2022 Tesla Model 3 wait time blows out again! Australian buyers now need to wait even longer for delivery of new electric car as industry challenges prevail

Tesla Australia is continuing to feel the effects of the global supply-chain crisis, with its best-selling Model 3 now facing an even longer delivery wait time.

As reported, the local delivery wait time for mid-size sedan was as short as one to three weeks last October but jumped to two to five weeks and then eight to 12 weeks in November, before settling in at 14 to 20 weeks in December.

But then last month, Model 3 buyers were asked to be patient for five to seven months. Now, six to nine months is the new estimate, as Tesla Australia struggles to keep up with demand.

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It’s worth noting Tesla isn’t the only brand to be currently facing protracted delivery wait times, as most have been in affected in some capacity by the ongoing semiconductor and other part shortages, which began with the pandemic in early 2020.

That said, the Model 3’s troubles didn’t start until late 2021, when the Shanghai factory it to Australia quietly removed one of the two electronic control units (ECUs) included in the steering racks of some examples, according to CNBC.

The US media outlet said the second ECU was considered redundant – hence it’s removal – but it did have a role to play in the future, when Tesla releases its long-promised Level 3 autonomous driving functionality for the Model 3 via an over-the-air update.

If the next generation of so-called Full Self-Driving does eventuate, it’s unknown if affected Model 3 owners will be able to have an extra ECU installed in the steering rack for free. Either way, the process to go from Level 2 to Level 3 won’t be easy as for them as promised.

Earlier this month, Tesla Australia gave the Model 3’s unnamed entry-level variant a $1000 price rise, to $60,900 plus on-road costs. For reference, its mid-spec Long Range and flagship Performance versions remained priced from $73,200 and $86,629, respectively.

Despite all of this, the Model 3 was still Australia’s most popular all-electric vehicle in 2021, with its 12,094 sales putting it ahead of established internal-combustion engine (ICE) models like Toyota Kluger, Isuzu MU-X and Kia Seltos.