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"Guilt" for being able to get a Model S?!
- Thread starter gg_got_a_tesla
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- Model S
A lot of people in my office connect "Tesla" with "expensive sports car", so I always start by saying, "Oh, this is the new sedan -- it's priced like a BMW." Because people in my company are well paid, and I'm one of the senior officers, that about settles it.
One of the best turns of event was when I put the RC Roadster, which I received from Tesla in 2010, in as my "Yankee swap" entry to the office holiday party, along with a drive in the S once it arrives. It turned into the most-coveted item at the swap, and turned the whole purchase into something more convivial.
One of the best turns of event was when I put the RC Roadster, which I received from Tesla in 2010, in as my "Yankee swap" entry to the office holiday party, along with a drive in the S once it arrives. It turned into the most-coveted item at the swap, and turned the whole purchase into something more convivial.
PV4EV
Member
(this started out as 2 paragraphs but ended up as half my life story…)
I don’t feel any 'guilt' at all quite the opposite. However, I am slightly self conscious discussing the purchase price. I've often justified my peculiar route to ownership by telling people it actually cost me nothing … and was paid for by selling unused 'stuff' on ebay that was lying around the house - read on if you want to know more !
People who know me know that I've been talking about EV's for years, as well as all sorts of energy harvesting techniques, or certain technology areas. I've wanted an EV ever since following all the T-Zero and AC Propulsion PR about 7 or 8 yrs ago, and Tesla's very earliest website announcements in about 2005/6 ( I think ?).
In 2009 I put some serious design work into doing my own EV conversion on a good looking 4WD Italian car, which would have been a lot of fun, but probably a lot of headaches and as vast amount of time as well. RHD Roadsters had started appearing 2 yrs ago and acquiring one was going to save a lot of time and result in a far more refined EV with twice the likely range of my own project, although sub 100mph performance would have been similar. I also looked into importing a LHD used car from the USA, but HAZMAT restrictions put a stop to that.
So, after a cursory test drive of a RHD car last year, I decided to buy a Tesla, and justified its purchase price psychologically by deciding to sell a high value ICE race car I built years ago, rather than sink more funds into another depreciating asset !
However, trying to sell a track car at the wrong time of the year proved to be a bad idea, and it currently remains unsold (I've got to wait until the sun comes out again, in spring…). So, to pay for the Roadster I did something quite bizarre - I used ebay to rapidly sell off some unusual watches from a collection that I piled up years ago, many of which have spent years in a safe collecting dust. To my amazement, they sold for more than I was expecting. Add to this a few abandoned Pinball machines and other weird things, and I hit the target quite quick.
Here in the UK, there's only about 30+ Roadsters out there, so they are a rare sight. I think 95% of people subliminally accept it as a Lotus Elise which are well respected and do not suffer from the British disease of jealousy that comes out when a Ferrari or Lambo is spotted in the wild (I've been fortunate to own various Italian exotica and could write volumes on the generally negative reaction I've had). Plus, the Roadsters registration plate is a bit obscure and doesn’t shout that its brand new - another British problem. The convoluted thing here is that if you win the lottery, the masses think that’s great, but if you make it by working hard to achieve dreams - then you get despised. Weird.
In the past, any car comments would normally happen when filling up at a petrol station. Now this happens wherever I park. Generally, they have been overwhelmingly positive, usually because they realise what it is, and want to ask a 1000 questions. Many refer to the film 'Who killed the Electric Car' or ask questions about the whole Top-Gear mess.
Without a doubt, 100% of the people who have been out my Roadster have been totally converted into EV fans, who go forth to preach to others like they're on a mission from God.
They also get the full-on evangelical sales pitch about both the greenness of the car, and the financial incentives to owning an EV in the UK that 99% of people haven't got a clue about. These include some serious tax benefits like getting an instant 25% discount on the purchase price by being allowed to offset the whole purchase cost against corporation tax (excellent for self employed or company purchasers) and running costs of 1.7p of electricity per mile versus about 40p mile in a petrol car, and the lack of moving parts in need of servicing, and not having to pay any road taxes, or congestion charges, or parking fees etc etc etc.
