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Tesla ramps up service offerings as Model 3 creeps into spotlight

With the first production Model 3 now in public, it's time for Tesla to make sure all its ancillary programs are running like tops.

Tesla

Tesla's got hundreds of thousands of reservations for its Model 3 sedan, yet its service departments occasionally struggle under current, pre-Model-3 loads. So how will Tesla attempt to rectify that?

Tesla is drastically ramping up its service offerings as the Model 3 enters production, Reuters reports, citing a conversation with a senior executive. The goal is to have enough of its service-related operations in place to handle the massive uptick in Tesla ownership that will come with full-scale production of the Model 3.

Tesla Sets Authorized Service Centers In China
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Tesla Sets Authorized Service Centers In China

If the Model 3 is as reliable as Tesla hopes it is, it shouldn't need to rely too heavily on all these service centers.

VCG/Getty Images

As part of this push, it will add 350 mobile service vans and 100 service centers -- there are only 150 of the latter at the moment. The company also plans to add 1,400 technicians this year in order to decrease service times. Over the next few years, those numbers will keep growing.

The service vans are used for quick jobs that can be done on-site -- they won't be welding body panels and painting wheels on your driveway. Service centers are already facing backlog issues, so the service vans should be a big help in that regard. Reuters reports that the majority of Tesla fixes to date do not require a lift and can be done very quickly.

Right now, there's only one production-level Model 3 we've seen. It rolled off the line on July 3, and the person who held the reservation gave it to Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Production will ramp up over the coming months, starting at low (three-digit) volumes. Most of this service news was mentioned in Tesla's Q1 2017 earnings report, as well.

Tesla Model 3 final production model unveiled

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Andrew Krok Reviews Editor / Cars
Cars are Andrew's jam, as is strawberry. After spending years as a regular ol' car fanatic, he started working his way through the echelons of the automotive industry, starting out as social-media director of a small European-focused garage outside of Chicago. From there, he moved to the editorial side, penning several written features in Total 911 Magazine before becoming a full-time auto writer, first for a local Chicago outlet and then for CNET Cars.
Andrew Krok
Cars are Andrew's jam, as is strawberry. After spending years as a regular ol' car fanatic, he started working his way through the echelons of the automotive industry, starting out as social-media director of a small European-focused garage outside of Chicago. From there, he moved to the editorial side, penning several written features in Total 911 Magazine before becoming a full-time auto writer, first for a local Chicago outlet and then for CNET Cars.

Article updated on July 11, 2017 at 9:13 AM PDT

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Andrew Krok Reviews Editor / Cars
Cars are Andrew's jam, as is strawberry. After spending years as a regular ol' car fanatic, he started working his way through the echelons of the automotive industry, starting out as social-media director of a small European-focused garage outside of Chicago. From there, he moved to the editorial side, penning several written features in Total 911 Magazine before becoming a full-time auto writer, first for a local Chicago outlet and then for CNET Cars.
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