I've Made My Decision

Tesla is doing a number of things right with the Model S. However, they also included the feeling of being nickle & dime'd to death. My first real hangup was the paint. I don't pay for paint and I don't like the idea of paying $750 for any color other than black or white. There isn't $750 worth of paint on the car. If the deal was for $750 the buyer can get it painted any color, well, maybe.

Then I kept thinking about where I would want to drive the car. Do I really want to spend 3+ hours at an RV park to get to State College? Or home? Maybe THE Supercharger station in PA would help but when the only info available is a fuzzy map it doesn't give me a warm fuzzy feeling.

Now, Tesla has unveiled their annual maintenance plan at $600. A low maintenance car shouldn't need a maintenance plan. What do you get? That's not clear. Maybe you get fluids & wiper blades replaced and Tesla gets data. I'll pass. Well, Tesla feels there is only one place qualified to rotate tires, yes, the Tesla Service Center. What happens if the maintenance plan isn't purchased? George Blankenship confirmed that your warranty is voided.

I placed a deposit in good faith. I expected things to change and they have. I also expected to receive all the facts before ordering and paying for a car. That hasn't happened. I'm sorry, but this attitude doesn't sit well with me.

An EV may be much cheaper to run than a conventional car but the Model S would save me $1.89 per 100 miles at today's gas & electricity prices compared to my Prius. The Prius is about $400 per year cheaper to insure and in almost 3 years has cost $0 in maintenance.

So, after I hit the Create Thread button and after some 3 years I'm going to Tesla's site to hit the refund button.

Here's wishing many years of happiness with the Model S for those who take delivery.

 

The Leaf is quite popular in the EV club. 100 mile range doesn't cut it for me. The current lease offer in NJ is cheaper than buying the car new. Nissan's handling of the SW battery issue is not entirely reassuring.

Reservations can't be sold. I was told I'll have the check within a couple of weeks.

Does the Tesla battery really have to last 200,000 miles or some 13-17 years? That's been past the useful life of every car I owned. In that time I'm sure things would have changed enough to warrant buying an upgrade. Obviously you drive a lot more than I do.

 

I'm still on the original tires at almost 60000 miles (17" Toyos(?) @ ~50psi). The dealer threw in a bunch of coupons as part of the sale. I'll be using the last one on the next oil change. I did buy a handful of air filters on line that are sitting in a box in the garage and two bottles of touch up paint so my total Prius expenditure is a bit more than nothing.

I agree the price of gas will trend up (down to $3.649/gallon this week) along with electricity (~17.1c/kWh) but I do believe battery prices will fall. Lead batteries have been replaced with lithium in the cars & trucks the guys in the EEVC convert. A battery box that filled the pick up's bed now fits between the rails under the bed. Will the lower cost of batteries translate into a lower selling price or a higher profit margin? I don't know.

Maybe their maintenance plan is in the best interest of the owner. Maybe it is just a $4 million (based on 10000 cars reserved, bought, & built) guaranteed revenue stream for a corporation that really needs revenue. If Toyota announced that the systems in the Prius needed TLC that only a Toyota dealer could provide and the warranty is voided if you don't buy the prepaid maintenance plan there would be howls of protest.

Bodgerx, you're right. I'll probably be happier in the car after the Model X or maybe a Toyota built on a Tesla drive train. If you could stuff enough batteries into a Prius for the range I would want it would still cost $60000-$70000. No, I'm not a pioneer and I'm probably not a good candidate for early adopter.

Evan, have you received an update on your car?

 

Tesla is still running two reservation lists. Plenty of slots for everyone. High standards & fast production don't seem to be mixing well.

 

Evan, have you tried getting an insurance estimate? The Model S was not on my carrier's list. They wanted to know MSRP ($65000), body style (I said 4 door sedan hatchback), and top speed (110mph). After a very long pause the guy said, "That's an electric car, isn't it? I don't know if we'll insure it. I'll have to get a special rating & call you back." The quote came back at $1621 per year as a second car. The Prius which was ~$35000 OTD in 12/09 now with 60000 miles and a 30+ mile commute to work is $1280.

If I was dropping 6 figures on a car that's late I'd want an explanation as well.

 

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