If gas were $0.66 per gallon......

[Cottonwood]

Short term issues of course, but this just in from Stratfor.com:

Oil prices dropped steeply Oct. 14, with crude oil futures falling 4.6 percent to $81.84 per barrel — the biggest decrease in more than two years. Brent crude dropped by more than $4 a barrel at one stage in the day, dipping below $85 for the first time since 2010. While these are relatively substantial drops, they are just one part of a continuing trend Stratfor has been tracking over the past few months. Factors behind the slump include weak demand, a surfeit of supply and the fact that many large Middle Eastern producers are reluctant to reduce their output.​

 

[SeminoleFSU]

Oil dropping is a very temporary thing. It is most likely some combination of slight deflation, lower demand because many super power nations' economies are NOT recovering like the lying world bank tells us they are, we may also be producing more of our own oil than in the past.. I've read that somewhere too. And let's not forget: the price of oil is determined (just like gold) by a very small group of people on this planet who are constantly trying to squeeze the rest of us with price manipulation. The problem is, basic economics (supply and demand) will always expose this manipulation in one way or the other... So have no fear... As long as we are in endless rounds of QE by the paper scam artists we can expect the prices of finite resources to continue to rise. THIS was my reason for buying a Tesla. Vwry soon with solar on my roof powering the car I'm in more control of what my transportation costs are. And the ponzi scheme known as the Federal Reserve can burn in (you know where)

 

[deonb]

If gas was $0.66 per gallon, AND:

a) I had a supply line of it right into my garage.
b) The car has no emissions, or at least self-contained emissions so that I can have it running in the garage in the morning with the AirCon or Heater without killing myself.
c) The car produces no noise but still performs the same.
d) The engine needs no servicing.
e) The engine takes no space in the front of the car, so that I still have the safety of a fully collapsible nose section.
f) The engine takes no space in the rear of the car, so that I still have the same amount of cargo space.

I may consider it.

I'll be waiting right here, on the edge of my seat.

 

[jcaspar]

If gas were .66$/gallon, I would certainly get a Gen III Viper with supercharger. I definitely love, and would keep, my P85, but the Viper is just a gorgeous, crazy fun car.

 

[MartinAustin]

I knew I would never actually save money versus buying another example of the same car I had before (Honda Civic), or simply to continue driving the Civic. But I was super-proud of what Tesla have achieved, their position on the environment, and so, since I'd made a ton of money via their stock appreciation and I could actually afford one of their cars, I went ahead and got it. It allows me to showcase the brand and everything they do a lot more easily than simply talking about it and showing people videos

 

[gavine]

I hear that SUV sales have been skyrocketing. Don't these people realize that the relatively low gas prices are temporary? The oil cartels play us like fiddles. As soon as alternatives threaten their revenue (fracking, tar sands, compelling electric cars, etc.), they drop prices making these alternatives less attractive and once those are out of everyone's minds and not economically feasible, they raise prices again. I'm glad to be halfway out of that game (Model S) and soon 99% out of that game (Model X)....the 1% is for the weed-whacker.

I just hope these low prices don't affect Tesla sales. This thread gives promise to the contrary but it's a small sampling.

 

[jerry33]

I hear that SUV sales have been skyrocketing. Don't these people realize that the relatively low gas prices are temporary? The oil cartels play us like fiddles. As soon as alternatives threaten their revenue (fracking, tar sands, compelling electric cars, etc.), they drop prices making these alternatives less attractive and once those are out of everyone's minds and not economically feasible, they raise prices again. I'm glad to be halfway out of that game (Model S) and soon 99% out of that game (Model X)....the 1% is for the weed-whacker.

I just hope these low prices don't affect Tesla sales. This thread gives promise to the contrary but it's a small sampling.

I'd suggest that currently Tesla sales are made up of the following:

1/4 - Money isn't ever a problem and they probably don't know the price of gas anyway.

1/4 - Want hi-tech, support Elon's mission, and want fuel economy. They know the gas prices will go up and aren't tempted by a short term dip.

1/2 - Want the best performance sedan they can purchase for a reasonable price. Low fuel cost is a nice extra but isn't the primary purchasing reason.

And no, the SUV/pickup buying public see the low gas prices and think that's how they will be forever. Then when prices go up they dump their SUV for pennies on the dollar.

 

[ACDriveMotor]

Or will give up food and heat before they give up their gas guzzling pickup truck...thinking of the coal rolling crowd not those that need a pickup for business, towing, etc.

