Comment by fieldforceapp | Hacker News Reader

Comment by fieldforceapp | Hacker News Reader

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As an investor, I'm long TSLA & as a human I have to be bullish on this company. It's easy to root for them, but I really hope they get the roll-out of the Model S correct & focus on the customer, not the tech, damn it.

For those of you old enough to understand the joke, I don't think Elon will be trying to buy Cocaine anytime soon, but I'm worried about the next phase after the first round of sales to the enthusiasts like... us. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeLorean_Motor_Company

In the hopes that Elon and the boys are paying attention, some things that bugged me from the plans so far & from the "butt test" I gave the Model S:

1. The options look great and I'm excited, but help me complete these sentence... "I've owned the Model S now for more than a year and I'm never worried about getting serviced because Tesla Co. will..." what?

2. Tell my mother, or anyone not in your core market, why they need this car & what role it plays in their life vs. buying a gas powered (or for extra points a Hybrid) car.

3. Tell them exactly what's required to put a charger in their garage and how much that will cost; better yet, help them do it (for a fee!) and partner with some other Green tech folks to make a house call and split the costs -- solar panel resellers for example?

4. Nit picking, but man was that 17-inch screen big! Couldn't we save some money a go with a 12-inch and a couple of physical (user programmable) buttons instead?

5. Listen, I'm a large man, where's my "oh shit handle?" http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=oh%20shit%20h...

(And in case you missed it, I'm long TSLA & rooting for you all the way!!)

1. Tesla dealerships? Except for the battery, I'd expect this car to be more robust than average, due to the relatively miniscule number of moving parts. They also don't require oil changes. I think that lack of maintenance is a big deal. Most of the time, it recharges itself overnight, so you never need to go to a gas station.

2. Your mom would probably like no oil changes/gas fillups and less maintenance. For many outside the tech community, a car that looks and performs like a Maserati helps. Tesla is also planning on putting Tesla showrooms into malls, to act like Apple stores, which should generate a lot of buzz. I think their brand is going to be really, really strong among average consumers fairly soon. It may not be affordable, but it's going to be an aspirational car for lots, which should help a lot when Tesla finally launches their low end car.

3. Yeah, not sure about plug installation. I imagine that this is at the top of their mind. Perhaps partnerships with affiliated electricians set up by the dealerships? In most of the houses I've lived in, the breaker box was in the garage, so it should probably be relatively simple in most cases.

4. Addressed well by another commenter.

5. Heh no idea.

You can buy a charger from Nissan for $2,000. http://www.nissanusa.com/leaf-electric-car/faq/list/charging...

The question was about charger installation, though. These things are 83.3 amps at 240 V...

> 4. Nit picking, but man was that 17-inch screen big! Couldn't we save some money a go with a 12-inch and a couple of physical (user programmable) buttons instead?

A 17" screen is a very cheap component. Adding physical buttons wouldn't save much, if anything. When you're making a $60-90k car, a $100 screen isn't going to change the final price.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE...

That $100 LCD isn't automotive grade, nor will it hold up to federal safety standards or intense daylight visibility. Adding a 17" pro-cap screen on top is not a cheap proposition either.

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