Pins and needles (waiting on real deliveries)

[Charged_Up]

"Tesla has a bigger bullseye on its back than Fisker. It doesn't help that the first Model S' will be delivered to normal customers right before the US presidential elections. If anything goes wrong, Tesla will get hammered by the far right."

or, a few on the far right might actually get to ride in a friend's car and change their minds. I'm not a big fan of government involvement in business, but sometimes when interests are entrenched and their are social goods to competition, the government should have a role in helping with infrastructure. The military subsidy required to meet our current need for transportation fuels is so large that if a modest series of expenditures can jump start a possible large scale transition away from oil to electricity (given that our juice comes from nuclear, coal, and nat gas - all domestic resources) - it is entirely worth it. And given that electrical infrastructure is everywhere already, the total scale of the expense is not huge relative to the possible payoff.

Just MHO -

 

[SCW-Greg]

The far right will hammer Tesla (or any EV manufacturer) regardless simply because that's part of their ideology. Reality, good or bad, won't be a factor.

Not good to bring politics, or large unfounded generalizations in to this thread. I'm and independent, but I can also tell you that I have a lot (more than a handful at least - that I know of) of friends on the right who are totally stoked for this vehicle to succeed - i.e. they want one.

 

[Trnsl8r]

The far right will hammer Tesla (or any EV manufacturer) regardless simply because that's part of their ideology. Reality, good or bad, won't be a factor.

You never know. They did a 180 on the Volt not too long ago, no reason they won't do that for TM if it proves successful, and then beat the drum of how Bush initiated the government backed loans to no end...

(Yeah, political. Sorry, couldn't resist. I'll shut up now.)

 

[PeterB]

Two updates from the Seattle test drive this morning... the Chicago cars from the launch event were just delivered last weekend. Secondly, while 1 a day may be the average production, they are currently building batches of cars (something like 10 cars at once), spending some time inspecting and testing, then building the next batch.

 

[ckessel]

Not good to bring politics, or large unfounded generalizations in to this thread. I'm and independent, but I can also tell you that I have a lot (more than a handful at least - that I know of) of friends on the right who are totally stoked for this vehicle to succeed - i.e. they want one.

When you and your friends run for office, then perhaps we'll see a change. GOP leaders as they stand today will simply continue to hammer their existing anti-EV talking points. It was just this last week one of the GOP leaders (Rush perhaps) ranted about how EVs would all suffer in the kinds of power outages we had with the recent storms. One only has to scan the comments of any Tesla review to see the vitriolic GOP bullet points (loans, coal powered cars, etc).

Tesla will have to succeed in spite of such things because the public side of the right political spectrum will only become Tesla supporters after it's clear the company has made it. Even then I suspect you'll hear a lot of "Shouldn't have helped them out, they only survived on socialist subsidies."

 

[FlasherZ]

FWIW, I really want Tesla to succeed and I am nowhere near the left. So I second the point about overgeneralization. Let's leave it at the door.

 

[FlasherZ]

Also spoke with my order specialist this morning and he advised me that if you accepted your configuration by e-mail rather than clicking the "finalize" button, you will still show "reserved" -- don't worry, you're in the queue if you signed and submitted your pre-delivery MVPA with nothing to worry about

 

[SCW-Greg]

FWIW, I really want Tesla to succeed and I am nowhere near the left. So I second the point about overgeneralization. Let's leave it at the door.

This country will never succeed by extremes, we're a centrist population. Bashing one side or the other serves no one. Plus if we all want Tesla to succeed, we need the right and left to buy this car. Hammering either side doesn't help Elon and team.

At the door it is, and back on topic.

Excellent feedback on the "Finalize" button Flasher! Thx

 

[goyogi]

When you and your friends run for office, then perhaps we'll see a change.

Your wish is granted. I have three friends that ran for office over the past two years. Two of them republican. One of them won county chair. All my activist conservative friends are working to take back the GOP at the grassroots level. All love the idea of EVs for environmental and geopolitical reasons. Us on the right don't all listen to Rush Limbaugh. Some of us actually stick pins and needles into Limbaugh dolls. (see admins, I kept it on topic)

And I think as long as they deliver the first real set of cars by the end of July then they are still on target. N'est-ce pas? I think the original target was July so I'll give them some leeway.

 

[Arnold Panz]

Tesla must be seen as something other than a car for just one side of the political spectrum. The whole value proposition for Tesla is that you don't have to sacrifice luxury or fun to also be eco-conscious. This is a more conservative/Republican approach to EVs. I still remember when I was a kid and Jimmy Carter basically told all of us to lower the heat (I lived up north back then) and put on a sweater to save energy, and therefore the planet. As a cold 8 year old, I strenuously objected to this! More importantly, telling people that the only way to be eco-conscious or help the environment is to sacrifice, which in the case of cars usually means driving something small, ugly and slow (if you don't have a Roadster). This will never fly with the mass market. But to be able to help the enviornment (or our energy security/freedom by not funding our enemies if that's your motivation) and also be able to drive a cooler, faster, better looking car than any ICE on the road? Who could object to that?!

