Rivian Price Increase, Tesla Did Similar in 2009 - TMC Podcast #2

Description-
In this episode, TMC admin Doug joins us as we discuss Rivian’s price increase, the Tesla Roadster price increase from back in 2009, the development status of the new Roadster, Cybertruck, and Semi, the difference in quality between vehicles coming out of the various Tesla production sites, the Polestar concept with its companion drone, and much more.

Timestamps-
0:00 Intro.
0:53 Rivian’s massive price increase.
4:11 Doug describes the Tesla’s Roadster price increase from back in 2009.
9:53 Why did Rivian feel the need to increase the price?
11:41 Tesla had to weigh the pros and cons of their 2009 Roadster price change.
14:41 Doug’s Tesla story.
18:04 How will the Rivian price increase impact resales?
20:11 Doug’s thoughts on the Cybertruck, the new Roadster, and the Semi.
24:07 Lewis on the new Roadster vs the Plaid.
24:58 Why has the new Roadster been delayed?
27:13 How many new Roadsters does Tesla owe people from the referral program?
28:00 When Doug finally got his first Tesla.
29:16 Scope creep in the development of the new Roadster and Cybertruck?
31:04 Tesla makes its technology extensible and scalable. Its vehicles share the same core.
32:58 What’s going on with the Berlin Gigafactory?
34:25 Price of oil continues to rise, and the US EV market is exploding.
36:33 Are differences in quality of production sites due to manufacturing processes or culture? Also, discussion about QA and service.
49:19 Marc on the fit and finish on his Model 3, and some of the concerns of other Model 3 buyers on TMC.
56:23 A Polestar concept that comes with a companion drone? Is it a good idea?
1:01:49 Drone video leaks? Some aren’t really leaks.
1:04:19 Oklahoma may shut down service centers, and related legislative issues.
1:12:08 One of the best things about Tesla is selling direct. Other EV makers are considering following suit.

Co-hosts:

• Marc @lUtriaNt
• Louis @nebusoft
• Mike @SteelClouds

Producers:

• Adam @ElectricAve84
• James @scrapps
• Joshua @NoGasNoBrakes
• Doug @doug
• Daniel @danny

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[abasile]

Haven’t yet watched the podcast, but the Rivian truck is really more comparable to the early Model S, rather than the Roadster, relative to the history/lifecycle of the company. The volume of the Roadster was extremely limited, it was more of a proof of concept, and Tesla was not yet a public company. Still, one sort of had to be a believer to buy an early Model S, and Tesla ended up discontinuing the cheaper base model (the S 40). Today, Tesla may be effectively raising the price of the Cybertruck by starting with only the quad motor version, which didn’t exist before.

 

[doug]

... the Rivian truck is really more comparable to the early Model S, rather than the Roadster, relative to the history/lifecycle of the company. The volume of the Roadster was extremely limited, it was more of a proof of concept, and Tesla was not yet a public company.

True. However, the situation is similar in that both companies raised prices on customers that had supposedly already locked in their orders, causing severe backlash from those early adopters that were affected.
See here: Tesla Increases Prices for Existing 2008 Orders

We also discussed the differences.

 

[danny]

We will be recording our 3rd Podcast soon. Please let us know if anyone has questions or topics they'd like us to address.

 

[tdeno]

Great show - thanks for all the insight and talking points

1:04:19 Oklahoma may shut down service centers, and related legislative issues.

Topic service center: Seems like this is going to become more and more of an issue for those states/locations without a SC. I agree Rangers would/could be a way around this (maybe), but even with them, there will/is an exponential growth in cars/delivery, and if/when service is needed Ranger(s) might not fit for scale or options, nor could they cover everything or be everywhere. In my case, Ranger is/was not an option in my area and there is a service center ~1.5hour from my location.

Wonder what the plan/workaround is for how to work (deal) within those states going forward as others states (more than just Oklahoma) are blocking/removing permits/etc? - partner with (non-direct tesla) 'local shop', or let the market find the balance?

Any idea of how many 'local shops' there are, or stats on the numbers/locations of these local shops that have signed up for "Subscription Packages"?

Service and diagnostic information for independent businesses and individuals involved in the professional maintenance and repair of Tesla vehicles.

service.tesla.com

 

[zzzzoeffff]

Hi Danny, some topics for thé podcast:
- long-term support by Tesla, given the supercharge capping on the old 85 and CU/batterygate, where does it place Tesla with regard to 'right to repair' and long term commitment.
My Tesla heart bleeds when owners need to turn to court to protect their cars.
- Model S/X ordering in Europe... when Will thé flagships return to the old continent.
- hatchbacks... any sign of a sporty hatchback nu Tesla?? The brand really needs some Fun, new roadster is top serious and only for the rich/few.

 

[DustyRhodes]

Another informative podcast, thanks all for providing. Newish owner of a Model 3, and found getting answers from Tesla directly is not easy to do, so TMC has proven very valuable. Had a problem with car not knowing where it was and some drop down menus wouldn't respond to input. Service request wouldn't work on app, but TMC provided info on how to reset the car (buttons on steering wheel) which did the trick. Is that "resetting" something that happens often, any of you had to reset your cars? Funny, I have to reboot my phone from time to time, but who would have thought you would need to reboot your car?