Guesses on "token of appreciation" for line waiters tweeted by Elon Musk

[FlatSix911]

Free is just a 100% discount. Once free is expected you'll have a hard time getting customers to accept paying for it. There are a thousand internet companies that can attest to this. They built up a customer base on a free service to find that those customers weren't willing to pay for it later.

You can read these very forums to find model 3 reservation holders that were upset to hear they had to pay to supercharge.

Here is the best gift that money cannot buy ...

 

[N5329K]

The Model 3 won't be badged with its battery capacity. But line waiters will get this special emblem applique:
Robin

 

[smartypnz]

I don't expect anything. But getting the 'thank you' from Elon the other night was nice.
My standing in line was my 'thank you' to Elon for that first 100 yards of driving an 'S' and realizing that I did not expect to see this in my lifetime.

 

[BluestarE3]

Line-waiters who order the "First Production" model with the long-range battery will get an emblem appliqué that says: LONG RANGER. If that could be interpreted as a double entendre, so much the better for the driver sporting it who needs that sort of reassurance.

 

[Garlan Garner]

Free is just a 100% discount. Once free is expected you'll have a hard time getting customers to accept paying for it. There are a thousand internet companies that can attest to this. They built up a customer base on a free service to find that those customers weren't willing to pay for it later.

You can read these very forums to find model 3 reservation holders that were upset to hear they had to pay to supercharge.

I keep telling you this, but you aren't listening.

The price of supercharging is built into the price of the Model S and X. This has been known for a long time. So......its NOT free. Its NOT discounted.

Its not built into the Model 3.

 

[Stolz25]

I keep telling you this, but you aren't listening.

The price of supercharging is built into the price of the Model S and X. This has been known for a long time. So......its NOT free. Its NOT discounted.

Its not built into the Model 3.

This is completely irrelevant to customer perception. Unless it is a line option on the model X and S that can be removed, it is no different than it being free. It's included, just as people expected it to be included for the 3 because of that.

It would be similar if Tesla decided that the 35k base price didn't include seats. People expect the price to include seats, so having to pay for them as an option will outrage people. However, if we always bought seats separate from the car, it wouldn't bother anyone.

If they give away autopilot, even though on the books the cost is essentially free to Tesla, it costs them by changing the perception that autopilot should be an upgraded feature that costs $5k.

 

[Garlan Garner]

This is completely irrelevant to customer perception. Unless it is a line option on the model X and S that can be removed, it is no different than it being free. It's included, just as people expected it to be included for the 3 because of that.

It would be similar if Tesla decided that the 35k base price didn't include seats. People expect the price to include seats, so having to pay for them as an option will outrage people. However, if we always bought seats separate from the car, it wouldn't bother anyone.

If they give away autopilot, even though on the books the cost is essentially free to Tesla, it costs them by changing the perception that autopilot should be an upgraded feature that costs $5k.

Who expected supercharging to be free for the Model 3? Who said that? Please start quoting facts.

You keep making claims that are just not true at all.

The seat analogy is just ludicrous.

One thing at a time. Who expected supercharging to be free? Lets start there. Point to a thread or something - Anything.

 

[Stolz25]

Who expected supercharging to be free for the Model 3? Who said that? Please start quoting facts.

You keep making claims that are just not true at all.

The seat analogy is just ludicrous.

One thing at a time. Who expected supercharging to be free? Lets start there. Point to a thread or something - Anything.

Superchargers for Model 3

That was the first one I found in that thread that thought it should be free, but it's only 5 posts in. I imagine there are a few.

 

[Garlan Garner]

Superchargers for Model 3

That was the first one I found in that thread that thought it should be free, but it's only 5 posts in. I imagine there are a few.

No, no. I know you are new, but we fact check here.

That's a long long way from "people" expecting Supercharging to be free. Until "People" make this claim....lets NOT make it a fact because its NOT.

There are more people in that thread that are "accepting" of paying for supercharging than NOT. Just like this guy ( in your thread ) who quoted my posts above "word for word".
Superchargers for Model 3 post # 21.

 

[Stolz25]

No, no.

That's a long long way from "people" expecting Supercharging to be free. Until "People" make this claim....lets NOT make it a fact because its NOT.

There are move people in that thread that are "accepting" of paying for supercharging than NOT. Just like this guy to quoted my posts above word for word.
Superchargers for Model 3 post # 21.

Sure, and another thread actually had a poll over how much they'd pay. Only 17% say they would pay nothing, but the caps were quite low. The majority expected free or unlimited charging for life for less than $1500.

The average American spends $1,400 per year on gas for comparison. Tesla has set the bar low and now that's what customers expect. It's called price anchoring.

 

[Garlan Garner]

Sure, and another thread actually had a poll over how much they'd pay. Only 17% say they would pay nothing, but the caps were quite low. The majority expected free or unlimited charging for life for less than $1500.

The average American spends $1,400 per year on gas for comparison. Tesla has set the bar low and now that's what customers expect. It's called price anchoring.

What thread is that?

 

[Stolz25]

What thread is that?

