Tesla begins taking Apple Pay for Model 3 reservations

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in iPhone edited March 2018
Tesla has started accepting Apple Pay for the $1,000 deposit on the Model 3 -- the automaker's first EV aimed at the mass market, already in a huge production backlog because of demand and slow production.




The option should appear when browsing Tesla's website via Safari, whether on a Mac, iPhone, or iPad. Previously the company only accepted credit cards, or PayPal, which was co-founded by Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

The change is unlikely to generate much money for Apple -- which claims a fraction of a percent from each Apple Pay transaction -- but might smooth the way for people considering a Model 3.

The deposit is refundable, perhaps an important point given the fact that Tesla is running well behind on production quotas. People reserving one today may have to wait as long as 12 to 18 months, especially since some configurations still aren't on sale.

Apple and Tesla have had a rough relationship, characterized by a poaching war for each other's talent. The former is developing a self-driving car platform, and presumably wants to take advantage of Tesla's lead in the field.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 16
    fallenjtfallenjt Posts: 4,054member
    Just changed my reservation to the end of the year for the basic Model 3 at $35k from today $49k one. I'd like Tesla and the EV, but at $50k, I'd rather go with BMW 530e for peace of mind. Not sure why people still make deposit for M3 and won't see it in 2 years cuz by 2020, bunch of EVs to choose from.
    h2p
  • Reply 2 of 16
    racerhomie3racerhomie3 Posts: 1,264member
    I hope Ubers go electric soon.
  • Reply 3 of 16
    randominternetpersonrandominternetperson Posts: 3,089member
    That last paragraph leaves a lot to be desired.

    Where is evidence that Apple and Tesla have had a "rough relationship"?  How does a story about a couple guys going from Apple to Telsa suggest that Apple wants to "take advantage of Tesla's lead"?  And frankly, we don't even know if Apple is developing a "self-driving car platform."

    Sure we have a TON of rumors about Apple's work in self driving cars (and shuttle buses), but we don't know enough to assert that Apple is developing anything in particular.
    lkruppStrangeDayszoetmb
  • Reply 4 of 16
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    randominternetperson said:
    That last paragraph leaves a lot to be desired.

    Where is evidence that Apple and Tesla have had a "rough relationship"?  How does a story about a couple guys going from Apple to Telsa suggest that Apple wants to "take advantage of Tesla's lead"?  And frankly, we don't even know if Apple is developing a "self-driving car platform."

    Sure we have a TON of rumors about Apple's work in self driving cars (and shuttle buses), but we don't know enough to assert that Apple is developing anything in particular.
    It’s about conflict, winners and losers in the tech tabloid business. Without controversy, conflict, rivalries, impending doom, etc. no one would be clicking on the articles, much less leaving comments. We all do it.
    entropys
  • Reply 5 of 16
    macxpressmacxpress Posts: 5,808member
    Oh great...now you can buy a crap car via ApplePay and get it 48 months after you order it. 
    tmayjbdragonlamboaudi4
  • Reply 6 of 16
    volcanvolcan Posts: 1,799member
    macxpress said:
    Oh great...now you can buy a crap car via ApplePay and get it 48 months after you order it. 
    The article says 12 - 18 months, but still. I think they must have some production line issues. The other major car manufacturers are closing in on Tesla. My concern about EV is the raw materials such as lithium and rare earth elements which are sourced in only a few places and not all that abundant.
  • Reply 7 of 16
    jbdragonjbdragon Posts: 2,311member
    volcan said:
    macxpress said:
    Oh great...now you can buy a crap car via ApplePay and get it 48 months after you order it. 
    The article says 12 - 18 months, but still. I think they must have some production line issues. The other major car manufacturers are closing in on Tesla. My concern about EV is the raw materials such as lithium and rare earth elements which are sourced in only a few places and not all that abundant.
    12-18 month? If you order NOW, You're in a very long line of people who ordered a long time ago and it'll be lucky if they can get theirs in 12-18 months. Or you order now, maybe you'll see it in 2 years. The production line issues keep popping up month after month with excuses after excuses. The numbers they're making currently are a fraction of what they said they were going to be. That just pushes people further and further back.
  • Reply 8 of 16
    fallenjtfallenjt Posts: 4,054member
    macxpress said:
    Oh great...now you can buy a crap car via ApplePay and get it 48 months after you order it. 
    Model 3 is not a crap car, fool. Don't know where you get that troll from, but I sat in and drove one. It's a damn luxury EV, not regular EV like Bolt. There're a few things in software that need to be optimized for quicker access in the menu, but overall, it's a kick-ass EV and years ahead of competitors in term of technology built in it.
    edited March 2018
  • Reply 9 of 16
    tmaytmay Posts: 6,329member
    jbdragon said:
    volcan said:
    macxpress said:
    Oh great...now you can buy a crap car via ApplePay and get it 48 months after you order it. 
    The article says 12 - 18 months, but still. I think they must have some production line issues. The other major car manufacturers are closing in on Tesla. My concern about EV is the raw materials such as lithium and rare earth elements which are sourced in only a few places and not all that abundant.
    12-18 month? If you order NOW, You're in a very long line of people who ordered a long time ago and it'll be lucky if they can get theirs in 12-18 months. Or you order now, maybe you'll see it in 2 years. The production line issues keep popping up month after month with excuses after excuses. The numbers they're making currently are a fraction of what they said they were going to be. That just pushes people further and further back.
    There isn't ever going to be a $35K model; Tesla can't make money on it, and even if they could, their manufacturing ineptitude has created supply constraints that drive people to get the $50k version.

