The home owning (financing) analogy you used is ridiculous flawed. You are located in CA where 1/3 of all home buyers are BURIED in them and should have rented in certain markets.
Why are people waiting at Costco gas stations instead of buying Teslas?
- Thread starter JetFalcon
- Start date
The home owning (financing) analogy you used is ridiculous flawed. You are located in CA where 1/3 of all home buyers are BURIED in them and should have rented in certain markets.
Cheburashka
Active Member
Yeah, Teslas are basically free to own and need no repairs.
I guess the screen yellowing, MCU failure, door handle breaking, DU failures, battery throttling/limitation, etc etc in Teslas are all a myth.
I'm surprised how long Costco lines are. And the savings is maybe 50 cents per gallon, or 15% off, but that little savings is enough to make a Costco gas station line longer than a Shell / Chevron gas station. For a full tank of around 15 gallons, it's only $7.5 savings, which may be enough for maybe one Chipotle entree.
And most the cars I see at Costco gas stations have BMW / Mercedes clients. Those people have the money for a Tesla but chose to not buy one, but still want to save money on gas and bypassed the opportunity to buy a Tesla which is much cheaper to drive and has better performance. Plus the opportunity to never have to stop at a gas station ever again for local driving. I feel some people won't give up gas cars even with all the benefits of EVs.
Assuming there are no lines at the Supercharger, it probably be the same amount of time as waiting at a Costco gas station.
I threw out the idea to my Tesla advisor about standing at a Costco gas station to give my referral code to all those customers. He said if I got all those Costco customers to buy a Tesla that Tesla probably hire me and pay me.
And most the cars I see at Costco gas stations have BMW / Mercedes clients. Those people have the money for a Tesla but chose to not buy one, but still want to save money on gas and bypassed the opportunity to buy a Tesla which is much cheaper to drive and has better performance. Plus the opportunity to never have to stop at a gas station ever again for local driving. I feel some people won't give up gas cars even with all the benefits of EVs.
Assuming there are no lines at the Supercharger, it probably be the same amount of time as waiting at a Costco gas station.
I threw out the idea to my Tesla advisor about standing at a Costco gas station to give my referral code to all those customers. He said if I got all those Costco customers to buy a Tesla that Tesla probably hire me and pay me.
Watts_Up
Active Member
Every time someone asks me about Tesla, the questions are like:
"Where do you charge? There are gas stations every where, I don't see any Tesla charger..." or
"Tesla are too expensive..."
And typical Costo customer are obsessed with how much they saved..."Tesla are too expensive..."
"I bought a Honda with Costco and I saved $800 !!!" but don't remember how much they paid.
So Tesla selling with unique price and without discount (like for military,....) don't attract them.
So Tesla selling with unique price and without discount (like for military,....) don't attract them.
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Um... Because Teslas are expensive and unreliable??
I assume that the majority of people getting gas at Costco are doing it before or after having to go into the Costco store.
At least where I live, whenever I drive by a Supercharger station and a Costco with a gas station, the amount of waiting (or not waiting) in a line is the same usually.
And, no, most cars (meaning >50%?) at a Costco gas station when the lines are long are NOT BMW/Mercs. That’s very hard to believe. Please take a picture next time at your Costco gas station. I’d love to see that.
You act like these people think logically. But be careful what you wish for, these will be the same people in line for free supercharging.
mk677
Member
The office complex where i worked (pre-COVID) had a gasoline delivery service. Their prices were within a few cents per gallon of the neighboring gas stations but with the benefit that people could order a fill-up via the mobile app, designate where their car was parked, and the truck would show up during the working day and fill the car. When I still had an ICE vehicle, it was awesome. No more messing with nasty gas pumps or standing in the cold or rain.
I tried to talk a couple of colleagues into signing up but both of them were accustomed to getting their gasoline at Costco. "It's no big deal," one said. "My husband waits in line while I start shopping and we save five cents per gallon."
I love Costco, too, but it's not worth it to me to sit in line for 10 - 15 minutes to save $0.05 per gallon. My time is more valuable than that. (I don't even go to Costco on the weekend because the crowds and the delays are offputting.)
As someone up-thread posted, this mindset is the uphill battle one would face attempting to cold sell Teslas at the Costco gas line.
I tried to talk a couple of colleagues into signing up but both of them were accustomed to getting their gasoline at Costco. "It's no big deal," one said. "My husband waits in line while I start shopping and we save five cents per gallon."
I love Costco, too, but it's not worth it to me to sit in line for 10 - 15 minutes to save $0.05 per gallon. My time is more valuable than that. (I don't even go to Costco on the weekend because the crowds and the delays are offputting.)
As someone up-thread posted, this mindset is the uphill battle one would face attempting to cold sell Teslas at the Costco gas line.
Nocturnal
Supporting Member
When I had a gas car I'd fill up at Costco because it was convenient. Waiting a couple minutes in line wasn't to save a few cents but to avoid another stop. I would not wait 15 minutes though, perhaps my Costco just isn't that busy. Our lines are rarely more than 5 deep.
