RE: Tesla to close showrooms in favour of web
Discussion
Glasgowrob said:
still dont understand why anyone dropping 80-100k on a car would not be visiting a dealer at least to look at a car first,
sure you might order online but you wont do it blind, you'd still be in a dealer first for a look
2 things. sure you might order online but you wont do it blind, you'd still be in a dealer first for a look
1) How would you then get your car? Would Amazon deliver it to you?
2) By buying online, you can't haggle for a good deal. Apart from high end supercars, how many people would currently walk into the local Ford / Audi dealer and but at the RRP? No one.
Glasgowrob said:
still dont understand why anyone dropping 80-100k on a car would not be visiting a dealer at least to look at a car first,
sure you might order online but you wont do it blind, you'd still be in a dealer first for a look
Surely these days you just put your VR headset on and look around your virtual Tesla. Take it for a virtual drive as well perhaps?sure you might order online but you wont do it blind, you'd still be in a dealer first for a look
Tesla is a different car company doing things in a different way. If you don't like it, there are plenty of other options available.
When you look at some fully electric cars that are on their way soon from the major manufacturers, all with showrooms, Tesla have their work cut out.
https://blog.evbox.com/electric-cars-2019
https://blog.evbox.com/electric-cars-2019
Having had a good nosey around a couple of Teslas in the fancy Milan showroom last October ( wife and daughters were in the clothes shops ..... ) I can see why they are moving to online only sales ... online you can't see the appalling fit and finish of the bodywork - wonky panel gaps that would make a Reliant Regal owner wince...
As someone who owns a Model S this move does not worry me at all. Specifying a Tesla is very simple (limited options with most of the must have items as standard...like the Lexus model), so doing this online is easy. I bought my car through what Tesla call a "service centre" and not a "showroom", so not a big concern that "showrooms" are going to be closing. In the UK, the number of showrooms are very small in comparison to a main stream dealer so this will have little impact. As long as you can go and see a physical car at one of the service centres I could not care less to be honest. I want Tesla to continue to invest in service centre infrastructure and the supercharger network - this will give them a fighting chance in the future. The Model S is the best all round car I have owned. FYI am an not an eco warrior - my other car is a bug eyed 3.8 flat six monster.
This is the sign of something rather larger, companies do not drop prices like that or make such radical decisions for no reason.
There are a number of reports of significant stocks of Model S without buyers. Tesla has been bleeding cash for years now - I would worry that there’s a bit of a bigger problem behind the scenes.
No smoke without fire.
I hope the Tesla bubble isn’t about to burst.
There are a number of reports of significant stocks of Model S without buyers. Tesla has been bleeding cash for years now - I would worry that there’s a bit of a bigger problem behind the scenes.
No smoke without fire.
I hope the Tesla bubble isn’t about to burst.
austinsmirk said:
its ok being negative about the future of EV's- but they are the most exciting thing to happen with motoring for the last 100 years. Honestly when you have one, drive one, all those generic 2.0 petrol/diesel lumps can be quickly forgotten.
yes I'm a petrol head, yes I love a decent engine, decent burble blah blah- but as a generic lump on wheels for sitting in traffic in, its the future.
clearly musk is some sort of bond esque evil villan, probably creaming millions off, building a space palace, but feasibly that's what you need to go up against the big giants.
Totally agree. Getting an EV has been a revelation. Apart from the noise, I don't miss anything about ICE on my weekly commute. For darting in/out of traffic I'm not sure there's anything better.yes I'm a petrol head, yes I love a decent engine, decent burble blah blah- but as a generic lump on wheels for sitting in traffic in, its the future.
clearly musk is some sort of bond esque evil villan, probably creaming millions off, building a space palace, but feasibly that's what you need to go up against the big giants.
The weekend is a different matter and can drive my wife's car for Boise and a manual box!
FurtiveFreddy said:
The negative comments seem to come mostly from people who have no intention of buying a Tesla or probably any new car anytime soon. Don't understand why they bother really.
I'm going to soon be in the market for an EV as my daily (will replace a Ka for the commute so not after anything special) but I don't get this current move from Tesla. Quite soon all of the "old school" car companies will have EVs in their showrooms so when I go for a wander around I won't be seeing a Tesla ...Only been in a model x in Norway and it was alright I feel like there is a lot of novealty built into the Tesla with their Easter eggs and rapid acceleration but apart from that I was underwhelmed.
As for no dealers I dunno who would spend a 80k blind without seeing the product.
Obviously direct to consumer works in mountain biking but a car is a lot different.
