Advice Needed: Convincing Husband to Go Tesla

[Trevor B]

His main concern: "I just don't understand how it….works." I've told him to do some research like I have, but he still can't seem to grasp what makes the wheels physically move, how there's no transmission or gears, things like that. He's hesitant putting money down on a piece of technology that he can't understand.

Sounds like he doesn't want to make the effort to find out and a rather lame excuse for not wanting a Tesla ... it's not like we're back in the 1840s or anything when info was hard to come by.

I'm assuming he also doesn't fly because he hasn't quite understood all the subtleties of flight?

 

[CharleyBC]

That seems to be the wall he can't seem to breakthrough - that it's so technologically advanced that it's actually really simple.

Yep. Tesla worried about the technology, so you don't have to, unless you're a geek (like me) and want to.

 

[CharleyBC]

I guess the excitement and anticipation of getting a new car in general, combined with the features, going BEV, and the realization we can afford a Tesla product, kind of keeps me from thinking about anything else

Perfect!!

 

[Fresnel]

Well I'm definitely not leaving him due to a lack of Tesla understanding, haha.

I really do think once we have it and drive it for a few days, all of his reservations will be gone and he'll be hooked. Thank you everyone for your sources, experiences, and opinions - I'm hoping we'll have a nice long discussion over dinner tonight to get him on the same page.

You can also rent a model 3 off Turo for a few days to see how you like it.

 

[Saghost]

Well I'm definitely not leaving him due to a lack of Tesla understanding, haha.

I really do think once we have it and drive it for a few days, all of his reservations will be gone and he'll be hooked. Thank you everyone for your sources, experiences, and opinions - I'm hoping we'll have a nice long discussion over dinner tonight to get him on the same page.

Be careful about doing too good a job here...

This forum and some other EV forums I've been on have a long sordid history of one spouse buying the car while the other was reluctant - and the reluctant spouse learning to love it so much they decide that this is their car and the eager one needs to go back to driving the other car.

Of course, this is "easily" solved by a second EV purchase.

 

[NCAviator]

My current car is a 2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder Convertible at 165k miles with a leak in the gas tank that requires a part that has been discontinued. It leaks gas every time I fill the tank. So, I need a new car.

Tell your husband you are driving a bomb. You should not drive that car again. Period. Whether you get a Tesla or another car is not the most important thing. Do not put yourself or children in that car again.

You sound like a level headed wife that is doing a great job of family financial management. Time to take the lead. Go to Tesla store and take him for a drive.

 

[dgo3]

I had the reverse issue with a friend - husband convincing wife. I arranged to drop off our 3 with him for the day. Showed him around, and he noticed Dog Mode. He knew instantly that was the sales hook for his wife. They drove it together for a minute, showed her dog mode, and placed an order. So my advice is get ahold of one to drive for a day. Find the hook, then reel him in.

 

[Dan203]

Get a new husband first?

Seriously though... you could sell it as a gas saver. I know NJ has the cheapest gas in the country but unless you also have the most expensive electricity then it'll save you money on fuel. In my case I live in an area with repetitively expensive gas. The Tesla costs about 1/6th to fill with electricity than I paid for gas in my previous car which averaged about 22mpg.

 

[trojaneen]

Former cars - 5 BMW’s for nearly 30 years - we loved them all, but they were a fortune in maintenance.

Model 3 for almost 2 years and 19,000 miles, including multiple supercharger road trips, and 1 into the depths of Idaho. Supercharging is really easy to do, in spite of our initial worries.

We LOVE this car and it keeps getting better! The updates are amazing, and we never get tired of driving it. No more complaining about gas prices or waiting in line for Costco gas. This is a vastly greater driving experience than any car we have owned. When you ride in an ICE car, you realize how lame and outdated they are. We’ll never buy one again. If your budget allows a Model 3, you won’t regret it.

 

[Skotty]

Short version: I need a new car. I want a Tesla, husband is afraid of the technology. Can I get some quick facts for him on how an EV works?

Longer version: My current car is a 2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder Convertible at 165k miles with a leak in the gas tank that requires a part that has been discontinued. It leaks gas every time I fill the tank. So, I need a new car. Neither my husband nor I have ever bought a car new, always used. His car is a 1995 Toyota Hilux that is in pretty decent shape considering its age, and his previous vehicle was a 1995 Ford Ranger that barely runs but he still won't get rid of despite never driving it. He is a plumber, and grew up with his father being a mechanic, and is very comfortable tinkering with things and fixing things with his hands. But he is technologically inept.

We test drove a Model 3 a few weeks ago and I loved it, and he did as well. I've been looking over our accounts and hunkering down my savings to prep for putting a good payment down and financing the rest for a new M3. I've always managed our finances and since paying off my student loans in January, the monthly payment would fit perfectly fine in my budget. Plus, I want a toy to celebrate that accomplishment. I've been spending a lot of time looking up the benefits of a Tesla, environmental impacts, advantages of EVs vs ICE, and asked a lot my specific questions to our Tesla Associate during the test drive about using the car and maneuvering on the road. I don't necessarily care about the finer details he is fixated on (much like I don't care how my current ICE runs, as long as it does in fact run.)

