Elon and Tesla are starting to change peoples' thinking

[chickensevil]

I did noticed the replies here are mainly from owners. Maybe there are also non-owners with interesting stories to share?

Whelp, here you go. I am not an owner (yet), in fact I am only just now finally making enough money that I feel comfortable in buying one, but I have been championing this company since I discovered the Roadster in 2008 from a friend. I was like, one day when I get out of the military and make some real money I think I want a Lotus or a Viper, and he responded with, have you heard about this all electric car that gets really good range and goes REALLY fast? From that point I was hooked.

My cross talking of Tesla to others has moved from a monthly occurrence to a weekly occurrence, to now I can't help but talk about it daily to SOMEONE (anyone who will listen haha!). I fear it is only going to get worse when I finally do get my car in March (hopefully).

I think the final conversion point for my friends and co-workers, who are still holding out on being negative about the car, is going to be when I actually pull up in my Model S and give them all a ride

 

[bareyb]

I had a colleague who couldn't stop bragging about her BMW. I let her drive my Model S one time and she's selling her BMW and buying one. She called me about a week later with her VIN.

 

[lolachampcar]

bareyb bags another convert. Nice Job!!!

 

[perdru]

Some very cool stories from owners going out of their way to promote the car. This thread made me aware that I've noticed a number of others here in different threads. What other car inspires this sort of thing? This might make for an interesting Youtube channel or something. Just stories from and about owners promoting the car on their own.

I don´t think owners of expensive cars in general have any need to or are comfortable with bragging about their car or other commodities they might possess.

With an EV it is different.

 

[lorih]

The driver was giddy about taking a picture of his truck, pretending it was a gas station nozzle.

I can't imagine anyone ever doing this at a J1772 or Chademo charging location.

maybe he is a Model X reservationist and is taking "fantasy" and "reality" before and after photos for his Facebook page.

 

[Evpro2]

Once the reality of the Supercharger network sinks in and more people realize that they can now buy a high performance car whose fuel cost is between 25% of gas (at home) and zero on long trips there is going to be an explosion of new reservations.

 

[ggies07]

Some very cool stories from owners going out of their way to promote the car. This thread made me aware that I've noticed a number of others here in different threads. What other car inspires this sort of thing? This might make for an interesting Youtube channel or something. Just stories from and about owners promoting the car on their own.

I'm not even an owner and I've taken three people to three different test drive events. I talk about it so much I had to share in the excitement of forward progress. They all loved the car and were blown away by its capabilities.

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

I don´t think owners of expensive cars in general have any need to or are comfortable with bragging about their car or other commodities they might possess.

With an EV it is different.

Model S owneds don't brag. Bragging implies exclusivity and condescension. Model S owners, at least based on this site's membership enthuse and evangelize and seem to become happier as the Model S becomes less exclusive,

 

[chickensevil]

Model S owneds don't brag. Bragging implies exclusivity and condescension. Model S owners, at least based on this site's membership enthuse and evangelize and seem to become happier as the Model S becomes less exclusive,

I think this is an accurate statement. My hope is that those who can afford the S (read: was going to get a 60k+ car anyway) can be won over and those who can't will jump on board when the price reaches something they can afford a bit more. Heck I would even be perfectly happy with someone getting one from the secondary market if they still can't afford the 30k price.

 

[brucet999]

... they can now buy a high performance car whose fuel cost is between 25% of gas (at home) and zero on long trips ....

Oh how I wish it were so in SoCal. My car, when I get it, will consume $0.29 per KWh power (about 10 cents per mile) at home unless I install a second meter (at a cost of about $2,700) for EV rate off-peak charging at "only"
$0.12 per KWh. Rates are even higher in San Diego and many parts of Northern Calif. That's why I plan to self-install solar panels.

 

[AnxietyRanger]

My Model S has definitely generated more public interest than past cars, although some of that is just the newness of the brand and the shape. But yes, it does gather quite a bit of attention just being there, or when it is being plugged in in public.