How much would you pay for Supercharging on Model 3?

 

[BluestarE3]

If they give away autopilot, even though on the books the cost is essentially free to Tesla, it costs them by changing the perception that autopilot should be an upgraded feature that costs $5k.

It's not free to Tesla to develop, update and support Autopilot software. They have to make revenue from the deployment of the product in order to pay all the engineers, programmers, testers, etc. and to recognize the intrinsic value of the intellectual property. So, it's not just a matter of getting customers to perceive a tangible value in the product, if Tesla gives it away without charge, it's a real hit on the books.

 

[Stolz25]

It's not free to Tesla to develop, update and support Autopilot software. They have to make revenue from the deployment of the product in order to pay all the engineers, programmers, testers, etc. and to recognize the intrinsic value of the intellectual property. So, it's not just a matter of getting customers to perceive a tangible value in the product, if Tesla gives it away without charge, it's a real hit on the books.

I understand this, I'm just meeting him halfway. He's saying the marginal cost to Tesla for autopilot is zero.

 

[Garlan Garner]

How much would you pay for Supercharging on Model 3?

1. $2,000 lifetime for original owner 61 vote(s) 19.5%
2. $1,500 lifetime transferable 71 vote(s) 22.7%
3. $2,500 lifetime transferable 38 vote(s) 12.1%

Hmm 19.5 + 22.7 + 12.1 = 60 percent .....

Looks like MOST people agree to pay for supercharging.......not expecting it for free.

Still again.... not seeing the expectation of free from "a lot" of people. The posts and threads you are listing are not fending well for you.

 

[Stolz25]

1. $2,000 lifetime for original owner 61 vote(s) 19.5%
2. $1,500 lifetime transferable 71 vote(s) 22.7%
3. $2,500 lifetime transferable 38 vote(s) 12.1%

Hmm 19.5 + 22.7 + 12.1 = 60 percent .....

Looks like MOST people agree to pay for supercharging.......not expecting it for free.

Still again.... not seeing the expectation of free from "a lot" of people. The posts and threads you are listing are not fending well for you.

This is exactly what I said in my post talking about it. Reread it.

 

[Garlan Garner]

This is exactly what I said in my post talking about it. Reread it.

I'm done.

This is stupid now.

 

[TEG]

Line-waiters who order the "First Production" model with the long-range battery will get an emblem appliqué that says: LONG RANGER. If that could be interpreted as a double entendre, so much the better for the driver sporting it who needs that sort of reassurance.

Hi-Ho Silver Away !

 

[stopcrazypp]

I keep telling you this, but you aren't listening.

The price of supercharging is built into the price of the Model S and X. This has been known for a long time. So......its NOT free. Its NOT discounted.

Its not built into the Model 3.

It's not free to Tesla to develop, update and support Autopilot software. They have to make revenue from the deployment of the product in order to pay all the engineers, programmers, testers, etc. and to recognize the intrinsic value of the intellectual property. So, it's not just a matter of getting customers to perceive a tangible value in the product, if Tesla gives it away without charge, it's a real hit on the books.

I understand this, I'm just meeting him halfway. He's saying the marginal cost to Tesla for autopilot is zero.

I had to dig a bit back to see the original point, but it's pretty straight forward to me.

Scenario 1: Say I was planning to order the autopilot and/or FSD. So I had that $5000 or $8000 planned into the order. Now Tesla gives me that for free as a token of appreciation.

Scenario 2: Same thing, but instead Tesla gives something worth perhaps $100 as a token of appreciation (like nice fitted bag(s) for the frunk and/or trunk recessed area). I order autopilot and/or FSD myself.

It's pretty obvious which scenario costs Tesla more money (this is before considering that software has value: why do you think you have to pay for software for your computer instead of getting it all free?).

Now, you can argue not everyone would have opted for autopilot and/or FSD. Just multiply the percentage that would have opted with the option price to get the average cost to Tesla (the surveys suggested 67% wanted autopilot before the pricing was known). Autopilot would have to be extremely unpopular (less than 2%) before the $100 token "costs" more.

 

[Stolz25]

I had to dig a bit back to see the original point, but it's pretty straight forward to me.

Scenario 1: Say I was planning to order the autopilot and/or FSD. So I had that $5000 or $8000 planned into the order. Now Tesla gives me that for free as a token of appreciation.

Scenario 2: Same thing, but instead Tesla gives something worth perhaps $100 as a token of appreciation (like nice fitted bag(s) for the frunk and/or trunk recessed area).

It's pretty obvious which scenario costs Tesla more money (this is before considering that software has value: why do you think you have to pay for software for your computer instead of getting it all free?).

Now you can argue not everyone would have opted for autopilot and/or FSD. Just multiply the percentage that would have opted with the cost to get the average cost to Tesla (the surveys suggested 67% wanted autopilot before the pricing was known). Autopilot would have to be extremely unpopular (less than 2%) before the $100 token "costs" more.

Yeah, that was what I was saying when I originally mentioned opportunity costs. If they give it away they lose the opportunity to sell it, even though it doesn't add an accounting cost.