Most Europeans have to suffer stupidly high petrol prices of £6.50 / $10.50 a gallon … Filling up the family ICE car costs £100 now and I'll get 300 miles if I'm lucky, whereas £100 of electricity will give me over 6,000 EV miles whilst providing endless spurts of accelerative fun without breaking the speed limit …
Around about then people start to geddit ...
The UK is awash with negative media on EV's and Chinese-whispers encouraged by the entire petroleum and ICE industries that really don't want you straying away from oil. These include sound bites about Lithium batteries costing more than a house, or that a Nissan leaf will depreciate by 90% in 1 yr, or that cells spontaneously combust, or that the grid will collapse if two EV owners 10 miles apart plug in at the same time. I am constantly surprised by how many people haven't got a clue what they pay for their electricity but know the MPG of their car.
Invariably, there are questions about range anxiety, with most associating EV charging with the accepted process of filling a normal car when it runs out of juice. The process of keeping an EV topped up seems alien to them. After all, how many ICE car owners are used to brimming their tank everyday with readily available fuel at home like EV owners do ?
When asked how long it takes to charge, I usually respond with "10 seconds". Typically I get home, plug the car in, and stick my mobile on its charge stand, which can take 10 seconds. Magically, both are topped up ready for when I next need to drive somewhere, usually the next morning. Parking up at home or the office is like parking at a petrol station, and you rarely 'run the tank dry'. Also, I've never actually needed to charge up at any external charge point, although I'm sure I will one day. Just never had to needed to.
Ironically, the people who are most anxious about range and petrol costs are actually the ones who would most benefit from having an EV !!!!
And just to finish them off, I tell them that the car is ultimately powered by sunlight… which is still free, and is unlikely to be taxed to death anytime soon.
I've had a few snide comments asking how I can justify owning a new car costing more than £5k in a recession with kids starving and polar bears dying due to global warming etc etc, but those people are usually beyond help and don’t respond to some simple facts, logic, tech explanations, or any motivational encouragement. One particular individual got really loud and angry, and harangued me all the way into a supermarket, accusing me of being a capitalist and the sort of person who starts wars (ehh ?), so I finally spun round and asked if he was a pacifist. He said yes, so I went through the motions of rolling my sleeves up ready for a good punching session and he ran off screaming to look for a policeman or something (well almost !). Weird episode that.
Anyway, one final point, the Roadster is a very small car and many passengers have had a job getting in/out with the roof on. At which point I start going on about the Model S, Model X … half the price, twice the range, 7 seats, future developments with battery capacities doubling, graphene, nano stuff.
I think I've pre-sold half a dozen Model S's. I'm surprised Tesla Inc don’t offer incentive commissions to Roadster owners who generate a completed sale…
I don’t feel any 'guilt' at all quite the opposite. However, I am slightly self conscious discussing the purchase price. I've often justified my peculiar route to ownership by telling people it actually cost me nothing … and was paid for by selling unused 'stuff' on ebay that was lying around the house - read on if you want to know more !
People who know me know that I've been talking about EV's for years, as well as all sorts of energy harvesting techniques, or certain technology areas. I've wanted an EV ever since following all the T-Zero and AC Propulsion PR about 7 or 8 yrs ago, and Tesla's very earliest website announcements in about 2005/6 ( I think ?).
In 2009 I put some serious design work into doing my own EV conversion on a good looking 4WD Italian car, which would have been a lot of fun, but probably a lot of headaches and as vast amount of time as well. RHD Roadsters had started appearing 2 yrs ago and acquiring one was going to save a lot of time and result in a far more refined EV with twice the likely range of my own project, although sub 100mph performance would have been similar. I also looked into importing a LHD used car from the USA, but HAZMAT restrictions put a stop to that.
So, after a cursory test drive of a RHD car last year, I decided to buy a Tesla, and justified its purchase price psychologically by deciding to sell a high value ICE race car I built years ago, rather than sink more funds into another depreciating asset !
However, trying to sell a track car at the wrong time of the year proved to be a bad idea, and it currently remains unsold (I've got to wait until the sun comes out again, in spring…). So, to pay for the Roadster I did something quite bizarre - I used ebay to rapidly sell off some unusual watches from a collection that I piled up years ago, many of which have spent years in a safe collecting dust. To my amazement, they sold for more than I was expecting. Add to this a few abandoned Pinball machines and other weird things, and I hit the target quite quick.
