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ICE mechanics HATE Tesla!

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#21
ecarfan said:
While your story reads like fantasy, I am going to take you are your word that it is true. What year did that experience occur in? It is hard for me to imagine that could happen recently in Minnesota given that Tesla has been in volume production for around four years now, and Nissan has been producing large numbers of Leafs for even longer.
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You live in the California bubble. I was back in Ohio chatting with some buddies from back in high school. Our current cars came up, and you could tell some of them got it and others didn't believe me. One wanted to know where the water came out, thinking an EV's exhaust was liquid water instead of a gas (which despite sounding silly, was probably just confusion between EVs and fuel cells).

None of them had seen or even knew what a Leaf was.

This was maybe a year ago.
 
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#22
ecarfan said:
While your story reads like fantasy, I am going to take you are your word that it is true. What year did that experience occur in? It is hard for me to imagine that could happen recently in Minnesota given that Tesla has been in volume production for around four years now, and Nissan has been producing large numbers of Leafs for even longer.
Click to expand...

I was having a discussion just last month with a good friend who happens to be an avid gear head. I was mentioning how EV's will really turn the 3rd party auto maintenance business on its head when he asked "How so?". I pointed out that speciality shops like engine repair shops, muffler shops, transmission shops, etc will have to come up with a new business model. He stopped me and said "Wait. Why transmission shops?". He couldn't believe my MS doesn't require a conventional transmission.
 
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#25
I am careful not to extol the awesomeness of electric cars to my friends who are ICE mechanics - in their shoes, my daily bread depending on complex ICE vehicles failing, I might be worried for my future livelihood - it is no laughing matter to them. I don't personally think mechanics need to worry for another 20 years or so because it will take time for the general fleet to switch to electric, but eventually I think there will be far fewer repair jobs than there are now. Hopefully guys will just retire rather than the change being so fast and severe that folks are losing jobs.
 
#26
Michael Bloomberg made some comments recently pertaining to the future US President; in his comments he mentioned that the technology, not global trade, is the job killer in the US. The EV technology is going mainstream, if it's not there already, and that's the reality of those entities that have a vested interest in the ICE; they will need to make decisions.
 
#27
Gizmotoy said:
You live in the California bubble. I was back in Ohio chatting with some buddies from back in high school. Our current cars came up, and you could tell some of them got it and others didn't believe me. One wanted to know where the water came out, thinking an EV's exhaust was liquid water instead of a gas (which despite sounding silly, was probably just confusion between EVs and fuel cells).

None of them had seen or even knew what a Leaf was.

This was maybe a year ago.
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My mother came to visit me from west Texas this spring. We drove by a Leaf, and she exclaimed, what is THAT weird looking car?! I explained it was an EV and they were rather common around here, and she was amazed. Touring her around in my Volt was fun.
 
#28
"ICE Mechanics"? Please change your title and your wording to refer to ONE mechanic. I am not sure what made you generalize them.

My dad is a successful ICE mechanic opening his business (auto repair+body shop) since I was a child. When I told him I am getting a Tesla he just says it's very nice and EV is the future. Some of his customers also own Teslas so he's driven them before.

I also showed him my Model X when it arrived and he's impressed with all the techs like Summon. I haven't shown him AP yet. The only negative thing he says about Tesla is the access to parts (lack of) and the complexity of all the techs that he won't be able to help me to fix. His customers wanted him to repair things on their Teslas but he just can't get parts for not being an authorized/approved Tesla shop.
 
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#29
outie said:
"ICE Mechanics"? Please change your title and your wording to refer to ONE mechanic. I am not sure what made you generalize them.
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I was just about to post a similar comment. I met a man once who had nothing against EV's but thought that the Model S was ugly. I don't know his name, nor his profession, but reasonably sure it was a male in his 50's. Should I post that men in their 50's hate the look of Model S? Oh the guy was white, so maybe I should narrow it down - white males hate the way Model S looks?
 
#30
Still not sure the fear. I haven't yet had my 2 140k mile cars in for many ICE problems.

Ok, oil changes, yes. One water pump - that's ICE related (but cooking system is on EV too). .

Everything else has been brakes, suspension, power steering rack, tires,alignment, AC.
 
