Tesla moments

[JMG]

My Tesla moments tend to come in bunches. I haven't had any in a few weeks but I've had a few this week.

First, it was my first tire rotation due. I am 2 hrs away from the SC, so I know I need to develop a relationship with a local tire shop. My usual local tire place is a mom and pop (literally....the man is grease covered in the garage and the wife is sitting around stacks of papers). I always took my vehicles there because they are long time customers of mine, and they would rotate my tires with every oil change. I took it by there (they were one of my first Tesla moments) and they were both just amazed. I asked him if he would be comfortable working on it, and he said, "No.....not comfortable. I could do it...but...I wouldn't be comfortable." So, that crossed it off my list there.

So I found a local Discount Tire that had a few good reviews. I dropped by and got some immediate reaction. The manager on duty said he's worked on one before and we chatted for quite a while about it. He said he would have me drive it into the bay and put it in jack mode. I showed him the lift points and he seemed to already know that because he said they were the standard lift points. I went over the 21mm and 129ft/lb (they had 130 in their system..I guess close enough?). I drove it in, and within a few minutes every employee was around it. Pictures were being taken. The initial employee that greeted me (very professionally) when I first walked in the door, was now like a teenager. "DUDE!! DUDE!! Show him where you charge it!!!" "LOOK AT THAT SCREEN?!" "JOEY, how you feel that his car can beat your twin turbo?" It was pretty funny and very cool. I stayed back there the entire time and watched them rotate the tires and then check the torque. The manager came back and handed the me the ticket and it had a zero balance on it. I was fully prepared to pay because obviously since these are OEM tires, I didn't buy them there and wouldn't qualify for the free balance and rotation. He said, "Nope, we're glad to do it. Anytime you need anything just stop by." So, I have found my tire place.

I then immediately drove from there over to Home Depot to pick up a few supplies before heading home. Of course I park well away from all of the other cars and shopping carts. When loading up, I notice an employee taking shopping carts come over to me. He said, "Hey man, do you mind if I ask what kind of car is that?" I said, "Of course not. It's a Tesla. All electric, no gas." He had a look of amazement and said, "Dude, that's a really sharp looking car."

Then finally, my landscape architect guy was over at my house yesterday finishing up some work around the house and we were discussing his business. He's my age and seemed to be very "techy". So before he left I told him I wanted to show him something. We went in the garage and his jaw nearly hit the floor. "Is that...Is that.......that's...a TESLA?" He said he's been wanting to see a Tesla up close and personal for a long time and never expected one to be in the garage. We did the full blown experience, test drive, etc. His reaction was absolutely priceless. It was nice to unexpectedly find a Tesla admirer and give him the full experience. He said he's been in some pretty awesome sports cars before, but nothing tops this. He said he's got to get one and starting to work on how to make it happen.

 

[sickfox]

@JMG - Time to send him your referral link. :wink:

3 days ago, I parked next to a BMW 5 series in front of In N Out Burger. Wifey asked me where do we want to sit and I said, let's eat outside since its a nice warm night. To make the long story short, the owner of the BMW and his family came back. The husband went to the passenger side and opened his door and stood there for about 30 seconds starting at my MS. He then checked my aftermarket wheels and went around the car.

At this point, my 5 year old son noticed the gentleman, and as my son was about to say something to me, we heard the gentleman said to his wife, "Honey, this is all customized!" And my son looked at him and looks back to me and shouted, "DAD, HE"S CHECKING OUT OUR CAR!!!!"

The gentleman went inside his car. I smiled at him and he gave the "nod."

My Tesla moments tend to come in bunches. I haven't had any in a few weeks but I've had a few this week.

Then finally, my landscape architect guy was over at my house yesterday finishing up some work around the house and we were discussing his business. He's my age and seemed to be very "techy". So before he left I told him I wanted to show him something. We went in the garage and his jaw nearly hit the floor. "Is that...Is that.......that's...a TESLA?" He said he's been wanting to see a Tesla up close and personal for a long time and never expected one to be in the garage. We did the full blown experience, test drive, etc. His reaction was absolutely priceless. It was nice to unexpectedly find a Tesla admirer and give him the full experience. He said he's been in some pretty awesome sports cars before, but nothing tops this. He said he's got to get one and starting to work on how to make it happen.