 

[bareyb]

Oh how I wish it were so in SoCal. My car, when I get it, will consume $0.29 per KWh power (about 10 cents per mile) at home unless I install a second meter (at a cost of about $2,700) for EV rate off-peak charging at "only"
$0.12 per KWh. Rates are even higher in San Diego and many parts of Northern Calif. That's why I plan to self-install solar panels.

Ah yes, the "second meter". That's how they are going to "get us" in the future. They need to separate it out, so they can control the costs like they do with Gasoline. Some day, that second meter will be taxed to death just like Gasoline and will cost far more than the power we use to light our homes. You didn't really think they'd give up all that oil money did you? Happily for us in Silicon Valley, there is no such requirement. Yet. But there will be if people don't fight against it. As it sits I'm actually paying much less per month for PG&E than I was before (we are on EV1) and that's with the car. So it's not so bad everywhere. At least not yet. But I am outraged on your behalf... That 2nd meter is a slippery slope... The ONLY reason for it, is so they can one day manipulate the price of "Fuel".

 

[Candleflame]

Ah yes, the "second meter". That's how they are going to "get us" in the future. They need to separate it out, so they can control the costs like they do with Gasoline. Some day, that second meter will be taxed to death just like Gasoline and will cost far more than the power we use to light our homes. You didn't really think they'd give up all that oil money did you? Happily for us in Silicon Valley, there is no such requirement. Yet. But there will be if people don't fight against it. As it sits I'm actually paying much less per month for PG&E than I was before (we are on EV1) and that's with the car. So it's not so bad everywhere. At least not yet. But I am outraged on your behalf... That 2nd meter is a slippery slope... The ONLY reason for it, is so they can one day manipulate the price of "Fuel".

This is pretty much gonna come in one form or another. Gas prices (outside of USA at least) finance a lot of stuff, which isn't necessarly road related, for the state. One can only hope that ICE cars are gonna be around for a while so this issue won't affect people who drive plugin hybrid/ full electric too much.

 

[brucet999]

Ah yes, the "second meter".... That 2nd meter is a slippery slope... The ONLY reason for it, is so they can one day manipulate the price of "Fuel".

The only reason is so that Edison can claim support for EVs without allowing other household usage to benefit from the special rate. Will our greedy tax-borrow-and-spend legislators lay on EV taxes later on? I'm certain that you are right about that. Just one more reason for me to build that solar panel system.

 

[chickensevil]

Ah yes, the "second meter". That's how they are going to "get us" in the future. They need to separate it out, so they can control the costs like they do with Gasoline. Some day, that second meter will be taxed to death just like Gasoline and will cost far more than the power we use to light our homes. You didn't really think they'd give up all that oil money did you? Happily for us in Silicon Valley, there is no such requirement. Yet. But there will be if people don't fight against it. As it sits I'm actually paying much less per month for PG&E than I was before (we are on EV1) and that's with the car. So it's not so bad everywhere. At least not yet. But I am outraged on your behalf... That 2nd meter is a slippery slope... The ONLY reason for it, is so they can one day manipulate the price of "Fuel".

VA allows both routes, separate meter or whole home time of use. I opted for the second meter because I don't really want to timeshift my house usage. I anticipate this particular fear is not as bothersome as you think. I expect states will do what my state (as well as others) are doing which is to get the taxes all upfront on registration. For example my state is 64$ per year. With a state average fuel tax of 22.4 cents per gallon I am effectively subsidizing 285.7 gallons of gasoline with that money. With a 22MPG car I would have been able to go 6,285.4 miles on that, 30MPG car would be 8,571 miles, and to get the "average" annual miles driven of 12,500 I would be effectively driving a 43.8MPG vehicle tax wise.

The only flaw with this kind of tax is it unfairly taxes those who drive less vice those who drive more... but, at least, the tax is no longer bound to how efficient your car is which is a good thing, because a proper tax would be based on how much damage you are contributing to the roads, or whatever... which would make a miles based tax the best route.

Anyway, I agree they will get their tax on some level, eventually, but I am not afraid of it going through the meter. Taxes are the lowest contributor to high gas prices.

 

[brucet999]

Taxes are the lowest contributor to high gas prices.