Here in the UK, there's only about 30+ Roadsters out there, so they are a rare sight. I think 95% of people subliminally accept it as a Lotus Elise which are well respected and do not suffer from the British disease of jealousy that comes out when a Ferrari or Lambo is spotted in the wild (I've been fortunate to own various Italian exotica and could write volumes on the generally negative reaction I've had). Plus, the Roadsters registration plate is a bit obscure and doesn’t shout that its brand new - another British problem. The convoluted thing here is that if you win the lottery, the masses think that’s great, but if you make it by working hard to achieve dreams - then you get despised. Weird.
In the past, any car comments would normally happen when filling up at a petrol station. Now this happens wherever I park. Generally, they have been overwhelmingly positive, usually because they realise what it is, and want to ask a 1000 questions. Many refer to the film 'Who killed the Electric Car' or ask questions about the whole Top-Gear mess.
Without a doubt, 100% of the people who have been out my Roadster have been totally converted into EV fans, who go forth to preach to others like they're on a mission from God.
They also get the full-on evangelical sales pitch about both the greenness of the car, and the financial incentives to owning an EV in the UK that 99% of people haven't got a clue about. These include some serious tax benefits like getting an instant 25% discount on the purchase price by being allowed to offset the whole purchase cost against corporation tax (excellent for self employed or company purchasers) and running costs of 1.7p of electricity per mile versus about 40p mile in a petrol car, and the lack of moving parts in need of servicing, and not having to pay any road taxes, or congestion charges, or parking fees etc etc etc.
Most Europeans have to suffer stupidly high petrol prices of £6.50 / $10.50 a gallon … Filling up the family ICE car costs £100 now and I'll get 300 miles if I'm lucky, whereas £100 of electricity will give me over 6,000 EV miles whilst providing endless spurts of accelerative fun without breaking the speed limit …
Around about then people start to geddit ...
The UK is awash with negative media on EV's and Chinese-whispers encouraged by the entire petroleum and ICE industries that really don't want you straying away from oil. These include sound bites about Lithium batteries costing more than a house, or that a Nissan leaf will depreciate by 90% in 1 yr, or that cells spontaneously combust, or that the grid will collapse if two EV owners 10 miles apart plug in at the same time. I am constantly surprised by how many people haven't got a clue what they pay for their electricity but know the MPG of their car.
Invariably, there are questions about range anxiety, with most associating EV charging with the accepted process of filling a normal car when it runs out of juice. The process of keeping an EV topped up seems alien to them. After all, how many ICE car owners are used to brimming their tank everyday with readily available fuel at home like EV owners do ?
When asked how long it takes to charge, I usually respond with "10 seconds". Typically I get home, plug the car in, and stick my mobile on its charge stand, which can take 10 seconds. Magically, both are topped up ready for when I next need to drive somewhere, usually the next morning. Parking up at home or the office is like parking at a petrol station, and you rarely 'run the tank dry'. Also, I've never actually needed to charge up at any external charge point, although I'm sure I will one day. Just never had to needed to.
Ironically, the people who are most anxious about range and petrol costs are actually the ones who would most benefit from having an EV !!!!
And just to finish them off, I tell them that the car is ultimately powered by sunlight… which is still free, and is unlikely to be taxed to death anytime soon.
I've had a few snide comments asking how I can justify owning a new car costing more than £5k in a recession with kids starving and polar bears dying due to global warming etc etc, but those people are usually beyond help and don’t respond to some simple facts, logic, tech explanations, or any motivational encouragement. One particular individual got really loud and angry, and harangued me all the way into a supermarket, accusing me of being a capitalist and the sort of person who starts wars (ehh ?), so I finally spun round and asked if he was a pacifist. He said yes, so I went through the motions of rolling my sleeves up ready for a good punching session and he ran off screaming to look for a policeman or something (well almost !). Weird episode that.
Anyway, one final point, the Roadster is a very small car and many passengers have had a job getting in/out with the roof on. At which point I start going on about the Model S, Model X … half the price, twice the range, 7 seats, future developments with battery capacities doubling, graphene, nano stuff.
