As Tesla lovers worldwide prepare themselves for the upcoming Model 3, an early release of the company's entry-level EV have been issued in the US. These early release cars were largely given to Tesla employees or the families of employees, who according to reports are barred from being allowed to resell the cars.
Having seen the headline, you can sort of see where this might be going ...
Earlier today the first second-hand Tesla Model 3 appeared on popular US sales website Craigslist. Depicted in silver with a black interior, it had just 2,100 miles on the odometer, and looked for all intents and purposes, new.
And it carried the price of US$150,000. Or, NZ$210,000.
"This is a unique opportunity to own one of the most anticipated cars ever," said the ad. "Skip the line of over 400,000 people and buy the car of the future now!"
"I am not really sure how to price the car but it is in obvious demand. I understand the curiosity but serious offers only please. THIS IS REAL."
The listing quickly gathered traction, being cited on a host of different American car websites and blogs, as well as on the cyber playground known as Reddit. No rewards for seeing why it would gain traction; its price is more than three times the retail price of one of these cars in the US.
But as quickly as it was beamed around each corner of the internet, it was taken down by the person that listed it. This has prompted plenty of speculation about whether the seller was a Tesla employee perhaps getting clobbered with a rolled up newspaper for breaching the American manufacturer's guidelines on these early cars.
Naturally multiple outlets have approached Tesla for comment on the matter, with none getting a response. Although, that didn't stop technology website Electrek from confirming that the car was owned by a "Tesla Monterey employee". Scandalous.
With this Tesla at least being put back on the shelf, potential buyers who are yet to put their name down on the reservations list will have to wait for another few years yet.