Some Amateur Advice for Telsa...from a loyal Tesla convert.

[joesp85+]

I am glad there is some food for thought for everyone...hopefully Tesla is seeing this too.....just wanted to prod them so that Tesla continues to be successful. The initial reason I wrote this was that I would have had better peace of mind what to get if of the 85 vs P85 vs P85+ if I got to test drive them...especially the P85+. So many people on this site have been so curious, its not until you drive it for yourself that you can ultimately decide. I just put blind faith that I will like the P85+ at this point. If I was paying $105K for a P85, don't mind paying $6500 more, but doesn't everyone have a right to know what they are getting before that plunker down this type of cash??
I received so many different opinions from Tesla too...the advisor at the Tesla store tried to diswade me from buying it since he said it would ride too rough, but calling corporate, they said it would drive the same......
We will see..

As for me not being an environmentalist....I guess I am right...have a volt...solar to power a large house....and now a Tesla...I too want my children to be able to breathe clean air too..

 

[derekt75]

As for me not being an environmentalist....I guess I am right...have a volt...solar to power a large house....and now a Tesla...I too want my children to be able to breathe clean air too..

It's funny; I think that's my attitude.
I think it's clear that anthropogenic global warming is real. While that depresses me, it doesn't much motivate my actions.

I pedal to work when I can because it's the only way I can get in 60 minutes of exercise at a cost of only 40 minutes (since I won't be in my car for 20 minutes).
I have solar panels on my roof because that saves me money.
I drive an EV because the EV was more fun to drive than the competing ICEs (e.g., M5).

I think it's remarkable that even folks making selfish decisions can still wind up with enviornmentally friendly results.

 

[brianman]

85 vs P85 vs P85+

I understand the decision to purchase: 40, 60, 85, and P85+. I don't fully understand why people would consider a P85 with P85+ available. I'm aware it's not the same price, but it just seems wrong to buy a P85 without the + now that + is available.

 

[EchoDelta]

I think it's remarkable that even folks making selfish decisions can still wind up with enviornmentally friendly results.

Not so remarkable if you consider survival of self, family and species a selfish goal.
The opposite of pondering the effect on the environment is not being selfish, but being dumb.



X1188. Sorry if this is terse, sent from my phone.

 

[gnelson]

Have there been issues reported about this part of Tesla’s business model?

Also: Can’t you just place your order in one of the Tesla Stores? I know you currently can’t in Texas, but how about the rest of the US?

- - - Updated - - -

Ok. You can place an order in a Tesla Store in Texas. It’s just that in Texas a Tesla employee can’t assist you with that part. Right?

I ordered my Tesla in the Houston, TX store on the phone with a gentleman from Denver getting advice from the store as I was ordering. As I was speaking to the person I would have questions. I could ask the person in the store about recommendations, but not price.

 

[Soflason]

Best place to see an assortment of colors is the Service Centers. They have cars in for service as well as being processed for delivery.

+1

Here in South Florida, there is actually a location in Dania Beach that was once a store and then it was converted to a rather large Service Center. They actually left a good sized portion of the location decorated/furnished in the "store/gallery" format in front and behind sliding doors the remainder of the location is packed with Teslas of all makes/colors for servicing in back. It's a big location, located right on I-95 between Palm Beach and Miami.

I'm not sure how common this hybrid-gallery/service center format is - but, it's ideal because you get "the best of both worlds" - and, as Tesla's footprint grows, I'm hoping they include this format at more locations to help augment the decision-making process to prospective buyers.

 

[Mayhemm]

The initial reason I wrote this was that I would have had better peace of mind what to get if of the 85 vs P85 vs P85+ if I got to test drive them...especially the P85+. I just put blind faith that I will like the P85+ at this point. If I was paying $105K for a P85, don't mind paying $6500 more, but doesn't everyone have a right to know what they are getting before that plunker down this type of cash??
I received so many different opinions from Tesla too...the advisor at the Tesla store tried to diswade me from buying it since he said it would ride too rough, but calling corporate, they said it would drive the same......
We will see..

