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Unusual Questions from the Public
- Thread starter Prime Mover
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smorgasbord
Active Member
Thanks for the correction.
Even sadder still, though. Half a ton of Li-Ion batteries and they still really needed a few pounds of AGM battery?
kgb
Member
I don't get funny ones like you. The main question I get is this:
"Nice car, what kind of car is that?"
"It's a Tesla. It's all electric."
"Really?! All electric? Who makes it?"
"Tesla"
"Yeah, but who makes it?"
"Nice car, what kind of car is that?"
"It's a Tesla. It's all electric."
"Really?! All electric? Who makes it?"
"Tesla"
"Yeah, but who makes it?"
S-2000 Roadster
#1244
I don't know if this next one counts. Maybe "Unusual Statements from the Public" or something to the effect that it should have been phrased as a question...
Anyway, I parked in front of a grocery store to dine at a restaurant across the street. When I returned to my car, several grocery store employees were taking a smoking break. One of them was answering questions about the Tesla. He got quite a few 'facts' wrong, but I can't remember any examples. The most frustrating one was when he started explaining that the Tesla Roadster has keyless entry such that you have to swipe an identification card through a magnetic slot on the dash in order to start it. I held up my key fob and explained that he was wrong, that it has a normal steering column, but he continued to insist that he was right. I had to drive away from that one.
Anyway, I parked in front of a grocery store to dine at a restaurant across the street. When I returned to my car, several grocery store employees were taking a smoking break. One of them was answering questions about the Tesla. He got quite a few 'facts' wrong, but I can't remember any examples. The most frustrating one was when he started explaining that the Tesla Roadster has keyless entry such that you have to swipe an identification card through a magnetic slot on the dash in order to start it. I held up my key fob and explained that he was wrong, that it has a normal steering column, but he continued to insist that he was right. I had to drive away from that one.
Fabrizio
Member
I had a pretty lady pull up along side me at a red light once and ask "Is that a Ferrari?" I said "No, it's a Tesla, it's faster" and took off as the light changed.
I've met two types of people - those who know a lot about Tesla, and those who know nothing about Tesla.
Typical conversation with someone who knows nothing about Tesla:
"That's a beautiful car. What is it?" "It's a Tesla"
"Who makes it?" "Tesla"
"Where is it made?" "US of A - California. It's all electric"
"Really, so it's a hybrid." "No, it's 100% electric, no gasoline engine at all."
"How far can you go before you have to recharge?" "Up to 245 miles"
"How fast does it go?" "This is the slow version, it only does 0-60 in 3.9 seconds. Top speed is 125 mph"
"Slow version? How fast is the fast version?" "0-60 in 3.7 seconds"
"How much, if you don't mind me asking?" "$120,000. The fast version is about $150,000."
At this point I leave them to pick their jaw up off the floor
I've met two types of people - those who know a lot about Tesla, and those who know nothing about Tesla.
Typical conversation with someone who knows nothing about Tesla:
"That's a beautiful car. What is it?" "It's a Tesla"
"Who makes it?" "Tesla"
"Where is it made?" "US of A - California. It's all electric"
"Really, so it's a hybrid." "No, it's 100% electric, no gasoline engine at all."
"How far can you go before you have to recharge?" "Up to 245 miles"
"How fast does it go?" "This is the slow version, it only does 0-60 in 3.9 seconds. Top speed is 125 mph"
"Slow version? How fast is the fast version?" "0-60 in 3.7 seconds"
"How much, if you don't mind me asking?" "$120,000. The fast version is about $150,000."
At this point I leave them to pick their jaw up off the floor
That's a good one, but not quite as good as the story that Bob Bressler tells about a similar scenario in which the guy insisted that the car was a Ferrari. Bob had to drive away from that one, too.
strider
Active Member
This is odd as I've heard something similar. An IT guy at my company told me that Tesla let his Dad (who he tells me is quite wealthy and well-connected) drive a "super-early prototype" that had a "magnetic key" that you had to hold up to a spot on the dash to start it.
This guy tells a lot of stories so I dismissed it but I find it odd that someone else is telling a similar story.
S-2000 Roadster
#1244
As my buddy pointed out last time I sped away from a couple of young ladies, "It's hard to get a phone number when you leave!"
I take you don't need to meet any pretty ladies! :wink:
Fabrizio
Member
Morristhecat
Member
I had a weird question the other day while at a traffic light. The guy next to me is checking out the car and yells over, "Thats an electric car right?", so I nod. Then he asks,"So... It doesn't have any motor at all - right?". Geeze, I felt like telling the guy - no it doesn't, that is why there is a hole in the floor so I can run along and make it go, like in the flintstones. Then drive off leaving him in my dust.
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mknox
Well-Known Member
I think this qualifies as "unusual" questions from the public:
Over the course of two days, I had two people who believed Tesla was a Canadian company (I am in Canada). One was at the Tesla store in Toronto when a person came up to me and the Tesla rep I was talking to and said "Tesla's a Canadian company, right?" The rep told him they were from California. The second was the next day when an auto mechanic from a nearby shop walked over to me in the parking lot and asked the exact same thing.
Was there some misleading thing in the Canadian press I missed???
Over the course of two days, I had two people who believed Tesla was a Canadian company (I am in Canada). One was at the Tesla store in Toronto when a person came up to me and the Tesla rep I was talking to and said "Tesla's a Canadian company, right?" The rep told him they were from California. The second was the next day when an auto mechanic from a nearby shop walked over to me in the parking lot and asked the exact same thing.
Was there some misleading thing in the Canadian press I missed???
Personal bias might play a factor here.
If you're a Canadian and hear about a "non-foreign car company doing good things" you want to believe it's Canadian.
If you're an American and hear about a "non-foreign car company doing good things" you want to believe it's American.
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He probably meant engine. I see this like the "high powered wall charger" vs "high powered wall connector". I've heard Elon himself call it a charger in at least one of the interviews / conf calls.
I talked to a guy who owned a Volt recently who swore up and down that his car DID NOT have a gasoline engine. Some of us standing there knew better and offered a small wager to settle the question. He was so confidant that he upped the small wager to a large bet! LOL lucky for him we didn't make him pay! When we asked about what happened to the stuff in the gas tank he said "well, yeah it has a gas tank but no engine, nothing with pistons or anything like that!" So we opened his hood and showed him his oil dip stick, and something else (plug wires? can't remember) that only piston powered engines have. Dumbfounded, he said "OK, it has a gas generator, but no engine!" He was a really nice guy so we were trying not to make him look stupid but it was all we could do not to start laughing out loud. He had 2 advanced degrees, both from Ivy League institutions.
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