New owners and early adopter owners: Do I detect a major difference?

[FlasherZ]

I've been accused of being on both sides of your dichotomy there, and for me what it boils down to is this: set expectations and then manage to them. In the early days, Tesla set less expectations; now they tend to set more.

The early adopters tend to give Tesla a pass on not having full feature parity with your comparison-of-choice (Mercedes S-class, Hellcat, BMW, whatever), because all we wanted (and were promised) was a working, all-electric car that had an awesome technology edge. We got that! They're absolutely doing that and knocking it out of the park. I'm still one of the most enthusiastic owners you'll find around here despite shaking my head at some crazy decisions.

But there are some pet peeves where Tesla has set expectations and simply missed time and time again. The ever-delayed supercharger map (a/k/a "2014" wish-list in 2013, "2015" wish-list in 2014, "2016" wish-list in 2015, and soon-to-be-published "2017" wish-list in 2016) leaves critical holes that keep me from recommending Tesla cars to people here in the midwest, because *gasp* people drive their families to Florida!! ONE CITY would solve this, and I worked hard to put the city council and business owner in contact with Tesla, they submitted information to the initial inquiry and haven't heard anything but crickets for over a year now.

That's just one example, there are a few of them in my mind and I'm sure there are many others that people really care about.

On the whole, I think they're doing a great job but there are a couple of areas that just make me shake my head.

 

[jaguar36]

I guess with a mid 2014 car I'm right in between. I think there are a fair number of early adopters who have been quite vocal about some of the crummy things Tesla is/has done, and there are a bunch of new folks who have just gotten a Tesla and think its the best thing ever and that Tesla can do no wrong.

Personally I love the car, and since I did a ton of research beforehand I'm not upset about anything about the car. The things I am unhappy with are the way Tesla treats its customers regarding service and repair. I'm also unhappy with some aspects that were unknown when I got the car, and were mis-representanted by Tesla, like the battery degradation.

 

[llavalle]

I consider myself a bit of both.

I've been following Tesla for quite some time now and I REALLY wanted a Roadster. I was in my early 20s at the time so I could not afford one.

In 2013, I was becoming more and more interested in the S. I drove from Montreal to Toronto just to take a test drive. More time had passed and while I initially thought I could not afford one, the test drive changed me. Lets just say that I had the long drive home (6-7h) to think about how I could afford one. Decided to put a deposit on a X because I wanted AWD (this is another discussion altogether... I don't think it's required to get AWD for winter in Canada but it's just a lot more adapted). Did not have enough money for a SIG so I put the 5K on the production version. Had a very early reservation number (low 200). If I had the money in 2013, I would have bought a S right away (RWD one). In that sense, I considered myself an early adopter.

Now, the X was pushed back and I was sort of happy because I did not have the money yet (we can say I was not ready to make the hard choices!). I also decided I would not downgrade my current vehicle on 2 things : adaptative cruise control and AWD. I did not care about parking sensors (that the S did not have at the time) and other stuff.. But with the huge traffic jams I'm in daily, the adaptative cruise makes a HUGE difference. AWD is especially practical since I have to parallel park in downtown Montreal and when there is snow, well, it's a real mess.

So then came the D announcement with AutoPilot. I immediately ordered a 85D. If it wasn't for some issues during production of my car, I would have been one of the first non-P dual motor car in Montreal.

In that sense, I consider myself a new owner... because I decided to wait for the features I really wanted to be available on the car before buying.

But hey, with all the small things I had to get fixed on my car since I got it 10months ago, I think we can all consider ourselves early adopters : we're driving an EV in a petrol-leading industry, most people I talk to don't know much about EVs, almost half of them never heard of Tesla and they ask me "Who makes them, GM?"... and they've built how many S now? 120K?

I think that 10-15years from now, when I look back at the picture I took of myself and my S during delivery, I will consider myself as someone who took part of the "electric revolution". People will pay 1/3 of the price that we paid for similar range & performance (ok, maybe not performance!) cars... but we had EVs before them.

We are all, early adopters*

* : I don't know when that will change since it will be gradual but I think that within the next 5 years, with most manufacturers having EV in their fleet, having an EV won't be weird like it is right now. At that point, people who buy EVs won't be early adopters...

 

[Lex]

I think there is some sort of social scenario playing out here that might not specifically divide by join date.

As a newcomer I'm still trying to figure out the club culture, so far I have no idea how to display laughter.

As with anything else, the culture is alive and it's up to us to carry it. That means it can change, and some people might like it, and others not.

