Is anyone interested in Tesla NOT because of any environmental reasons?

[mknox]

For me, it was primarily about the cost for fuel. I went from $80 every 4 days in gasoline to about $80 (or less) a month in electricity. I also like the fact that the car's energy comes from local sources and I am supporting the local economy (i.e. electric utilities vs. foreign oil companies).

 

[Eclectic]

I've been reading here for a couple months now and we're thinking of getting the 70D, but mainly because I want the car pool stickers and it would fit how we tend to drive.
While reading on this board, I've noticed people comment a lot about how they feel they're being environmentally friendly by having a MS. I'm just wondering if there are people here just because it's an interesting car that has no competitor at this moment; not because they think they're helping the environment?
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I am such a Tesla owner. I own the car in spite of the radical politics that are often associated with the brand. I had a few reasons for buying a Tesla (first, the P85, then the P85D). Like you note, it's an interesting car. It also is a marvel of fresh thinking in automotive design. And it's, er, insanely quick. And fun to drive.

In addition, I wanted to get access to the HOV lanes for a horrendous Bay Area commute and I figured that since my tax dollars are being filched to subsidize the bejesus out of EVs and Tesla in particular, I might as well get something in return (and not on a collective level). Since my commute is under 150 miles a day, the Tesla also makes a ton of sense for avoiding the need to go to fuel stations.

I'll never give up my gas/diesel vehicles and will continue to reject calls for government expansion under the guise of saving a planet that is more than capable of saving itself, and I'm not too keen on being associated with the lunatic "environmentalist" fringe, but Tesla puts out a revolutionary product that works for me.

 

[ohmman]

I don't care who you are or whether you're interested in the environmental science or not, there's something massively compelling about putting PV on the roof, covering your home needs and 15k+ miles a year in the car from a source that was shining anyway. I have a few friends who aren't into the science but still agree it's a pretty neat setup.

 

[Shelly]

I buy it because it looks so cool, and it performance so cool, also it save lots of money for just charge electric power, not like the oil car.

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Yes, cool, save lot of money when use a motor cool car.

 

[Raven]

I don't care who you are or whether you're interested in the environmental science or not, there's something massively compelling about putting PV on the roof, covering your home needs and 15k+ miles a year in the car from a source that was shining anyway. I have a few friends who aren't into the science but still agree it's a pretty neat setup.

That's kinda where I sit. Tesla's first caught my eye with performance and looks. Then versatility. Then cost of operation and keeping the energy expenses local instead of wondering if I'm funding Al Qaeda.
Now I have 16kW of solar powering the house and car and then some. The clean air aspect is nice, but I think the greatest satisfaction is knowing I have greater independence and control over my own affairs. But you have to admit, having a refinery on your roof is pretty amazing.

 

[tkizzy]

I chose model S because I live in California and I want everyone to think I'm an environmentalist.

(jk, but if you think about it that really is part of the appeal for many people if we're honest. What other car with "supercar acceleration" can you buy where the hippie at your local whole foods won't look down their nose at you?)

That and it's fast, sexy, and technologically awesome. It's irrelevant that it's manufactured in the United States, other than the fact that I can actually drive to the factory and see them coming off the line..that's kinda neat.

 

[aus]

I am such a Tesla owner. I own the car in spite of the radical politics that are often associated with the brand. I had a few reasons for buying a Tesla (first, the P85, then the P85D). Like you note, it's an interesting car. It also is a marvel of fresh thinking in automotive design. And it's, er, insanely quick. And fun to drive.

In addition, I wanted to get access to the HOV lanes for a horrendous Bay Area commute and I figured that since my tax dollars are being filched to subsidize the bejesus out of EVs and Tesla in particular, I might as well get something in return (and not on a collective level). Since my commute is under 150 miles a day, the Tesla also makes a ton of sense for avoiding the need to go to fuel stations.

I'll never give up my gas/diesel vehicles and will continue to reject calls for government expansion under the guise of saving a planet that is more than capable of saving itself, and I'm not too keen on being associated with the lunatic "environmentalist" fringe, but Tesla puts out a revolutionary product that works for me.

