Which direction should Tesla go as a company?

[vfx]

And there is the best reason for Tesla to not build a better halo car for US sales.

Which will get the word out to spread sales?

Auto enthusiast magazines and websites that say in those pages for a single issue that Tesla has an even better car out that the 5% can afford. Hitting more Pebble Beach Events and high end events with a car.

or

Selling cars so every Dentist, Tech Guru, Real Estate Agent, Hollywood Actor, Green Politician, medium sized Businessperson, wealthy retirees, etc etc, are driving Model S's around the streets of the USA chatting them up with others at plugs and parking lots and owners giving rides to friends who can afford to buy more of them?

Not to mention the Tesla stores. They are getting thousands of people in them on the weekends. The LA store is selling something like 30 cars a day. Supercar dealerships are only in major metropolitan areas (often shared with two or three other brands) and only sell a few a week.

 

[brianman]

My eyes glazed over a few pages after this post so it may have already been spoken to ...

Their Gen III car should be smaller and more geared towards the European market and likely serve as the platform for the new Roadster as well so hopefully by 2015.

As I understand it, the Model S platform is being repurposed for the Model X and (for the AWD version) a second motor is being added in front.

It will be interesting to see if they take a similar tack for the Gen III. Namely...
1. scale down the S platform to accomodate an econobox body, deliver it as Commuter Gen III
2. put a second motor in place of the frunk and convertible hardtop into trunk, deliver as Roadster Gen III

Similar to the S-to-X conversion in the addition of the second motor. A reversal of the S-to-X conversion in the sense of body size likely shrinking on the same platform rather than growing. Different from the S-to-X in that instead of adding falcon wings, you're adding a convertible top.

 

[Kevin Sharpe]

here's just one example of the ~1000 cars on display at todays show.... note the parameters chosen for the signs :wink:

 

[bonnie]

I dunno, Kevin. We all have our opinions. But just because a car is on display with performance specs highlighted, doesn't make it the game changer. Cool, yes. Relevant? -shrug-

I used to feel the same way about the medical devices I worked on. Life-support, unique technology ... cool. I kind of yawned when I went to a company where the technology was pretty run-of-the-mill, but the UI allowed the elderly to take control of parts of their healthcare. "Really, this isn't cutting edge, folks." ... and then I saw the impact that the product was making both here in the US and in the UK.

Sometimes the game changer isn't about performance. Sometimes it's about being accessible to large numbers.

So peace. It doesn't really matter which way you or I think Tesla should go. They are already heading in a direction all on their own. We have the choice to buy their products. Or not. We have the choice to buy their stock. Or not. That's where we get to vote on this.

And we can argue and argue about this. But time will be the proof, won't it?

 

[Jason S]

Ford GT is an awesome car.

But it doesn't impact my decision to buy a Ford Focus. Or Mustang. Or w/e they are selling these days.

Imho with the amount of information available easily about cars these days every model has to stand on its own compared to others in its class. It could be argued that the "halo" effect simply doesn't exist anymore, but maybe that just me.

 

[JRP3]

I'd say the success of many OEM's who don't have any halo cars bares that out.

 

[Kevin Sharpe]

I dunno, Kevin. We all have our opinions. But just because a car is on display with performance specs highlighted, doesn't make it the game changer. Cool, yes. Relevant? -shrug-

What I think is relevant here is the fact that all the cars were being displayed with performance specs and as the various parades drove through the site the commentary reflected the same thing... people are interested in this data and many impressed by the idea of 200 mph cars, etc.

I display my roadster at a lot of 'mainstream' car events and talk to a LOT of people... I think their is a gap between what some people here think is important and what many 'mainstream' buyers think... IMO this is important because we all want EV to become mainstream :smile:

 

[dsm363]

A lot of people may care about those numbers because that's what has been thrown at them for decades by auto manufacturers and the auto press. Maybe Tesla can focus on things to their advantage such as 0-60 time, amount of torque and the torque curve, zero tailpipe emissions...etc

 

[Kevin Sharpe]

Maybe Tesla can focus on things to their advantage such as 0-60 time, amount of torque and the torque curve, zero tailpipe emissions...etc

yep, bring that into every conversation where possible :smile:

 

[Kevin Sharpe]

Is it to early to say "I told you so" :wink:

"I agree with all comments. I think the powertrain is pretty well fleshed out and the delays are due to relatively minor fit/finish, door handle, and console redesign delays."

 

[AnOutsider]

Is it to early to say "I told you so" :wink:

"I agree with all comments. I think the powertrain is pretty well fleshed out and the delays are due to relatively minor fit/finish, door handle, and console redesign delays."

What exactly are you boasting about here?

 

[ckessel]

I display my roadster at a lot of 'mainstream' car events and talk to a LOT of people... I think their is a gap between what some people here think is important and what many 'mainstream' buyers think... IMO this is important because we all want EV to become mainstream :smile:

Mainstream buyers don't go to car events. Enthusiasts do.

 

[Kevin Sharpe]

What exactly are you boasting about here?

It's not a 'boast' but a prediction that I made;

"You all love your 17" screens, wooden dash, and crazy doors, but IMO this is where much of the risk lies for Tesla.... they do power-trains, electronics, and batteries really, really well.... can they actually match this with the rest of the car?"

 

[Kevin Sharpe]

Mainstream buyers don't go to car events. Enthusiasts do.

not here sorry... it's a 'day out' for many families

 

[ckessel]

not here sorry... it's a 'day out' for many families

Families where at least one parent is an enthusiast. You think a non-enthusiast is going to pay money to drag their kids around an event they don't care about? That's not to diminish car shows, I have my own enthusiast niches, but what percentage of people do you really think attend car shows?

 

[AnOutsider]

It's not a 'boast' but a prediction that I made;

"You all love your 17" screens, wooden dash, and crazy doors, but IMO this is where much of the risk lies for Tesla.... they do power-trains, electronics, and batteries really, really well.... can they actually match this with the rest of the car?"

 

[Kevin Sharpe]

Families where at least one parent is an enthusiast. You think a non-enthusiast is going to pay money to drag their kids around an event they don't care about?

Many 'car shows' in the UK are part of other events and therefore you do get a lot of overlap here.

Last weeks show for example was a craft fair, open day at the castle, and large car event...

 

[Kevin Sharpe]

View attachment 7939

ok, not ready for a serious debate yet.... I'll wait a bit longer :smile:

 

[ckessel]

Many 'car shows' in the UK are part of other events and therefore you do get a lot of overlap here.

Good to know. I still seriously doubt the people that stop to ask questions and talk to you are remotely "mainstream", they're self selected high interest. Your posting signature alone shows you're pretty far out on the enthusiast niche (which is fine, we all have our interests) and that's going to heavily bias the selection of car people you meet.

 

[Kevin Sharpe]

Good to know. I still seriously doubt the people that stop to ask questions and talk to you are remotely "mainstream", they're self selected high interest.

Not at all... most people stop because they see a sign with the word "battery" and start talking about the RC models they had as a kid, Top Gear, or (mainly women) because they like the colour.