Go to a Tesla Store - Something Big is Happening

[Cattledog]

Tesla owners, TSLA owners, reservation (order) holders, the interested, the curious, the uninitiated, the partially disillusioned, the insane - go to a Tesla Store, see the magic. If a serious customer, ask for a test drive, you no longer need to be a reservation holder to get one, and you'll be one after it. You would have to be desensitized to the vision of progress if you do not to see and feel it - something big is happening here.

 

[gray]

I don't get it - I got a test drive without being a reservation holder months ago?

 

[bhuwan]

I made a reservation purely based on the non-reservation test drive I was given.

 

[jomo25]

Not in AZ.

 

[Doug Martoccia]

I test drove a Tesla in late December in Santa Monica without a reservation. Where did these crazy rumors come from that Tesla was requiring a reservation?

 

[Mycroft]

I test drove a Tesla in late December in Santa Monica without a reservation. Where did these crazy rumors come from that Tesla was requiring a reservation?

I think it varied by store, manager, availability, and the persistance of the prospective test driver.

 

[Doug Martoccia]

I think it varied by store, manager, availability, and the persistance of the prospective test driver.

My gut feel is that people made this assumption based on a few early 2012 experiences. I'd be very surprised if anyone called in the past three months and was told anywhere in the country that they needed a reservation to test drive a Tesla. Starting last month, Tesla removed the delay lag between reservations and finalizing the order. In essence, there is really not a reservation system anymore - only an ordering system.

 

[GlennAlanBerry]

I was able to test drive without a reservation back in November (at the Park Meadows store). I think this old "policy" of requiring a reservation for a test drive depended on the local store manager, what mood they were in, how busy they were, whether you looked serious, etc. I do know that the Park Meadows Tesla store always seems to be pretty busy lately, with lots of people very interested in looking at the Model S, siting in it and asking lots of questions. I don't think there is anything big or different about that.

 

[vfx]

Glenn and Mycoft have it right. Add to that being "allowed" to experience a Tesla makes it more desirable so pushing back on every random request for a test drive builds exclusivity.

Every EV maker knows that getting butts in the seat is the way to sell the advantages of electric cars. Especially Tesla with it's no compromise acceleration. As soon as Tesla catches up with deliveries you know the stores will be doing drives all day long for customers.

 

[Cattledog]

GAB and Others - Sorry for the miscommunication. The 'something big' isn't test drives for non-reservation holders - as all have relayed some version of these have been opening up for months. The big is the whole thing. I have visited showrooms 4 times in the last 15 months, there is a palpable difference to the experience. 15 months ago, people wandered in and asked 'what is it' questions. The engagement today has ramped up an order of magnitude, we have moved from curiosity to fascination, big time.

When I asked the staff member 'how many a day do you sell from here?', I was thinking 1/week. He said 1-2/day. I said, 'wow' and he replied, 'that's nothing compared to the California stores'.

So I'm doing the math and thinking there are 29 NA galleries, 13 Europe, 3 Asia/Pacific. 1 per day as a low estimate, so 16K reservations/yr. in the worst case scenario where we take a lowball and apply it to everyone and exclude all else. If it's 2 it's 32K/yr. If California stores are smoking, how many more are they doing? How many simply online? (My wife and I ordered her X from the touchscreen our S. The Denver guy said someone ordered an S from the touchscreen on their test drive! Do you think Porsche doesn't envy the hell out of that? They should!!!) How many in 2 years when there are 100 galleries (my WAG)? How many when Model S 2.0 comes out and is better than the cars we're all driving? YIKES!

So, something BIG is happening, can't wait until the next quarterly conference call to get new numbers...