Well said. Can't believe you're from San Fran area!!
I'm never giving up my M3. An EV just doesn't have the sound I love when the motor is spinning 8,200 RPM... unless I get a GT3 that spins to 9,000 RPM.
But I'll have an EV in my garage as our next car for around town, and an occasional trip to Vegas. At this moment, only Tesla can fill those requirements.
,

 

[James Anders]

I will buy a Tesla because...

1. I like the performance.
2. I like reducing our dependance on foreign oil and for other geo-political reasons (OPEC).
3. Electric power makes engineering sense.
4. Fewer things to go wrong.
5. Performance.
6. Proud that it's designed and built here in the USA (although I've owned many, many foreign cars).

 

[mgdurand]

I used to be an environmentalist, but then I realized that human beings were just a very small, localized chemical reaction which arose to reduce the energy state of H-C bonds in a microscopic fractal sub-system of baryonic matter.

 

[mwulff]

We bought our Tesla for many of the same reasons as others on the forum. But I will readily admit that we are complete and utter treehuggers.

1. No more local air polution.
2. Safest car money can buy
3. Drives better than our old BMW.
4. Comfortable
5. Practical
6. Beautiful to look at
7. Supercharger network allows us to have the Model S as our only car.

The tesla truly feels like a car that was designed by people who love driving.

 

[Rifleman]

While I am not upset that the Model S is better for the environment that an ICE car, the environmental impact of the car literally had no impact on my purchase decision. I am more interested in the technology. The 17 inch touch screen was a huge selling point for me, along with the whisper quiet ride, great handling, instant acceleration, and all the other things we love about the Model S. I bought the Model S because it is the best car in the world, the fact that is is green is just a small bonus.

for me, the list of reasons to buy the car are as follows :

1. Highest tech car on the road
2. Giant touchscreen
3. over the air software updates
4. 3g internet connection built in
5. Great acceleration
6. Never need to buy gas
7. Lots of room for the kids in the back seat
.
.
.
.
.
151. The company is named after the greatest geek that ever lived.
152. Better for the environment.

 

[CarmaKazi]

I work for an oil and gas company and I get crap some people once in a while. (Knowledgeable people know that electricity is also generated from natural gas.) I tell them I bought the car for the engineering and the technology. But when I drive, i get asked, "What is it about acceleration that makes you giggle!" -- Best reason of all!

 

[Tuan]

1. I dislike the toxic fume in my garage when my ICE car starts in the morning, even with the roll-up door open.
2. With 120 F summer heat in Central Valley, CA, the ICE heats my garage even higher when I return home.

 

[Merrill]

Since we do not drive our MB SUV very much had to get the A/C charged and came home parked in the garage had to keep the door open because it got so hot. It is so nice not to have that hot garage with the Tesla. Plus it is so quite and smooth, very advanced and beautiful, fun to drive. Then you add no exhaust pipe and not having to support the petroleum companies, made in California and on and on.

 

[Canuck]

I'm just wondering if there are people here just because it's an interesting car that has no competitor at this moment; not because they think they're helping the environment?

I doubt anyone who drives a Tesla thinks they are helping the environment. If anything, it's doing less harm to the environment but in no way is it "helping".

In reality, we are too far past saving the environment. Actually, the environment will be just fine, it's the higher primates that will suffer. We're circling the drain. The sad part is how selfish and myopic we are as a species. Then again, we are barely out of the jungle, and not long ago we were huddling around fires to keep warm, so I guess where we are at should not be surprising. But just the question bothers me because it really reveals our innate selfishness, which is hard wired into each of us.

 

[mikes_fsd]

I doubt anyone who drives a Tesla thinks they are helping the environment. If anything, it's doing less harm to the environment but in no way is it "helping".