I think it's quite clear from this that people in different regions have wildly different experiences/expectations for buying a vehicle. Each time I have purchased a vehicle, I have never been able to test drive the one I was interested in. I would drive the correct model (if I was lucky) but most everything else would be wrong (engine, colour, options, etc). So I guess I just don't understand where this expectation of being able to test drive your exact car comes from. (obviously from a place with a lot more vehicle selection than I'm used to)

 

[TI Sailor]

I took a test drive on Tuesday at the Tampa Service Center during a 2-day "drive event". Both of the test drive cars present, one gray one silver, were P85's and had 21" wheels. However, what I really hoped for was to drive a standard 85 with 19" wheels, and to see an MS in multicolor red. Although I couldn't change the driving part, the service center had a bunch of TMS's being prepped in back, including ones in black, white, pearl white, gray and mc red. It really helped to see the colors on the cars, not to mention the different leather colors and trim pieces. The only trim piece not represented was lacewood; I was told this is the least popular offering and it wasn't going to be my choice anyway. As a side note, it was pouring rain, so I got to see the colors inside on dry cars, albeit in artificial light. Even my several year old Lexus looks good when it's wet, but not as much so when dry. I noticed the color difference between a wet gray and a dry one.

If a service center is considerably closer than a gallery showroom, prospective buyers should be told to call them and see what they have in back. While they may not get to sit in the cars and certainly won't get to drive them, it's the closest thing to an ICE dealer's showroom/parking lot and may be a tipping point for some customers.

 

[NigelM]

Some posts went to snippiness

 

[CapitalistOppressor]

Some posts went to snippiness

Wow. I've never actually gone to look at what disappears into the snippiness thread. Hilarious

 

[brianman]

Page 4 test.

Update: Success!

 

[Mayhemm]

Wow. I've never actually gone to look at what disappears into the snippiness thread. Hilarious

Indeed.

 

[PhilBa]

Hopefully, this won't go to that snippyness place in the sky.

I think people are being a little hard on Joe. I understand his "not an environmentalist" comment. I think there is a broad perception of environmentalists as iconoclastic, brittle and preachy. Personally, I consider myself environmentally focused but would never call myself an environmentalist (yes, I donate to a number of environmental causes, drive high mileage cars, minimize consumption resources, recycle and all that).

As to the way Tesla does business. I think he has a valid point. For now, as a boutique car company, they can be successful. There are enough people willing to wait many weeks to get their car. But to get to true mass market (200K cars a year?), they will need to significantly shorten the delivery cycle. This really does't equate to internet vs bricks-n-mortar stores. It's about the length of the wait. There will always be a number of people that want it now. I'm fine with internet shopping when I know that I can get the product in a few days. But, 8 weeks? That's tougher. I have to admit that when the waiting list was many months, I really hesitated.

 

[SwedishAdvocate]

…/I understand his "not an environmentalist" comment. I think there is a broad perception of environmentalists as iconoclastic, brittle and preachy. Personally, I consider myself environmentally focused but would never call myself an environmentalist (yes, I donate to a number of environmental causes, drive high mileage cars, minimize consumption resources, recycle and all that). […

environmentalist [ɪnˌvaɪrənˈmɛntəlɪst]
n.
1. (Psychology) an adherent of environmentalism
2. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Environmental Science) a person who is concerned with the maintenance of ecological balance and the conservation of the environment
3. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Environmental Science) a person concerned with issues that affect the environment, such as pollution

en·vi·ron·men·tal·ism
n.
1. Advocacy for or work toward protecting the natural environment from destruction or pollution.

en•vi•ron•men•tal•ist
n.
1. an expert on environmental problems.
2. a person who advocates or works for protection of the air, water, animals, plants, and other natural resources from pollution or its effects.

Source:

environmentalist - definition of environmentalist by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.

Where’s the controversy

i·con·o·clast
n.
1. One who attacks and seeks to overthrow traditional or popular ideas or institutions.
2. One who destroys sacred religious images.

Source:

iconoclastic - definition of iconoclastic by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.

