- retracting door handles
- 17 inch touchscreen
- Falcon wing doors
- Bio defense mode
All are arguably nice features, but none are exactly exclusively required for an EV
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All are arguably nice features, but none are exactly exclusively required for an EV
Dear fellow, if you're concerned with what is "necessary" you are not the target customer for a $100K SUV.
Also the word "gimmick" to my understanding means a feature designed to attract attention, but which is also useless or near useless.
Large touch screens, retracting door handles, and falcon doors that make entry/egress more convenient are not useless. Luxury features the middle class can't afford? Definitely, for now. But useless? No.
Dude/dear fellow - i'm not easily offended sir and you are correct - i have a model S on order, I am not in the market for an SUV
You miss the point though.
The Model S argument is very strong. good range/supercharging/strong performance/low running costs (at least in theory)
so why does Elon feel the need to sell on the gimmicks?
The door handles have given a disporportionate amount of problems esp to early owners, so gimmicks often just provide something to go wrong and become self defeating to the owner
(btw if I wanted toys I would buy 7series or S Class)
Why should Teslas have only what is required exclusively for an EV? Autopilot isn't exclusively required for an EV either.
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I love the door handles and have had no problems with them in 2 1/2 years of ownership. Nothing wrong with a car having something fun.
ZachShahan
Active Member
Elon likes to have fun. Other Tesla people like to have fun. The large majority of the population likes to have fun. So, luckily, it's a good match.
(Also, as calisnow noted, these are useful features... not just gimmicks.)
(Also, as calisnow noted, these are useful features... not just gimmicks.)
Something gimmicky to one person is essential to others.
The 17inch screen is useful for display information in an easy to use fashion. This is especially important these days when the infomedia systems of cars is one of the number one complaints. Especially with Fords Sync system.
The Falcon wing doors seem vastly carried away, but it's ideal for certain situations.
Bio Defense mode is a silly name for something entirely useful. I think this mode was clearly aimed for markets where air quality is a major problem.
The 17inch screen is useful for display information in an easy to use fashion. This is especially important these days when the infomedia systems of cars is one of the number one complaints. Especially with Fords Sync system.
The Falcon wing doors seem vastly carried away, but it's ideal for certain situations.
Bio Defense mode is a silly name for something entirely useful. I think this mode was clearly aimed for markets where air quality is a major problem.
That's anecdotal evidence that doesn't disprove his point.
To counteract your anecdotal evidence, one of my door handles broke in the first month of ownership. I still love them.
To the OP: because the gimmicks are what makes the car cool. Door handles, 17" display, adjustable height, rear seats, etc.
I don't know how many of the posters including the OP - might be female - but I'll guess not. My girlfriend, who has two small children, went nuts when she saw those falcon wing doors and that they appeared to make it easier to place babies and toddlers in and out of the car.
If the falcon wing doors are designed to impress women and generate sales - it worked with my woman.
If the falcon wing doors are designed to impress women and generate sales - it worked with my woman.
Post 8 and the right answer ... that didnt take long
A little more would be to say that actually Elon has celevery relegated the EV bit to a non decisive factor and encouraged buyer to buy into the "cool" toys
Post 8 and the right answer ... that didnt take long
I will have to respectfully disagree with your definition of what features are not useful (and therefore qualify for being defined as gimmicks) - with the possible exception in your list of bio-defense mode.
FloridaGary
Member
Those feature are not gimmicks, in my opinion. They are either genuinely useful and/or innovative, or just plain cool.
First response from Google on the definition:
a trick or device intended to attract attention, publicity, or business.
Nothing to be said about usefulness. Therefore, as I see it "just plain cool" items fall directly into gimmick category. As do items that are intended to get Tesla "all the attention" they can get.
Falcon wing doors are a gimmick. You may not like calling them that, and you can argue that they're more useful (with limited success), but they're intended to attract attention and "look cool." Elon's words.
a trick or device intended to attract attention, publicity, or business.
Nothing to be said about usefulness. Therefore, as I see it "just plain cool" items fall directly into gimmick category. As do items that are intended to get Tesla "all the attention" they can get.
Falcon wing doors are a gimmick. You may not like calling them that, and you can argue that they're more useful (with limited success), but they're intended to attract attention and "look cool." Elon's words.
EarlyAdopter
Active Member
What you are looking at there is Tesla's marketing budget. When you don't spend hundreds of millions a year buying ads, you can spend some of that on R&D for attention-getting features, like these. Gets free media coverage and much word mouth. Brilliant, if you ask me.
I realize that by responding to you I am falling into that two-idiots-arguing-on-the-internet trap - but I'm gonna do it anyway. :tongue:
Gimmick - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"...a gimmick is a unique or quirky special feature that makes something "stand out" from its contemporaries. However, the special feature is typically thought to be of little relevance or use."
Fair enough. There are multiple definitions. I also found: An innovative or unusual mechanical contrivance; a gadget. So we can all be right here. Especially me.
:wink:
FarmerDave
Member
Sorry, but FD's are not a gimmick to me. As she grows, I'm finding it increasingly difficult to lift my 3 year old granddaughter in/out of her car seat in my Toyota RAV4 while I'm bent over to reach into the car. I've also experienced the difficulty of getting into the third row seat of my daughter's car. FD's were a significant reason for me to reserve my Sig Model X.
Brilliant.
I think because of the necessarily high price of the battery and drive train Tesla needs to add these cool little features to the car. What is the alternative? A $60,000 Corolla?
Sure they are selling it for as low as possible, but they might as well add $10-20k worth of features to get the car up to where people who are spending $70-80k on a car actually feel like they are getting their monies worth.
As the price of batteries drop I predict you will not see the price of the Model S/X drop, but rather stay the same as the quality/features/"gimmicks" improve to make up for the savings on the battery but become even more competitive with similarly priced vehicles.
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