His main concern: "I just don't understand how it….works." I've told him to do some research like I have, but he still can't seem to grasp what makes the wheels physically move, how there's no transmission or gears, things like that. He's hesitant putting money down on a piece of technology that he can't understand.

Can I get some input on how to slap some sense into him? TIA.

Above all else, I would note that the batteries (and charging hardware) in a Tesla are far better than anything you might have in a phone or power tool. They do still have the characteristics of batteries in general -- capacity will go down over time (years), power is slightly reduced at low charge (but not dramatically so), and some day the batteries may completely wear out, but they will likely last the life of the car without losing too much capacity.

Second note -- another big difference -- is the modern software, touchscreen, and computer hardware. It's super cool. But like a fancy desktop computer, on rare occasion it may go buggy and you may have to reboot (this doesn't affect critical driving elements). It's rare, but as long as you know what buttons to hit to reboot, you should be good to go there.

Third note -- if at all possible, before you buy, make sure you can plug it in somewhere. You can live off just using the superchargers for "filling up", but you don't want to. If you have a garage, make sure you have an outlet you can use. A dedicated 240v outlet (with either adapter for mobile charger that comes with car or wired to a wall charging unit) is far superior to just using a 120v regular outlet, but you can get by on a 120v if the circuit isn't shared with other hungry power equipment and you don't drive too much.

The basic drivetrain is pretty simple. Battery and electric motor, like an RC toy car, but one you can drive on the highway. There is a reduction gear to reduce the electric motor turn speed to be more appropriate for output to the actual wheels, but no transmission; the electric motors are capable of enough range in turn speed that transmissions are not required (a manufacturer could add a transmission if they wanted too -- Tesla tried to add a 2 speed transmission to the first Roadsters -- but it hasn't been worth the trouble for any automaker so far).

 

[Dan203]

I think the best advice is to setup a test drive. After you drive one it's hard to not want one.

 

[hydro 481]

Short version: I need a new car. I want a Tesla, husband is afraid of the technology. Can I get some quick facts for him on how an EV works?

Start filing those divorce papers! Seriously though, I find this amusing since in most relationship it's the husband whose trying to sell the wife on new tech or cars. The world needs more sensible women like you

But in your husbands defense, I can understand why he's hesitant. Going from ICE to EV can be a bit intimidating. Especially with an EV as complex as the Model 3. When I say complex, I'm mainly referring to the lack of physical buttons and how almost everything has to be done on the touchscreen. It can be quite daunting to learn even the basics. Luckily with the recent software updates implementing voice control, it has become far easier to do the things i.e turn on wipers or adjust AC, open glovebox, play music, ect. IMO this is one of the biggest selling points for buying a Tesla. The car actual gets better over time with the software updates. It's quite amazing when you think about it. That's not to say everything will be smooth sailing though. As much as I love and support Tesla, my main gripe has to do with their service quality. It's very hit or miss. Just be prepared to deal with some headaches if you run into issues that require servicing.

 

[SMAlset]

You might not have read this yet but your State of New Jersey is expanding SuperChargers along the NJ Turnpike. No excuse traveling. I suspect a lot more SuperChargers will be going in on the East Coast making it even easier to get around and get charged quicker.

Tesla signs Supercharger deal with New Jersey Turnpike - Electrek

Let us know how your dinner talk goes.

 

[SMAlset]

I think the best advice is to setup a test drive. After you drive one it's hard to not want one.

Her first post she mentioned they already did a test drive and loved the car so that’s not the husband’s reluctance at this point.

 

[Dmagyar]

This conundrum makes me dredge a memory from a while back where a colleague and his wife were having a dispute over her next new car. The short of the argument was, neither would back down, she won when he was faced with getting divorced over this stubborn position he was employing.
They got the car she wanted and hope are still happily married...
PS. My wife loves her car, though I do get to drive it...

 

[hydro 481]

This conundrum makes me dredge a memory from a while back where a colleague and his wife were having a dispute over her next new car. The short of the argument was, neither would back down, she won when he was faced with getting divorced over this stubborn position he was employing.
They got the car she wanted and hope are still happily married...
PS. My wife loves her car, though I do get to drive it...

Why didn't you call her bluff?

 

[Watts_Up]

Who is in charge of dealing with Smog Check, Oil Change...

My advice, get first a plug installed in your garage, or at least find a electrician to give you a quote.

Charging at home the same way as you recharge your phone is one of the great advantage of having an EV.

 

[TLLMRRJ]

OEM replacement parts, or not, I am more worried that your husband can't figure out a way to stop a plumbing leak on your car, being a plumber.

 

[rickdogg82]

Bite the bullet. You can figure it all out later. You only live once. You won't regret it.

 

[jrweiss98020]

What about a nice long "discussion" AFTER dinner?