Well… Personally I’m an atheist since there’s no evidence whatsoever of any kind of deity that’s good and almighty… I base my world view on what can be observed scientifically.

Again: What’s so controversial

In Sweden about 85% of the population are atheists or agnostics (taking percentage number from memory). And it would be even higher if it wasn’t for a quite extensive immigration of political asylum seekers and their relatives who have various religious beliefs (as for now...).

What’s traditional and popular about polluting your surroundings?

preachy

97-98% of the scientist in the field are unable to guarantee that we – the people living on this planet – aren’t facing catastrophical sea-level rise as a result of man made climate change. About half a year ago the sea level in the New York region had risen nine to ten inches over the last 100 years!

Source (includes transcript):

A Crisis Foretold: Studies Warned New York Infrastructure Critically Threatened by Climate Change | Democracy Now!


In spite of that fact about what, 50% (?), of the US population thinks man made global warming is a hoax (!!!).

Is it really such a bad thing to try and change that current situation?

And also: Who in their right mind is just going to sit down and take it while people like Bill O’Reilly is spewing the word “pin-head” (!) in every other sentence?

And since I’m a little curious – how would you categorize these folks?

Finally: What do you mean by “brittle”?

 

[Mayhemm]

All excellent points, but a little OT.

 

[SwedishAdvocate]

And last, but not least:

…/ I think there is a broad perception of environmentalists as iconoclastic, brittle and preachy.[…

But is there a broad perception, and why do you think that?

In whose interest would it be to create such a perception?

The power over the thought is a very powerful instrument!

 

[jerry33]

As to the way Tesla does business. I think he has a valid point. For now, as a boutique car company, they can be successful. There are enough people willing to wait many weeks to get their car. But to get to true mass market (200K cars a year?), they will need to significantly shorten the delivery cycle.

For the first six or seven years of Prius sales in North America the wait was six month or longer in most cases. The wait time didn't appear to hurt Prius sales all that much.

 

[SwedishAdvocate]

All excellent points, but a little OT.

Thanks! But is it (OT)?

The thread title is: ”Some Amateur Advice for Tesla…from a loyal Tesla convert”. joesp85+ uses about one third (?) of the original post in this thread to introduce himself. In this introduction he also introduces the word ”environmentalist”. The rest of that first post is the advice-for-Tesla-part.

But couldn’t you argue that the advice part has to do with how he – and everyone else that weighs in (in this tread) – values clean air for their families, themselves and their community – as well as how they view man made global warming, and how all this factors into their decision to for example accept to wait X weeks for a built-to-order-car, or accept ordering using the Interwebs in order for their car purchase to better resonate with the environmental boundaries of the environment – both locally and globally – in which they live. (That was one long sentence…)

For example: Already in post #21 in this thread joesp85+ writes:

…] I /…/ ...have a volt...solar to power a large house....and now a Tesla...I too want my children to be able to breathe clean air too..

 

[AudubonB]

Well, since there have been so many different grists put into the mill that is this thread, I don't feel as though I'm OT at all in replying to DerekT's post; to paraphrase: Why would anyone opt not for a 85+ now they're available.

Here's why I wouldn't: that version's mandatory 21" rims are an absolute deal killer for me. That puts far too little rubber between the road and the metal, most especially for the kinds of roads I have to drive. So there's one answer.....

 

[brianman]

I understand the decision to purchase: 40, 60, 85, and P85+. I don't fully understand why people would consider a P85 with P85+ available. I'm aware it's not the same price, but it just seems wrong to buy a P85 without the + now that + is available.

Well, since there have been so many different grists put into the mill that is this thread, I don't feel as though I'm OT at all in replying to
DerekT's post; to paraphrase: Why would anyone opt not for a 85+ now they're available.

Here's why I wouldn't: that version's mandatory 21" rims are an absolute deal killer for me. That puts far too little rubber between the road and the metal, most especially for the kinds of roads I have to drive. So there's one answer.....

In case you were really referring to my post, the question was "if going from 85 to P85, why would you not get the +?"