I always wondered why the mid states dont much EV’s? An American made company should be a winner! Its a great combo! Buy a Tesla Model 3!
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Why does middle America have fewer EV’s, the Model 3 the solution.
- Thread starter ElectricLee
- Start date
sreams
Member
The Model 3 is a fabulous car regardless of environmental considerations.
purplewalt
Active Member
Word of mouth advertising travels slower in some areas than other.
Tesla does not (traditionally) advertise, on TV, nor radio, nor Print ads (newspapers and auto magazines).
NONE.
If you have ever lived in a small town (under 5,00 people), or a smaller market town under (20,000), it makes a HUGE difference about what you perceive your available market is.
You make your horizons, and then you live within them.
Social media penetration might be slower in some areas of the country than in others.
Twitter?
Instagram?
Income levels, at least for the price of a Model S and Model X.
(Anticipated) Views/Attitudes from family and neighbors, not to mention colleagues at work.
Questions about service and parts when needed.
Made is America may be helpful, but Tesla is still both the new kid on the (automobile) block compared to long time established manufacturers, and not on equal footing for direct Sales in many states.
And last, but not least: it (BEVs) are still relatively new technology.
Many people (wrongly) still assume my cars use at least some gas.
Next generation of owners, especially $35 K Model 3 will make great inroads toward overcoming most of the above.
Tesla does not (traditionally) advertise, on TV, nor radio, nor Print ads (newspapers and auto magazines).
NONE.
If you have ever lived in a small town (under 5,00 people), or a smaller market town under (20,000), it makes a HUGE difference about what you perceive your available market is.
You make your horizons, and then you live within them.
Social media penetration might be slower in some areas of the country than in others.
Twitter?
Instagram?
Income levels, at least for the price of a Model S and Model X.
(Anticipated) Views/Attitudes from family and neighbors, not to mention colleagues at work.
Questions about service and parts when needed.
Made is America may be helpful, but Tesla is still both the new kid on the (automobile) block compared to long time established manufacturers, and not on equal footing for direct Sales in many states.
And last, but not least: it (BEVs) are still relatively new technology.
Many people (wrongly) still assume my cars use at least some gas.
Next generation of owners, especially $35 K Model 3 will make great inroads toward overcoming most of the above.
Daniel in SD
(supervised)
Buying a Tesla a few hundred miles away from the nearest service center would not be worth the hassle IMHO. Also, how many premium sports sedans do other manufacturers sell in rural areas? My guess is not many.
caskater47
Member
Because middle America still thinks climate change is a hoax and that the President will Make America Great Again.
(appologies for my gross generalization)
And that vaccines are going to turn their kids into reptiles.
You’re clearly living in an East/West cost bubble if you don’t honestly know the answer. JFC.
As a Texan (with a Model S), I’d say the answers are less about Politics and a lot more about regular things like:
1. Price - Up until a few days ago, these cars were expensive. And, truth be told, they STILL are. A pretty nice Honda Accord can still be had for $10K less than the cheapest Model 3. The 3 still really competes in the luxury class...not the Everyman class.
2. Proximity to service - As noted by others, service center are a lot more scarce than typical car manufacturers.
3. Rural Travel and Destination Charging - Superchargers are great, but don’t tell that to the fine folks in San Antonio, Texas. I think SA is the 5th largest city in the U.S....and zero superchargers. Don’t get me started on rural locations.
4. Not interested in a Sedan - Sedans are a dying breed. It’s actually a little hard to believe Tesla launched the 3 before the Y given the decline in sedan sales. Beyond the “small” SUV class, many folks want a full size SUV or a full-on pickup truck. The Model X is pricey and, frankly, very compromised in interior space (third row is pretty bad).
No conspiracy for the most part...
1. Price - Up until a few days ago, these cars were expensive. And, truth be told, they STILL are. A pretty nice Honda Accord can still be had for $10K less than the cheapest Model 3. The 3 still really competes in the luxury class...not the Everyman class.
2. Proximity to service - As noted by others, service center are a lot more scarce than typical car manufacturers.
3. Rural Travel and Destination Charging - Superchargers are great, but don’t tell that to the fine folks in San Antonio, Texas. I think SA is the 5th largest city in the U.S....and zero superchargers. Don’t get me started on rural locations.
4. Not interested in a Sedan - Sedans are a dying breed. It’s actually a little hard to believe Tesla launched the 3 before the Y given the decline in sedan sales. Beyond the “small” SUV class, many folks want a full size SUV or a full-on pickup truck. The Model X is pricey and, frankly, very compromised in interior space (third row is pretty bad).
No conspiracy for the most part...
Except most of those people live in the northwest.
caskater47
Member
People have been claiming sedans are a dying breed for decades and yet up until just last year the Camry and Civic were the most popular cars in America by sales volume for decades. 2018 was the first year in a long time that a truck was number one. Maybe it's a new trend? Or maybe it's just a fad but one year of dominance isn't cause to claim sedans are dying off.
