I don't think physics of normal companies are going to apply over Tesla. It will only go into trough when Elon leaves the position of CEO maybe some 10-15 years in future.
-
Want to remove ads? Register an account and login to see fewer ads, and become a Supporting Member to remove almost all ads.
Reactions to Model X reveal event
- Thread starter MartinAustin
- Start date
-
- Tags
- Model X
Blastphemy
Member
That was how we felt at the "D" reveal event, which is why we passed on attending the Model X reveal. Sitting comfortably in my living room watching the stream on my 70-inch HDTV, I sympathized with all those tortured souls crammed together, probably having to stand for 3 hours or more straight, with bad food, and no air conditioning. But if I wasn't glad I didn't attend before the presentation, I was surely happy I hadn't flown out to Freemont after seeing the presentation!
All the things I'd hoped to hear mention of weren't discussed or shown: Auto Pilot (or at least adaptive cruise control)? Cooled front seats? 360-degree cameras for parking, dashcam, and nightvision? Is there a head-up display? Electrochromic tinted windows? Folding 2nd row seats? 2nd row cup holders? How does the driver gets out in a tight spot after his second-row passengers manage to escape? Do the Falcon Wing Door windows open? How was the control screen integrated into the dash? What does the interior look like? What does it cost? What are the options? Will it offer the Ultra High Fidelity Sound System? What wheel sizes will be available? How high is the seating position as compared to other SUVs?
There was just too much left out, and Elon is a very uncomfortable speaker to watch. I love the guy for his innovation, but he really needs someone else with some flare to give these presentations. (Tim Cook at Apple always knows when to hand off to other people at his reveals.)
Glad the Model X is finally here, but for the price it would have been nice to have a least one unexpected dazzle feature. (Yes, the Biohazard Protection is funny and cool, but electrochromic glass and 360-degree cameras would have been super cool!)
dhanson865
Well-Known Member
I'd say Tesla is climbing the slope between 2nd gen and 3rd generation products.
But that graph ignores the scale of the market shift from gas/diesel to electric.
Tesla is on the slope of elightenment but will have massive growth ahead that isn't shown in that graphic.
Anything that contradicts our point of view isn't necessarily wrong always (applies over me too). FWD ads to easy access and seats are optimised to increase seating comfort and looks instead of hauling stuff or sleeping in car. It may not work some of us, but that doesn't make it wrong.
This photo on the Model X web page shows stereoscopic cameras in the windshield and no visible front-mounted radar:
It's easy to put lots of weight on polish but in the end all you get is a slick marketing message just like everyone else. What Tesla has going for them is passion and an engineering culture obsessed with detail. Elon communicates that far more effectively than someone with a sheet of talking points ever could because he's telling you what he believes, not just what he wants you to believe.
Again, its not a phone that is marginally better than last year and requires huge amount of convincing/marketing to make people buy. Tim Cook (or any other CEO) are not comparable to Elon (my opinion, I maybe a fanboy alright). Elon is much more invested in the technology of cars than these CEO's are. He held the vision, helped in product development instead of being just an manager therefore he is speaking (and I want him to). (My opinion)
Soolim
Member
Don't worry about cleaning the car. You can afford the car, you can afford to have it clean by someone else.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Rolling out a me-too product is going to do little help the company differentiate in an established segment with entrenched competitors. The falcon wing doors will guarantee a boatload of coverage and immediately help the product stand out from the crowd. After experiencing them live, I am impressed by the engineering and usability and they really do significantly improve ingress/egress. If the buying public bites, they have reset the bar in a way that will be hard for competitors to match.
FWIW, my wife was not a fan of the doors (too ostentatious) and has considered bailing on the X reservation a number of time, but after last night, they are no longer a deal killer for her.
Watching the presentation last night, it's difficult to refrain from comparing Elon Musk to Steve Jobs. They're both brilliant, visionary leaders who often knows what the customer needs before the customer does. Jobs was clearly a more polished presenter than Musk. That said, I find Musk's humble, sometimes halting delivery refreshingly honest and endearing. As an observer of Musk's presentation, he seems almost embarrassed to be sharing the spotlight with the vehicles that he is so clearly passionate about.
I'll take last night's presentation over one filled with professional talking heads any day.
And as for the X, I was a bit ho-hum about it when it was nothing more than a single image on the Model X page. The more I see, however, the more I love it. I think the vehicle, as a whole, is amazing, and any perceived shortcomings are trivial in comparison to the stellar accomplishment that Model X version 1.0 represents.
I'll take last night's presentation over one filled with professional talking heads any day.
