Unexpected Tesla Fans

[billh13850]

Very few Model 3s or Teslas of any sort here in central NY. There are maybe 2-3 others in the general area, I see a red one and a black one occasionally, and someone's got an S on the east side of town. I do get comments, but not all that many. Been getting a few negative comments lately, but that's because it's likely the messiest Tesla on the planet at the moment - haven't cleaned out the back since the Covid-19 thing started.

I've gotten nervous / tense a couple of times as certain types of people approached about the car, but almost all the comments (other than those about the mess) have been positive. Still worried about a potential confrontation with some Neanderthal "coal-rolling" anti-Tesla type, but haven't gotten any "to my face" comments to that effect. A few ICE drivers have been rude on the road or given me the finger, but I just let them disappear in the rearview mirror, not my problem...

 

[Phlier]

Yes, it surprised me at first.

The fact is, the car itself convinces folks to pay attention, I know up until I took my first test drive, I kind of thought it was not much more than a faster, larger golf cart, even though I had already done some reading and research, I had no idea what they were really capable of until I drove one. My brother owns a souped up 800+HP Hellcat, is pretty conservative, and was dismissive of my want to buy a Tesla. He took me to pick mine up, test drove it when we got home, and the very next week he went back down to order a Model S. He had no idea. He kept the Hellcat, and traded his BMW 700 series in, haha.

Anytime one of my more conservative friends might be dismissive of Tesla when they learn I own one, I will answer their questions, and if they still are dismissive, I just say, “go drive one, and then tell me what you think”.

The tide is turning indeed, and it all it took was for someone to build a machine that most people, no matter their political views, would want to drive, would love driving, instead of something that appealed only to a smaller, more narrow demographic. Genius.

I normally avoid talking about politics at all costs, but I'm going to (gently) come out of my comfort zone here for just a sec...

I've had muscle cars and pickup trucks most of my adult life. I was raised in a conservative family. Cheap gas, big V8's, and no environmental awareness.

Then I bought my Model 3. Funny how that little car can change you. Ever since we got the car, the family has been talking about environmental awareness and carbon footprint reduction. We are even considering putting in solar, even though our electricity rate here is 6 cents kW/h. Shortly after buying the Model 3, I bought an electric mower and string trimmer. The gas powered pressure washer is the next in line to be replaced with an electric model.

Like the OP, I've also had quite a few conversations about our Tesla with strangers, and have actually been surprised by how closed minded some of us conservative folks can be... I've had a lot of negative conversations and more "coal rolling" experiences than I'd care to think about. I even had one guy start off the "conversation" with, "Oh, driving a Tesla, huh? You must be one of those tree hugging liberals then, I bet. Did you just move here from California?" I was so stunned I didn't reply. Just rolled the window up and drove away.

Taking care of our planet is a non-partisan concern; every person has the responsibility to do their part, IMO.

And @Lindamon I'm very jealous that there are destination chargers at your outdoor gun ranges! We are a family of responsible gun owners who enjoy the shooting sports, reloading our own ammunition, and doing our part to reduce our impact on the planet.

I really hope I didn't just start a fire storm of political back-and-forth that no one can ever win. I just wanted to let people know that even us hard headed conservatives can be won over with some gentle nudging.... and a Tesla.

 

[brucet999]

I really hope I didn't just start a fire storm of political back-and-forth that no one can ever win. I just wanted to let people know that even us hard headed conservatives can be won over with some gentle nudging.... and a Tesla.

I agree with you that concern for the environment is not a left or right thing. I am a conservative who learned as a boy scout to leave the wilderness as I found it, and was smitten with the whole concept of electric cars and rooftop solar to reduce my impact on the environment. None of my many liberal friends (I live in California, so ipso facto, most people I know are liberals, some of whom could buy and sell me without digging deep into their pockets) drives an electric car or has solar panels. If I suggest that global warming may not be entirely anthropogenic, they call me a science denier, yet not one of them has solar panels and they all drive ICE vehicles.

It is hard to understand.

 

[Apprunner]

That’s funny. Some people asked if I was a tree hugger for getting a Tesla. I tell them I’ve annihilated every ICE ever played with and drive like a stole it.

 

[toolman335]

Conservative here as well. I've won over a lot of people with the car in my year of ownership but I still get a lot of "oh how's the electricity produced?" lines. They claim electricity is just as dirty as gas. Funny thing around here is that most of our power is nuclear. No matter what you think of it, it certainly is quite green.
There's a comeback for everything. If you get solar they'll say the panels were made in China and the production of them is a very dirty process.
Like it has been posted in here, they also talk about batteries filling up landfills.

