I'm amazed at what owners don't know

[sceptic]

Happened to park next to an identical Model 3 (well at least outwardly -she had ap I don't) at Costco. We started talking about the car - she had hers over a year, me 3 months.
She had no idea about this forum (which I referred her to)
She didn't know what sentry mode was (or that she could record an accident or.....) , etc.
The stuff that we know and discuss on here is not wide spread knowledge or apparently important to many drivers, but maybe Tesla could be a little more forthcoming about educating people about the car (at least the ones that don't inhabit youtube)
Later in the day I parked near a police car in a lot known for break ins. I asked him if it was still as bad, he said yes and asked if I had Sentry mode on. I said yes (but told him video is only available if the usb works and mine has been stopping intermittently for no reason). He didn't know that it isn't recorded automatically (but there is no reason he should - I was impressed that he knew about sentry and wanted to make sure I used it).

 

[cwerdna]

Way before sentry mode existed, I posted about this "street"... uhh... public charging station encounter I had with someone who had their car Model S for at least 3 years.

https://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=460701#p460701

They were basically clueless when it came to charging, charging rates and units.

 

[dhanson865]

Way before sentry mode existed, I posted about this "street"... uhh... public charging station encounter I had with someone who had their car Model S for at least 3 years.

encounters w/other Leafers w/surprising lack of knowledge - Page 9 - My Nissan Leaf Forum

They were basically clueless when it came to charging, charging rates and units.

With that knowledge I'm sure she was the embodiment of the saying Tesla used to promote "A plugged in Tesla is a happy Tesla".

I mean with a 60 kwh pack and vampire drain of a Model S and her constantly plugging in to low wattage charging locations (1 - 6 kW isn't much vs pack cooling, AC for the cabin, and various other vampire loads).

 

[skygraff]

Happened to park next to an identical Model 3 (well at least outwardly -she had ap I don't) at Costco. We started talking about the car - she had hers over a year, me 3 months.
She had no idea about this forum (which I referred her to)
She didn't know what sentry mode was (or that she could record an accident or.....) , etc.
The stuff that we know and discuss on here is not wide spread knowledge or apparently important to many drivers, but maybe Tesla could be a little more forthcoming about educating people about the car (at least the ones that don't inhabit youtube)
Later in the day I parked near a police car in a lot known for break ins. I asked him if it was still as bad, he said yes and asked if I had Sentry mode on. I said yes (but told him video is only available if the usb works and mine has been stopping intermittently for no reason). He didn't know that it isn't recorded automatically (but there is no reason he should - I was impressed that he knew about sentry and wanted to make sure I used it).

Good for the cop!

As for the other owner, guess she doesn’t review the update notes obsessively (probably didn’t read the manual either) but, then, no matter how obsessive you are, occasionally things slip by or escape your memory. Trying to find information regarding previous updates (especially for the app) can be a slog and the onboard vs downloadable owners manuals disagree and/or bury information.

 

[BluestarE3]

Not really surprising since she got her car before Sentry Mode existed and if she doesn't follow this and other forums or Tesla blogs, she may not be aware of all the updates in the meantime. As for the owner's manual, even if she had read it when she first got the car, she may not have known to go back and reread it after every softcopy update to learn about newly added features. After all, with just about any other car brand you may have owned in the past, the car you bought remained the same over the course of ownership. They didn't get magical over-the-air updates and new features. And there was no need to reread the manual in its entirety because it was a static hardcopy document.

The paradigm shift that people have to make is that Teslas should be thought of as computers-on-wheels rather than as traditional cars. Even so, there are many computer users who don't know what that latest patch or update to the operating system provides.

 

[DJVoorhees]

To some people, actually most people - a car is just transportation.

 

[mmiketa]

Way before sentry mode existed, I posted about this "street"... uhh... public charging station encounter I had with someone who had their car Model S for at least 3 years.

encounters w/other Leafers w/surprising lack of knowledge - Page 9 - My Nissan Leaf Forum

They were basically clueless when it came to charging, charging rates and units.