 

[tstafford]

I'm currently looking for a therapist, since it appears I'm a nerdy sycophant. Want me to look for you, too?

Please. Let's look for one of those therapists that tries to recreate the birth experience.

 

[nctalkinghead]

New owner here and I think you're on point Rick. One caveat though, I find many more (not all) of the earlier adopters resistant to change and a little resentful when Tesla acts like a bigger company (which they must do now to survive) than they were a few years ago. On the other side of the coin the earlier adopters are VERY knowledgable and great resources.

Sort of like the advice/discussion I was having with my 9-year old grandson recently. I told him, "You need to listen to me. I have been 9 years old and you have never been 72." I am a 2-week P85 owner and greatly appreciate all the advice I have read from the nerdy old timers on this forum. It's kind of fun to be an early adopter old fart :biggrin:

 

[Max*]

"You need to listen to me. I have been 9 years old and you have never been 72."

[pet peeve]Just because you're older doesn't mean you're smarter[/pet peeve]

 

[mikeash]

This happens with basically every product. Early adopters are enthusiasts and much more forgiving. As the product gains widespread appeal (assuming it ever does) then you get more picky people. Enthusiasts still buy, but they become a smaller proportion. It's no surprise that it's happening with Tesla too. Consider it to be a sign of success.

 

[jerry33]

I'm currently looking for a therapist, since it appears I'm a nerdy sycophant. Want me to look for you, too?

At least now I'll know what to put on my resume.

 

[Yitt]

I don't see myself fitting neatly into any category. I've been following Elon Musk's career since PayPal. I halfway considered buying a roadster but it simply would not have been responsible at the time. I can VERY close to putting down one of the first deposits on the Model S - literally had my finger on the mouse button the first day they were available. But I decided to hold off, see if the company survived, see if they actually succeeded in making a car, whether it was any good, etc. For the past couple years it's been a foregone conclusion I would get a Model S someday. My wife eventually got tired of hearing me talk about it and told me to just buy the thing. Green light! Took delivery of my 70D in mid-November.

I guess I feel "early" in terms of knowing about and coveting the car, but I'm "new" in terms of actually owning it. Teslas still aren't commonplace in my part of the country, either, so there's still a novelty factor in seeing them, or being seen, around town. I've gotten in parking lot conversations about the car in each of the past two days.

I also think it won't be long until we're all lumped together as "early adopters" once the body style is refreshed, battery capacities increase, and full autonomy is achieved. To the man on the street, all our cars look exactly the same. We're all driving the "first" Model S, sort of like the C1 Corvette or the E30 BMW M3. Classic cars!

But as for "whining" I certainly fall into the camp of people who are surprised Tesla hasn't yet incorporated certain standard features common in much less expensive cars. Stuff like key fob based profile recognition, good nav system, accurate climate control. Sure it's a first world problem, but I can't understand why the seat and steering wheel can't move at the same time while going to my "Exit" profile (never mind the necessity of an exit profile in the first place). Basic stuff from a 10 year-old Acura would be great.

Yet I sure do love the car! It's got a whole bunch of other stuff no other car can touch.

 

[ArtInCT]

I find this interesting. I guess I'm a pre-newbie even though I have been online in the TMC world for well over a year and all I have is a VIN and no S yet....

I would just like to hold a "Mirror" up to all of those early adopters, specifically the P85D owners, who have perhaps done more complaining than all others put together and then multiplied by an integer.

Juss sayin'

Duck... incoming...

 

[mrjedistud]

I am still waiting for my CPO P85 to come so I guess that makes me a newbie. I do have high expectations of the car and of Tesla, but at the same time I am very grateful for the chance to own the car and a price within what I was willing to spend. I addition, I am also very grateful for the early adopters that suffered and endured through the various growing pains for the Model S, such as DU failures, leaking pano, 12V failures, broken door handles, etc. Thanks to the things learned on those cars, Tesla has been able to rectify many of these so that newbie like me benefit (I mean that sincerely). I'm sure I'll still do my share of complaining, but I complain because I care...

 

[AmpedRealtor]

I bought in 2013 and consider myself an early adopter. However, I am far less forgiving of Tesla's faults today than I was two years ago. I was willing to forgive a lot in 2013 because it was a new product by a new company. However, Tesla has fallen woefully behind in maintaining the vehicle's software, and its regular software updates invariably break something that was previously working. Tesla has shown an unhealthy obsession with acceleration performance at the expense of almost everything else, it seems. As soon as Tesla gets something "good enough" with a minimum feature set, like the navigation system, it seems to forget about it.

