Not to get into the Tesla flame wars (was so appropriate that Musk was selling flame throwers) but so far there hasn’t been as much push back on the quality as I thought we would see. Some of that could be the flame wars aspect. If you dare to criticize Tesla you get pounded on by the Tesla fans and that has to suppress some of the public complaints.
I will be interested to see what happens when Tesla has cleared all the Model 3 reservation holders. We have all seen what happens when there is a hot car with a limited market. They sell like hotcakes until they suddenly don’t because everyone that wanted one has one. If Tesla can continue to sell the car in decent volume they will have some breathing room.
That’s the big question mark…have they sold all of the higher trimmed cars they are going to sell, and all those waiting are waiting for the vaporware 35k model? At some point, they’re going to hit a wall, as not everyone can afford or wants to pay 60k for a car.
I have doubts the 35k model will ever happen, but to be fair, I feel that prices have increased a lot since Musk made that claim. 35k then is more equivalent to 40-45k now.
From what I’ve read, the newer EVs coming out will be nicer than the Model 3 base in many ways. Conclusions from a few critics were that the only reason to buy a model 3 base in 2019 will be for the brand name. How is a limited model 3 base to compete with the new cars that will be $30k after rebate? Likely, Tesla will start removing some of the limitations via software updates to make the Model 3s more competitive. That may sour some of the owners who paid for those updates, but it is a cheap way for Tesla to remain competitive.
To wrap this back around to the original topic I wonder what will happen to the carpool stickers if they shift over to a congestion pricing model. Do they exempt EV/PHEV from paying if they have stickers or do they just say "sorry, stickers are for HOV access and this ain’t HOV.
Tesla’s trump card in the end might be the Supercharger network. They are the only company with a system like that. Folks who want a high end EV might pick Tesla absent carpool stickers and tax credits just to have access to the Superchargers.
I agree with you there. If it did it would be a one or two color choice car with as much content removed as possible. Might even reduce the acceleration to encourage people to buy a more expensive one. And I don’t expect we will see it before their Federal tax credit completely expires.
I think they still have some customers for more expensive cars (people with leases ending soon and so on) but I suspect the big bulge has already been swallowed by the snake.
They also really need to think about a major update to the Model S because it is getting pretty long in the tooth. I know they constantly change them but the basic shape has been the same for a long time. This isn’t the 1960’s where you can sell Beetles that look the same for 20+ years.
I was always jealous of corporations…if you can’t beat them, join them. To all that say that fair bs, joking or not, i say “what do you care? When was the last time you had the option to choose between a bag of cash and an empty bag and you chose the empty bag?”. I’m especially surprised to see these arguments on a website like this that focuses on penny counting and getting the most out of deals.
Come on, guys…don’t start with Tesla again…that can be a never ending conversation. We are all experts and we can all run that company better.
On the congestion problem, moving the traffic times will not solve anything. Our population keeps growing (despite idiots claiming everyone is leaving CA) and this problem will only get worse, at any time of day. Also it will take alot for people to switch to graveyard shifts, it’s not healthy or relaxing to try to sleep when everyone else is working around you. At tax will have to be balanced by increased wages and that may just drive some of the business out of LA…i’m sure that’s the last thing they want.
Maybe technology will rescue us again. There are many jobs that can be performed remotely and the city could offer companies incentives to move the people out of the office and into their living room. At my work, we could easily have people come in every other day and take their work and do it home. The problem is that will result in less revenue…less gas taxes and local sale taxes (food, shopping…).
I would say if more corporate jobs shift to work from home it’ll help substantially reduce road congestion everywhere. Most jobs can be done from home now, especially with the new technology for communication, file sharing, and collaboration.
Hell, I’d beg to differ that although the gas tax gets reduced in the end, meaning less revenue to repair roads, it’ll also mean the roads get less beat by wheels hitting the pavement so less need for repairs. And the savings from using less income towards gasoline may result in more spending, online shopping (which would also take some of the toll off congested roadways) and dining.
Presumably. I think there was a study that showed the carpool lanes (at least in LA) tended were bogged down a year after opening (whereas fast pass – or whatever they’re called – lanes did not…).
The issue is road wear isn’t really related to traffic or passenger car useage. It’s all about weight of the vehicle. Getting passenger cars off the road doesn’t really change maintenance requirements at all, only improves traffic. You would need to get all the commerical trucks off the road to make a difference in maintenance and especially the tractor trailers. You and I buying less gas simply drains the highway maintenance funds of states and the fed without reducing the need for maintenance.