Just a thought, that commercial power station may be 208V, but there is a large chance that it's 3-phase power and not single phase. That would change your math to 30A * 208 * sqrt(3) which is about 10.8 kWh.

 

[alexGS]

To some people, actually most people - a car is just transportation.

Wow, not, like, a way of life? A daily obsession? An extension of your soul?

-Alex

 

[iluvmacs]

Just a thought, that commercial power station may be 208V, but there is a large chance that it's 3-phase power and not single phase. That would change your math to 30A * 208 * sqrt(3) which is about 10.8 kWh.

Hold up there, Tex. No EVSE in the US provides 3-phase power to the car, it's all single phase (nor can the car's charger take 3 phases). It doesn't matter if the station receives a phase from a single-phase feed or a phase from a 3-phase feed, it's just one phase with the same rules. In Europe and Australasia, different story...

 

[OCR1]

Some people don’t have access to Wifi where they park and therefore don’t receive regular software updates. While it’s possible to drive somewhere that you can park and connect, I’m sure that there is a segment of Tesla owners that just don’t bother and end up driving with really old software without giving it much thought.

 

[tvad]

A significant number of drivers never read their car's owner manuals.

I'm surprised, but I'm not amazed.

 

[gavine]

Recently, I was topping-off at a Supercharger so I was sitting in the car. There were several available plugs, but a guy parked right next to me to charge. He obviously wasn't aware of the pairing thing. I was tempted to say something, but my wife was with me and I felt funny so I let it go. The guy walked away and when he came-back about 5 minutes later, he had me roll-down my window and asked me if there was any way to speed-up charging. I then proceeded to hop-up on my soap box and gave him a lesson.

Tesla should send an email once per week to new owners with tips. Most people can't absorb all of these features in one sitting but if you give them one a week, they can try it out, absorb it and then be ready for the next one. Maybe have it come from their delivery specialist's email address so it is a little more personal. I think that would go a long way to helping owners enjoy their cars more. These cars can do so many things, it's a shame to let those go to waste.

 

[disapr]

Not really surprising since she got her car before Sentry Mode existed and if she doesn't follow this and other forums or Tesla blogs, she may not be aware of all the updates in the meantime. As for the owner's manual, even if she had read it when she first got the car, she may not have known to go back and reread it after every softcopy update to learn about newly added features. After all, with just about any other car brand you may have owned in the past, the car you bought remained the same over the course of ownership. They didn't get magical over-the-air updates and new features. And there was no need to reread the manual in its entirety because it was a static hardcopy document.

The paradigm shift that people have to make is that Teslas should be thought of as computers-on-wheels rather than as traditional cars. Even so, there are many computer users who don't know what that latest patch or update to the operating system provides.

The cars automatically display release notes that advertise new features.

 

[Rockster]

Not really surprising since she got her car before Sentry Mode existed and if she doesn't follow this and other forums or Tesla blogs, she may not be aware of all the updates in the meantime. As for the owner's manual, even if she had read it when she first got the car, she may not have known to go back and reread it after every softcopy update to learn about newly added features. After all, with just about any other car brand you may have owned in the past, the car you bought remained the same over the course of ownership. They didn't get magical over-the-air updates and new features. And there was no need to reread the manual in its entirety because it was a static hardcopy document.

The paradigm shift that people have to make is that Teslas should be thought of as computers-on-wheels rather than as traditional cars. Even so, there are many computer users who don't know what that latest patch or update to the operating system provides.

But there's no need to reread the manual to learn about sentry mode. The software update that included sentry mode would display the release notes on the screen and they would be in the user's face the next time she got in the car. She must have clicked the release notes away without reading them.

 

[gavine]

Hold up there, Tex. No EVSE in the US provides 3-phase power to the car, it's all single phase (nor can the car's charger take 3 phases). It doesn't matter if the station receives a phase from a single-phase feed or a phase from a 3-phase feed, it's just one phase with the same rules. In Europe and Australasia, different story...

