"Guilt" for being able to get a Model S?!

Indeed! Most of my co-workers are excited about it (one of them just took delivery of his new Audi A6 so he completely understands :wink: ), but a few of them joked "so you're going to put down a deposit, right?" expecting me to say no. When I said "I already did" they were very surprised and some of them seemed to react as you describe.

Yeah, I'm kind of in the same boat. (For me, no kids, no mortgage, no loans so I can afford stuff)
I say don't worry about it- when all is said and done, you are on the cutting edge and by you purchasing it now, the prices for the next generation of cars will go down, so that they will be able to afford an EV.
When someone asked me why I am getting one at the lunch table, my response was- "really, for me, the monthly payment is the same as it would be for your car + gas and gas cars are a vicious cycle , you buy one, have to constantly put money in it (gas, maintenance, etc), and when you sell the car it's worthless, and I tell them to try to get out of that cycle"

You are in affect helping them, because your purchase along with the other Tesla purchasers will decrease the cost of gasoline slightly, enabling future EV people to be able to save up more and purchase an EV.

I promised quite a number of people rides in it also.

I know what you mean; I felt awkward when I bought my Roadster. I'd never paid even $20k for a car before, and suddenly I was showing off one that was over $100k. Some people really hate "rich douchebags" driving around in fancy cars--I have been called that online; although people are generally more circumspect in person. It didn't help that my wife and I chose yellow (largely for safety). In the end, I decided that while people that don't know me may decide to dislike me on superficial grounds, they were still bound to like the car, and end up feeling better about electrics in general. So I show off the car as often as I can and don't worry about it; the response is generally quite good. The few snide comments have been from people that haven't spoken with me at all.

One thing for those that complain about price to consider is that the Mitsubishi i-Miev starts at $29,125. That $21,625 after the federal tax credit; and many states have some sort of incentive that will bring that under $20k. People of lesser means will no doubt get a loan and be making payments; so from the very first payment they can subtract their average $120/month fuel savings, which makes the total monthly outlay similar to a much cheaper gas car. I think in general, if you can afford a new car at all, you can afford an electric. Sure the i-Miev is not the nicest electric, and sure not everybody can afford a new car--but it's unreasonable to ask electrics to solve those problems.

Another thing to consider is that one good way to bring the price of electrics down is to get the volume up. Those of us paying way more for electrics than we ever would for a gas car are making an investment to help future buyers get a more affordable version.

Or could it be that they're just sick of hearing about it all the time? I would recommend not saying anything unless asked.

As for guilt, most of my acquaintances can't afford something like that. But, by being early adopters, we make possible the next, cheaper generation of EVs. So when they say, "well that's all fine and good for the rich guys", you can say that you stretched your finances to squeeze the car in, enabling the next generation to be priced on the level of a Lexus and the generation after that to make it down to Civic levels. By then, there should be a used market as well.

Mycroft said:

Or could it be that they're just sick of hearing about it all the time? I would recommend not saying anything unless asked.

As for guilt, most of my acquaintances can't afford something like that. But, by being early adopters, we make possible the next, cheaper generation of EVs. So when they say, "well that's all fine and good for the rich guys", you can say that you stretched your finances to squeeze the car in, enabling the next generation to be priced on the level of a Lexus and the generation after that to make it down to Civic levels. By then, there should be a used market as well.

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That is exactly correct. The original iPhone was 599/699. I bought one. Now it's 199/299. The early adopter provides the return on R&D that allows economies of scale to develop for lower priced products later on. The Roadster buyers are somewhat supplementing the model s purchases and so on. Elon has essentially said that in various interviews.

The same is true with ICE automobiles. My 2010 Fusion Hybrid has features that were first seen in luxury cars 5 years earlier. The new 2013 Fusion Hybrid has even more luxury features for essentially the same price (adjusted for inflation) as the 2010.

I don't feel guilt for my ability to buy the model S. I do feel some uneasiness spending 90K on the car (as priced with my selected options) because I have to overcome the thought that I am not a luxury person. It's not who I have been. I have had nice things but wonder if this purchase meets my style. However, the fact that I can easily afford it is because my style has been to live on 25% of my income.

I don't really feal guilt per say. But I am fairly young and I don't really think people will like the fact I am driving a 63k car. But after tax rebates and fuel savings it is going to work out over 5 years to cost about the same as a 35k car. Which all the people at my office my age have. I really don't want to justify the cost.

The real bummer about the 63k price tag is that it will be the pricyest car in my lot. Even costlier than the CEOs of our ~60 person engineering firm. He drives probably a ~45k F150.

"The few snide comments have been from people that haven't spoken with me at all."
There are some people that can't be reached, and aren't worth reaching. Never worth your time to stress about them. Just don't upset them enough that they would key you or somesuch.

As for the rest...

It's all about presentation and audience.

The gossip types want to know everything; you can babble all day about every last detail and they'll eat it up.

