Tesla popularity
Discussion
I've got a company car allowance in my next job coming up so going to be going to be getting itchy fingers no doubt on something new or barely used.
I am constantly seeing Teslas everywhere that look to be driven by so many different demographic.
They are priced entry level at 45-50k so priced along what I'd consider this car to sit along Q5/7's, A6, X5 etc so what's the deal here with the popularity when its so high on initial purchase price?
Is the entry price really just being justified by cost savings over period of time and owners making the finance work monthly on this?
Is there anywhere I can do a like for like with something else for all considerations like servicing, fuel etc?
I am constantly seeing Teslas everywhere that look to be driven by so many different demographic.
They are priced entry level at 45-50k so priced along what I'd consider this car to sit along Q5/7's, A6, X5 etc so what's the deal here with the popularity when its so high on initial purchase price?
Is the entry price really just being justified by cost savings over period of time and owners making the finance work monthly on this?
Is there anywhere I can do a like for like with something else for all considerations like servicing, fuel etc?
I've supplied various Tesla's a lot to company car drivers where choosing an EV is a no brainer because of the BIK, the reason they were choosing Tesla's over anything else was lack of choice & the network.
I have seen that start to shift with cars like the Polestar/EV6/Mach E come into the market place with their much better fit & finish along with similar real world range to the Tesla's, you'll start to see more of the others.
I have seen that start to shift with cars like the Polestar/EV6/Mach E come into the market place with their much better fit & finish along with similar real world range to the Tesla's, you'll start to see more of the others.
ZX10R NIN said:
...lack of choice..
This.The legacy manufacturers went two distinct routes to meet at the middle ground Tesla has been occupying.
Some went bottom up; Nissan, Kia, MG, VW - very few in the market for a business-supplied 3-series are going to "step down" to these.
Others went top down; BMW, Audi, Porsche, Ford (sort of) - these are out of 3-series price range.
It's been a happy hunting ground for Tesla.
Apart from Volvo, no-one has really been competing at that £50k saloon point, despite the best efforts of motoring journalists to compare M3s with ID.3 and Leaf for past few years, or E-trons and i-Paces.
CheesecakeRunner said:
They’re pretty much tax free as a company car, so if they fit your lifestyle and driving pattern, they’re a no-brainer.
As well as being dirt cheap to run if you do the majority of charging at home.
Yes, that's my understanding. I can't see any other reason to have one.As well as being dirt cheap to run if you do the majority of charging at home.
I guess we'll be seeing quite a lot more on the road, albeit battered up with scuff alloys and all in a single colour of ice white.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-59045100
Hertz private investors must have some big money invested somewhere along the line indirectly for this deal to work.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-59045100
Hertz private investors must have some big money invested somewhere along the line indirectly for this deal to work.
Tlandcruiser said:
I have a love/hate relationship with Tesla, but I think their build quality is s
t and they look st.
This.t and they look st.Really do appreciate the nuts and bolts engineering on these, in terms of their performance, range, tech and all that good stuff......they truly have/are/continuing to pave the way for the EV world.....excellent in that regard, but also where any form of "love" for these ends abruptly.
How could anyone live with a car that looks the way they do? IMO, they look absolutely awful...and trust me when I say i'm not a stranger to relatively ugly cars, the jelly mould does absolutely nothing for me....and that's before you even get started on the many examples of vehicles I've seen close up with terrible panel gaps, misted up light lenses (from new), loose / distorted window rubbers, horrendous paint finish, creaking and rattling doors and interiors. No thanks.
If I was in the market, it would have to be a Polestar all day.
Edited by MattyD803 on Tuesday 26th October 09:27
Panamax said:
CheesecakeRunner said:
They’re pretty much tax free as a company car, so if they fit your lifestyle and driving pattern, they’re a no-brainer.
As well as being dirt cheap to run if you do the majority of charging at home.