Correct. The first time I charged at a destination charger back in 2014, I was surprised to see the charge speed at 40A being less than I get at home. At the time, I didn't understand why, but then realized that it was a 208V circuit instead of 240V at home. So the lower voltage, when multiplied by the amperage, yields a lower total wattage, thus less miles of range per hour.

 

[nctalkinghead]

Lack of information shared with a buyer at delivery is part of the "new" Tesla culture, a culture that has really declined since the introduction of the Model 3, IMO. When I purchased a Model S in December 2015 I picked up the car in the Rockville, MD showroom and walked on a red carpet to the driver's door. The DS spent over an hour explaining features and made sure I was comfortable at least with the basics before I drove away. One year later I bought a Model X and it was delivered in the Raleigh, NC showroom. Same reception but less time explaining since I had owned a Tesla for a year.

I picked up - refuse to use the term "delivered" - my new Model X in December, 2018 from a lot in the sleazy part of Raleigh that I would not have traveled in otherwise. The lot was packed with mostly Model 3's that were being ferried to the Service Center 15 miles away by hot-rod driving Tesla jockeys having a blast. The "delivery specialist" - HAHA - handed me the paper work to sign, handed me two key fobs, and pointed me toward my new Tesla!

My experiences with the Service Center has followed the same downward trajectory.

 

[XLR82XS]

I picked up - refuse to use the term "delivered" - my new Model X in December, 2018 from a lot in the sleazy part of Raleigh that I would not have traveled in otherwise. The lot was packed with mostly Model 3's that were being ferried to the Service Center 15 miles away by hot-rod driving Tesla jockeys having a blast. The "delivery specialist" - HAHA - handed me the paper work to sign, handed me two key fobs, and pointed me toward my new Tesla!

My experiences with the Service Center has followed the same downward trajectory.

They need more staff and direction. With my career background I could solve issues at service and delivery centers and have applied for positions available - not even in my state!

 

[Kevy Baby]

Tesla should send an email once per week to new owners with tips. Most people can't absorb all of these features in one sitting but if you give them one a week, they can try it out, absorb it and then be ready for the next one. Maybe have it come from their delivery specialist's email address so it is a little more personal. I think that would go a long way to helping owners enjoy their cars more. These cars can do so many things, it's a shame to let those go to waste.

This!

I am not a learn by reading kind of guy: I need to get my hands on things and experience them for it to sink in. Since I got my M3 four weeks ago, I have forced myself to read through the manual a little bit at a time in an effort to learn new things. But I likely won't remember them until I try them.

I also know others work differently. Everybody is different!

They need more staff and direction. With my career background I could solve issues at service and delivery centers and have applied for positions available - not even in my state!

I see Tesla suffering through typical growth issues - they don't have the manpower in place to service the growing customer base. I've seen it happen to many companies. Hopefully this is just growing pains and not the sign of impending doom.

 

[mmiketa]

Hold up there, Tex. No EVSE in the US provides 3-phase power to the car, it's all single phase (nor can the car's charger take 3 phases). It doesn't matter if the station receives a phase from a single-phase feed or a phase from a 3-phase feed, it's just one phase with the same rules. In Europe and Australasia, different story...

I haven't needed to charge at one so I don't know what is out in the wild but I did design around a ChargePoint charger for a parking garage and that was a 480V 3-phase charger that output like 24kW. So it sounds like these are out there, I am not an expert at what charging is available out there but I juts wanted to throw that out there.

 

[iluvmacs]

I haven't needed to charge at one so I don't know what is out in the wild but I did design around a ChargePoint charger for a parking garage and that was a 480V 3-phase charger that output like 24kW. So it sounds like these are out there, I am not an expert at what charging is available out there but I juts wanted to throw that out there.

That's a DC fast charger, not an EVSE. It is supplied 480V 3-phase AC and puts out DC. Completely different story.