Tesla's new Strategy?!?!?

[ShortSlaver]

that last guy asked the best question

And I get the feeling an AWD S is in the works...

 

[J in MN]

This announcement creates way more questions than answers. I don't think Elon thought this through all the way. Some of these promises will come to bite him in the future, just like the supercharging for free for ever.

 

[brianstorms]

that last guy asked the best question

These conf calls are hilarious and exasperating at the same time. Elon is such a trip to listen to. Can you imagine what it must be like for Tesla's corporate communications director, with Elon running amok in these conf calls? 500 mile batteries, upgraded batteries, etc. What was the main announcement today again?

 

[Andrew]

I still wish they would clarify what is considered "damage" to the battery versus normal degradation.

+1! I wish there was a defined degradation percentage that would be covered under warranty. If they could say something like "Guaranteed to have at least 75% of your original range after 8 years" that would go a long way towards generating sales, alleviating long-term "range anxiety."

 

[GlennAlanBerry]

It is refreshing to hear some honesty from a CEO. I love Elon!

 

[Enadler]

Love the ease of trading in for the latest and greatest. Lets say 2 years from now when the 500 mile Ultra Performance model comes out then I can take it as a loaner try it and keep it and only pay the difference. The question will be what Tesla will pay for my car.

The other item is that it establishes a market for certified used MS's very quickly. The used car market will be important. This will create more affordable MS's more quickly.

 

[NuclearPowered]

Elon spoke as if they already had achieved the 500 mile range on a test battery.

It very much did sound that way.:smile:

 

[Stoneymonster]

Well now I have no idea whether prepaying for the service plan is a good idea or not. I really really wish they would give some more concrete details on what they plan to do at those visits, especially now that they are not required. Convince me to give you my money, Tesla!

 

[Jeeps17]

The ranger plan is for them to come look at your car for things other than the annual service.

In today's blog Elon makes no mention that this free valet loaner drop-off and pick-up is only intended for annual service visits.

He says "if your car needs service".

Hence my query about a relative loss of value of the ranger program.

Yes, the work may not be done at my home, but if I do not have to drive to the service center and I have another Tesla I can use while it is being done, why would I bother with rangers (again, unless you happen to live very far away from a service center)?

 

[Banahogg]

What all this means for those of us who already chose and paid for a plan seems to be up in the air too. I may stop by the Santana Row store over lunch and see if they have more information...

 

[Grendal]

At the Kahn Academy interview Elon did mention that there were battery advancements that he was aware of that were very exciting. The 500 mile battery pack seems to be the result.

 

[qwk]

I just thought of something else. If you have a car with problems ie. body gaps that you are not happy about, trade it in on the loaner you like. Wow. This could become a game changer.

 

[andrewket]

Well now I have no idea whether prepaying for the service plan is a good idea or not. I really really wish they would give some more concrete details on what they plan to do at those visits, especially now that they are not required. Convince me to give you my money, Tesla!

I agree, but - if the service department's goal is 0% profit, that would imply that the service plans are a good deal for the customer, at least on the surface.

 

[Stoneymonster]

I just thought of something else. If you have a car with problems ie. body gaps that you are not happy about, trade it in on the loaner you like. Wow. This could become a game changer.

Well, in the case the problems are Tesla's fault, I would hope they would be extra "helpful".

 

[andrewket]

At the Kahn Academy interview Elon did mention that there were battery advancements that he was aware of that were very exciting. The 500 mile battery pack seems to be the result.

This may be a good reason to pick up an HPWC rather than a 2nd UMC. Higher amperage charging may be more desirable in the future.

 

[qwk]

Well, in the case the problems are Tesla's fault, I would hope they would be extra "helpful".

Can you name any other auto manufacturer, that stands behind their product in the manner announced today? I sure can't. Not even close.

 

[Stoneymonster]

It strikes me that Tesla is trying to squeeze the car model into the consumer electronics model. I.e. lots of folks upgrade to the latest phone every year. I wonder if they are trying to make it easier to do that with cars.

 

[DriverOne]

The blog entry is pretty excellent. A Dutch Auction for the loaners - nice!

 

[Stoneymonster]

Can you name any other auto manufacturer, that stands behind their product in the manner announced today? I sure can't. Not even close.

Nope. This is all very positive, didn't mean to give the impression I wasn't impressed. Just that if a car isn't up to factory specs, I would hope Tesla would make it right, not just encourage you to buy a new one.

 

[mitch672]

"Trading" your car for the loaner isn't going to be as simple as Elon thinks... Here are the issues:

Registration: you need to notify your insurance company you "traded" your car, my new VIN is xxxxxxxx (and expect to pay more as well)
Sales Tax: you will be required to pay sales tax on the difference on your trade
Excise Tax: now that you have that nice shiny new car, you can expect a nice new excise tax bill as well. Of course you should file for an abatement on what you've paid this year, most towns will "prorate" your rebate based on how many months of the year you have used.
Titles: you will be required to supply Tesla with the title to your existing Model S, that will be interesting if you have financed it...

They sound like they will also value your trade the same way they value the loaner cars: %1 per month and $1 mile, so subtract that from your original purchase price to see what you'd get on your trade.