It's precisely the long lines that cause me to use Costco gas and that's WITH my Tesla to fill up my 5 gallon gas can for my lawnmower. See, when we arrive, I drop my wife off at the front, go get in line for gas. By the time I'm done and parked, she's half way done with the shopping and I have much less to do once I get inside 
mk677
Member
wow. all to save a dollar or so?It's precisely the long lines that cause me to use Costco gas and that's WITH my Tesla to fill up my 5 gallon gas can for my lawnmower. See, when we arrive, I drop my wife off at the front, go get in line for gas. By the time I'm done and parked, she's half way done with the shopping and I have much less to do once I get inside
Yea, the point is we're already there to shop and spending half the time in another gas line wastes both our times, so it's about a wash but we end up saving the money. And I know I joked about it above, but the reality is the extra travel time to the other locations in and out plus the shorter line still ad up to about the same time in line at costco plus it's only ONE person standing in line instead of two.
AMPd
Active Member
This thread has literally been posted before, I believe it’s an exact copy paste thread.
yep. In fact you made this thread over a year ago
Why are people waiting at Costco gas stations instead of buying Teslas?
yep. In fact you made this thread over a year ago
Why are people waiting at Costco gas stations instead of buying Teslas?
We take my wife's Subaru to do the weekend shopping because it can hold so much more, and she uses that time to fill up at Costco. Saturday afternoons and there's never a line.
I complain, of course, because all of our lawn equipment is Ego electric (lawn mower, snow thrower, edger, weedwacker, blower). My car is electric and still I have to buy gas.
I complain, of course, because all of our lawn equipment is Ego electric (lawn mower, snow thrower, edger, weedwacker, blower). My car is electric and still I have to buy gas.
Generally the lower the cost the bigger the crowd. When I had a choice I shopped at the most expensive grocery story and avoided the discount gas stations, because that way I avoided the crowds and the long lines. Now it's twice as far to the next-nearest grocery store so any benefit from finding a more expensive store is lost, and my "gas station" is the electric outlet in my garage, where there's never a line. And the electricity at my house is free.
Realistically, as luxurious as my Tesla is to me, my sister, who drives a Lexus or a Mercedes (not sure just at present, she's had both at different times) would consider my Tesla primitive. Her car has cushier seats, more leg room, smoother suspension, is easier for a grossly obese person to get in and out of, and if you don't close a door all the way it finishes closing itself for you. It has a bunch of features that are worthless to me but that she demands. To her, buying gas is an unavoidable inconvenience because a Tesla would be unthinkable to her.
That's probably why many of those people at the Costco gas station are not buying Teslas.
But plenty of them are. I mean it's statistically unavoidable: Tesla is selling so many cars that some of the buyers must have gotten their last tank of gas at Costco.
Realistically, as luxurious as my Tesla is to me, my sister, who drives a Lexus or a Mercedes (not sure just at present, she's had both at different times) would consider my Tesla primitive. Her car has cushier seats, more leg room, smoother suspension, is easier for a grossly obese person to get in and out of, and if you don't close a door all the way it finishes closing itself for you. It has a bunch of features that are worthless to me but that she demands. To her, buying gas is an unavoidable inconvenience because a Tesla would be unthinkable to her.
That's probably why many of those people at the Costco gas station are not buying Teslas.
But plenty of them are. I mean it's statistically unavoidable: Tesla is selling so many cars that some of the buyers must have gotten their last tank of gas at Costco.
RobStark
Well-Known Member
At my local Costco about 1-2% of the cars in the parking lot are Teslas.
And there are about 6 CCS fast chargers and about 6 level 2 chargers on the side of the building where there is an outdoor food stand/court.
And there are about 6 CCS fast chargers and about 6 level 2 chargers on the side of the building where there is an outdoor food stand/court.
I’m not complaining. I still have ICE cars in the garage, but rarely wait in line at Costco. It’s not cheap to get an electric, install a charger at home and then get slapped in the face if you don’t have solar panels.
State incentives are not really advertised neither. For example, if you take California incentives $5k + $2k + $1.5k to a SR+ Model 3 , its right in the rage of a Mazda 3, Accord, Camry etc etc.
State incentives are not really advertised neither. For example, if you take California incentives $5k + $2k + $1.5k to a SR+ Model 3 , its right in the rage of a Mazda 3, Accord, Camry etc etc.
Silicon Desert
Active Member
Partially a local thing I guess. OP, sounds like your Costco is super busy. In the east bay of Northern CA when I was there a couple years ago I never waited in line. I looked at Teslas at that time and for me it didn't make sense on the economy side since electricity rates were so high. Still cheaper than gas per mile, but not enough to make a difference. It wasn't my main motivation anyway. I moved up here and wanted a newer car and the Telsa makes more sense energy cost wise since electricity only cost me about 8 cents per KWh. And of course that is still not the reason I bought the car. Just a little extra benefit that isn't that important to me. The wife still likes her ice car and no lines at Costco up here. A couple of folks hit one what is probably the key issue. In this day and time, many people just can't afford a new car, and they probably found a place to buy gas without being in a long line.
There are CRAZY Tesla owners too!
Bought a $100k car. Wait for 30 minutes to an hour in line to charge. Then wait another hour to charge to 100% seating in their car. All to save $8 or so in electricity. Some of us in CA can name a few Supercharging locations with these people on a nightly basis. Hehehe.
Bought a $100k car. Wait for 30 minutes to an hour in line to charge. Then wait another hour to charge to 100% seating in their car. All to save $8 or so in electricity. Some of us in CA can name a few Supercharging locations with these people on a nightly basis. Hehehe.
