Tesla moments

[LoL Rick]

Wednesday evening I pulled into a Burger King (don't you judge me!) for a snack before choir rehearsal. A couple of the employees where in the parking lot as I drove in, and as soon as I got to the counter they started in with the questions. It went something like this

Her: What kind of car is that?
Me: It's a Tesla.
Her: Who makes it?
Me: Tesla. It's a new American car company.
Her: It's so quiet - it's amazing!
Me: It's all electric. No gas engine.
Her: Really? How's it do on (pause) gas?
Me: No gas, but it gets the equivalent of 89 mpg.
Her: Really? That's crazy.
Her - to another employee: It's a Tesla.
Third employee, walking by and overhears this: You got a Tesla? You got a wife?

This went on for about 5 minutes of Tesla time before I could even get my order in. It really caused a stir, with one of the employees running out to look at the car, and taking quite a bit of time to talk to people about it. The manager eventually had to tell her to get back to work.

 

[yo mama]

A recent Tesla moment came in Santa Cruz, CA - a place overrun with old hippies and environmentalists - the kind of place you'd assume would love Teslas. Me, the Mrs., and our kids were at a stop light, not really paying attention to the beat up old Volvo next to us with a million "save the earth" type bumper stickers on it. There was no one else around so I launched, because fun. We stopped at the next red light. The aforementioned Volvo rolls up, stops, and the old hippy driver rolls down his window and flips us off without saying anything. He then took a right at the light and sped off, middle finger still protruding from the driver's window.

We weren't sure what to make of that.

 

[igotzzoom]

Maybe jealous 'cause he can't afford one? :smile:

 

[yo mama]

Wednesday evening I pulled into a Burger King (don't you judge me!) for a snack before choir rehearsal. A couple of the employees where in the parking lot as I drove in, and as soon as I got to the counter they started in with the questions. It went something like this

Her: What kind of car is that?
Me: It's a Tesla.
Her: Who makes it?
Me: Tesla. It's a new American car company.
Her: It's so quiet - it's amazing!
Me: It's all electric. No gas engine.
Her: Really? How's it do on (pause) gas?
Me: No gas, but it gets the equivalent of 89 mpg.
Her: Really? That's crazy.
Her - to another employee: It's a Tesla.
Third employee, walking by and overhears this: You got a Tesla? You got a wife?

This went on for about 5 minutes of Tesla time before I could even get my order in. It really caused a stir, with one of the employees running out to look at the car, and taking quite a bit of time to talk to people about it. The manager eventually had to tell her to get back to work.

This story is useless without pictures of the Third employee.

 

[ecarfan]

There was no one else around so I launched, because fun. We stopped at the next red light. The aforementioned Volvo rolls up, stops, and the old hippy driver rolls down his window and flips us off without saying anything. He then took a right at the light and sped off, middle finger still protruding from the driver's window.
We weren't sure what to make of that.

Perhaps he thought that you were deliberately trying to make his car look bad, or just being a show off, or just wasting energy.

 

[yo mama]

You may be right. My best guess is that I was perceived as "speeding" even though I didn't actually exceed the speed limit. I've been moderately curious if others have elicited similar reactions to launching. As a newbie I'm not 100% sure on the Tesla etiquette here, as I'd like to rep our brand in a not-suck manner.

 

[Atlantis]

Wednesday evening I pulled into a Burger King (don't you judge me!) for a snack before choir rehearsal. A couple of the employees where in the parking lot as I drove in, and as soon as I got to the counter they started in with the questions. It went something like this

Her: What kind of car is that?
Me: It's a Tesla.
Her: Who makes it?
Me: Tesla. It's a new American car company.
Her: It's so quiet - it's amazing!
Me: It's all electric. No gas engine.
Her: Really? How's it do on (pause) gas?
Me: No gas, but it gets the equivalent of 89 mpg.
Her: Really? That's crazy.
Her - to another employee: It's a Tesla.
Third employee, walking by and overhears this: You got a Tesla? You got a wife?

This went on for about 5 minutes of Tesla time before I could even get my order in. It really caused a stir, with one of the employees running out to look at the car, and taking quite a bit of time to talk to people about it. The manager eventually had to tell her to get back to work.

I'm amaze to see how so many people in US know nothing about Tesla after all the hype in news and internet. For god seek, it's a American company! Here, in Portugal, a lot of people have heard about Tesla (almost only guys to be fair) and it's a German's market (40% of sales are German cars, with a lot of BMW, Audi and Mercedes that can be seen here where I live).

 

[ecarfan]

I'm amaze to see how so many people in US know nothing about Tesla after all the hype in news and internet. For god seek, it's a American company!

I was in Kennewick, Washington USA last month at a hotel, plugging my S into a 110V outlet out by the pool (Kennewick Supercharger was not open yet).
A couple of guys came up to the car and had no idea what it was, I told them it was "a Tesla", they asked who made it, reply "Tesla", had never heard of "Tesla", didn't know it was an American company, didn't know it was an EV, one seemed unclear on the concept of what an EV was, and their main question was "How fast does it go?"
We are all early adopters at this point, despite the fact that there are about 100,000 of us.

 

[Atlantis]

Well, maybe it's because the guys I know and their friends are almost all car guys (a majority of BMW ones although only some have a BMW), so they read on-line car news and magazines and so, have read about Tesla, but maybe they would not recognize one if they see it...