 

[MikeL]

Very nice explanation, and a good account of what we have to look forward to. . .
btw, I knew what you meant on the OP. Briefly - my take on it: I think there are far more people than anyone realizes who simply don't yet know that there is a choice. You mean I don't have to drive that smelly, noisy, costly thing out there & I can drive THIS?Somebody makes THIS and I can buy one today!? To employ two overworked terms, there will be a "tipping point", a "critical mass"
will be reached, thanks in very large part to Elon, where EVs will be compared to ICE cars, by most everyone, on the merits, side by side, free of legacy biases. At that point gas will be dead. ML

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

My realtor came by today; he's a young guy (31), smart, works hard at his job, drives a nice BMW 6 convertible and has done some research on Tesla given the factory in his own backyard. I let him test drive my car today and he was simply blown away; he was surprised to realize that this was (only) a 60 and that there are two upgrade levels available!

He was apparently half-expecting the car to drive like a Leaf or something! He said that he was now grudgingly going back to his BMW 6 and that he wouldn't be surprised to see many more cars be like the Model S in a few years

I agree with Cattledog; call us fanboys but, the news about this rEVolution is slowly but surely getting out!

 

[ppl]

this thread seems like a waste. nothing new. by stating that you dont need a reservation to test drive is to just perpetuate the rumor that you do. i think the forum will be more useful with new information and not just volume. just my opinion, obviously

 

[PeterW]

this thread seems like a waste. nothing new. by stating that you dont need a reservation to test drive is to just perpetuate the rumor that you do. i think the forum will be more useful with new information and not just volume. just my opinion, obviously

You are correct that there is no new facts in this thread.

Cattledog is talking talking about a new feeling, we are emotional beings after all. How people feel about something is more important than the facts.

I think Cattledog is right, the revolution is starting. The facts will follow.

 

[Cattledog]

ppl - If you spent an hour in a store a year ago, and spent an hour in a store today, you'd see it, hear it, feel it. Go try it. Ask questions. Not sure why you'd write 'this thread seems like a waste' on a thread that seemed like a waste to you. Why not take that effort and start a new thread that you think will be valuable to people. I'd like to hear your original thoughts on matters, I don't think I'd call them a waste of time.

 

[bonnie]

Talk to some of the folks (many on this forum) who've been around the EV movement from the beginning and/or an early Roadster owner. Then you'll hear the stories about how things are changing. I was 'enlightened' about 2 1/2 years ago and have def seen the difference. But I still consider myself a newbie, in comparison to the others. It's not just in the last year.

 

[GlennAlanBerry]

I agree that people who come into the Park Meadows store (my only experience) seem to be more excited and asking more questions than a few months ago. I still see a lot of people who completely shut-down after they hear the price (and Park Meadows, which is just south of Denver is in a pretty affluent area). I am hoping the sales continue to do well for the next couple of years, allowing Tesla to thrive and get the Supercharger network built out. If we see the Gen III become available in the $30-50K range, with a better EV charging infrastructure and more awareness in two-three years, I think it will be extremely successful!

 

[Chuck]

As one who visits the forums a lot, thought I'd chime in on the Reservation/Test-Drives. I visited the Fashion Island store on a weekend visit to Newport Beach a month ago and requested a test drive and was flatly told it is for reservation holders. They offered to take my reservation at that time and would schedule me a test, and I could cancel the reservation if I was dissatisfied. This is a little counter to what is noted above. I also requested a test drive from the San Diego/La Jolla store 3 weeks ago online and have heard nothing since.

 

[miamimd]

I have to add that my wife was at Tesla New York and was denied a test drive without a reservation with them not knowing that We do have a reservation. I was trying to sell one to my brother in Law and we were not able to test it. I talked personally with the staff and they told me clearly that it was a new policy. This is very different that in Miami were we are from. These guys are awesome and the staff is extremely polite and helpful. I test drove the car three times, two before giving my reservation. And they will not ask for payment before a test drive. Are you kidding me??? payment before a test drive. Does not make sense

 

[Doug_G]

Really sounds like they need to get everyone on the same page.

Or maybe it just depends on local circumstances... but I doubt it.