Come pick one! Many new Tesla Model 3s are sitting on a “reserve parking lot” field in Florida
The field is being used an an overflow lot for local Tesla stores
If you need another reminder of just how bad Tesla’s sales slowdown is, just look for a random field or parking lot like this one in Florida that’s become a storage lot for Model 3s.
First spotted by the Drive via Reddit, a random, overgrown field in North Florida is being used to store brand new Model 3 Highlands. According to comments on the Reddit post from those that live locally, the field is an overflow lot used by a number of Tesla (TSLA) stores; the Drive confirmed that one store close to the lot uses it to store cars there.
According to the Redditor LSDBunnos, every Model 3 in the field is new and build just this April. While a grassy field seems a pretty harmless place to store a car, it isn’t, as the Drive pointed out:
While Tesla (TSLA)s don’t have many underbody components that can rust, as they lack exhaust pipes and most of their suspension parts are made from aluminum, rust isn’t the only worry here. The underbelly of a car sitting in tall grass is a hotel for all sorts of different animals—rodents, skunks, bugs, and, since it’s Florida, snakes. Those animals will crawl into any crevice they can find, make nests, chew on things that shouldn’t be chewed on, and repeat that cycle for months. It’s also Tampa, Florida, where heavy rain is common, and that’s going to exacerbate the field conditions by turning the dirt into mud, allowing the cars to sink further the longer they sit.
There’s also the threat of bugs getting into places they shouldn’t be. One Tesla store confirmed to the Drive that all cars are washed and prepped upon delivery, as they should be. However the store wouldn’t confirm what overflow lot their cars come from. So if you live anywhere in this part of Florida and are purchasing a new Model 3, double check it on delivery. You might be getting a car that’s been stored in a mini Everglades.
