In just two weeks, Tesla will start delivery of the Model 3, its long-awaited $35,000 sedan. After handing over the first 30 sets of keys, Elon Musk will hustle back to the factory, where he hopes to build 20,000 more of the ‘affordable’ electric cars by the end of 2017. Then production really accelerates: Musk has pledged to build 500,000 cars in 2018, more than double the total number of vehicles that Tesla has sold, to date.

Even if Tesla can deliver all those cars, cashing checks is but a tiny part of building an automotive business. Perhaps the bigger challenge for the Silicon Valley outfit is building the infrastructure that will keep its cars charged, and fix them when they break. Giant touchscreens and ludicrous acceleration may attract buyers, but easy ownership will make them come back for more.

Tesla has struggled here: Model S and X owners have already voiced concerns about struggling to get service appointments, waiting months for repairs after crashing, and queueing for supercharger spots at busy times. That's why the automaker announced this week it will triple its service capacity, and has plans to double the size of its Supercharger network.

This work might not be as glamorous as introducing a shiny new model, but having this backbone in place is key to making the Model 3 a success. Tesla want to lure customers from companies like BMW and Toyota, so it has to match the easy, same-day service they're accustomed to.

“If you want to steal buyers from the other brands, you can not expect to offer them a massively different experience,” says R. A. Farrokhnia, Columbia University business and engineering professor. “It has to be more or less the same.”

More Cars, More Service

When it comes to routine repairs, Tesla has a huge advantage over conventional automobiles. Its cars are computers on wheels, always connected over a cell signal or WiFi. Tesla says it can spot and diagnose 90 percent of issues remotely, so it can order needed parts before the customer pulls into the service center.

Today, the company operates just over 150 service centers around the world. It’s adding 100 more, with greater capacity—up to 40 repair lanes in some cases—and 1,400 new technicians to crew them. Electric cars are less complex than those with internal combustion engines, with fewer moving parts and no need for messy tasks like oil changes, which should limit the need for car lifts. Tesla says altogether, it will be able to service cars four times faster than the standard repair shop, using three times less space.

More cleverly, the company is also adding 350 mobile service vans to its fleet, equipped with espresso machines, snacks, and kids activities, to keep customers happy while their car is fixed at home, work, or on the side of the road.