 

[one2many]

In Europe electric power is expense. In some areas we see almost a
25% coverage in panels. Electric car sales have been rising here and
we do not see as many nutters as before. I save (with panels and my model 3)
about $500 a month. Most folks are very interested , how far, how fast and charge time.
110mph, as far as an old mans bladder can last and two cigs your good to go.
They either laugh or go wow or both.

 

[dmurphy]

Had a great conversation the other day with a hard-core Harley biker on his way back from Sturgis. It was an interesting dichotomy - the H-D parked next to our Model X; both enjoying checking out each others’ ride. Really cool stuff - plenty of room in this world for all of us, if we have an open mind!

 

[Lasairfion]

I see myself as small 'c' conservative for the most part. I live in a rural part of the UK big on dairy and sheep farming. My small town has barely anyone who isn't white and can't trace their family back as local for 500 years. The gun club isn't too far away. It's not a massively wealthy area although some bits are. Yet I've seen an increasing amount of Teslas over the last year or so with S and X and now in the last few months Model 3s. Solar on homes and farm buildings is also pretty common.

The car appeals because the costs, the performance and the design are good. That's how people round here consider everything. If Tesla made tractors with the same sort of ground-breaking stats, those'd sell like hotcakes too.

 

[Gasaraki]

My daughter was born in 2014. We got our first X in 2016. In 2018 we vacationed in the Cayman Islands. Most taxis there are vans, with the automated doors that slide open/close horizontally. During and after that trip, all my daughter would talk about is how cool the taxi van doors were

Time to get a minivan

 

[Gasaraki]

Very few Model 3s or Teslas of any sort here in central NY. There are maybe 2-3 others in the general area, I see a red one and a black one occasionally, and someone's got an S on the east side of town. I do get comments, but not all that many. Been getting a few negative comments lately, but that's because it's likely the messiest Tesla on the planet at the moment - haven't cleaned out the back since the Covid-19 thing started.

I've gotten nervous / tense a couple of times as certain types of people approached about the car, but almost all the comments (other than those about the mess) have been positive. Still worried about a potential confrontation with some Neanderthal "coal-rolling" anti-Tesla type, but haven't gotten any "to my face" comments to that effect. A few ICE drivers have been rude on the road or given me the finger, but I just let them disappear in the rearview mirror, not my problem...

OMG, the same feeling. I get nervous when someone sudden wants to talk to me about the car. You just never know about nutcases.

 

[SomeJoe7777]

Still worried about a potential confrontation with some Neanderthal "coal-rolling" anti-Tesla type, but haven't gotten any "to my face" comments to that effect. A few ICE drivers have been rude on the road or given me the finger, but I just let them disappear in the rearview mirror, not my problem...

I got coal-rolled twice last week. Par for the course down here.

I've had a Tesla since 2015 (one Model S, two Model 3s). The first 6-12 months I had the S I used to get questioned about it occasionally, but not as often as you might think. That went away around 2016 and I rarely if ever got any comments on it after that.

I've only been questioned about the Model 3 ONE time, and that was from someone who had one ordered but hadn't gotten it yet.

This is the summary of the Houston attitude towards Teslas:

But then comes March 2020 and Covid. And the attitudes have tumbled downhill at breakneck pace. I had never been coal-rolled before that, but have now experienced it several times in the past few months. Gotten the finger a few times. Get cut off and brake-checked fairly routinely. Some of those things are general anger at everyone and everything that's been brought on by Covid, but then there's some of it that's specifically aimed at Tesla.

I'm getting to where I hate driving. I can't get to the office in the mornings any more without some sort of incident. You guys who are still getting people who are inquisitive and interested in learning about the car need to count your blessings, because I haven't seen any of that in a long time.

 

[billh13850]

hehe hehehe

 

[brucet999]

If you get solar they'll say the panels were made in China and the production of them is a very dirty process.
Like it has been posted in here, they also talk about batteries filling up landfills.

That's the reason I paid a premium for the most efficient panels from SunPower. I did not want to reduce pollution at home by polluting some other part of the world, so I went with SunPower whose manufacturing plants have been certified environmentally conscious.

 

[toolman335]

That's the reason I paid a premium for the most efficient panels from SunPower. I did not want to reduce pollution at home by polluting some other part of the world, so I went with SunPower whose manufacturing plants have been certified environmentally conscious.

Are you happy with the system? Do you have a powerwall?

 

[toolman335]

I got coal-rolled twice last week. Par for the course down here.

I've had a Tesla since 2015 (one Model S, two Model 3s). The first 6-12 months I had the S I used to get questioned about it occasionally, but not as often as you might think. That went away around 2016 and I rarely if ever got any comments on it after that.