And as for the X, I was a bit ho-hum about it when it was nothing more than a single image on the Model X page. The more I see, however, the more I love it. I think the vehicle, as a whole, is amazing, and any perceived shortcomings are trivial in comparison to the stellar accomplishment that Model X version 1.0 represents.
I think it looks great and I love the new nose cone. However my biggest disappointment is price and unnecessary features.
My wife's Audi Q7 TDi was $63,000 well equipped, but we paid $55,000 out the door. I really want an emissions free SUV/CUV, but I still can't stomach the $100,000 cost. If I modestly equip a Model S 90D it comes out to $98k so I imagine the X will be out $102k.
In my opinion they need to have a much cheaper option to really compete without all of the unnecessary features. No huge air filters, no automatic front doors, no Falcon doors, no Autopilot, no 0 to 60 in 4 seconds. I tried explaining all of these features to my wife and she was not impressed or interested. Essentially she said, we aren't paying another $50K for something similar to the Q7. I know it's much more than the Q7, but it's a very tough sell. I'm hoping they will still reveal a less expensive version in the next couple of months. Otherwise we will probably end up with on of the new PHEV SUV's (X5, Q7, XC90) over the next year.
If they did all of the things you suggest, the car wouldn't be a Tesla.
From VentureBeat: http://venturebeat.com/2015/09/30/elon-musks-tesla-model-x-launch-was-a-marketing-and-pr-disaster/
' Could have been so much better'
' Could have been so much better'
I'm willing to bet that a percentage of Tesla's "unwillingness" to deliver a more sophisticated PR event is that, either subconsciously or on purposes, the car is ridiculously supply restrained at its current stage. Not only that, but if the Model S was any indication, once publications like Consumer Reports, Motor Trend, et al have access to review cars, this thing is going to start selling like an absolute monster. Why generate added "buzz" when a) it's going to take a year for the backlog of 20K+ orders to clear and b) you have upcoming press that's going to set this car up to be the greatest thing since sliced bread?
Let's not forget that Tesla gathered thousands upon thousands of reservations basically on a promise of an alpha car that was shown 3 years ago, not unlike the Model S.
Let's not forget that Tesla gathered thousands upon thousands of reservations basically on a promise of an alpha car that was shown 3 years ago, not unlike the Model S.
I know, right? When I woke up at 11:45 eastern, after accidentally falling asleep, I said "sweet" and logged in.
Maybe it didn't jump out from the slides, but this is the best handling SUV any normal user will find. What I do kinda question is the logic of a presenting front door, if one still has to occasionally bend over and reach the center console, so they can find the seat memory which then allows them to climb in. That part may not be so bad in the X.
If anybody reading got a test drive, are the seat belts just as high on the B-pillar as the MS? Adjustable?
Great car. Like the nose cone. It's where it should be minimalist, and follow function in my opinion.
P90D
Member
I exchanged a few questioning observations with people trying to remain polite as we all endured the less than pleasant experience of beingl pushed around as if in a Russian techno nightclub, but it certainly couldn't have been planned, or planned to be so unpleasant.
I wouldn't want to tar the product marketing people with the event marketing failures.
Hopefully the feedback will reach the decision-makers for next time.
That's probably what TSLA investors did today, too, feedback to the decision makers: buy on the rumor, sell on the news. The news being that Tesla is a long way from their Model 3, the Model X is decontented on its top-line feature promises (autopilot) has a less than stellar 250 mile range, so it's a town car, not a tourer, while cuts its market opportunity in half, and the company has no other products in the pipeline in terms of revenue. So now it's down to quality of execution, which they do well, so the question of scalability comes to the fore.
I imagine we'll soon see a Model X 110D or something with 300+ range. Then TSLA will hiccup a billion in market cap. Then autopilot goes live (which it needs to, very soon, because several car makers have product coming to market in 2016) and TSLA will go up again.
Personally, my reservation is under 500, so I'm optimistic I'll very soon be paying $100K+ for my opportunity to contribute to the field beta cycle. : )
Aside from all the apparently missing content, my first feedback will be to extinguish all the bongs and chimes.
Or... maybe they're not a $30B+ company and their stock is just way overvalued. Clearly their market valuation has far exceeded Tesla's ability to satisfy certain people's expectations.
Total +1, my kids love stopping and help me plug in the car. It's a 20-30 minute stop every 150-200 miles or so. Not a big deal at all.
You forgot one... have them overstate the horsepower specifications of their flagship car. Too soon? lol
- - - Updated - - -
Now the stock is up, so investors must have suddenly lowered their expectations? LOL
Last edited:
