Teslas for Females - Practicality vs Fun?

[Zigzagmolly]

Why Tesla 'has a problem appealing to women': Electric cars, Elon Musk may be off-putting

I had to comment on this article!!

Seriously!!! It is the most practical car I have ever purchased. I live 47 miles from work and used to pay $8-$10 a day in gas in my Camry Hybrid. Not anymore! I bought my Model 3 LR AWD in Dec, 2018 and have over 11,000 miles on it. Service it? nope...no oil, no anti-freeze.

Let me tell you the practicality of it:
I HAD "gas pedal" knee from driving so much. Severe pain in my knee. NO pain now as of the 47 miles to work and 47 miles back, the CAR DRIVES ME for 44 of those miles each way. I told my Physical Therapist to prescribe a Tesla for patients with this condition! You know how I control acceleration and deceleration??? With a tiny scroll wheel on the steering wheel!!

Then there is the 60mph in 3.0 seconds. Wow! No delay when I need to change lanes or get in front of someone. It is amazing! When I actually do use the accelerator and the steering wheel it is an amazing experience. So easy to drive! Handles so well. And I live in Zigzag, OR up on Mt. Hood and this car has AWD. Only need to use my Highlander when the snow is really deep. And there are two engines. If one goes out, I have another one. And 360 degree sensors let me know what is around me and warns me of any dangers and prevents me from running into things.
Then there is the space! An HUGE trunk and a frunk! I have filled the car with my relatives, went to Costco and was amazed at how much stuff I could fit in this car.

Safety?...it is the safest car out there. My insurance company thinks so, too as my premium is amazingly low.

Now for the FUN!
OMG!!! 14 speakers, a sub-woofer and immersive sound! I am seriously in heaven! While the car is driving me, I am clapping my hands to the music. And while I am getting my free supercharging for 9 months, I search for the best songs from the 60's and 70"s and add them to my Spotify Tesla WOWs! playlist.

Heated seats throughout the car, an amazing vent system, it remembers who I am and moves my seats and mirrors to where I want them as soon as I get in the car. It has a web browser on the 15 inch monitor. And it has video games, a fireplace with heat coming from the vents, etc, etc.

And my current favorite activity: I am a stop light next to a sports car or huge Dodge RAM truck with my windows down and blasting my music. The vehicle next to me revs their motor. The light turns green and in 3 secs I am a quarter mile ahead of them!!!
I am a 64 yr old lady raising my teenage grandkids and this vehicle is saving my physical and mental health!! How's that for practicality!!

 

[ngogas]

Love it. And yes the 14 speakers is like being in a studio. Going back to my ice car isn’t the same anymore.

 

[Eno Deb]

The bar graph showing the interest of males and females in various upscale brands is interesting. If you switch back and forth, some brands, including Tesla and (not surprisingly) Porsche swing wildly, while others (such as Audi or Land Rover/Jaguar) seem to have achieved a very balanced appeal for both genders. Of course, as you say Teslas are actually fairly practical and safe, but that isn't necessarily the public perception and brand image. Perhaps they should move away from putting so much emphasis on 0-60 times and fancy gimmicks such as "falcon wing" doors. The Model Y should appeal more to many women, but perhaps it's a bit too similar to the Model 3. Generally, doing some advertising in addition to the one-man marketing by Musk could help to influence perceptions.

 

[Kleenerth3]

insurance company

And might I ask which insurance company you have? Mine is with Mercury who kept it close when I sold my'03 Silverado 1500 LT and all things the same only went up $400 / 6 mos. For a car that got 5 stars in every safety test it ever took, even the small increase seems out of line
I'm with you! I love my 3 and my wife who is NOT a car chick absolutely loves the look and the ride. Even better is how safe she feels, finally, when I drive!

 

[ChrisH]

I saw this article earlier this week and thought it was Ill informed and biased. Yes men may like the cars more so far but the reasons they gave were terrible.

 

[ReddykwRun]

Why Tesla 'has a problem appealing to women': Electric cars, Elon Musk may be off-putting

I had to comment on this article!!

Seriously!!! It is the most practical car I have ever purchased. I live 47 miles from work and used to pay $8-$10 a day in gas in my Camry Hybrid. Not anymore! I bought my Model 3 LR AWD in Dec, 2018 and have over 11,000 miles on it. Service it? nope...no oil, no anti-freeze.

Let me tell you the practicality of it:
I HAD "gas pedal" knee from driving so much. Severe pain in my knee. NO pain now as of the 47 miles to work and 47 miles back, the CAR DRIVES ME for 44 of those miles each way. I told my Physical Therapist to prescribe a Tesla for patients with this condition! You know how I control acceleration and deceleration??? With a tiny scroll wheel on the steering wheel!!