Version 7 of the car's operating system was a huge step backwards that left me questioning how decisions are being made at the company. The continued problems with drive units has me wondering the same thing. Elon's demotion of Jerome Guillen as a scapegoat for poor China sales left a bad taste in my mouth, especially when it was Elon's decision, ultimately, to enter markets that he was absolutely unprepared to enter. Witness Hong Kong and the fact that Tesla never bothered to apply for regulatory approval of Autopilot. Now the feature has been pulled by government order.

Current buyers have every right to expect big things from Tesla, not the least of which is quality. I've been noticing that despite Elon's insistence that hundreds of improvements have been made to Model S, I continue to read about the same recurring problems with recent builds that have plagued owners since 2012. I continue to hear about lack of communication from delivery specialists, continued delivery delays and changing of dates, and the continued lack of QC causing some horrendous initial quality problems for a car of this price tag.

It is my opinion that Tesla is unprepared for what may be coming.

 

[msnow]

[pet peeve]Just because you're older doesn't mean you're smarter[/pet peeve]

That's right but more experienced.

 

[FlasherZ]

I would just like to hold a "Mirror" up to all of those early adopters, specifically the P85D owners, who have perhaps done more complaining than all others put together and then multiplied by an integer.

For what it's worth, your definition of early adopters may be different than others.

As Model S was coming out, someof the Roadster owners on this forum looked down at the newbies who came along with Model S. They were not early adopters, only Roadster purchasers were!

As the "D" owners were coming out, some of the Model S S85/P85 owners on this forum looked down at the newbies who came along with the "D". They were not early adopters, only the 2012/2013 owners were!

As Model X owners are coming out, some of the Model S owners on this forum will look down at the newbies who came along with the Model X. They were not early adopters, only the Model S owners were!

...and so on...

 

[Jool]

I think those are some silly and dangerous assumptions to make, almost bordering on elitism The Tesla Model S has been my dream car since it was released, but I never thought I could afford it. Being relatively young, I feel absurdly lucky every time I go into my garage and see my car in there. I am grateful every time I take it out on a trip, and thankful every time the car brings me back home safely.

Regarding status: I don't think the average Tesla owner is going for status. If you want to show off, there are much better options. I like the Model S specifically because it is subtle and blends in much better than most luxury sedans. My neighborhood isn't the nicest of areas (I'm pretty sure I'm the furthest south Tesla owner in San Diego) and I'd prefer not to attract unwanted attention.

Regarding complaints/service: I see absolutely no reason why people shouldn't post complaints about their car having issues. Every car forum I've been a part of encourages users to post those things because a good community is far more helpful than a local dealership will ever be. Trying to silence complaints would only encourage the "Tesla fanboy" stereotype that is so unfortunately prevalent among certain car enthusiasts.

I'm not one of the cool kids, I may never be one of the cool kids, and I don't really care to be one of the cool kids. I'm just here to discuss car stuff, help people out, and occasionally post dank memes. Is that so wrong? :smile:

 

[ArtInCT]

For what it's worth, your definition of early adopters may be different than others.

As Model S was coming out, someof the Roadster owners on this forum looked down at the newbies who came along with Model S. They were not early adopters, only Roadster purchasers were!

As the "D" owners were coming out, some of the Model S S85/P85 owners on this forum looked down at the newbies who came along with the "D". They were not early adopters, only the 2012/2013 owners were!

As Model X owners are coming out, some of the Model S owners on this forum will look down at the newbies who came along with the Model X. They were not early adopters, only the Model S owners were!

...and so on...

Kind of reminds me of the immigration patterns in the US....

This is a good point and from a good perspective. Thanks.

 

[AudubonB]

You're all Johnny-come-latelys, from Jenny's perspective...
.

 

[JMG]

I'm a new comer (got mine in May), but I'm a full blown Tesla Evangelist. I'm extremely willing to look over several things while they are still growing and becoming a bigger company.

I have major respect for the early adopters.

I guess I'll categorize myself as follows:

- I bought as a new owner, I'm young and a millenial. However, I'm extremely grateful and would rather blend in than show off (in fact, it was a major consideration against buying one)
- Saying the above, I'd say I have the mindset of an early adopter, however....
- I don't have the guts of the early adopters

 

[mspohr]

The real newbies won't even bother to find and join this forum.
I think that anyone who is here is still an "early adopter".
We'll know Tesla is mainstream when people just buy the car, use it, and don't obsess over it on this forum.