As for no dealers I dunno who would spend a 80k blind without seeing the product.
Obviously direct to consumer works in mountain biking but a car is a lot different.
FurtiveFreddy said:
The negative comments seem to come mostly from people who have no intention of buying a Tesla or probably any new car anytime soon. Don't understand why they bother really.
I started a thread a few weeks ago as I'm in the market to replace a current car, and strongly considering electric. It's highly unlikely that new electric car will be a Tesla. The link I posted a few posts back tells you why.So yes, I've every intention, which is why I started a thread about it. I'm not critical of Tesla, but they aren't the only game in town....far from it.
The Volvo 40.2 concept car is almost upon us, and that could very well put the Tesla 3 in its shadow.
(Concept 40.2 not to be confused with Polestar 2, the 40.2 will be a cheaper version of Polestar 2)
Edited by soupdragon1 on Friday 1st March 15:28
Edited by soupdragon1 on Friday 1st March 15:30
The Surveyor said:
austinsmirk said:
its ok being negative about the future of EV's- but they are the most exciting thing to happen with motoring for the last 100 years. Honestly when you have one, drive one, all those generic 2.0 petrol/diesel lumps can be quickly forgotten.
....
Two separate things IMHO. The rise of the EV is certainly an exciting new alternative to those generic petrol/diesel cars. They are however not exciting and once you have tried the whoosh-isn't it quick button ... a few times, as a car their a little too compromised. Small hyper-efficient clean quiet EV's are great, large expensive poor handling 'performance' EV's make no sense to me at all. That's where Tesla went wrong, again very much IMHO.....
I cycle quicker than that (just) as an average for a comparison.
That's the reality of daily driving whichever way you look at it.
But I do agree, its handling is poor. as a white good for domestic dullness, it excels.
I like to call my wife's car, the MILF Float. because she is and it is.
Numeric said:
So I do understand the rationale - the only problem is I have never yet seen, despite endless efforts by manufacturers, a model that works better than having somewhere for the customer to see the vehicle and discuss the price.
I wouldn't buy a sofa online without seeing it first, yet alone a car - but I am old and almost certainly not the ideal for the model here.
I wouldn't buy a sofa online without seeing it first, yet alone a car - but I am old and almost certainly not the ideal for the model here.
The Moose said:
I wonder how distance selling rules will play into this.
In the article (or the Musk memo) it says about a 7-day / 1,000 mile return. So he really is turning cars into electronic goods....and talking to people in the industry, an increasing number of people can't be arsed with a test-drive anymore.
Model 3 Base has been approved as stated and it will still qualify for the £3.5k UK subsidy. Next month should see some formal confirmation of prices and orders. Model 3 will be HUGE in the UK for those of us that understand EV's, those of us that own EV's and those of us that want to buy EV's. Don't forget the base model will be rear-wheel drive - how many EV's offer that for your £35k? 0-60 for the slowest of them is 5.6 seconds.. and 2.2 seconds for the Performance model. Great fun and a unique product. As with any entrepreneurial exposure, you cannot compare like for like because they are totally different.
Those people that moan about extra cost for paint etc just do not understand the target demographic for THIS VEHICLE. They are not like anything you have ever owned before coming from an ICE (I'm on my 3rd EV and waiting for the Performance Edition to land in the UK). Paint would make no difference to me, I am buying on performance and costs as a commuter and fun car that requires no visits to petrol stations giving 80% revenue to the government, no issue for congestion charge and servicing is peanuts. In another 8 years time when the drivetrain warranty expires, the car will have paid you back the cost of any fuel you would have put into an ICE car, so just "throw it away" and buy another.
Tesla does not need showrooms. The days of shops in the high street is in massive global decline and before long, high street shops as we know it will be obsolete. You will visit the Tesla Service Centre (as I have done with the release of the P60, 75, 75D, 90D and 100D - yes I visited every time they released the various models), then you either walk away or place a deposit. I did the latter...
Everyone loves to hate Tesla because they don't just go against the grain, they tell the rest of the automotive industry to f
k off, and any OEM that can pull that off and still offer a silent ride, lower running costs, and neck-snapping performance is doing just fine in my books.
Those people that moan about extra cost for paint etc just do not understand the target demographic for THIS VEHICLE. They are not like anything you have ever owned before coming from an ICE (I'm on my 3rd EV and waiting for the Performance Edition to land in the UK). Paint would make no difference to me, I am buying on performance and costs as a commuter and fun car that requires no visits to petrol stations giving 80% revenue to the government, no issue for congestion charge and servicing is peanuts. In another 8 years time when the drivetrain warranty expires, the car will have paid you back the cost of any fuel you would have put into an ICE car, so just "throw it away" and buy another.