 

[hiroshiy]

Maybe my first Tesla moment. Here, people never notice Tesla. Very low awareness.

So I parked at an underground parking at Tokyo Midtown (in Roppongi) and my colleagues and myself went to a meeting held there in the office tower. After two hours of long meeting we came back to the parking lot at 93F(!) and I regretted not turned on the AC in advance.

To everybody's surprise, my Tesla was ice cold! It has to be Smart Air Conditioning, working for the very first time. It's not my home nor office, but I had a few 2 hour meetings there, and my Tesla might knew that the meeting will end in 2 hours.

So two of my colleagues are very much impressed!

 

[beeeerock]

So two of my colleagues are very much impressed!

And you had to pretend you were NOT impressed... because after all, this is just the way your Tesla always behaves! :biggrin:

 

[Johan]

I don't think she was trying to pick me up - and vice versa.

Oh buddy she was trying to pick you up, but you weren't trying to pick her up. Either she dod it deliberately, or it just slipped out if her which is really also her trying to pick you up (her instinctual parts of the brain just haven't told her consciousness yet).

 

[lucy]

Many thanks to all in this thread.
Very calming and smile inducing to me, as a stressed and frustrated MX reservation holder on the LAST DAY OF JULY WITH NO FRICKING NEWS!!!
Guess I need to go back and read some more moments...

 

[Tuan]

Maybe my first Tesla moment. Here, people never notice Tesla. Very low awareness.

So I parked at an underground parking at Tokyo Midtown (in Roppongi) and my colleagues and myself went to a meeting held there in the office tower. After two hours of long meeting we came back to the parking lot at 93F(!) and I regretted not turned on the AC in advance.

To everybody's surprise, my Tesla was ice cold! It has to be Smart Air Conditioning, working for the very first time. It's not my home nor office, but I had a few 2 hour meetings there, and my Tesla might knew that the meeting will end in 2 hours.

So two of my colleagues are very much impressed!

Did you entered the meeting in your calendar?

 

[Johan]

And you had to pretend you were NOT impressed... because after all, this is just the way your Tesla always behaves! :biggrin:

Yeah. I was pretty dazzled myself the first time smart preconditioning struck. It was a similar instance, just after the feature had been rolled out. I had read about it but didn't know it was on as a default after updating firmware and hadn't checked. Anyway, I was with my 5-year old son at skiing practice, and it was in my calendar. It was like -10 C. After practice my son said: "Dad, my hands are cold" and looked at me with his big beautiful brown eyes. My heart just sank - I hadn't warmed up the car towards the end of his practice. I was trying not to show it: "It's only a 15 minute drive home, the car will warm up quickly". But as we sat he said: "See, the Tesla is always warm when we sit in it". I realized then that he had never been aware that it was constantly me preconditioning the car that winter- his thought was "the Tesla does it". And this time, as I the stupid an inattentive human forgot, the Tesla did it.

After this incident I've been thinking more about how blurry the lines are between "hard" and "soft" AI. That is no one would argue that a Tesla and its associated central systems (servers it accesses online - maybe that car makes the decision to precondition locally or it might ask a server about how to do it and if to do it when there's a meeting in the calendar) is "hard AI". Yet what the system did that day felt like actual intelligence to me, the recipient or the one who experienced the act.

 

[Johan]

Many thanks to all in this thread.
Very calming and smile inducing to me, as a stressed and frustrated MX reservation holder on the LAST DAY OF JULY WITH NO FRICKING NEWS!!!
Guess I need to go back and read some more moments...

Yeah I remember that wait before the S. Now I'm calmer regarding the X since I'm already driving a great Tesla, but impatiently waiting like you (like kids right?).

