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

[jjrandorin]

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.

Maybe this depends on where one lives, but before I got my model 3, I filled up my brand new BMW 435 for 3 years on costco gas, and my wife fills up (still) her 2019 X3 M40i with costco gas. Additionally, in my neighborhood (temecula,ca), it was much more common to see BMW / Merc / Audi / Porsche (new / newer), than "some hoopty".

The costco close to me usually averages 20-30 cents a gallon cheaper than other stations, even for the premium my previous car (and wifes current car) took. With gas now in our area well over 4.00 a gallon, and a typical fill up in my car being 13-15 gallons, simple math says the gas car saves $4.5 a tank.

I had to fill up my commuter BMW 435 every 3-4 days so roughly $30 a month, for stopping at costco in the morning to get gas (I refused to go during the day when those lines were long).

I am saving a lot more driving my model 3P, but there was also a large outlay of cash to get there. The car itself, the wall charger, electrical installation in the garage.

I always wonder why people feel like these type things have to be "either / or". Why do we have to attempt to "look down on" people who are not ready to drive an EV yet? Not much different than how people talk about Teslas on the BMW boards I am a member of... I dont get it from either side....

 

[dethman]

Why do people wait in line 10 minutes at Costco to save a few bucks on gas?

Why do people wait an hour sitting at a supercharger to save a few bucks on electricity?

*shrugs*

 

[argon2018]

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.

Not true, I used to always go to Costco for gas. Do you only see Honda and Toyotas putting gas at Costco?

 

[240W]

You don’t save by going to Costco....

Let me fill up gas, oh, since I’m here let me stop inside. 30 minutes later and $200 poorer. No wonder Costco stocks are doing so well.

 

[ebmcs03]

You don’t save by going to Costco....

Let me fill up gas, oh, since I’m here let me stop inside. 30 minutes later and $200 poorer. No wonder Costco stocks are doing so well.

You don’t have to go in.

 

[azjohn]

In my area Costco is only a few pennies per gallon cheaper not worth the headache IMO, better off to go to a regular gas station at night

 

[240W]

You don’t have to go in.

Easier said than done.

That place gets me all the time. End up buying stuff I didn’t know I need. And in bulk.

 

[camalaio]

This thread has been a wild ride.

Folks, not everyone has the money for a new car, whether it's a Tesla, a Camry, or a Mirage. As is almost always the case, in order to save money "long term" you need to actually have more short term money than average. And one of the early posters is entirely correct, a Model 3 isn't necessarily a money saver even in the long run. And they only potentially are in comparison to a new gas vehicle, which as many know is a good way to throw away money to depreciation immediately.

Just because someone can get a loan for a $40,000+ car over 7 years doesn't mean they should. If they already have a hard time paying for fuel each week, can you imagine them needing to make car payments? Increased insurance rates? Also, they probably get a ridiculously high interest rate, definitely negating any perceived notion of day-to-day savings.

Buying a Tesla hurt. We decided on a Model 3 over putting money down on a house this year. People will flock to me saying this was a stupid move (I guarantee there's a lot more context), but some of these people will be the ones saying people that can't afford to drive their $1500 gas-powered beater should go drop $40,000 somehow on a Tesla.

On topic, people often go more out of their way for gas than they save. It's a funny phenomenon, but very prevalent. I just get gas at the same two stations no matter the price because I can't be bothered to invest emotionally into the map of local gas pricing. Also, there's no way people are actually waiting 30 minutes at a gas station, that sounds very inflated. 10 minutes in line perhaps on a uniquely busy day?

Why do people wait in line 10 minutes at Costco to save a few bucks on gas?

Why do people wait an hour sitting at a supercharger to save a few bucks on electricity?

*shrugs*

Gosh, great point

 

[RC2785]

Why are people getting gas at Costco to begin with? Last I heard, Costco gas has a high ethanol count that can damage cars...

 

[Watts_Up]

Why are people getting gas at Costco to begin with?
Last I heard, Costco gas has a high ethanol count that can damage cars...

Don't all the refueling tanker trucks come from the same refinery?

Does It Matter Where You Get Gas?​

 

[rzareiser]

Don't all the refueling tanker trucks come from the same refinery?

Does It Matter Where You Get Gas?​

Answer: yep

 

[Watts_Up]

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

I guess, most people live in the past and are afraid of any change.

The Model 3 was targeting the BMW Series 3 and Audi A4 owners, and it had particularly been successful doing so.

Next step is to conveince Hybrid and Plug-In Hybrid drivers to get a Tesla .

This could be in fact the subject of a new thread with the following title:

Why are people buying Hybrids instead of buying an EV?​

 

[phaheem]

I see plenty of new Mercedes / BMW / Lexus waiting in line at Costco gas stations at the Tustin CA location.

Think a good amount of them can afford an EV or Tesla but choose not to because they think gas is more convenient. Or they just prefer the sound / feel of gas cars.

Yet they still will wait in those long lines to save a few bucks on a $50-70 purchase. Like they resent the idea of paying full price for gas but don’t wanna consider alternate energy.

I used to get gas at that location. Even with the lime extending out into the left turn lane, the longest it’s taken me is ~12 minutes (I timed each visit) and that includes the time it took to pump the gas into my car. Those long lines are misleading when it comes to the actual wait times. And on average, Costco gas is ~$0.50 cents cheaper per gallon than a regular gas station. With 4% cash back on a Costco Citi card and if you can use your time efficiently (e.g., send your significant other inside Costco to start shopping while you get gas), the slightly longer wait time is worth it.

 

[Wennfred]

You don’t save by going to Costco....

Let me fill up gas, oh, since I’m here let me stop inside. 30 minutes later and $200 poorer. No wonder Costco stocks are doing so well.

Don’t forget the $1.50 hotdog & Coke.
The Chula Vista Costco has a EVGo station across the parking lot, CHAdeMO & L2.


Fred

 

[MXWing]

Maybe they're not idiots, are rational, and don't get frightened disproportionately by statistics.

If you were a multi millionaire you are an idiot if you drive around a beater car. It’s just not appropriate to slum it unless you are a hermit and have no friends of similar class.

You don’t have to go in.

Only if they can deliver a combo slice and a hot dog to my car.

 

[mswlogo]

I have submitted a request to COSTCO customer service that they install some EV chargers.
Maybe they need to hear from others that there is a demand for EV chargers from their customers.

I wonder how long Tesla owners will wait in line for to plug in for a cheap charge. I bet longer.

 

[Lanzer]

Hey everyone love a good deal. Including me, who is still convincing myself that I'm saving money in purchasing this $55k vehicle.

Well I have in good faith that we're just being silly here, so I won't pitch in on the discussion about Tesla for everyone.

 

[Kenz]

Let Costco customer service know that EV drivers need to charge up sometimes.
It would be great for Costco to add in a row of high powered EV chargers in its parking lot.
30 minutes of shopping is just about right. Even a row of level 2 chargers would be great.
Time for Costco to go electric. By the way why no solar panels on the roof at Costco.

 

[TomT]

There is rarely a line at our Costco gas station here... And a lot of them do it since they were shopping at Costco already anyway...

So why are people still waiting in those super long lines at Costco gas stations just to save a few cents on gas?

 

[TomT]

A number of Costcos in California used to have 1772 charging stations but they removed them many years ago... I can't remember what the reason given was.

Let Costco customer service know that EV drivers need to charge up sometimes.
It would be great for Costco to add in a row of high powered EV chargers in its parking lot.