Tesla does not need showrooms. The days of shops in the high street is in massive global decline and before long, high street shops as we know it will be obsolete. You will visit the Tesla Service Centre (as I have done with the release of the P60, 75, 75D, 90D and 100D - yes I visited every time they released the various models), then you either walk away or place a deposit. I did the latter...
Everyone loves to hate Tesla because they don't just go against the grain, they tell the rest of the automotive industry to f
k off, and any OEM that can pull that off and still offer a silent ride, lower running costs, and neck-snapping performance is doing just fine in my books.A tech friend has both an i-pace and a model X 100D, he prefers the Tesla for everything except what it's like to drive, and as most of his driving is in London or on motorways it's not an important thing for him. The Jaguar infotainment - and particularly the mapping - is way behind the Tesla.
Coverage of the stores shutting and the price cut misses the point that there are 300,000 unfilled orders for the Model 3. They don't need to fill the pipe but they do need to make sure that those deposits get turned into sales. I suspect there has been a high drop out and that's what has led to the price cut.
Coverage of the stores shutting and the price cut misses the point that there are 300,000 unfilled orders for the Model 3. They don't need to fill the pipe but they do need to make sure that those deposits get turned into sales. I suspect there has been a high drop out and that's what has led to the price cut.
LordFlathead said:
Model 3 Base has been approved as stated and it will still qualify for the £3.5k UK subsidy. Next month should see some formal confirmation of prices and orders. Model 3 will be HUGE in the UK for those of us that understand EV's, those of us that own EV's and those of us that want to buy EV's. Don't forget the base model will be rear-wheel drive - how many EV's offer that for your £35k? 0-60 for the slowest of them is 5.6 seconds.. and 2.2 seconds for the Performance model. Great fun and a unique product. As with any entrepreneurial exposure, you cannot compare like for like because they are totally different.
Those people that moan about extra cost for paint etc just do not understand the target demographic for THIS VEHICLE. They are not like anything you have ever owned before coming from an ICE (I'm on my 3rd EV and waiting for the Performance Edition to land in the UK). Paint would make no difference to me, I am buying on performance and costs as a commuter and fun car that requires no visits to petrol stations giving 80% revenue to the government, no issue for congestion charge and servicing is peanuts. In another 8 years time when the drivetrain warranty expires, the car will have paid you back the cost of any fuel you would have put into an ICE car, so just "throw it away" and buy another.
Tesla does not need showrooms. The days of shops in the high street is in massive global decline and before long, high street shops as we know it will be obsolete. You will visit the Tesla Service Centre (as I have done with the release of the P60, 75, 75D, 90D and 100D - yes I visited every time they released the various models), then you either walk away or place a deposit. I did the latter...
Everyone loves to hate Tesla because they don't just go against the grain, they tell the rest of the automotive industry to fk off, and any OEM that can pull that off and still offer a silent ride, lower running costs, and neck-snapping performance is doing just fine in my books.
And if they can pull that off for most people that can’t afford to lord it around in a car that cost about 3 times there yearly wage then they will have made it l, but unfortunately for Tesla all the other manufacturers will cover that base quicker rendering Tesla but a footnote in motoring history and reasonably soon by the looks of things Those people that moan about extra cost for paint etc just do not understand the target demographic for THIS VEHICLE. They are not like anything you have ever owned before coming from an ICE (I'm on my 3rd EV and waiting for the Performance Edition to land in the UK). Paint would make no difference to me, I am buying on performance and costs as a commuter and fun car that requires no visits to petrol stations giving 80% revenue to the government, no issue for congestion charge and servicing is peanuts. In another 8 years time when the drivetrain warranty expires, the car will have paid you back the cost of any fuel you would have put into an ICE car, so just "throw it away" and buy another.
Tesla does not need showrooms. The days of shops in the high street is in massive global decline and before long, high street shops as we know it will be obsolete. You will visit the Tesla Service Centre (as I have done with the release of the P60, 75, 75D, 90D and 100D - yes I visited every time they released the various models), then you either walk away or place a deposit. I did the latter...
Everyone loves to hate Tesla because they don't just go against the grain, they tell the rest of the automotive industry to f
k off, and any OEM that can pull that off and still offer a silent ride, lower running costs, and neck-snapping performance is doing just fine in my books.Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff