Why People Do Not Want Tesla Cars

tonybelding · Aug 6, 2015

Why Tesla Motors Electric Cars Have So Few Buyers (NASDAQ: TSLA) - 24/7 Wall St.

If you don't feel like reading the entire article, here's my thumbnail summary. . .

TESLA: While getting the Model X into production and making sure it's right, we may not be able to produce and deliver as many cars before the end of the year as we earlier had planned.

24/7: What happened to all those thousands and thousands of people who were supposedly waiting for one?

TESLA: Our new referral and pre-owned car programs expose more people to the benefits of driving electric vehicles.

24/7: Car companies don't offer incentives unless they're having trouble moving the metal.

And then, finally, right at the very end, the article gets around to answering the question that it began with. Why do people not want Tesla cars? "Maybe Tesla sells cars that are too expensive. Maybe its cars are niche vehicles for which there is not much demand. Perhaps it does not have enough charging stations."

If you're looking for any deeper analysis than that, you'll come away disappointed.

EdA · Aug 6, 2015

They forgot one: maybe people haven't heard about Tesla.

ecarfan · Aug 6, 2015

"So Few Buyers"? What a ridiculous article when Tesla is production constrained, there are over 60,000 Model S on the road in just two years at an average selling price of around $90K, and there are over 20K reservations for the X.
Click bait. I didn't click through. Not worth my time.

jerry33 · Aug 6, 2015

Another person with a short position writes a negative article.

nwdiver · Aug 6, 2015

Awe.... it's so cute when 'journalists' get confused and think 'production' and 'demand' have the same meaning...

CatB · Aug 6, 2015

Yeah, really. Have showed my car off dozens if not hundreds of times. Almost everyone says they want one. Some mention they can't afford it (and love the master plan, and are stoked for model 3) and about 25% still concerned about charging (at home, not so many about road trips once I explain the SCs).

Joules Verne · Aug 8, 2015

Um, because they are wicked expensive.
Cut the cost in half and a lot more people will not not want tesla cars.

mwulff · Aug 8, 2015

So far (2 months ownership) everybody who has had a ride in the car has had one or more of the following comments:

1. OMG I want one? How expensive is it? Ohh, I'll wait for the 3 because I can afford that.
2. How far does it go? 3-400 km! Ohh that's really more than I need.
3. I would want one if I could drive on a vacation in it. (Insert SC explanation). I think I'll go take test drive now..
4. This is the future no doubt (Said by a friend who is a mechanic and owns his own workshop)

Basically everybody wants them. But the price is the limiting factor now.

igotzzoom · Aug 8, 2015

Precisely. For me, it's not a matter of desirability, but affordability. Model 3 will likely be a huge game-changer for the company and its perception.

forumman83 · Aug 9, 2015

igotzzoom said:
Precisely. For me, it's not a matter of desirability, but affordability. Model 3 will likely be a huge game-changer for the company and its perception.

yep

nathanharman · Aug 10, 2015

My impression is that for some people Tesla represents change that is too much to handle or is too threatening. The consequence is they look for something that must be 'wrong', and in doing so highlight their own fears (yes I'm looking at you ICE journalists!).

Lex · Aug 10, 2015

nathanharman said:
and in doing so highlight their own fears (yes I'm looking at you ICE journalists!)

Agreed, some folks just don't know what to think ... yet. I admit to not wanting a Tesla when it was far out of reach. Then it just seemed to fit the vehicle need better than any other car, and the financials found a way to fit :tongue: part of that includes a price for the 1-way ticket into the future, though. Not often those come around !

vdiv · Aug 11, 2015

Honestly I don't care. I didn't want one either for all of the above reasons and you know what happened?

I'm driving one now.

It's kind of like fine wine. Most people do not appreciate the difference, don't want to pay for it, and are perfectly content drinking 2% fermented grape juice with high fructose corn syrup and FD&C Yellow #5 in it. What does that say about fine wine and the vineyards that make it?

BTW I don't like wine either

techmaven · Aug 11, 2015

nathanharman said:
My impression is that for some people Tesla represents change that is too much to handle or is too threatening. The consequence is they look for something that must be 'wrong', and in doing so highlight their own fears (yes I'm looking at you ICE journalists!).

Yes, absolutely.

It is still interesting to me that automotive journalists don't seem to have charging points at home. It means they really still don't get it. They don't understand what it means to charge at night at home. They can't then communicate it effectively. They get a press car for a day, maybe even a week and never get over range anxiety since they never charge at home.

jvmoore1 · Aug 11, 2015

For me it is price as well as a lack of Service Centers. i am hourly checking the CPO site for one in my range, but the closest SC I have is almost 5 hrs away. Just seems too far if/when the Tesla needs to be serviced.

jbcarioca · Aug 11, 2015

vdiv said:
...

It's kind of like fine wine. Most people do not appreciate the difference, don't want to pay for it, and are perfectly content drinking 2% fermented grape juice with high fructose corn syrup and FD&C Yellow #5 in it. What does that say about fine wine and the vineyards that make it?

BTW I don't like wine either

Well, I do:biggrin: I compare my Tesla to my favorite red wine, a 2002 Bettù Nebbiolo .
There are so many commonalities:
-they both are outrageously expensive;
-they both are rare, although the wine is much rarer;
-they both give me astonishingly delightful sensations, so;
-I use them both more than I probably should.

brianman · Aug 11, 2015

jvmoore1 said:
For me it is price as well as a lack of Service Centers. i am hourly checking the CPO site for one in my range, but the closest SC I have is almost 5 hrs away. Just seems too far if/when the Tesla needs to be serviced.

Please pass this feedback along to Tesla via email. They need to hear this. Thanks.

AmpedRealtor · Aug 11, 2015

Elon's referral program is a pretty big indicator that Tesla is no longer production constrained.

techmaven · Aug 11, 2015

AmpedRealtor said:
Elon's referral program is a pretty big indicator that Tesla is no longer production constrained.

Well, Tesla is certainly production constrained with the Model X.

One possible scenario is that the Model X has significant production difficulties and Tesla has to make the year total numbers work with mostly US demand for the Model S, given the strong dollar. Maybe double record number of Model S deliveries with the new expansion of the production capacity. So technically, yes, not production constrained, but I don't know if it reflects a lowering of S sales or just a desire for much more volume to derisk Model X launch.

ItsNotAboutTheMoney · Aug 11, 2015

Do Not _Want_?
Hmm.
Oh I _want_ one.
But I also _want_ to have a good savings buffer and a comfortable retirement.

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