    When the tax credit disappears or diminishes, demand will fall off tremendously. 
  • Reply 10 of 16
    lukeilukei Posts: 379member
    racerhomie3 said:
    I hope Ubers go electric soon.
    Virtually all UberX in London are hybrid Prius 
  • Reply 11 of 16
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    Great, but how about adding CarPlay?
  • Reply 12 of 16
    entropysentropys Posts: 4,166member
    It’s more groundwork for Mars,
    than it is selling Cars.
    edited March 2018
  • Reply 13 of 16
    h2ph2p Posts: 329member
    lukei said:
    racerhomie3 said:
    I hope Ubers go electric soon.
    Virtually all UberX in London are hybrid Prius 
    Would they be Prius Prime’s perhaps?
  • Reply 14 of 16
    Mike WuertheleMike Wuerthele Posts: 6,861administrator
    lkrupp said:
    That last paragraph leaves a lot to be desired.

    Where is evidence that Apple and Tesla have had a "rough relationship"?  How does a story about a couple guys going from Apple to Telsa suggest that Apple wants to "take advantage of Tesla's lead"?  And frankly, we don't even know if Apple is developing a "self-driving car platform."

    Sure we have a TON of rumors about Apple's work in self driving cars (and shuttle buses), but we don't know enough to assert that Apple is developing anything in particular.
    It’s about conflict, winners and losers in the tech tabloid business. Without controversy, conflict, rivalries, impending doom, etc. no one would be clicking on the articles, much less leaving comments. We all do it.
    https://appleinsider.com/articles/15/10/08/elon-musk-calls-apple-the-tesla-graveyard-pooh-poohs-rumored-apple-car

    "Important engineers? They have hired people we've fired," Musk said. "We always jokingly call Apple the 'Tesla Graveyard.' If you don't make it at Tesla, you go work at Apple. I'm not kidding."

    Soli
  • Reply 15 of 16
    macxpressmacxpress Posts: 5,808member
    fallenjt said:
    macxpress said:
    Oh great...now you can buy a crap car via ApplePay and get it 48 months after you order it. 
    Model 3 is not a crap car, fool. Don't know where you get that troll from, but I sat in and drove one. It's a damn luxury EV, not regular EV like Bolt. There're a few things in software that need to be optimized for quicker access in the menu, but overall, it's a kick-ass EV and years ahead of competitors in term of technology built in it.
    Yeah Tesla is really known for their quality....
  • Reply 16 of 16
    beowulfschmidtbeowulfschmidt Posts: 2,132member
    volcan said:
    macxpress said:
    Oh great...now you can buy a crap car via ApplePay and get it 48 months after you order it. 
    The article says 12 - 18 months, but still. I think they must have some production line issues. The other major car manufacturers are closing in on Tesla. My concern about EV is the raw materials such as lithium and rare earth elements which are sourced in only a few places and not all that abundant.

    What do you think all the SpaceX stuff is for?  Tesla is going to mine asteroids for all the rare-earth raw materials. :)
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