The EV types will want to know all the green details -- and/or project their own understandings into the discussions; sharing what you know as fact and gently offering course corrections on their "facts" is an art form, but can be very effective.

The car-as-a-black-box type will want to see it race, how long between fillups, how long the fillups take, and the effective $/mi. They don't care what's under the hood. They aren't EVangelists nor ICE-zealots; the underlying technology is just a means to an end -- a fun, effective transportation device.

The gear heads. They "know" ICE. They like ICE. Partly because they know it. For some change is exciting, for some it's scary. For the excited, it's a mix between the gossip ("knowledge" sponge) and the EVangelist (new tech is cool because it's new). For the scared subtype, some will fall into the "can't be reached" crowd; others will be resistant but can be lead from the dark (scared) toward the light (excitement).


Know your audience, tailor the discussion (or avoid it) accordingly.

I think a big thing that contributes to this is the belief that getting a Tesla is still going to be a 120k+ purchase (many people assume the pricing is the same as the roadster). But vaulting into the $ sooner or more often may make things worse.

I wouldn't feel guilty. Especially if those same people own Porsches and BMWs since you'll be basically in the same market with this car. As was said above, you're also paying an early adopter penalty to help make EVs more affordable in the future for others. Tesla seems to be different. People want to hear about it and will ask you. Very little advertising needed.

I felt that way at first with my Roadster. I was a single parent for most of my son's childhood & money was tight early in my career. So I understand the comments at times. I typically just point out they still have kids to put through college, mortgages to pay, and they are earlier in their career than I am in mine.

One person mumbled that my Roadster purchase was a clear sign that I was having a mid-life crisis. I just laughed and said, 'well I was ... but I purchased my Roadster and the crisis seems to be gone'.

I'm a physician, so I guess there's already a bit of expectation that I should have a nice car-so for the past 8+ years I've gotten to surprise people by telling them I drive a Prius! But I usually try to attenuate those comments a bit by telling them that while it's a bit expensive, that it still starts under $60k and since you never pay for gas and very little maintenance it balances over time. Also, I usually emphesis that I've been saving for it for over 3 years and that I see it as my 'duty' to support the technology so that prices will come down in years to come so they'll be more affordable for everyone...I usually then segue in talk of the Bluestar and how it's expected to be around $30k and Tesla's long term plans, and etc...

Most of my friends and co-workers are without the means to purchase this vehicle. Most of them, however, are tech-heads, and enjoy discussing technology. When the subject of the Tesla comes up, the first question I am always asked, without fail so far, is, "How much do they cost?" I feel guilty admitting the price, but I believe they are asking because if the price was right, they'd want to buy one, too. I usually discuss price by saying, "They're starting at $50K, and then they go up from there depending on the options." What I usually don't tell them is that the model I'm interested in is much closer to $100K, and I usually follow efusco's line and admit that I've been saving up for the car. After a short discussion about never having to fill up at the gas pump, do oil changes, tune-ups, etc, the discussion usually moves away from price.

What Other People Think of Me is None of My Business | Mind Recipes

When I was first told this quote, “What Other People Think of me is None of my Business”, it was one of those light bulb moments. You know the one when it all seems so clear and simple. I realized in an instant that what people think about me, truly isn’t about me. It is about them, not me. Their thoughts are not my business. It is theirs.I had been striving for the impossible. To always be thought of in the “right way” by other people. While it is “nice” to be highly thought of by others, I now understand that it is far more beneficial, and far more achievable to be highly thought of by myself.

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I live in a pretty affluent area but I feel weird when people ask me what my Roadster cost. Most people are surprised and then I tell them how it's hand-made, all carbon fiber, limited edition etc and then launch into my Model S sales pitch. For Model S I say that they're targeting BMW 5-series/Audi A6 size and price point and everyone I've talked to have been excited about that. Those cars are quite common around here so it's in the realm for "normal" people. If they really dig in to the pricing details I remind them that you can option a 5-series to $95k without even getting the M motor. I also talk about how I went from spending 13$/day to commute in my Corvette to $1/day in my Roadster. I explain that I'm not going to make my money back on the Roadster and that it was an emotional decision (+carpool lane access) but with Model S there can be significant savings over buying gas and the numbers can absolutely work even with having to replace the battery pack in 8 years or so.

I used to feel guilty of my P reservation, but I managed to convince myself that my future Model S purchase will be no different than someone proudly announcing a purchase of a home here in California.

5 year Model S loan > 30 year mortgage

Should I feel guilty that I can buy a house? I don't need to now, since it's paid off. I'm using up most of my "discretionary" spending for the next 10 years for this car.

I bought my Roadster used on eBay so when questioned about its cost I always point to the discounted price I bought it for thus making my buy look like a great deal. I won't have that excuse for my S, but you see so many expensive cars on the road anyways and with the large price swing with various options and battery packs for the S, most people really won't think have any idea what it is worth. I will probably tell people that ask the base price of the car and leave it at that.