I've only been questioned about the Model 3 ONE time, and that was from someone who had one ordered but hadn't gotten it yet.

This is the summary of the Houston attitude towards Teslas:

But then comes March 2020 and Covid. And the attitudes have tumbled downhill at breakneck pace. I had never been coal-rolled before that, but have now experienced it several times in the past few months. Gotten the finger a few times. Get cut off and brake-checked fairly routinely. Some of those things are general anger at everyone and everything that's been brought on by Covid, but then there's some of it that's specifically aimed at Tesla.

I'm getting to where I hate driving. I can't get to the office in the mornings any more without some sort of incident. You guys who are still getting people who are inquisitive and interested in learning about the car need to count your blessings, because I haven't seen any of that in a long time.

In NH there are plenty of people who haven't even heard of these cars, so I'm thankfully not getting harassed LOL
In a rough part of my neighborhood I had kids on bikes approach and circle the car but they were gawking at it. Phew. I have to think that I drive a Tesla where few people have

 

[brucet999]

Are you happy with the system? Do you have a powerwall?

Yes, I'm very happy with the system. 5kW is enough to offset our home and car usage here where net metering is in effect.

No PowerWall. Too expensive for the rarity and short duration of power outages in SoCal, where we never have severe weather. Even cost shifting is unnecessary, since our array is west-facing so we produce maximum power when we are able to sell it back to the Grid at peak rates of $0.34/kWh, and charge the car at night for $0.125/kWh.

One other factor in choosing SunPower was that they manufacture in Mexico, so we helped keep jobs in North America, if not USA.

 

[toolman335]

Yes, I'm very happy with the system. 5kW is enough to offset our home and car usage here where net metering is in effect.

No PowerWall. Too expensive for the rarity and short duration of power outages in SoCal, where we never have severe weather. Even cost shifting is unnecessary, since our array is west-facing so we produce maximum power when we are able to sell it back to the Grid at peak rates of $0.34/kWh, and charge the car at night for $0.125/kWh.

One other factor in choosing SunPower was that they manufacture in Mexico, so we helped keep jobs in North America, if not USA.

Thanks for the info! Is the Powerwall useful with the blackouts?

 

[Candleflame]

From my pre-Tesla 3 days, I would hazard a guess he thought all Tesla drivers were jerks - slamming the accelerator pedel to the floor on green. Now that I own one, I realize that you just don't notice how fast you are accelerating relative to most cars. I would agree with 3) - all the Prius drivers I know are more practical than average; they are interested in space utilization and non-stop range - they will go 600 miles between stops. And having rented a Prius for a work field trip, I am still very impressed with the trunk - I was able to fit cases of equipment I was unable to fit in any other rental sedan - I had been renting minivans, but none were available at one location.

not really. its the same with people driving diesel. they have much more lowend torque and take off quicker than other cars. you dont really notice that when you are used to it.
It's like driving a BMW 318i e46 with a 0 to 60mph of like 9.5s compared to your old vauxhall corsa with 0 to 60mph of 15s. the bmw feels fast as lightning. After a while you dont notice.

 

[jjrandorin]

Thanks for the info! Is the Powerwall useful with the blackouts?

Yes (and all the people going through rolling blackouts right now, and public power safety shutoffs last year, and going forward basically forever in many parts of CA) would disagree with the "we never have severe weather in CA" statement.

"How much" they help depends on what your electrical load is, and how many you buy. In CA, solar tends to proliferate where people have to run AC a lot (which really isnt huntington beach). Where I live, in Temecula CA, solar penetration is pretty heavy... like every third house heavy.

 

[Gasaraki]

I got coal-rolled twice last week. Par for the course down here.

I've had a Tesla since 2015 (one Model S, two Model 3s). The first 6-12 months I had the S I used to get questioned about it occasionally, but not as often as you might think. That went away around 2016 and I rarely if ever got any comments on it after that.

I've only been questioned about the Model 3 ONE time, and that was from someone who had one ordered but hadn't gotten it yet.

This is the summary of the Houston attitude towards Teslas:

But then comes March 2020 and Covid. And the attitudes have tumbled downhill at breakneck pace. I had never been coal-rolled before that, but have now experienced it several times in the past few months. Gotten the finger a few times. Get cut off and brake-checked fairly routinely. Some of those things are general anger at everyone and everything that's been brought on by Covid, but then there's some of it that's specifically aimed at Tesla.

I'm getting to where I hate driving. I can't get to the office in the mornings any more without some sort of incident. You guys who are still getting people who are inquisitive and interested in learning about the car need to count your blessings, because I haven't seen any of that in a long time.

That's why i don't live in Texas.