I think I've pre-sold half a dozen Model S's. I'm surprised Tesla Inc don’t offer incentive commissions to Roadster owners who generate a completed sale…
Yes. Most people I know can't even afford a new car, period, let alone a Tesla.
I'm trying to EVangelize only to those who can afford it, while offering rides and carpooling to everyone else, with the line "See, you don't have to chip in for gas!" :wink:
I have to say, what I tell people asking about the price is always "They'll be cheaper in 5 years. But I'm overdue to get a new car, because I have been putting it off for years until a suitable electric car exists, and this is the first one." People kind of understand that, even though it doesn't make strict financial sense.
Mycroft
Life happens
Great story PV4EV! Tesla couldn't afford to give kickbacks for sales because practically all their sales are by word of mouth.
Jaff
Active Member
Ditto Doug!
Folks seem much more interested in the technology..."does it work well for daily use & how does it work in general" (and that's for the Roadster).
I've never experienced anything in the way of negative comments.
Besides, it's not anyone's business but my own on how I invest my hard earned money (ok, it's my wife's biz as well :biggrin
...anyone who doesn't like it or is an anti-capitalist can quite frankly KMA...
Folks seem much more interested in the technology..."does it work well for daily use & how does it work in general" (and that's for the Roadster).
I've never experienced anything in the way of negative comments.
Besides, it's not anyone's business but my own on how I invest my hard earned money (ok, it's my wife's biz as well :biggrin
...anyone who doesn't like it or is an anti-capitalist can quite frankly KMA... 
de704
XP268
NO!
Never be ashamed for what you've accomplished. Even If you inherited the money. Somebody worked hard for it.
Never be ashamed for what you've accomplished. Even If you inherited the money. Somebody worked hard for it.
de704
XP268
I guess I had the idea that this might be perceived in this way so, I did keep my reservation secret for about a year before mentioning it.
ddenboer
MODEL X #1770
Almost everyone I work with wants to reserve an S, and many can afford to do so. It was actually my employees and their friends that reminded me that the S existed, and it was the October event and seeing the rear seats that convinced me that instead of a 5-series or E class, I NEEDED a Model S. After filling up both my Civic and my wife's Odyssey this weekend and spending over $100 on gas (and knowing that it is going to get more expensive in the future), even she is convinced.
So, now that I have a reservation, and am waiting for a sig, 3 of my employees are saying that they will put down a deposit in April after tax season is over. They want it too.
So do I feel guilty? Only once in a while when I think that I should be using the money to pay off my mortgage. But to be honest, the same amount of $ would have gone into the german cars without much thought, and I still am on target with my 5 year plan of paying off the mortgage, even after buying the Model S.
So, now that I have a reservation, and am waiting for a sig, 3 of my employees are saying that they will put down a deposit in April after tax season is over. They want it too.
So do I feel guilty? Only once in a while when I think that I should be using the money to pay off my mortgage. But to be honest, the same amount of $ would have gone into the german cars without much thought, and I still am on target with my 5 year plan of paying off the mortgage, even after buying the Model S.
No, I feel no guilt at all. Guilt implies that I should make a different decision and I think that buying a Model S will help Tesla succeed. If Tesla succeeds I think that it will create family-wage manufacturing jobs while building a company that makes green vehicles. Someone needs to buy these cars for Tesla to survive to be able to produce the less expensive vehicle, frankly, buying a Model S is a selfless act. ;-)
I'm in two minds. One side is not guilt but caution not to be called a show-off, or EVangelizing a solution not affordable to most people as the only 'moral' thing to do.
On the other side, I know I am an early adopter, paving the way for those to follow. Since EU pricing is not announced (and won't be for months to come) I am lucky to hide the price question in the haze. But most people know that US car price $ figures translate 1:1 to Euros. So it is about telling people that can afford a "new" premium car that now there is an EV solution for them.
On the other side, I know I am an early adopter, paving the way for those to follow. Since EU pricing is not announced (and won't be for months to come) I am lucky to hide the price question in the haze. But most people know that US car price $ figures translate 1:1 to Euros. So it is about telling people that can afford a "new" premium car that now there is an EV solution for them.
goyogi
Member
In the Bay Area, I think there will be more Model S than the Leaf! I see a Leaf almost every day. There are several people that want a Model S at my work too but I'm the only committed one so far to my knowledge.
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