Tesla began delivering the Model 3 to customers in 2017, but production has been hampered
For the automotive industry, 2017 was an improvement over 2016 as far as car news stories go. There were fewer massive debacles than last year, no new fuel cheats were found (that we know of), and famous people found a way to not die in a car. While there’s turmoil around the world in other senses, let’s call 2017 a success in the car biz.
So, let’s get on with it. Let’s take a look at the top 10 car news stories of 2017.
Tesla Model 3 Release
Last year, we heard the Tesla Model 3 was coming as a mainstream electric car mid-2017. It became a reality in the third quarter. But, instead of flooding the car market with electric cars after taking hundreds of thousands of deposits, Tesla stumbled out of the starting gate.
Production was much, much slower than expected and thousands of anxiously awaiting people who left a Model 3 deposit found their delivery times pushed back by months. Toward the end of 2017, production started ramping up.
Tesla continues to bleed money profusely, but Elon Musk doesn’t seem too concerned. Instead, he turned the focus to new models coming down the pipe like the Roadster, Tesla semi, and a Tesla pickup truck.
Trump’s Tariffs
The orange-skinned president is no stranger to the automotive industry, making headlines and stirring up doodoo. After backing down on cross-border tariffs early in the year, Trump followed it up by boldly saying he wants all cars sold in North America to contain 85 percent NAFTA-sourced parts, and at least 50 percent from the US.
Doing so would either raise car prices by thousands of dollars in tariffs on cars that don’t meet the criteria, or it would raise car prices because production costs in the US are higher. NAFTA is still in negotiations, and 2018 will see the result of the talks.