Then there is the 60mph in 3.0 seconds. Wow! No delay when I need to change lanes or get in front of someone. It is amazing! When I actually do use the accelerator and the steering wheel it is an amazing experience. So easy to drive! Handles so well. And I live in Zigzag, OR up on Mt. Hood and this car has AWD. Only need to use my Highlander when the snow is really deep. And there are two engines. If one goes out, I have another one. And 360 degree sensors let me know what is around me and warns me of any dangers and prevents me from running into things.
Then there is the space! An HUGE trunk and a frunk! I have filled the car with my relatives, went to Costco and was amazed at how much stuff I could fit in this car.

Safety?...it is the safest car out there. My insurance company thinks so, too as my premium is amazingly low.

Now for the FUN!
OMG!!! 14 speakers, a sub-woofer and immersive sound! I am seriously in heaven! While the car is driving me, I am clapping my hands to the music. And while I am getting my free supercharging for 9 months, I search for the best songs from the 60's and 70"s and add them to my Spotify Tesla WOWs! playlist.

Heated seats throughout the car, an amazing vent system, it remembers who I am and moves my seats and mirrors to where I want them as soon as I get in the car. It has a web browser on the 15 inch monitor. And it has video games, a fireplace with heat coming from the vents, etc, etc.

And my current favorite activity: I am a stop light next to a sports car or huge Dodge RAM truck with my windows down and blasting my music. The vehicle next to me revs their motor. The light turns green and in 3 secs I am a quarter mile ahead of them!!!
I am a 64 yr old lady raising my teenage grandkids and this vehicle is saving my physical and mental health!! How's that for practicality!!

What a good point I so agree, you go girl but...... electric systems utilize MOTORS not engines.

 

[azred]

Not a lot of Pulitzer Prize material these days from USA Today.

 

[mreynolds767]

I think the buying process is more catered to men than women.
Add to that the complexities of charging a car rather than going to a gas station and you have an answer much more valid than women not liking the CEO. I really don’t think that matters at all.

To truly become main stream Tesla will need to spend their marketing dollars more on public education of their process, charging and safety than on touting performance.

 

[GoCartz]

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun ... and practicality and safety. M3 isn't perfect, but it IS fun, safe, and practical: the trifecta. I would be happy for both my daughters to drive one. So would they, when they can afford to do so.

 

[Dr. J]

"But it’s particularly troubling for Tesla, which is facing significant pressure to jolt sales amid concerns among investors that interest in the company’s electric vehicles is peaking."
"Worries about the practicality of electric cars – notably the fact that they can run out of a charge" Can't happen with ICE!
" a distaste for the macho image projected by Tesla CEO Elon Musk are among the reasons why the company is struggling to sell vehicles to women"
"Women less likely to buy ..." any luxury automotive brand in the chart accompanying the article.

 

[TT97]

Funny, I always thought Porsche targeted women (especially the Boxer), strange seeing them at the bottom. Then again, I never realized Elon had a "macho image."

 

[M3BlueGeorgia]

My wife loves ours, both as driver and passenger.

She complains I accelerate too fast too often...
But I don't notice the difference when I'm the passenger

But she really likes the level of control of being at the front of a multi-lane road at a red light knowing she can out accelerate anything else but another Tesla, and then get in whichever lane she needs to be in 100 yards further down.

By pure co-incidence, she was the first to use a Supercharger, on a business trip to Birmingham. Easier than buying gas.

 

[TomT]

Insurance for my 3 from State Farm was cheaper than for my Volt...

 

[SMAlset]

I thought this article was pretty lame. Don’t know how they came up with the percentages...by registration?, if so doesn’t necessarily mean who drives the car all or most of the time, as frequently cars will be put in a husband’s name if he’s earning a bigger paycheck and financing was taken out in his name.

Here’s my two cents. What woman wants to pump smelly gasoline that can get on your hands leaving you reeking of it? The Tesla or EV charging cables don’t reek of gasoline either when you handle them.

How really diligent are people about taking their cars in for oil changes and other maintenance (let alone wanting to shell out the money for it)? Not a concern for Tesla EV owners/drivers.

Tesla gives you a bright amber colored battery indicator when you have reached 20% SOC—nice visual reminder to charge. On an ICE hopefully you’ve noticed the fuel gauge in time.

Has this person writing this article seen who’s driving the MXs with kids in them? Even my Starbucks barista has commented that it seems like every mom at her kids’ school is driving one. Speaking of which, most of the Teslas I see at Starbucks drive thru are women, sometimes I think picking up for their entire office (I know neither here nor there but can’t help notice all the same).

And how many wives of Tesla owning husbands want one after they drive one? Count me in that category.

 

[Msjulie]

I thought this article was pretty lame.
Here’s my two cents. What woman wants to pump smelly gasoline that can get on your hands leaving you reeking of it? The Tesla or EV charging cables don’t reek of gasoline either when you handle them.

Do men really like getting smelly gas on their hands?

How really diligent are people about taking their cars in for oil changes and other maintenance (let alone wanting to shell out the money for it)? Not a concern for Tesla EV owners/drivers.

