUMX dollars).

This, of course, reflects an industry-wide trend: delivery times for most brands and their models have steadily increased since the pandemic reared its ugly head in early 2020.

However, problems with the Tesla Model 3 only began in late 2021, when the Shanghai factory that supplies the Polestar 2 competitor to Australia quietly removed one of the two electronic control units (ECUs) included in some cars' steering racks. CNBC.

The US media reported that the second engine control unit was deemed redundant so it was removed, but it really should have played a role in the future when Tesla releases the long-promised Level 3 autonomous driving feature for the Model 3 via more over the air update.

If the next generation of so-called full self-driving does arrive, it is unknown if affected Model 3 owners will be able to install an additional ECU in the steering rack for free. In any case, the process of moving from level 2 to level 3 will not be easy for them, as they promised.

Despite the obvious problems, the Model 3 was still the most popular all-electric car in Australia in 2021 with sales of 12,094 vehicles, outpacing well-known internal combustion engine (ICE) models such as Toyota Kluger, Isuzu MU-X and Kia Seltos.