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Hawaii Tesla Owners

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I am very interested in purchasing a Model S, but I live in Hawaii and I am concerned about maintenence. How does Tesla plan to meet the needs of their car owners living so far away from Tesla stores? What do other Tesla owners do who live in Hawaii? I understand there are owners here.
 
I know a Roadster owner in Hawaii. He told me the Ranger flies out once a year and services all the Roadsters in Hawaii at once. I think they all split the cost of travel. When you split it 4 or 5 ways, it isn't that bad. The problem is if you need something more than a simple service (e.g. you get into an accident or a part needs to be replaced). I don't know what happens then.

It has been over a year, but Tesla has mentioned that Hawaii is a prime market for them because the round trip around Oahu is less than 160 miles. They indicated that they would open a store in Hawaii eventually, but as of yet I see no indication that they are indeed opening a store.
 
I am not in a position to pay for someone to come out to Hawaii to fix or service my car. The Model S would be my only mode of transportation. I also don't think we should have to. If Tesla wants to sell the Model S in Hawaii they will need to have someone on island available to fix a vehicle at any time. If they don't then it would be a deal breaker for me. I do think Hawaii is a prime market since many people are getting PV systems (I just invested in one for my home) and the 160 miles is more than enough to get around any of the islands.
 
I have decided that until there is a Tesla store or Ranger on Oahu I can't purchase a Model S. It is too risky if I need service beyond the yearly maintenance check. When one does come to Hawaii I plan to purchase the Model S. I am hopeful that day will come because Tesla has a high quality, beautifully crafted car. I just need to be patient.
 
Hey Dublin, if you have a reservation number do not give up just yet. One of my emails from Rik Avalos, specifically about the long distance servicing and, the cost to owners was that they have people working on this. He was not more specific then that as no one at Tesla has been to date. I think they realize they have a lot of people out there who are way beyond a few or even a thousand miles who would be potential customers if they can come up with a solution to this problem.

I am in your boat though. I have talked to a few roadster owners. Several have had to have service a few times in a year. I was advised to not purchase a Tesla until they had a very specific solution or program in place for long distance servicing. Apparently they are not at this time entertaining training people to be long distance service personnel. I may not be correct but I sure have not had any encouraging emails returned on that subject. I hope they come up with something soon or I think I will have to wait also until they have a large enough nuimber to justify a service center.
 
Aloha Dublin, I'm a reservation holder on Oahu. I personally know one other reservation holder here and know of another man who is seriously considering placing a reservation in the next few days. I have corresponded with Tesla several times about the service "problem" in Hawaii and about what an incredible market they have here. I even sent George Blankenship a letter with a map showing the most optimal locations for them to put in a Tesla store depending on the kind of demographic they prefer: Central Waikiki or Kahala Mall. The responses I've received are that Tesla will eventually have some kind of service arrangement in Hawaii, very possibly within a year. They may not establish a Tesla store here for some time or a Tesla service center but they may set up a third party service arrangement with a local auto shop or car dealer. They have also confirmed that the delivery charge to Hawaii will be the same as to the rest of the US.

Since the waiting list for a reservation established at this time is about a year it makes sense to reserve your Model S now. You can always cancel at the last minute or take a one time deferral if a service arrangement has not yet been established by the time your number comes up. The benefit to Hawaii of having as many people reserve cars now is that if Tesla sees a critical mass of reservation holders here they are more apt to set up a service arrangement sooner rather than later. I imagine most all of us will defer taking delivery until a local service arrangement is in place and they won't want to lose the business. Place your reservation and talk up Tesla among your friends!
 
I am flying into LAX this month and plan to go to the Newport Store to check out the Model S. If I like what I see (and I feel confident I will) I most likely will follow your lead and put a deposit down on one. It would be great to find out how many Tesla owners and soon to be owners their are in Hawaii so we can start advocating for a store or service center or permanent Service Ranger on island. I would settle for a partnership with another dealership depending on who it is. Spread the word as I will on Tesla in Hawaii. Myself and many of my neighbors just put in PV systems. An electric car would be perfect. Let's get as many as possible
 
Dublin, I currently drive a Leaf and installed a J1772 outlet in my garage for it. I'll add a separate 240V outlet for the Model S. I'll keep both cars for a while but drive Model S most all the time. I power my entire house and car by PV. Model S will be powered by the sun as well. Please post how you like your visit to the Newport Beach store. Remember not all the Tesla staff in their stores know what the company plans for Hawaii so take anything they say about it at Newport Beach with a grain of salt and confirm directly by email with Tesla.
 
Are there any Hawaii Roadster owners out there? How do you get service for your Roadster?

Any Hawaii Model S Sig reservation holders out there? If so what is your total delivery charge to Hawaii in your MVPA?

There's at least 7 Model S (incl Sig #69) on Oahu:

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