Maybe in VA, but not so low in CA. Gasoline tax here is $0.41, then in summer, state rules require special "summer blend" additives that add $0.10 per gallon and then on top of that we pay 8% sales tax on the total price including the other taxes. Altogether, we pay 79 cents of taxes on a $3.50 gallon; increasing our cost by 29%.

 

[beeeerock]

Maybe in VA, but not so low in CA. Gasoline tax here is $0.41, then in summer, state rules require special "summer blend" additives that add $0.10 per gallon and then on top of that we pay 8% sales tax on the total price including the other taxes. Altogether, we pay 79 cents of taxes on a $3.50 gallon; increasing our cost by 29%.

Here, let me make you feel better... :biggrin:

I dug up some figures for BC from before the price of oil starting doing strange things. About a year ago actually, but I don't think taxes have decreased since then!

At that time the taxes totalled to 46.4 cents... Canadian currency mind you... BUT... that was for a LITRE of fuel. So to put it in perspective, that would $1.754 per US gallon on a pump price of $4.914 per gallon. Still in Canadian currency, but it wasn't too much off of the US Dollar at that time (much worse now!).

 

[brucet999]

Here, let me make you feel better... :biggrin:

I dug up some figures for BC from before the price of oil starting doing strange things. About a year ago actually, but I don't think taxes have decreased since then!

At that time the taxes totalled to 46.4 cents... Canadian currency mind you... BUT... that was for a LITRE of fuel. So to put it in perspective, that would $1.754 per US gallon on a pump price of $4.914 per gallon. Still in Canadian currency, but it wasn't too much off of the US Dollar at that time (much worse now!).

At those rates, and with all the cheap hydro power in BC, it must be pretty easy to justify the cost of a MS.

I haven't been to Kamloops in 30 years; on the way to a CMH heli-skiing week.

 

[beeeerock]

At those rates, and with all the cheap hydro power in BC, it must be pretty easy to justify the cost of a MS.

I haven't been to Kamloops in 30 years; on the way to a CMH heli-skiing week.

My 'business case' for the purchase was based on the annual cost of my 2009 BlueTec Mercedes E-Class. I got a good deal on it as a CPO and kept track of all the regular maintenance and fuel costs and ball-parked a trade in value. Once the extended warranty runs out, I don't think I want to be paying for the repairs! With that in mind, I looked at the 7 year loan rate for the Tesla and compared that to doing a CPO Benz every three and a half years (so two of them) at the actual monthly cost I experienced. In reality, fuel costs would increase, as would vehicle purchase price.

The numbers came out essentially the same...! That was a shocker. Then I got into a scrap with the local Benz dealer over some warranty work. I had been looking at a couple of E250's they had on the lot, but after the fight... I came to the realization that I just couldn't stand to deal with them for the next 7 years. I put down the down payment for the Model S that afternoon. I was likely going to do it anyway, but they pushed me over the brink. No regrets.

My hydro bill is tiered. About 8 cents a KWH to a limit, then about 12 cents after that. I heat/cool with a geo-exchange system, so all my energy costs are electricity - natural gas is literally a dollar or two a month for the stove and bbq (plus another $12 for 'delivery'... LOL). I'm not sure that my rates are as low as one might expect from the 'free power' from water, but I'm not complaining. I'm looking at adding solar panels to my roof with a grid tie, so the costs could go down (replaced by amortization costs on the panels!).

If it's been 30 years, you're probably due to come back! Sun Peaks is a great ski area now, although no heli-skiing there. With our dollar where it is, you should find it quite affordable... :redface:

 

[brucet999]

My hydro bill is tiered. About 8 cents a KWH to a limit, then about 12 cents after that. :redface:

My SoCalEdison bill is tiered as well, but we have to subsidize SCE for its bungling of repairs to a nuke facility that resulted in an expensive 20 years premature shutdown, so 4,000 kWh annual usage for the house uses up tier one and tier two (at $0.15 and $0.19/kWh, respectively); Tesla would start using power at $0.26 tier 3 and $0.31 tier 4. That's why I plan to install solar.