How does one justify it...

[EcoCloudIT]

@Hairyman apparently not....somehow we're wonderful here in Australia and somehow we're just different....we've not been cutting down trees, we have the perfect land that doesn't requires literally tons of water to be pumped out to water the grass so the cows actually have grass to eat etc. etc. I could go on....

 

[Rockster]

I can sympathize, OP. Our first Model S was over $100k and my wife and I were nearly apoplectic at the thought of a car that cost that much money. We knew that a car costing that much money wasn't going to "pay for itself," in gas savings and we knew we didn't really "need" the car. At some point we both just said, "we have the money, this is an amazing piece of technology that represents the future of transportation, let's just do it." I'm glad we did. We are a two Tesla family now and I don't ever want to go back to a gasoline vehicle. The past five years in the Tesla community have been a blast. I'm so glad I set my initial apprehension aside and just did it.

 

[Shock-On-T]

Have a look at the link I posted - covers a lot of that stuff

That link is about food production and CO2.
I’m talking about data collection and it’s applicability in regions outside the data collection region.
I just happened to use beef health risks as an example. Next time I’ll use something less charged.

 

[Hairyman]

That link is about food production and CO2.
I’m talking about data collection and it’s applicability in regions outside the data collection region.
I just happened to use beef health risks as an example. Next time I’ll use something less charged.

Ah, I see. I was following on from your point that different areas would have different outcomes. Lancet EAT includes consideration of that including quality of available land and the kind of things that can be grown/raised on it etc. I agree we are getting more heat than light with the current theme.

 

[Shock-On-T]

more heat than light

Love that turn of phrase.

 

[Munka]

Ultimately, this will be my car- a car I commute in- kids will only be let near it on weekends- and only those who have been super nice to dad. Spending this amount of cash- just on me? Seems super selfish!

I can confirm you are doing it wrong.

I spent twice that on a model S P100D. I had to loan half of it and it has left us financially strained. But we'd do it all over again.

The difference is it's not my car, it's our car, on that point it's our only car. My missus probably puts more ks on it than me. But the road trips, clean air in the garage, the enjoyment it gives my kids and my wife, being able to have the fastest car on the road at the same time one of the safest all make it worth while for me.

Tesla's are not collector cars. They are meant to be shared. Wrap it in cotton wool and come back in 5 years it will likely have depreciated just as much as if you drive the hell out of it with the family in tow!

Yes get it, enjoy it, but don't be precious. It's an awesome car, but ultimately just a car.

 

[aegidius]

@Rockster My sentiments exactly - could not have put it better myself.

 

[Tasdoc]

I can’t possibly justify buying a $100k+ car on rational grounds. Even a Tesla. Had I been rational, I would have ended up with a Prius

The good thing is that humans make a lot of irrational decisions too. And I’d like to think that some of my best decisions felt completely irrational at the time.

And for an irrational decision you don’t really need more arguments than “I want one” and “I have money“

 

[paulp]

I can’t possibly justify buying a $100k+ car on rational grounds. Even a Tesla. Had I been rational, I would have ended up with a Prius

The good thing is that humans make a lot of irrational decisions too. And I’d like to think that some of my best decisions felt completely irrational at the time.

And for an irrational decision you don’t really need more arguments than “I want one” and “I have money“

Seems your irrational decision ended up being quite rational

 

[bay74]

On strictly economic grounds, the answer is you can't. Not without saying relative to what.

My justifications for Model S, in decreasing order of rationality, were:
- Greatly reduced running costs making the TCO roughly the same as a $80k ICE car after 5 years
- I took a punt that the car would last longer and not depreciate as much
- I could afford it
- Wife approved (well, not a first, but now I can't get her out of it)
- I was going to buy a new car anyway
- I'm a smug know-it-all greenie and electric car nut (since teenage years)
- I just wanted one.

Not much else required, really...

Awesome, this helped me greatly. Well, mostly; not the buying a new car bit, but the rest.

The difference is it's not my car, it's our car

I agree that this can be important. I'm the main protagonist in our house for a Model 3; it started with remarks like "oh look Tesla's releasing a newer, cheaper, model", through "this would be enough range to get to the in-laws interstate", through "well, by how much does it delay paying off our mortgage", I eventually made it to "well if we did have an electric car, you'd be doing the most driving in it" (since I commute by bicycle, I don't drive much). I did, however, make sure that this line of thought didn't go too far, that it would definitely be our car, even though it'd be replacing her Camry.

Now we're at "when are test drives available?".

In some way I was actually hoping the wife would convince me it's a bad idea and I'd avoid having to make this justification to myself...

 

[Tasdoc]

Seems your irrational decision ended up being quite rational

It would have been if you could measure joy in $ per unit

 

[Munka]

Now we're at "when are test drives available?".

We actually made a point of not test driving one. I wanted the first Tesla I drove to be my (errr our) one. You have a 7 day return policy. But it ain't going back!

 

[meowsers]

We actually made a point of not test driving one. I wanted the first Tesla I drove to be my (errr our) one. You have a 7 day return policy. But it ain't going back!

Return policy doesn’t apply in Australia unfortunately.

 

[ICUDoc]

Return policy doesn’t apply in Australia unfortunately.

Wow, I think it used to apply? I have hovered over the "Order" button a lot lately, and was strongly thinking of going ahead given the return policy.
But since there AIN'T no return policy, I shall cool my heels a little..
Thanks for the heads-up.

 

[stuartl]

I guess this long rambling ‘reach out’ is to hear what other people’s thought processes were that ultimately helped them cross that ‘purchasing decision’ line.

For me, it was "I want to get off the fossil fuel teat as soon as possible." Followed by, "The damn thing is HOW MUCH?" Finished off with, "Well, I've almost paid the mortgage off, I don't have any kids, so... stuff it, I'm in."

The fact that I have nobody to justify my budget to except myself does help. The jealousy of certain of my friends also helps, along with the fact that my debt, after purchase, will still be within very comfortable limits. But I'm not going to argue that my rationalisation (such as it is) is valid for others - not even close.

 

[Munka]

Return policy doesn’t apply in Australia unfortunately.

Hmmmm it did when it first came out. Or at least I was told it would and the website said it at the time. The return policy is still online and doesn't exclude Australia.

I bought my car around the time it came out and I must admit the delivery agent was confused as to how it would play out. Good job I didn't want to return it!

 

[Vostok]

however if we just stopped eating red meat we’d achieve more for the environment than all the aforementioned put together.....that’s the reality of things....

We don’t need to stop eating red meat, we need to stop eating beef. Eating kangaroo is much less environmentally impactful than beef because kangaroos can’t be farmed. And the meat is good for you (very lean and high in iron).

 

[RobDickinson]

Same in nz for caught deer etc

 

[Lachstar]

I'm in the same boat! I'm looking at an SR+ and I have just paid off my Hecs debt and I could put that straight into a loan through Tesla. The only issue I'm having is big guilt trips about what that money could be doing for the mortgage etc...

Sigh such hard decisions! Thanks to all for the help!

 

[neroden]

For me? I cursed whenever I went to a gas (petrol) station. So I justified the monetary expenditure as being worth the peace of mind.

I didn't know what a screaming nightmare it would be trying to get service. (Actually *getting* service is fine once they're *doing* the service, it's contacting them that is the aggravating nightmare.) But it's still better than pumping gas in midwinter.

If I were doing it again I might get a Bolt, but you can't get 'em in Australia...