 

[jerry33]

Well, maybe it's because the guys I know and their friends are almost all car guys (a majority of BMW ones although only some have a BMW), so they read on-line car news and magazines and so, have read about Tesla, but maybe they would not recognize one if they see it...

I've had quite a few, when I tell them this is a Tesla, say, "Oh, so that's what it looks like. Wow!".

 

[Max*]

Maybe it's where you guys are, I feel they're pretty common here.

Last week was at a carwash, and the cashier lady turn to me and says something along the lines of "that's the future right there!" (this may have been before she tried to upsell my carwash, lol)

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

You may be right. My best guess is that I was perceived as "speeding" even though I didn't actually exceed the speed limit. I've been moderately curious if others have elicited similar reactions to launching. As a newbie I'm not 100% sure on the Tesla etiquette here, as I'd like to rep our brand in a not-suck manner.

I have a more feel-good story in this context. There's this 2-mile stretch from the freeway exit to my home punctuated by a series of all-way Stop signs (8 of them). Two lanes going each way. Speed limit is only 35 but, I love launching all the same quickly to 35-ish and catching up with the car in front.

A few days ago, I was doing the same and after clearing 4 of those intersections, noticed a newish Golf GTI trying hard to catch up in the lane next to me. Slowed down just enough for him to pull up in the left turn lane next to me - he put his right index finger and thumb together in the shape of a "perfect!" sign, flashed a big smile and turned away.

 

[TesAus]

I was sat in my car waiting for my wife and daughters to arrive when a guy returns to his VW golf parked next to mine. He walks past the cars and starts looking at the back. I started to worry that I had reversed in to the low level fence behind, but then he came back to my door and strikes up a conversation.

"I thought it was a Maserati at first, but it hadn't got the trident logo - it's the 100% electric one isn't it?"

We then covered the normal subjects - range, how to charge, where to charge, how much it costs etc.

He was suitably impressed and went on his way after about 5 minutes, with a parting "It's a really nice looking car"

 

[igotzzoom]

You may be right. My best guess is that I was perceived as "speeding" even though I didn't actually exceed the speed limit. I've been moderately curious if others have elicited similar reactions to launching. As a newbie I'm not 100% sure on the Tesla etiquette here, as I'd like to rep our brand in a not-suck manner.

Who cares? You bought it, enjoy it! There will always be "haters" and people that make assumptions about you based on the car you drive. Most Teslas I see are driven prudently and reasonably. I would say half or more BMWs are driven aggressively and anti-socially (i3s included in my experience), hence reinforcing the negative stereotype. Enjoying the power every now and then doesn't make you a bad person.

 

[beths11]

My best Tesla moment so far occurred last night. My co-workers got me a bad ass, full-sized Chewbacca costume for my birthday, which I obviously had to wear on the drive home. A wookie driving a P85D isn't something most people see everyday, even in Silicon Valley.

Picture please :biggrin:

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

Picture please :biggrin:

Right here:

Tesla moments - Page 141

 

[caddieo]

Although this isn't really outstanding, it's a first-of-its-kind for me so I have to report it. Driving well within the prescribed speed limit inside our gated community, I came up behind a black Porsche 911 that was just dawdling along. Noticing my approach, he turned his hazard blinkers on and pulled off to one side. Shortly after passing him, I saw him pull in behind me and follow me all the way home. I live in a cul-de-sac where he made a u-turn and parked as I entered my driveway and thence my garage. Only then did he drive off. Were it not inside the gates and a member's car, I would probably have called security.

 

[Btrflyl8e]

At work today, I was helping out a colleague in Charlotte. He needed to call to give me some details. I've done a lot of work for his team in the past, so the whole group knows me. When I answered his call, the first thing he said was "do you really drive a Tesla? Zack asked me why I didn't just fax the info to your car, since a Tesla surely has that capability!"

Of course I confirmed that Zack was correct, and then we had a 15 minute Tesla talk! I'm making another road trip to Charlotte next week, so he was adamant that since he owes me big for bailing him out today I have to let him buy me dinner! I think he just wants a ride in the Tesla...

 

[DrumCoder]

I don't have them often (either people don't recognize the car or they do and there's just so many in the area it's not a big deal) but when I went to the Post Office today, one of the employees was coming out and headed straight for my car. "OH MAN IT IS A TESLA! How far can you go on a charge?" Apparently, his coworker inside the lobby working on the machine in the lobby said "It's a Tesla!" and he totally didn't believe her. As I was leaving he mentioned the Model X and then Porsche getting into the game, and then said that anything over $30k was too much for him but he loves them.

 

[Max*]

Our neighbors were having their roof re-shingled, so the contractors send out employees to knock on the doors of the houses nearby to let them know that work is going to be going on.

Them: And o btw would you like your roof re-shingled too while we're in the area?
Me: No thanks.
Them: OK, we also do windows and doors?
Me: No thanks.
Them: OK. Since you're not interested in anything we're selling, I did have one question: I've seen Tesla's around, but how do the door handles open?

And that started about a 15minute convo about Tesla, the no ICE engine, safety, door handles, frunk, the "ipad display", the cost (I always say they start at 70k), and when they reply with that's crazy expensive, I get into gas savings, and that the Model 3 will be out in a few years, etc. etc. etc.

I come back home, my wife asks "who was that?" I told her they were trying to sell us a new roof, but I think I sold them a future Tesla instead.