 

[hiroshiy]

Did you entered the meeting in your calendar?

Yes all of my appointments are in the calendar. That may be the reason Smart AC worked at that time, but previously it didn't work.

 

[mknox]

Yes all of my appointments are in the calendar. That may be the reason Smart AC worked at that time, but previously it didn't work.

But does the car remember appointments when you and your phone leave the car? If I happen to get back in the car without my phone, there is nothing on the Calendar screen.

 

[Cyclone]

But does the car remember appointments when you and your phone leave the car? If I happen to get back in the car without my phone, there is nothing on the Calendar screen.

I am not saying this is what the car does, but the Firmware 6.2 documentation makes it sound like Tesla's servers do see you calendar, but the car will only display calendar entries that Tesla's servers have under your MyTesla login if the phone that submitted the entries is currently active on Bluetooth in the car. So that would mean that Tesla HQ, and likely the car, have access to the calendar entries to make Smart Preconditioning decisions on.

 

[ecarfan]

I had a moment today: in Yosemite National Park at the side of the road near Wawona. Wife and I and three friends had just returned from a great hike to the Mariposa Sequoia grove. Had the car open and were stowing our gear and preparing to leave. A park ranger pulls up in his truck, stops, gets out, and with a smile says "Hi, you folks all right?" I think, well that's very friendly but why is he asking me this? I say "Thank you very much but we are fine, just returned from a wonderful hike!" And smiled. He said "Good, have a nice day" and turns to get back in his truck. Suddenly I realize why he stopped. I say "You stopped to check on us because my hood is raised, right?" and he nods. I say "It's an electric car and there is no engine in the front, just an empty space we call 'the frunk'! The motor is behind the passenger seats, you can't even see it." He smiles and nods and departs.

 

[!S4]

I had a moment today: in Yosemite National Park at the side of the road near Wawona. Wife and I and three friends had just returned from a great hike to the Mariposa Sequoia grove. Had the car open and were stowing our gear and preparing to leave. A park ranger pulls up in his truck, stops, gets out, and with a smile says "Hi, you folks all right?" I think, well that's very friendly but why is he asking me this? I say "Thank you very much but we are fine, just returned from a wonderful hike!" And smiled. He said "Good, have a nice day" and turns to get back in his truck. Suddenly I realize why he stopped. I say "You stopped to check on us because my hood is raised, right?" and he nods. I say "It's an electric car and there is no engine in the front, just an empty space we call 'the frunk'! The motor is behind the passenger seats, you can't even see it." He smiles and nods and departs.

I had something similar yesterday that my wife caught and I completely missed. I was getting a new tank of propane and the frunk is the perfect place for it.

I swap tanks and as I'm getting in the car my wife asks "Did you see that woman?" Me, "No, why?" "She was staring at you the entire time you were putting the propane in the frunk and when you closed it she just shrugged her shoulders and walked away."

 

[slevit1md]

I've had a couple so far, figured I'd post.

1) Pulled up to Chipotle and a guy who was eating outside stared me down as I pulled in, walked up to me as soon as I got out of the car (you could tell it was coming), and started asking all sorts of questions about the car. Apparently he'd been following Tesla for years but never actually seen one up close, only on the highway. Very nice guy and I was happy to answer his questions. We talked for probably 15 minutes or so. While Teslas may be all over the place in CA, they're still pretty rare around here!

2) Sitting in a largely empty parking lot at the local university making some phone calls (had just left my doctor's office, which is located on the campus) and a big group of college kids came walking by. They all walked around the car, staring at it, and then gave me thumbs up as they walked away. Seemed like the first one they'd seen sitting still as well.

3) Was driving my old car (X5) yesterday to get it appraised. Stopped for dinner and walked away without turning it off! Fortunately, I remembered that I actually had to turn it off before I got too far away.