#32
ecarfan said:
While your story reads like fantasy, I am going to take you are your word that it is true. What year did that experience occur in? It is hard for me to imagine that could happen recently in Minnesota given that Tesla has been in volume production for around four years now, and Nissan has been producing large numbers of Leafs for even longer.
Click to expand...
You'd be amazed how few people know about Teslas and EVs in general.
 
#33
I use an independent shop for my ICE servicing. It's a very nice family owned business; they do everything from rebuilding engines to vehicle/emission inspections. I had my truck being serviced and decided to take the MS and let them look at it. Neither father nor son had seen a BEV. I gave them rides and talked to them about the car for about an hour. They know full well that BEV means no ICE overhauls someday (let's hope sooner than later) but that the cars are still cars and need brakes worked on (fluid more than pads/rotors), alignments, gearbox fluid changes, battery coolant changes, tires, and wheels. They both told me that they had wondered if an electric car could be good, and they now knew that the only future for cars was full electric.

I'm an aircraft mechanic, born into the family business of modifying aircraft. My grandfather started replacing piston engines with turbine engines in the 1960s. That happened to be right when the technology became viable then superior and available. The purpose of the engine/motor is to move the craft; it doesn't matter what it 'burns' as long as it is better than the previous technology. Electric motors for cars are here now, and I believe they are better not just because they are cleaner, but for a host of reasons. In a few years electric motors will power aircraft (already some small trainers are being built), size and weight of batteries will hold them back for awhile. Someday the weight barrier will fall and when it does you can be the last and best buggy whip maker or you can change your business to serve the new market. Those who think their livelihood depends on sticking their head in the sand and hoping everyone else will do the same are sorely mistaken.
 
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#35
WannabeOwner said:
Stopped at the tire shop recently, someone in line asked me why the MS didn't have an alternator - "to recharge the battery as you drive along".

The answer I should have given him was that it would need a 100 AMP alternator, and the weight would be a problem ... :D
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Hahaa the guys at my shop were worried about range so they were thinking about ways to extend the range with extra batteries. I tried explaining to them that it wouldn't work with conventional add ons.

ecarfan said:
While your story reads like fantasy, I am going to take you are your word that it is true. What year did that experience occur in? It is hard for me to imagine that could happen recently in Minnesota given that Tesla has been in volume production for around four years now, and Nissan has been producing large numbers of Leafs for even longer.
Click to expand...

Well, it's true. It happened 3 weeks ago this year (Took delivery 4 weeks ago). I can post pictures of the Tesla in front of the shop if you want (I won't be going there today, but I will be tomorrow). At the moment I only have pictures of some things I have done within the shop, but no car in front of shop yet...

There's a gallery/store front in the Twin Cities (Eden Prairie). EVs aren't as popular as they are in CA or other warmer places. I regularly attend meet ups at local places and quite a few people come out to take a look at all the tesla/volts/leafs/etc... and ask a lot of questions. The other day I was at an O'rileys picking up some parts and when I came out a guy was looking at my car. He didn't know what autopilot nor that EVs existed. I had to open the frunk to prove that there was no engine.
 
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#37
I read the OP, and started to smile. I too am involved in a business networking group, and have an ICE mechanic in it; he has been in business over 30 years. When I told him about the Model S I just ordered, he lit up with the biggest smile! He couldn't say enough positive things about it.

I think car guys are car guys. If it has a motor or engine, it really doesn't matter. OTOH, there is always a portion of any population that are skeptics and resist change.

I agree that for most in the auto repair business, their model must change. They must become comfortable in being uncomfortable if they want to stay relevant.

HD
 
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#39
Like some of the others have said above, I use a local, independent shop for all my inspections and the work that I don't personally perform. I recently took my Model S in for NC inspection. I consider the proprietor a personal friend, and he was very interested in the Tesla. He even took pics as I was pulling out, and he put them on his FB page. Something about the future, can't remember his exact caption. Clearly not a hater, although he will retire before BEVs put him out of business anyway.
The most recent time I visited, I saw him talking to an elderly couple as I was pulling away, so I backed up and jokingly started telling them what a great job Chuck did with my new exhaust system since I can't even hear the car run now. But he was bragging about the all electric car they were looking at, and telling them all about it.
 
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