Keeping that schedule for our Audi is my job though since it's his car, I make him take it in..

And how many wives of Tesla owning husbands want one after they drive one? Count me in that category.

Just today I got the first actual praise for my 3, something that he likes for him vs he knows I like the speed of the 3 - mostly about arm rests but that's progress on moving him out of the gas car and into another 3.. or a pickup??

 

[Rottenapplr]

Why Tesla 'has a problem appealing to women': Electric cars, Elon Musk may be off-putting

I had to comment on this article!!

Seriously!!! It is the most practical car I have ever purchased. I live 47 miles from work and used to pay $8-$10 a day in gas in my Camry Hybrid. Not anymore! I bought my Model 3 LR AWD in Dec, 2018 and have over 11,000 miles on it. Service it? nope...no oil, no anti-freeze.

Let me tell you the practicality of it:
I HAD "gas pedal" knee from driving so much. Severe pain in my knee. NO pain now as of the 47 miles to work and 47 miles back, the CAR DRIVES ME for 44 of those miles each way. I told my Physical Therapist to prescribe a Tesla for patients with this condition! You know how I control acceleration and deceleration??? With a tiny scroll wheel on the steering wheel!!

Then there is the 60mph in 3.0 seconds. Wow! No delay when I need to change lanes or get in front of someone. It is amazing! When I actually do use the accelerator and the steering wheel it is an amazing experience. So easy to drive! Handles so well. And I live in Zigzag, OR up on Mt. Hood and this car has AWD. Only need to use my Highlander when the snow is really deep. And there are two engines. If one goes out, I have another one. And 360 degree sensors let me know what is around me and warns me of any dangers and prevents me from running into things.
Then there is the space! An HUGE trunk and a frunk! I have filled the car with my relatives, went to Costco and was amazed at how much stuff I could fit in this car.

Safety?...it is the safest car out there. My insurance company thinks so, too as my premium is amazingly low.

Now for the FUN!
OMG!!! 14 speakers, a sub-woofer and immersive sound! I am seriously in heaven! While the car is driving me, I am clapping my hands to the music. And while I am getting my free supercharging for 9 months, I search for the best songs from the 60's and 70"s and add them to my Spotify Tesla WOWs! playlist.

Heated seats throughout the car, an amazing vent system, it remembers who I am and moves my seats and mirrors to where I want them as soon as I get in the car. It has a web browser on the 15 inch monitor. And it has video games, a fireplace with heat coming from the vents, etc, etc.

And my current favorite activity: I am a stop light next to a sports car or huge Dodge RAM truck with my windows down and blasting my music. The vehicle next to me revs their motor. The light turns green and in 3 secs I am a quarter mile ahead of them!!!
I am a 64 yr old lady raising my teenage grandkids and this vehicle is saving my physical and mental health!! How's that for practicality!!

You sound like me when I got the car.

Agreed anyone who is looking to buy a car in the 40-50k neighborhood needs to test drive one the model 3.

 

[jamnmon66]

My wife and I bought similar Model 3 LR RWDs. She seems to love hers as much as I love mine.

 

[SMAlset]

....Do men really like getting smelly gas on their hands?....

Don't know, what do you think? Not sure how that is part of a discussion on how to market Teslas (or EVs) to women though. I don't think any woman, be she dressed for business or casual day with the kids or a friend, would feel that gasoline wears like perfume.

Probably safe to say that there are more men than wormen working on cars and getting all kinds of automotive odors on them handling parts. My dad use to come in from working on his car smelling like an oil change, carborator cleaning, etc and ended up smelling like Lava soap while he tried to get the odors off of him. Not sure if that was better.

 

[Dana1]

The bar graph showing the interest of males and females in various upscale brands is interesting. If you switch back and forth, some brands, including Tesla and (not surprisingly) Porsche swing wildly, while others (such as Audi or Land Rover/Jaguar) seem to have achieved a very balanced appeal for both genders. Of course, as you say Teslas are actually fairly practical and safe, but that isn't necessarily the public perception and brand image. Perhaps they should move away from putting so much emphasis on 0-60 times and fancy gimmicks such as "falcon wing" doors. The Model Y should appeal more to many women, but perhaps it's a bit too similar to the Model 3. Generally, doing some advertising in addition to the one-man marketing by Musk could help to influence perceptions.

As a long time car enthusiast, across many brands and styles, this is the first brand that has a large female car club with women owner/drivers (Tesla Divas). Typically I’d be the only female at car events. That’s a significant accomplishment to inspire women to want to care for and customize their cars. It was a poorly researched article, in my opinion. Using title information isn’t super accurate.

 

[Zigzagmolly]

What a good point I so agree, you go girl but...... electric systems utilize MOTORS not engines.

I FINALLY stopped saying, "gas pedal". Now I have to remember to say "motor", not engine!