4) More than once, I've been sitting at a traffic light and heard what I thought was a quiet noise coming from the car. I knew the car shouldn't be making any noise and was afraid I'd have to take it in for service. Then I realized that it was just the other cars around me idling. When getting into my old car last night, I had forgotten how much engine noise it actually makes. I also had forgotten how slow it is to accelerate (always thought it was relatively fast, until getting used to the Tesla). Even with "just" the 85D, it's easy to forget how much faster the acceleration is than just about anything else around you!

 

[Andyw2100]

I also had forgotten how slow it is to accelerate (always thought it was relatively fast, until getting used to the Tesla).

I've had an issue with this a couple of times. You definitely get used to the "instant torque" very quickly.

The worst experience I had with this was probably a few weeks ago, driving my Acura TL. It was at an intersection that was radically redesigned in the past year or so, adding a traffic signal where there had not been one before. My having driven through this intersection configured the other way for 25 years certainly contributed to the problem.

I was coming up a hill, towards the traffic light, where in the past there was no light, and I would have had the right of way to turn left, with cars that wanted to go straight having a stop sign. I somehow found myself having just slightly run the red light (that never used to be there at all), when I realized what I had done and stopped, slightly beyond where I should have been, and slightly in the intersection, with a car with the right of way bearing down on me. I could have stayed where I was, in which case the other driver might have had to turn a little bit to avoid me, but it would not have been a big deal. Instead, I thought, "I can just get out of his way", and I stepped on the gas. In the Model S, I would have been out of the other car's way long before it entered the intersection. Unfortunately, though, I was driving the Acura. I realized the error of my ways as I heard the engine revving up and the Acura wasn't really moving very fast at all. I felt bad, because I expect the other driver may have had to brake, and if not, I certainly scared him (or her), and I was definitely at fault.

So yes, the acceleration is easy to get used to, and a little dangerous if you still have to drive ICE vehicles every so often.

 

[AC123]

I drove a Honda Accord yesterday for about 30 seconds. The way that steering shakes on idle is just ridiculous.

 

[beeeerock]

I've had an issue with this a couple of times. You definitely get used to the "instant torque" very quickly.

When I finally found a buyer for my E-Class Benz diesel, I drove him to the insurance agent in that car to do the transfer. I kicked it hard off a stop sign to enjoy my last experience with the torquey diesel and was surprised by the sloppy lag before it got up and went... and when it 'went', it wasn't exactly impressive. I was worried that there was something wrong with it from sitting idle for a month that would pooch the deal, but the buyer was actually impressed so I didn't say anything. It wasn't until later that I realized that I was now completely used to the Tesla performance and what I'd seen was actually normal. Weird...

 

[dusterbuster]

Here in Santa Monica, Teslas sometimes seem to outnumber most other makes (you will literally see one about every 30 seconds while driving around), so I was a little surprised to return to my car at the Santa Monica Museum of Flying parking lot, and see an older gentleman snapping away with his iphone taking pictures all around the car. I said hello, and he mumbled that this was the first time he's seen one of these cars in person, to which I joked he must not be from around here (he wasn't).

 

[swengl]

My latest moment happened in one of the most unlikely places: deep in the hills of coal country (Southwest Virginia). I am out at a local community college providing some IT consulting this week and I took 3 of the IT guys out to lunch today. They are mainly "truck" guys and very being very polite about the car until I punched the accelerator to pass a very slow moving construction truck in the right lane. The rest of the ride was "I can't believe how much torque this thing has" and "was that really 0-60 in about 4 seconds?!" and "I had no idea electric vehicles were this good!" I was grinning ear to ear. Back at the school, the head of engineering spotted the car in the parking lot and sought me out to go out to take a look. We then had 3 more guys go out to take a look and one of the faculty drove up in her Mercedes and commented on how nice the car was. I always enjoy talking about the technology and showing people the car. One of the guys took a picture and sent it to his wife joking that he had traded in his truck (if that's not a compliment coming from a truck guy, I don't know what is!). Needless to say, seeing (and riding in) is believing, even for folks whose community's livelihood is in coal mining. I hope I've started something good out here