I'd also add that the state representative in Florida who has pushed the hardest to give "green" special access to HOV lanes, toll lanes etc. is a Republican from Boca Raton. I don't know anything else about him, but I'm eternally grateful to him for "getting it" on EVs. And what's more pro-American than designing and building cars in the good old U.S. of A., even if it's in the People's Republic of California I don't care what your political affiliation is, there's really no reason for anyone in the U.S. to root for Tesla to fail, other than if you have a vested interest in oil companies or existing car companies/dealerships.

 

[smoothoperator]

Tesla must be seen as something other than a car for just one side of the political spectrum. The whole value proposition for Tesla is that you don't have to sacrifice luxury or fun to also be eco-conscious. This is a more conservative/Republican approach to EVs. I still remember when I was a kid and Jimmy Carter basically told all of us to lower the heat (I lived up north back then) and put on a sweater to save energy, and therefore the planet. As a cold 8 year old, I strenuously objected to this! More importantly, telling people that the only way to be eco-conscious or help the environment is to sacrifice, which in the case of cars usually means driving something small, ugly and slow (if you don't have a Roadster). This will never fly with the mass market. But to be able to help the enviornment (or our energy security/freedom by not funding our enemies if that's your motivation) and also be able to drive a cooler, faster, better looking car than any ICE on the road? Who could object to that?!

I'd also add that the state representative in Florida who has pushed the hardest to give "green" special access to HOV lanes, toll lanes etc. is a Republican from Boca Raton. I don't know anything else about him, but I'm eternally grateful to him for "getting it" on EVs. And what's more pro-American than designing and building cars in the good old U.S. of A., even if it's in the People's Republic of California I don't care what your political affiliation is, there's really no reason for anyone in the U.S. to root for Tesla to fail, other than if you have a vested interest in oil companies or existing car companies/dealerships.

100% agree, there must also be caution with regards to using energy recklessly even if one has solar panels on their house, or drives an electric car. Just because one generates their own energy (sometimes) why waste it on 3.7-4.4 second 0-60 sprints?

 

[mikevbf]

Two updates from the Seattle test drive this morning... the Chicago cars from the launch event were just delivered last weekend. Secondly, while 1 a day may be the average production, they are currently building batches of cars (something like 10 cars at once), spending some time inspecting and testing, then building the next batch.

Peter, congratulations for being one of the few to stay on topic! And thanks for sharing some relevant info. I am trying to reconcile your info with info on a different thread on TM's site:
| Forums | Tesla Motors
In that thread pilotSteve wrote:
I asked "How many cars have been delivered since the event?" and she answered without hesitation "10 cars".

She in the above quote is a TM configuration specialist

 

[Jason S]

100% agree, there must also be caution with regards to using energy recklessly even if one has solar panels on their house, or drives an electric car. Just because one generates their own energy (sometimes) why waste it on 3.7-4.4 second 0-60 sprints?

Um... FUN!! (duh!)

Seriously tho, 95% of normal driving is... normal. I wouldn't worry about people enjoying their cars in that way.

And good to hear that batches are still being made. Hope to see cinergi's car delivered soon!

 

[ckessel]

100% agree, there must also be caution with regards to using energy recklessly even if one has solar panels on their house, or drives an electric car. Just because one generates their own energy (sometimes) why waste it on 3.7-4.4 second 0-60 sprints?

Sometimes I leave the refrigerator door open while I pour a glass of milk, but I don't feel terribly guilty about wasting the energy.

 

[smoothoperator]

Um... FUN!! (duh!)

Seriously tho, 95% of normal driving is... normal. I wouldn't worry about people enjoying their cars in that way.

And good to hear that batches are still being made. Hope to see cinergi's car delivered soon!

haha...all I am saying is it is still wasting energy.. Energy is not "free" regardless of its sources

 

[bonnie]

100% agree, there must also be caution with regards to using energy recklessly even if one has solar panels on their house, or drives an electric car. Just because one generates their own energy (sometimes) why waste it on 3.7-4.4 second 0-60 sprints?

Whaaaat? 3.7 second 0-60 sprints are a WASTE?

#disagree!

 

[brianman]

haha...all I am saying is it is still wasting energy.. Energy is not "free" regardless of its sources

So is taking a day "off" on Saturday instead of working every day to provide societal "product" for your food and air. But that doesn't bother me one bit.

 

[AnOutsider]

Guys, let's try to carry the political and environmental discussions in other threads (if we must).

 

[AustinPowers]

Sometimes I leave the refrigerator door open while I pour a glass of milk, but I don't feel terribly guilty about wasting the energy.

You wouldn't do that if you lived here - not necessarily out of eco-consciousness but because of your electricity bill!

 

[kevincwelch]

Not much there except speculation and rumor about a blue Model S being taken out of the LA event due to a flaw of some kind, possibly related to supercharging.
And a trolling comment to attempt to get TM to respond to an accusation.

Disappointing that the thread it was taken down by Tesla.