Why are people waiting at Costco gas stations instead of buying Teslas?

[JetFalcon]

So why are people still waiting in those super long lines at Costco gas stations just to save a few cents on gas? It's not even half off, or a quarter off. I feel if those people are willing to wait 30 minutes to save a few cents, why not just buy a Tesla or EV? Especially those driving cars in the same price range as Tesla or Chevy Bolt, those people don't have any excuse about not being able to afford the initial cost of an EV.

If those people can wait at Costco gas stations, then they should be able to wait at a supercharging station for the same amount of time as a Costco gas station and pay less money. And they have the benefit of leaving their car to do stuff around the charging station (shopping / eating) than waiting in line. Maybe sometimes you have to wait in line during peak times, but I haven't done supercharging enough to know the trend of when the busiest times are.

I never waited at a Costco gas station, the savings didn't seem to justify the wait time. I may only wait 30-40 minutes if the gas was over half off, but then the lines probably be going around city blocks if that really happened. But that's how long it takes to charge at a supercharger, and you pay less. Makes no sense why people won't think switching to EV is better than trying to save money at a Costco gas station.

I joked around with my Tesla advisor saying if I should go to Costco gas stations to promote my Tesla code and get people to buy a Tesla. He said if I succeeded and got everyone to buy a Tesla, that Tesla would hire me and pay me alot of money instead.

 

[iamroy]

Buying this car to save money doesn't quite make sense. At best, it's a $40,000 purchase. The folks trying to save a few cents on gas are probably not the folks that can make a $40k purchase.

If it was about saving money, I'd just keep my Honda Civic.

 

[kirbo20]

I don't understand it either. Sam's Club has the same long lines.

 

[tvad]

Buying this car to save money doesn't quite make sense. At best, it's a $40,000 purchase. The folks trying to save a few cents on gas are probably not the folks that can make a $40k purchase.

If it was about saving money, I'd just keep my Honda Civic.

You make too much sense. Are you sure you belong on this forum?

 

[adam0785]

Buying this car to save money doesn't quite make sense. At best, it's a $40,000 purchase. The folks trying to save a few cents on gas are probably not the folks that can make a $40k purchase.

If it was about saving money, I'd just keep my Honda Civic.

*I added the emphasis/bold font*

Are you sure people who try to save a cent here or there cannot afford a $40,000 car? If my understanding is correct, the smartest money people never buy new cars, because they let "suckers" take the depreciation hit.....With Tesla's pricing changes, that is even more amplified

 

[Haxster]

Saving money is more about psychology than economics. It's hard to rationalize the feeling that most people get when they get something of value for less than they would otherwise get. You'll see some expensive cars in line at the Costco gas pumps.

Personally, I get more enjoyment from something that I got at a bargain than feeling quasi ripped off at paying "full price".

A former Apple executive became CEO of JC Penny. He thought that lowering everyday prices and eliminating sales and discounts would appeal to shoppers. It didn't. Sales tanked and so did his employment status. Shoppers wanted to feel that they were getting "a deal"....even if the deal was already there.

 

[pk44FG]

So why are people still waiting in those super long lines at Costco gas stations just to save a few cents on gas? It's not even half off, or a quarter off. I feel if those people are willing to wait 30 minutes to save a few cents, why not just buy a Tesla or EV? Especially those driving cars in the same price range as Tesla or Chevy Bolt, those people don't have any excuse about not being able to afford the initial cost of an EV.

If those people can wait at Costco gas stations, then they should be able to wait at a supercharging station for the same amount of time as a Costco gas station and pay less money. And they have the benefit of leaving their car to do stuff around the charging station (shopping / eating) than waiting in line. Maybe sometimes you have to wait in line during peak times, but I haven't done supercharging enough to know the trend of when the busiest times are.

I never waited at a Costco gas station, the savings didn't seem to justify the wait time. I may only wait 30-40 minutes if the gas was over half off, but then the lines probably be going around city blocks if that really happened. But that's how long it takes to charge at a supercharger, and you pay less. Makes no sense why people won't think switching to EV is better than trying to save money at a Costco gas station.

I joked around with my Tesla advisor saying if I should go to Costco gas stations to promote my Tesla code and get people to buy a Tesla. He said if I succeeded and got everyone to buy a Tesla, that Tesla would hire me and pay me alot of money instead.

Here would be my primary concerns : no charger in my apartment complex, no room for 5 people and cargo in $40K range, and dont want to spend 100K for that; no service center within a half hour drive; cant take the hit ditching my 3-6 year old car; winter range; true range and probably more..

 

[adam0785]

Saving money is more about psychology than economics. It's hard to rationalize the feeling that most people get when they get something of value for less than they would otherwise get. You'll see some expensive cars in line at the Costco gas pumps.

Personally, I get more enjoyment from something that I got at a bargain than feeling quasi ripped off at paying "full price".

A former Apple executive became CEO of JC Penny. He thought that lowering everyday prices and eliminating sales and discounts would appeal to shoppers. It didn't. Sales tanked and so did his employment status. Shoppers wanted to feel that they were getting "a deal"....even if the deal was already there.

I rented a townhouse from a multi-millionaire who drove a dingy 1995 Toyota Camery.....he didn't care what people thought of him, he provided for his family and lived a simple life....

 

[mswlogo]

I don't understand it either. Sam's Club has the same long lines.

