The COVID-19 pandemic has put a damper on a lot of things, including new car deliveries. While some of them are grounded at home following a lockdown and some of them are just postponing it, there are, however, a few people who are ready to take deliveries of their cars.

To follow all social distancing protocols and avoid human contact as much as possible, Tesla is doing “Touchless Deliveries” wherein people can pick up their new cars without coming in touch with any other human being.

In this video, you can see a new Model 3 owner take delivery of his latest possession without physically interacting with any Tesla employee. It’s a good move on Tesla’s part to curb the outbreak wherever and however possible.

No Human Interaction At All

This new Tesla owner, who goes by the handle “Matthias Vlogt” on YouTube, took delivery of his new Model 3 without any human assistance.

First up, Matthias was asked to visit a locker system where he punched the password in a two-step verification to retrieve the keycard. As simple as that. As for the paperwork required to accept delivery of the vehicle, it was left in the car for Matthias to sign and drop it at an on-site location. That’s actually quite a simple process, isn’t it?

This is how Tesla explains the touchless deliveries:

“In many locations, we are in the process of implementing so customers can continue to take delivery of their vehicle in a seamless and safe way. Due to the unique over-the-air connectivity of our vehicles, customers are able to unlock their new cars at a delivery parking lot via the Tesla App, sign any remaining relevant paperwork that has been placed in their car, and return that paperwork to an on-site drop-off location prior to leaving. This method provides additional convenience and comfort.”

Tesla Has Many Delivery Options To Choose From

Due to the outbreak, Tesla is offering a variety of delivery options to choose from. Other than the “Tesla Direct” program that the company rolled out in 2019, it has also added “Express Delivery” and “Direct Drop” to the mix.

Tesla Direct

A Tesla employee drops the vehicle at the location that you’ve provided. The employee then runs you through the features of the car and gives you a walkthrough, makes you sign the paperwork, and leaves you with your new car.

You can choose not to get the walkthrough wherein the paperwork will be left in the car and a Tesla employee will collect it once completed. There’s something known as Carrier Direct as well which is available for customers who live more than 220 miles from a Tesla location and are eligible for a carrier to bring their vehicle to their delivery address.

Express Delivery

When you select this option, you need to go to the scheduled delivery location and after a quick check-in, you’ll be directed to your car via Tesla’s app. The paperwork will be inside the car and all you need to do is sign them where indicated and hand it over to the advisor at the exit gate.

He or she will then mount a temporary tag and license plate on your new car. If you want to learn about the car, you can access the tutorials or the owner’s manual on the touchscreen system.

Tesla Direct Drop

This is similar to the touchless delivery, however, the vehicle is delivered at your doorstep. The paperwork, e-agreement, and payment need to be completed before the delivery. If there is any physical paperwork left, you need to send it back to Tesla within 24 hours post the delivery through a pre-paid shipping envelope. As of now, this option is available only in:

-* California

-* Hawaii

-* Indiana

-* Maryland

-* Minnesota

-* Missouri

-* Nevada

-* New Jersey

-* Ohio

-* Texas

-* Utah

-* Virginia

-* Washington, DC

Final Thoughts

Tesla is setting examples here and sooner or later, other automakers will follow suit. There is no official word on it yet, but deliveries from Fremont and New York factories may not happen anytime soon as they are temporarily shut down to curb the Covid-19 outbreak.

Tesla is also working hand in hand with the government and has already provided 1,200 ventilators to the officials in Los Angeles to meet the demand. These were not built at the Tesla factory, but were delivered from China as there is an oversupply there.

Anyway, coming back to the car deliveries, Tesla sure has made it convenient to take delivery of new cars without having to fear the exposure. Would you take delivery of your car at this time? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.