Tesla News: Electric Car Company Rolls Out 5-Minute Model 3 Delivery Process

Electric car company Tesla on Monday finally got rid of the invitation and reservation model it had in place for buyers to get their hands on the Model 3 car. To follow that up, it looks like CEO Elon Musk’s company wants to speed up the delivery process so people who have paid for cars can get behind the wheel without too much hassle, according to automotive website Electrek.

Some Model 3 customers are being sent emails offering a new “Sign and Drive” process that can bring the whole ordeal down to about five minutes. As it exists now, the delivery process can take up to an hour. Prospective buyers need to make their way to a delivery center, fill out paperwork and get a rundown of the vehicle from an employee.

With Sign and Drive, Model 3 buyers would show up to the delivery center and, theoretically, drive out in a brand new Tesla vehicle just minutes later. According to the email being sent out to some customers, Tesla is streamlining the process by making customers take care of some of the nuts and bolts at home on their own before showing up for the handoff.

That means drivers will have to read an owner’s manual and watch a series of tutorial videos (which are available online) on their own. While that may not sound like an ideal streamlining tactic, it means customers can do things on their own time and ask any questions they have afterward when they go to pick up the car.

After taking care of those steps, Model 3 owners will check into the delivery center, sign paperwork and be set free with their new car after a short walkthrough. According to Electrek, this process may only exist for the Model 3 and not its more expensive counterparts, the Models X and S, for the time being.

The news comes a day after Tesla opened the Model 3 buying process to the general public. It had been a reservation-only system for the previous two years. Buyers need to put down $2,500 on the spot to ensure a delivery, which can reportedly take months. According to Tesla, this deposit has been required for all of its vehicle orders.

This story has been updated to correct the deposit amount needed to order Tesla's Model 3.