 

[Thud]

Oil dropping is a very temporary thing. It is most likely some combination of slight deflation, lower demand because many super power nations' economies are NOT recovering like the lying world bank tells us they are, we may also be producing more of our own oil than in the past..

US oil production is definitely up, however that is due to increased use of shale oil extraction that is far more expensive than drilling. I think shale oil extraction is not profitable below $68 a barrel or something close to that. So that puts a lower limit on how low the price can fall before the US stops producing as much oil.

I am not an oil market analyst, just repeating some stuff I've read elsewhere.

 

[morbot]

To be honest... if gas was that cheap and we are in some fantasy realm where it must also then be plentiful... probably not.

In that world, the Model S would still be an awesome car, but I'm not sure I'd make the jump to the price point. Still a lot of cool things about it that ICE cars cannot compare to. But before making my purchase, I was in the market for a luxury car about $20k cheaper than where I ended up with my Tesla, and part of the reason why I made that final jump to a higher price range was to make a statement with my wallet. To be just 1 more number when analysts look at market trends and help push the industry in the right direction.

 

[gavine]

Any newer owners or potential owners care to weigh-in on this topic?

 

[DillyBop]

even if gas were free, i'd still drive electric.

 

[Beryl]

(I'm old enough to remember prices that low.)

I've only had my 90D for 2 months but I'd make the same decision if gas dropped to $.10/gal. I love the safety and convenience of fueling my car at home as well as all of the other Tesla features. Sparing the planet also feels good.

I think this question is better for those who bought Teslas when gas was nearly $5/gal

 

[mknox]

I think this question is better for those who bought Teslas when gas was nearly $5/gal

... like me. I'd seriously consider a plug-in hybrid (upcoming Cadillac CT6 looks nice) with lower gas prices. At the time, cost of "fuel" was my biggest consideration and deciding factor. My commute was such that even with something like the Volt, more than half of my driving would have been on gasoline, and the economics just weren't there.

 

[taurusking]

... like me. I'd seriously consider a plug-in hybrid (upcoming Cadillac CT6 looks nice) with lower gas prices. At the time, cost of "fuel" was my biggest consideration and deciding factor. My commute was such that even with something like the Volt, more than half of my driving would have been on gasoline, and the economics just weren't there.

I agree with you mknox. Cadillac CT6 looks like a beauty

@gavine:::::I would not have bought Model S if the gas prices were this low...But now I would not buy any other ICE since I have owned MS.

I test drove Volt couple of times and did not like the regeneration...When I bought MS the gas prices were pretty close to $4/gal.

If the gas prices were this low...My choice would have been Lexus 300 hybrid or Audi or Cadillac CT6

 

[dweeks]

The acceleration was the best part for me. I'm glad it's electric and costs me very little, but I still would've bought it otherwise. It's all the tech for me too.

Double ditto!

 

[Canuck]

I remember gas being low/high/low/high/low -- so to think it will always stay low, or always stay high, seems pretty short sighted. I give it 4 to 5 years to get back to $90+/barrel. That's just enough time for OPEC to do major damage to shale/tar sands production to make investors weary to get back into those businesses lest it happen again -- and it will. The only thing certain about commodities is uncertainty. Meanwhile, I'll be enjoying the ride and not worrying about it!

 

[GoTslaGo]

Any newer owners or potential owners care to weigh-in on this topic?

Guess we fall in this category.

Bought it despite the gas prices.

Wife's BMW 5 series was long in the tooth (9+ years), and she was no longer enjoying driving it. Between maintenance issues, poor handling in bad weather (for you Tesla RWD defenders, I am referring to the BMW RWD! :tongue and a host of middling issues we (I) decided she needed a new car. Chose Tesla for:

1) Safety rating
2) AWD
3) Autopilot
4) Power and performance (we were looking at BMW 5series or MB E400 and 70D was better).

Drove it, loved it, bought it.

She didn't want to buy it, figuring she could keep driving the 5 series until it dies. I was able to convince her otherwise with the list above, and we compromised on the price with the 70D vs 85/90D.

Now she loves it so much she hand washes it once a month, sometimes twice!

 

[davidc18]

same as gotslago for us.

 

[freeewilly]

Oil price is the least concern I have regarding my decision of getting a Model S.

I have more concerns on
1. Higher depreciation than I expected
2. High schedule maintenance fee
3. Extreme high repair cost for small damages and time to get it repaired
4. Extended warranty is not transferable
5. Tesla as a company is not as great as I thought. (from people post bad experiences on TMC)

I have great experience with my MS and Tesla so far, cross my fingers and hope nothing bad happens with my MS.