Unfazed By Protests, Customers Line Up For The New Model Y: An Afternoon At Tesla North Hollywood

On Saturday, customers at a Tesla location in North Hollywood were unmoved by protesters, while showing keen interest in the new Model Y.

At peak customer hours, I estimated there were more customers than protesters at the Tesla store and service center. That included customers in the showroom, the waiting room, and customers milling around in the massive lot in North Hollywood. I counted between 15 and 25 protesters, depending on the hour.

Protesters loud but scripted

As I was waiting to test drive a new Model Y, I checked on the protesters at the front gate. They had the usual signs emblazoned with slogans that made copious use of words like "fascist" and “Nazi” in protest of CEO Elon Musk. But seemed peaceful. However, one woman hurled insults my way for no reason other than she presumed, I suppose, I was a Tesla customer. But that was about it. Customers seemed unfazed by the protesters. Much of the customer focus was on the new 2026 Model Y and Cybertruck.

New Model Y Launch edition available ‘today’ – base models coming soon

More 2026 Model Y inventory had arrived on the North Hollywood lot (see image above) since my last visit to the store. That was likely the reason for a long line of customers queuing up to test drive, pick up, or purchase the new Y. I was in one of those lines waiting for a test drive. But after an hour and a half, I gave up. (Online reservations were not possible, so it was first come, first served.) In fact, Saturday was the busiest I have seen a Tesla store in Los Angeles this year. That includes visits to locations in Canoga Park and Century City.

The Tesla Model Y order page as of Sunday March 30 shows immediate availability for the new Model Y in Los Angeles. Currently, orders are limited to the “Launch” edition, which starts at $59,990 and $52,490 with the federal tax credit. Less-expensive versions of the new Y are expected in April at the earliest. Those versions are expected to include the Long-Range Rear-Wheel Drive and Long-Range All-Wheel Drive. “We’re starting with the Launch edition and then all of the other variants — the dual motor base, rear wheel drive performance and seven seater options – those will come later in the year,” said Lars Moravy, VP of vehicle engineering at Tesla, in an interview earlier this year. And a Tesla sales representative in Los Angeles told me that those versions are expected in the next two to four weeks.

Tesla sales under pressure

This is all happening against a backdrop of growing pressure on sales as protests continue across North America and Europe. Tesla shares have fallen 35% this year. And Wall Street expects Tesla deliveries to fall in the first quarter of this year, ending March. An average of 15 analysts’ estimates from Visible Alpha indicate a 3.6% drop to 373,000 deliveries in the first quarter compared to the same period a year ago when Tesla delivered 386,810 vehicles, according to Reuters. Also, the transition to the new 2026 Model Y – which will require months to ramp up production – and the advent of more affordable models, due later this year, are impacting sales, as customers hold off on purchasing Tesla’s most popular car.