Daniel in SD
(supervised)
Ford has stopped making anything that's not a truck, SUV, or CUV except for the Mustang. American car companies have conceded the sedan market to the foreign companies. Trucks, SUVs and CUVs are 67% of the market now.
caskater47
Member
Maybe that's because no American car company can make a sedan worth buying except Tesla? The Germans, Japanese, and Koreans are all doing just fine selling theirs. Ford, GM and Chrysler just don't know how to compete. All they know how to build are gas guzzling climate killers that can tow a few tons.
roxybalboaguy
Member
Please vote a socialist in, then they can send over some of your tech dollars over.
roxybalboaguy
Member
roxybalboaguy
Member
midwestLemur
Member
There may be a cultural factor, but I have yet to run into anyone who is actively hostile towards Tesla. Most people seem either disinterested in cars, or interested in Tesla specifically, or electric cars more generally. I'm sure the people who irrationally hate them are out there but if they are they're far from a majority.
The key thing holding full electrics back here seems to be lack of modern infrastructure and standards. There's still a lot of places in Iowa and Illinois that are hard to get to, or get back from that so far seem too small for Tesla to notice. Selling people on electric cars when the reality is you may have to make a hour long detour to get to a charger, use it, and then get to where you really want to be with the range to complete your trip, or spend several hours at a L2 charger is a really difficult task.
Not to mention all the arcane knowledge of what type of charging stations you can use. I know Model 3 can use Tesla chargers and J1772 public chargers, but try explaining that your car can't use that shiny new CCS charging station and watch people's eyes glaze over. It reminds me a lot of HDTV and HDMI back before it was ubiquitous. You're going to get enthusiastic early adopters like me, but most people aren't as eager to deal with the growing pains.
Quad Cities to Peoria for instance, it should be the kind of quick simple day trip on interstate between two closely situated mid-sized urban areas that people do without thinking every day, but lack of infrastructure can make it difficult, and far more time consuming, if not downright dangerous in an EV in winter. If Tesla steps up great, but there are a lot of places that are smaller and its going to be hard to persuade anyone else to build infrastructure for Model 3 if they have to not just build electric car charging stations, but specifically Tesla stations.
The key thing holding full electrics back here seems to be lack of modern infrastructure and standards. There's still a lot of places in Iowa and Illinois that are hard to get to, or get back from that so far seem too small for Tesla to notice. Selling people on electric cars when the reality is you may have to make a hour long detour to get to a charger, use it, and then get to where you really want to be with the range to complete your trip, or spend several hours at a L2 charger is a really difficult task.
Not to mention all the arcane knowledge of what type of charging stations you can use. I know Model 3 can use Tesla chargers and J1772 public chargers, but try explaining that your car can't use that shiny new CCS charging station and watch people's eyes glaze over. It reminds me a lot of HDTV and HDMI back before it was ubiquitous. You're going to get enthusiastic early adopters like me, but most people aren't as eager to deal with the growing pains.
Quad Cities to Peoria for instance, it should be the kind of quick simple day trip on interstate between two closely situated mid-sized urban areas that people do without thinking every day, but lack of infrastructure can make it difficult, and far more time consuming, if not downright dangerous in an EV in winter. If Tesla steps up great, but there are a lot of places that are smaller and its going to be hard to persuade anyone else to build infrastructure for Model 3 if they have to not just build electric car charging stations, but specifically Tesla stations.
Aside from all the objective ones (such as *sugar* quality, *sugar* service etc.), a damn good reason not to buy a Tesla is avoiding the risk of being lumped together with the smugness oozing out of parts of this thread.
Should some of you ever feel like stepping out of those pinnacles of progress for a bit, you might notice that some of us unsophisticated folk have no problem parking a Tesla between the Raptor and the tractor.
... at least for now, while waiting for the ETrons.
Should some of you ever feel like stepping out of those pinnacles of progress for a bit, you might notice that some of us unsophisticated folk have no problem parking a Tesla between the Raptor and the tractor.
... at least for now, while waiting for the ETrons.
JeffK
Well-Known Member
You also have to consider population densities, access to superchargers, average salary, and truck culture. Although the cost of living is higher on the West Coast, the ratio of Tesla price to income is lower than in the Midwest.
Besides big cities, most of the Midwest is pretty sparse. In larger cities, depending on the area you can see five or six Teslas on the way to the grocery store. Go into a poorer area and you won't see a single one unless you pass by a big glass window and stare at your reflection.
Besides big cities, most of the Midwest is pretty sparse. In larger cities, depending on the area you can see five or six Teslas on the way to the grocery store. Go into a poorer area and you won't see a single one unless you pass by a big glass window and stare at your reflection.
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