View attachment 466113

Those are not 30 minute lines. 10 minutes tops. They can go 400 miles typically on that.
And they (well, most) don't HAVE to get gas there if they don't want to. They do it, when they have the time.

Why doesn't everyone have Solar either?

Having money, saves money.

That's partly why the rich keep getting richer and the poor keep getting poorer.
The real poor folks can't afford a Sams Membership and pay more for gas around the corner.

 

[240W]

What can you say...

People love Costco.

 

[mswlogo]

Here would be my primary concerns : no charger in my apartment complex, no room for 5 people and cargo in $40K range, and dont want to spend 100K for that; no service center within a half hour drive; cant take the hit ditching my 3-6 year old car; winter range; true range and probably more..

I saw a family of 5 (two in car seats) pile into a Model 3 Performance with white seats

Service Center within 30 minutes, who cares. Mine is and 1 hour away, I could care less.

True range is pretty awesome. I bet I have more range on average, "daily", in my tank than you do on average every day.

Apartment complex is a valid issue, I would not have a Tesla without charging at home (or work).

How is your car 3-6 years old?

To me, there is no "Hit" after 3 years selling an older car. It's worth what it's worth. But sure, running a car into the ground for 10 years and 200k+ miles will always be your cheapest route.

You could consider a used Model S (room for 5). Probably find one with free supercharging. Might even find one with extended Service Plan. Older cars have less range and some degradation though.

For the record, it's $85K for a loaded spanking new Model X. Not $100K. I know that's still a lot more than $40K.

A Model Y, might fit your criteria. But you need to resolve the charging issue. Some folks are lucky that they can charge at work. Or near work for free. But you definitely don't want charging to be a "chore" or you'll learn to hate EV.

 

[Obsoletion]

When I got my first Model S in 2014, I really thought the gas savings would be the great thing about having the EV. It's not even in the top 5 for me. 1st has to be not wasting time getting gas and never having to think about getting gas. The only time this really ended up being a bad thing was a couple of weeks ago when I was out of town on a trip and forgot to buy gas for the rental car when I returned it...going to a gas station is just not something that crosses my mind. Cost me $75 dollars for 75 miles of driving!

 

[wdolson]

The average age of a car on US roads is 12 years. Most of those cars in line at Costco are owned by people who probably can't afford a newer car. And many of those who can afford a new car are ignorant of what Tesla is offering, are too timid to go for something that new tech, or are too conservative to go for something that hippy. There are many reasons people aren't driving Teslas. Though if something happens to drive up oil prices I expect demand for electric cars will go up sharply.

 

[ebmcs03]

I dunno. I still get gas for my Prius in the ridiculous long lines at Costco. And I get frustrated every time I go when I thought there would be no lines at 10am. Boy am I wrong.

 

[kbecks13]

This whole post is a massive "1st world problem" and/or signaling some major entitlement

"Why doesn't everyone drive expensive luxury cars, are they dumb or something??" lol

 

[adam0785]

The average age of a car on US roads is 12 years. Most of those cars in line at Costco are owned by people who probably can't afford a newer car. And many of those who can afford a new car are ignorant of what Tesla is offering, are too timid to go for something that new tech, or are too conservative to go for something that hippy. There are many reasons people aren't driving Teslas. Though if something happens to drive up oil prices I expect demand for electric cars will go up sharply.

I was going to ask how long the average Tesla owner sits while charging, but considering V10 update mostly included media updates like Netflix integration, I'm guessing its longer than people at Costco

 

[jkoya]

I still have a 1997 Acura NSX and I get my gas at Costco. The reason is the entrance and exits of the 3 local Costco Gas stations are basically level and I can get in and out without scraping the front end of the car and thrashing the front spoiler...

 

[rickjames]

I was going to ask how long the average Tesla owner sits while charging, but considering V10 update mostly included media updates like Netflix integration, I'm guessing its longer than people at Costco

I only ever sit during the busiest times where I may have to wait 10 minutes to plug in. After that, it doesnt matter how long it takes because the charger is in a Target parking lot, where I do my grocery shopping. By the time I check out I am fully charged. (It also helps I never run my car down long enough to require more than a 30 minute charge to 80-85%). If it takes you longer than that, it sounds like poor planning or you are milking Tesla's free supercharging because you're a cheap ass.

 

[What The Frunk]

Unfortunately Costco does not sell common sense or math degrees. There are so many studies done showing the cost of ownership over 5 years and a Model 3 (suitable for most people) beats most vehicles costing less. And the older the ICE vehicle the bigger and more constant repairs. So quite a few people could in fact benefit by switching to the Model 3. Pay now or pay later continuously. Furthermore, we will all paying the price the clean up the mess that ICE cars pollution have caused to our planet.

 

[ebmcs03]

Unfortunately Costco does not sell common sense or math degrees. There are so many studies done showing the cost of ownership over 5 years and a Model 3 (suitable for most people) beats most vehicles costing less. And the older the ICE vehicle the bigger and more constant repairs. So quite a few people could in fact benefit by switching to the Model 3. Pay now or pay later continuously. Furthermore, we will all paying the price the clean up the mess that ICE cars pollution have caused to our planet.

Even with common sense and a degree doesn’t change the fact that people can’t afford a new car. Whether they want to save money in the long run or not.

Same reason why most ppl rent and not buy a house. Can’t afford the down. Not like they don’t know buying is better in the long run.