Yes, that's my understanding. I can't see any other reason to have one.As well as being dirt cheap to run if you do the majority of charging at home.
"Yes, even though daddy drives a shed, of course he is going to buy a 17 year old who has never worked a day in her life a £50K model 3 as her first car"
MattyD803 said:
This.
Really do appreciate the nuts and bolts engineering on these, in terms of their performance, range, tech and all that good stuff......they truly have/are/continuing to pave the way for the EV world.....excellent in that regard, but also where any form of "love" for these ends abruptly.
How could anyone live with a car that looks the way they do? IMO, they look absolutely awful...and trust me when I say i'm not a stranger to relatively ugly cars, the jelly mould does absolutely nothing for me....and that's before you even get started on the many examples of vehicles I've seen close up with terrible panel gaps, misted up light lenses (from new), loose / distorted window rubbers, horrendous paint finish, creaking and rattling doors and interiors. No thanks.
If I was in the market, it would have to be a Polestar all day.
I don’t think it’s a looker either but I think you are over-clutching at the pearls a bit there. Really do appreciate the nuts and bolts engineering on these, in terms of their performance, range, tech and all that good stuff......they truly have/are/continuing to pave the way for the EV world.....excellent in that regard, but also where any form of "love" for these ends abruptly.
How could anyone live with a car that looks the way they do? IMO, they look absolutely awful...and trust me when I say i'm not a stranger to relatively ugly cars, the jelly mould does absolutely nothing for me....and that's before you even get started on the many examples of vehicles I've seen close up with terrible panel gaps, misted up light lenses (from new), loose / distorted window rubbers, horrendous paint finish, creaking and rattling doors and interiors. No thanks.
If I was in the market, it would have to be a Polestar all day.
Edited by MattyD803 on Tuesday 26th October 09:27
I think all the other stuff you mention; panel gaps etc is something of a dated trope now - mine doesn’t have that.
I’m always surprised how Tesla’s get such lengthy responses on here from people who don’t have them. I’ve never had a diesel car, think they are boring and dirty and have never written a post about them as far as I know.
limpsfield said:
I don’t think it’s a looker either but I think you are over-clutching at the pearls a bit there.
I think all the other stuff you mention; panel gaps etc is something of a dated trope now - mine doesn’t have that.
I’m always surprised how Tesla’s get such lengthy responses on here from people who don’t have them. I’ve never had a diesel car, think they are boring and dirty and have never written a post about them as far as I know.
I'm happy to find time to comment on a Telsa popularity post because a) this is a car forum & it popped up on my 'latest' feed b) the number of Tesla's owned/driven locally to me has spiralled c) I'm considering an EV to replace our current car in 2 years time and d) it truly baffles me why they now appear to be the 'go-to' EV. I think all the other stuff you mention; panel gaps etc is something of a dated trope now - mine doesn’t have that.
I’m always surprised how Tesla’s get such lengthy responses on here from people who don’t have them. I’ve never had a diesel car, think they are boring and dirty and have never written a post about them as far as I know.
In terms of the dated trope suggestion reference build quality.....It was only several months back I watched a UK collection day vid on YouTube for a Model 3 which had horrendous paint finish and loose / squeaking interior trim. Locally to me there is a black model 3 (2020 plate), and both outer most rear tail lamp assemblies are fogged up and have been for as long as he has had it. I can also see heavy orange peel in the paint from around 2m away. It's borderline laughable. (I would be equally amused to see such defects on 20 plate Audi or BMW - it's just a poor show).
From what I can see as a Tesla "outsider", i'm really not convinced the 'build quality' issues have been resolved. Is that understandable for what is effectively a brand new name in the market - Yes. Does that make it acceptable for a £45-60k 'premium' saloon car. IMO, no, it doesn't.
Edited by MattyD803 on Tuesday 26th October 13:45
As already mentioned if its a company car the tax benefits make it highly desirable and at the time it had the longest range of the EV's (others have now caught up) that made it one of the few realistic options as an EV for business use.
