How Tesla Managed to Alienate Their Most Loyal Customers

[pGo]

No, I have not. I've simply said that a) mainstream buyers are not those that will be lining up at the stores to put down reservations and b) people watching the reveal months later are not the same people lining up. Your mistake is assuming that I believe as you; that there are only two groups of buyers.



Where'd you get the June 2017 date? I've only ever seen Elon say production starts the end of 2017. Is June the new December?

Regardless, I'm going to give this second group of buyers (the ones that watch the reveal several months later) a little bit of credit for basic deduction skills. As in, when they get their reservation number/discover they are the 60,000th (or whatever - pick a number you're comfortable with) person in line they will be able to come to the conclusion they aren't getting their car in June or December of 2017. But hey, maybe that's a limb I'm going out on.

With Model 3, you will indeed see mainstream buyers lining up on the 31st. 4 of my friends who don't follow Tesla as religiously will join me to reserve Model 3. One of them has test driven a MS. Others have only seen it in pictures.

 

[Krugerrand]

With Model 3, you will indeed see mainstream buyers lining up on the 31st. 4 of my friends who don't follow Tesla as religiously will join me to reserve Model 3. One of them has test driven a MS. Others have only seen it in pictures.

They aren't mainstream buyers any longer then, or if you'd rather - they've become what will be deemed the *new* mainstream buyer if and when it's more common place in America to buy your car direct from the manufacturer instead of through the antiquated dealership venue. You, Tesla (and world events?) have changed them, which goes back to a point I've made a number of times over the last several months to those who believe Tesla has to change and become more 'big three'-like to succeed with the Model 3 - the consumer will change with the times as they always have, particularly when the product is compelling. Consumers, even 'mainstream' ones, are no more static than Tesla vehicle features.

 

[aesculus]

A mainstream buyer is one who goes to a lot with inventory and plucks one out and drives it home. Just like you would do with a iPhone at the store.

Sure there are a few people who will pre-order the next iPhone when they can or even stand in line for days to be the first, but they are not the mainstream buyer.

While Tesla will probably always make some high end models that you order and are custom made, I suspect they will have to get to an inventory model at some point of time in the future to be competitive.

 

[pGo]

They aren't mainstream buyers any longer then, or if you'd rather - they've become what will be deemed the *new* mainstream buyer if and when it's more common place in America to buy your car direct from the manufacturer instead of through the antiquated dealership venue. You, Tesla (and world events?) have changed them, which goes back to a point I've made a number of times over the last several months to those who believe Tesla has to change and become more 'big three'-like to succeed with the Model 3 - the consumer will change with the times as they always have, particularly when the product is compelling. Consumers, even 'mainstream' ones, are no more static than Tesla vehicle features.

I guess you know my friends more than I do. Not interested in argument over who mainstream buyer is. You win.

 

[omarsultan]

Agree with you on needing to hedge. Hedging might become unavoidable with increasing export volumes. There is a cost associated with hedging and it might have to be built into the price.

There is also a fair amount of volatility with the exchange rate. In the last 52 weeks is has swung from a low of 7.3028 to a high of 8.9897. Agreed, Tesla probably needs a more sophisticated approach to dealing with FX but that is different from "Tesla is out to gouge the customer"

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......followed by Tesla, and individual Tesla employees, trying to then do the right thing by the customer.

Oh, come on dude, obviously you have not been keeping up with the narrative--you are alienated, you just don't realize it yet.