Elon's demand "secret weapon" ...what is it?

[ArtInCT]

How about the thought of it just being the Model X. It is coming later this year and once on the road will push demand up way past the 20k mark.

Interesting you say this, however based upon the Q4 miss in production of the S, there is not much hope that complexing the production lines with two models will help matters. TM is production limited at present. Adding more demand... Will that help matters?

 

[jhm]

I seem to recall a number of months ago Musk had said something about a remote service concept. The notion was that a Tesla could provide much of its service work by remotely accessing your car to diagnose and repair it, and if any manual work was required, then diagnostic would be forwarded to the service center to facilitate repair. Obviously, OTA upgrades fall in this category, but Tesla could take remote service to a whole new level.

So I think this remote service concept could enhance demand. We all want service to be cheap and convenient. And this concept undermines the dealer service model. If other car makers were to follow Tesla's lead with this service model, it would take revenue away from franchise dealerships.

 

[MassX1317]

My off the wall guess is that one of the big car manufacturers is going to rebadge the Model X and sell it as their own. Lexus RX-e?

 

[LargeHamCollider]

New blog post today reiterates "no near term Model S range upgrades" or something thereabouts (the actual blog is on a roadster road trip) Roadster Road Trip Update: San Jose to Los Angeles on a Single Charge | Tesla Motors.

 

[AudubonB]

...those co-op rules would have to have very careful wording... There's also a risk of carpetbagging, as happened with UK building societies, that drove de-mutualization.

Not money, I'm not familiar with the history of this, so am at a loss as to why it might be à propos here. Can you elaborate, if you would be so kind?

 

[mibaro2]

Elon's demand secret weapon : An electric truck that is better than all current trucks, including the F-150.
Trucks make up a large portion of sales in the auto industry.
If Tesla has been working on a truck all this time, this could be their secret demand weapon.

 

[aaeverett]

I think the Tesla will get sold through a dealer network called the Apple Retail Store - it will be called the iCar P85D and you will be able to buy apple care with it.

All of the latest Apple/Tesla stories puts me in camp with you. Who says a Dealer has to be an auto dealer? A tesla is as much of a consumer electronics device as a car. Just move out one of those wooden tables full of phones and drop a Model S in every store and you will have even longer lines...

 

[CHGolferJim]

All of the latest Apple/Tesla stories puts me in camp with you. Who says a Dealer has to be an auto dealer? A tesla is as much of a consumer electronics device as a car. Just move out one of those wooden tables full of phones and drop a Model S in every store and you will have even longer lines...

Exciting idea, but I would think Apple would be too scared this would hurt their store business, everyone would be looking at the car

 

[AudubonB]

Elon's demand secret weapon : An electric truck that is better than all current trucks, including the F-150.
Trucks make up a large portion of sales in the auto industry.
If Tesla has been working on a truck all this time, this could be their secret demand weapon.

If any read the drivel that I put in my posts, they would know that this has been my wet dream since the Late Paleogene. However, despite such being a consummation devoutly to be wished, the primary reason I think it cannot be the case is......

because.....

they haven't contacted me for all my Nifty Super-Keen-o ideas as to what this truck should feature.:love::cursing:

 

[jhm]

If any read the drivel that I put in my posts, they would know that this has been my wet dream since the Late Paleogene. However, despite such being a consummation devoutly to be wished, the primary reason I think it cannot be the case is......

because.....

they haven't contacted me for all my Nifty Super-Keen-o ideas as to what this truck should feature.:love::cursing:

Hey AudubonB, how about we start our own company? We can use all the Tesla patents and buy battery packs from Tesla and tie into the Supercharger network. We can even franchise Tesla to be our dealer. We just need an awesome design and some manufacturing capacity. We could call it Audubon Trucks.

 

[yobigd20]

Maybe once Tesla unveils their batteries for home grid storage later this year (the timing of which coincidentally matches up with this secret) they'll be able to include their cars in on that and operate as a public utility falling under a completely different set of laws (at the federal level) and as such not subject to individual state auto franchise law.

 

[jdevo2004]

Set up "rental" stores and "rent" the car for 2 or 3 year terms that are suspiciously similar to leasing terms.

 

[AudubonB]

Hey AudubonB, how about we start our own company? We can use all the Tesla patents and buy battery packs from Tesla and tie into the Supercharger network. We can even franchise Tesla to be our dealer. We just need an awesome design and some manufacturing capacity. We could call it Audubon Trucks.

Okay.

But we can't abbreviate it to Audie. Might present a bit of a marketing nightmare.

Let me finish the TeraFactory I've been putting up in the backyard first, and then we'll fill it with a googlplex of those nifty robots. That's all that's needed, right?

 

[bollar]

Okay.

But we can't abbreviate it to Audie. Might present a bit of a marketing nightmare.

Let me finish the TeraFactory I've been putting up in the backyard first, and then we'll fill it with a googlplex of those nifty robots. That's all that's needed, right?

Of course you'll build in Alaska in a partnership with one of the Native Corporations. You could likely get Doyon or NANA interested.

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

Not money, I'm not familiar with the history of this, so am at a loss as to why it might be à propos here. Can you elaborate, if you would be so kind?

The UK used to have many building societies, mutual banks owned by members. The largest demutualized, selling shares with money going to the members. Some people, carpetbaggers as they became known, became depositors specifically to encourage and profit from demutualization.

The point is that any organization owned by members can have the members choose to sell it, and if Tesla really wants to grow it's going to end up having "members" who aren't at all idealistic and would be happy to take the money. Once a large dealer gets hold of the franchise, Tesla has lost margin in that state.

 

[AudubonB]

Got it.

So I guess that means JHM and I won't mutualize/demutualize the Terafactory, meaning carpetbaggers won't be able to get a foothold in it.

 

[Kofi]

All of the latest Apple/Tesla stories puts me in camp with you. Who says a Dealer has to be an auto dealer? A tesla is as much of a consumer electronics device as a car. Just move out one of those wooden tables full of phones and drop a Model S in every store and you will have even longer lines...

They
share synergies. Apple could re-design and supply Tesla's UI...basically iOS running your T. Best of all is Google Maps navigation.

 

[tomas]

I didn't think much of the Apple Store suggestion when I first read it, but it is growing on me!

Here's what I picture: Apple stores with enough space (remember, has to be room for 3 cars, color swatches, etc.) get Teslas. If you buy one, it is contract thru Apple. Apple gets maybe 2% for offering the space and passing through sales. Tesla employees staff the Tesla space in Apple stores so that Tesla can control training and quality. This allows Tesla to shut down many of their expensive mall retail space, saving a ton. Also gets Tesla into ALL US States, as Apple is a "dealer". Tesla maintains separate service centers in all states.

There's only one major hitch to me: The Tesla UI is not Apple, and would be HUGE effort to convert. Apple would have a hard time doing this if their "religion" and product line is not part of the car. So, would only work with an immediate Car Play integration, and an "over time" commitment to migrate Tesla UI to Apple. Unfortunately, this comes with the baggage of Apple Maps as the map and nav core. Remember, Google (which is far more integrated with Tesla right now) is an Apple COMPETITOR!

Did I miss anything?

 

[Rheazombi]

all these Apple store suggestions are making me nauseous.

 

[jerry33]

Here's what I picture: Apple stores with enough space

That cuts out almost every Apple store right there. There really isn't any extra space in an Apple Store.