Another incident is when I went to the HOA for approval of my charging plug installation. It was in 2013, about a month before I took delivery of the car. They sort of made fun of me, like I was doing something stupid. They were sitting on a raised platform and I was in the "audience" area. There were like six of them (board members) and just 2-3 people sitting around me. They were like - "why go through all this trouble of an EV!", "I just bought a hybrid, and it goes vroom, and I don't have to worry about all this charging etc. It has practically zero emissions", and so on. I figured it was just ignorance, and tried to correct them a little, but it only made it worse, and they almost started making fun of me. Then I just let it be. They were older than me, and I did not want to come out as disrespectful.
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Thanks. But I didn't feel offended or anything because I figured most of it was just because of ignorance.
SomeJoe7777
Marginally-Known Member
You'd think that by living in Texas, I'd be getting a fair amount of wrath from the oil/gas workers and businesses around here. But surprisingly, I've had very few negative reactions to my 85D.
Overall, at least for me, the negative reactions have been uncommon. And I've never had anyone roll coal or give me the finger because of the car.
- The negative reactions I have had haven't been hostile rants or anything, just people who want to talk to you about it but have the usual misinformation. Most of them have been open to discussion and will listen to the facts. Many of them change their opinion after having things explained, although a few are still doubtful.
- The car guys generally have a negative reaction based on nostalgia. They know deep down that the EVs are going to displace the ICEs eventually, and they're sad that the days of souping-up V-8s with aftermarket performance parts are numbered. That's a big hobby with them and a big part of what they know. But they generally acknowledge that the Tesla is an awesome car.
- I think people infer less political leanings from the Tesla than you might think. Yes, it's an EV, which is associated with the progressives, but it's also a very expensive car. The high price tag is more associated with business owners and conservatives. I find that people don't quite assume the progressive leanings near as much with the Tesla as with something like a Leaf or Prius.
- Aggressive driving is common in Houston, and those people who cut you off, tailgate, weave in and out, etc. are more reflective of those drivers and their own shortcomings rather than your car. Occasionally, they may take a negative attitude towards your car but I've inferred that's more of an anti-rich thing than an anti-EV thing. They would have the same negative attitude towards an expensive ICE.
- The major argument that some people raise is the tax rebate for EVs, and they tend to call that a "subsidy". My argument to that has always been that Nissan has sold more Leafs in the last decade than Tesla has in total, and all of them got the $7500 rebate as well. Yet we didn't hear a peep out of anyone about that subsidy, we only hear this argument about Tesla. Why? The argument is very weak that you're complaining about the rebate today to an American company, but were silent for the last decade while money was going to Japan.
- Another argument that I hear about all the time is the lack of available places to charge. This reflects that the person is still thinking in terms of ICE operations -- my gas tank is nearly empty, where do I fill up? They are completely unaware of the charge-at-home operation style of an EV where the battery is full every morning, therefore you never need to "fill up" during the day. Once they understand this, it's a huge revelation for them.
Overall, at least for me, the negative reactions have been uncommon. And I've never had anyone roll coal or give me the finger because of the car.
your experience is probably far more common than some of the negative experienced posted here. If someone is openly hostile I tend to ignore them and write them off as ignoramuses. sometimes people are just interested in what makes the car tick and if I am not pressed for time I try to explain things and answer their questions. if someone wants to race me, I'll either ignore them or if safe indulge them. I am confident in my ownership and am not triggered by what someone else thinks of my car.
There aren't a lot of communist voters in the USA.
The change in November has impacted our family very little, other than more work from Orbital ATK and JPL/NASA than before the election. However, in 2017 our California State Government has negatively affected us for owning 3 electric cars. New utility tariffs approved by the DNC controlled government have raised our daytime EV charging rates by a factor of 100:1. The public charging funding produced nothing, and they halted EV rebates and the VW-settlement grid.
Luckily, we can't go much further to the Left in this state. I'd have to go back completely to ICE.
To the OP's point, in ~5 years of electric driving and 3 cars, zero problems with other drivers.
My father told me later he asked him about how I got into US; why my school was paying me when I was doing my PhD in New York instead of the other way around. He also asked if we were Muslims.
You should have asked him to prove his citizenship status and if he could spell supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. You could have at least told him that you worked hard and earned your right to be in the US unlike the citizenship handout (stress that word!) he/she got. ;-)
I'm glad you handled the situation well because it is not worth talking to someone who thinks they know everything listening to a few hours of TV/radio each day.
PrGrPa
Member
A few kids were standing by the road in a rural area, and one of them shouted "dildo" so loud I could hear it in the car. That's about it.
(I don't know if you have this phenomenon in the US, but some haters here in Norway say EVs run on "dildo fuel", being battery powered.
Ah, that'll be why they're such a pleasure to drive
PrGrPa
Member
Well, if it's just them being a dick then no. But if it is them driving and acting dangerously or threateningly then that is a different matter.
PrGrPa
Member
I am from India, and when my parents were visiting me from over there, we made a trip to Grand Canyon. After an overnight stop at Kingman, AZ, when we were just putting luggage in the car at the hotel early morning, someone came over and started a conversation with my father. I was not there when the conversation started, but I just caught the last part when he said something like "you guys are very green" very sarcastically. I didn't really look at it as hostility, but the sarcastic tone was unmistakable.
My father told me later he asked him about how I got into US; why my school was paying me when I was doing my PhD in New York instead of the other way around. He also asked if we were Muslims
Thrilled that a NY PhD candidate can drive a Tesla in the USA. That is one reason why America is great. Glad your dad had the conversation rather than you. I imagine it was amusing for him and confounding for the halfwit who came over with his sarcasm. He doesn't realise what the future of motor vehicles looks like.
LOL, no no, I got my car after I graduated, and started working
. I did call Tesla to ask if they had a student discount when I was still in school though .
WhiskySTL
Member
As someone who loves to floor it at the start of freeway on-ramps, I'll comment that I do it because it's a blast. It doesn't - okay, usually doesn't - have anything to do with who is next to me.
Shock-On-T
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Don't forget you'll get the occasional negative response for any fancy car, EV or not.
Shock-On-T
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Just tell him that we're in a transition period and that legislation is slow to respond to changing technology.
WhiskySTL
Member
This is a really good point. I long ago realized that perhaps people think BMW drivers are jerks because people tend to act like jerks to BMW drivers... It is a self-fulfilling prophecy; we tend to do to others as they do to us. Other drivers were a lot more courteous to me when I drove a Mazda.
Drivesolo
Member
Can't speak to numbers of voters, just to the number of Trump signs and MAGA hats I've seen while passing through.
I switched to Tesla from a high-end BMW, and I'd say the incidence of unprovoked negative reactions is about the same. Pretty rare in either case but there are always a few jerks out there and no need to respond in kind. The pleasures of being a friendly and courteous driver day in and day out vastly outweighs the temporary pleasure of road raging back at someone who truly deserves it.