In reality, we are too far past saving the environment. Actually, the environment will be just fine, it's the higher primates that will suffer. We're circling the drain. The sad part is how selfish and myopic we are as a species. Then again, we are barely out of the jungle, and not long ago we were huddling around fires to keep warm, so I guess where we are at should not be surprising. But just the question bothers me because it really reveals our innate selfishness, which is hard wired into each of us.

And.... you ruined the thread!

 

[snort]

The reason I started looking at EVs was the low pollution. But now that I've got one, I'm finding the biggest win is the convenience. I was finding that about 2/3rds of the time when I needed to stop for fuel, I was late for something, and the ten extra minutes and trip out of the way made me even later. Now, I plug in every night and I never have to go out of my way for fuel, ever. for the moment, my long trips are limited to where there are superchargers and/or can make a destination charger work. but the SC network is just getting started. in a few more years, supercharging will be just as convenient as gas stations...AND I can charge while I sleep.

The energy saving is not really that much, unless you can supercharge all the time. Here in the northwest, we have fairly low electricity costs. I'm finding it's pretty close to 3 cents per mile. the electricity bill for a 15,000 mile year is thus $450. The more typical electricity costs of most of the US would put it over $600. A 50 mpg Prius paying $3.50/gallon costs $1050. A 15 mpg SUV would cost $3500. But fuel is dirty, smelly and the exhaust is poisonous. A few thousand little explosions going off under the hood every minute requires complex cooling and lubrication and lots and lots of costly maintenance. They're incredibly noisy, especially in large numbers, like near a freeway. And of course the fossil fuel companies and their OPEC allies are exactly the wrong people to be subsidizing. Completely off-grid fill-ups with solar panels is an entirely plausible option...I know several people who are doing it.

I will never buy another ICE car. The model S is bigger, more expensive and more showy than what I really wanted, but it is a very nice car..."delightful" as Elon put it. The model 3 may be closer to what I wanted, but I got tired of waiting. I hope the other car companies see the light and start making the whole breed better, instead of just playing "me too", with small battery EVs and hybrids. That should include things like pickup trucks and work vans, econoboxes, delivery vehicles, taxis, heavy trucks, etc.

--Snortybartfast

 

[AB4EJ]

I doubt anyone who drives a Tesla thinks they are helping the environment. If anything, it's doing less harm to the environment but in no way is it "helping".

In reality, we are too far past saving the environment. Actually, the environment will be just fine, it's the higher primates that will suffer. We're circling the drain. The sad part is how selfish and myopic we are as a species. Then again, we are barely out of the jungle, and not long ago we were huddling around fires to keep warm, so I guess where we are at should not be surprising. But just the question bothers me because it really reveals our innate selfishness, which is hard wired into each of us.

I don't often disagree with anyone in this forum... but when I do, I drink Dos Equis.

In contrast to your remarks, I think a lot of people who drive a Tesla believe (rightly or wrongly) that they are doing something to help the environment. Their impact varies depending on where they live (percentage of renewable energy generated). One thing I would like to understand is how the manufacturing process compares - full EV to full ICE. Aluminum takes more energy to smelt than does steel, and then there is all that lithium. I'm sure there is a complex analysis to do this comparison, but I am also sure that even if a Tesla is more earth-friendly overall than a regular ICE car, Tesla will need to grow to about 1000 times its current size to move the needle on a global scale. I am going to do what little I can to contribute to its success.

 

[aus]

For the people who feel they're helping the environment by owning a MS. It seems to be a wash compared to ICE. Maybe it's different for a larger car??

Electric cars can be dirtier than traditional gas cars

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[bollar]

For the people who feel they're helping the environment by owning a MS. It seems to be a wash compared to ICE. Maybe it's different for a larger car??

Electric cars can be dirtier than traditional gas cars

.

You need to read to the end to understand the major caveat:

The study’s biggest caveat, acknowledged by the researchers, is that they don’t consider a full “lifecycle” analysis of emissions—so things like making the car, drilling for oil, or transporting coal aren’t included in the environmental costs. Some previous work has found that EVs are cleaner than gas cars when you consider the totality of impacts; others have found thats only true if the power grids that charge EVs are also clean.