For private users there are decent lease deals out there (or were) and again road tax and low running costs good range and decent image made it the go to.
When I had a look at the leases they came in at around £500pm over 3 years, when I offset my fuel costs it was closer to £300 a month. That kind of monthlys these days do not really get you anything special so for many a quick EV with good range was appealing.
For private users there are decent lease deals out there (or were) and again road tax and low running costs good range and decent image made it the go to.
When I had a look at the leases they came in at around £500pm over 3 years, when I offset my fuel costs it was closer to £300 a month. That kind of monthlys these days do not really get you anything special so for many a quick EV with good range was appealing.
limpsfield said:
MattyD803 said:
This.
Really do appreciate the nuts and bolts engineering on these, in terms of their performance, range, tech and all that good stuff......they truly have/are/continuing to pave the way for the EV world.....excellent in that regard, but also where any form of "love" for these ends abruptly.
How could anyone live with a car that looks the way they do? IMO, they look absolutely awful...and trust me when I say i'm not a stranger to relatively ugly cars, the jelly mould does absolutely nothing for me....and that's before you even get started on the many examples of vehicles I've seen close up with terrible panel gaps, misted up light lenses (from new), loose / distorted window rubbers, horrendous paint finish, creaking and rattling doors and interiors. No thanks.
If I was in the market, it would have to be a Polestar all day.
I don’t think it’s a looker either but I think you are over-clutching at the pearls a bit there. Really do appreciate the nuts and bolts engineering on these, in terms of their performance, range, tech and all that good stuff......they truly have/are/continuing to pave the way for the EV world.....excellent in that regard, but also where any form of "love" for these ends abruptly.
How could anyone live with a car that looks the way they do? IMO, they look absolutely awful...and trust me when I say i'm not a stranger to relatively ugly cars, the jelly mould does absolutely nothing for me....and that's before you even get started on the many examples of vehicles I've seen close up with terrible panel gaps, misted up light lenses (from new), loose / distorted window rubbers, horrendous paint finish, creaking and rattling doors and interiors. No thanks.
If I was in the market, it would have to be a Polestar all day.
Edited by MattyD803 on Tuesday 26th October 09:27
I think all the other stuff you mention; panel gaps etc is something of a dated trope now - mine doesn’t have that.
I’m always surprised how Tesla’s get such lengthy responses on here from people who don’t have them. I’ve never had a diesel car, think they are boring and dirty and have never written a post about them as far as I know.
MattyD803 said:
d) it truly baffles me why they now appear to be the 'go-to' EV.
For me: range and the supercharger network.I am that PH user who does occasionally need to do a 500 mile round trip over a weekend at short notice. My experience with the non-Tesla public charging network has been very hit and miss. With Tesla superchargers, I know that I can turn up, plug in and have a hundred miles or so added in about quarter of an hour or less.
Edited to add: I've covered 12,500 miles in mine since December last year. I think that would have been much more of a faff without the supercharger network.
I do hope the charging infrastructure gets built out, and more reliable, in the UK to give more choice in the future.
Edited by limpsfield on Tuesday 26th October 18:01
Some good comments here.
Do you still need to pay road tax on Tesla based on it being over a certain OTR price?
I'm much preferring a SUV or estate based cars for getting golf stuff in the boot, that with the rise in new electric options on the market now I think its probably best to wait. And also wait when this poxy chip supply chain excuse ends.
I can believe poor workmanship on them from new, they are only a new manufacture at the end of the day who has focused on the tech more.
Do you still need to pay road tax on Tesla based on it being over a certain OTR price?
I'm much preferring a SUV or estate based cars for getting golf stuff in the boot, that with the rise in new electric options on the market now I think its probably best to wait. And also wait when this poxy chip supply chain excuse ends.
I can believe poor workmanship on them from new, they are only a new manufacture at the end of the day who has focused on the tech more.
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