real world EVs review

[El Dobro]

Also looks like EV sales are having issues...

No One In The U.S. Really Wants To Buy Electric Vehicles

EVs from Toyota, Ford, Audi and Genesis are just sitting on dealer lots as supply outgrows demand.

jalopnik.com

Not an issue around here. They're usually sold before they come in or only last a few days when they show up.

 

[oilhammer]

They sit and sit here, and usually get dealer traded for something in another area. The local Chevy dealer complained about the one Bolt they had that nobody wanted but GM forced them to get one. They used it for an in-town parts runner vehicle for a bit, so they could pile up the 7500 miles on it and pawn it off as a GM program car just to get it off their lot, LOL.

There's a whole bunch (like, 50+) Teslas piled at an abandoned mall in Chesterfield. Not sure what the deal is there but they recently got a good ***** slap by Mother Nature with hail. Bunch of mostly hueless cars just sitting there. I'll snap a pic on my way home tonight.

 

[turbobrick240]

The EVs that aren't selling well in the US are largely the ones that don't qualify for the federal tax credit. The Bolt and ID4 probably feeling the price cuts on the Model 3&Y. Overall, BEV sales rose over 13% from Q1. Seems like a healthy growth rate.

Quarterly US EV Sales Scoreboard | EVAdoption

evadoption.com

 

[oilhammer]

I hope they take that tax crap away soon. I don't like paying for rich people toys.

 

[gmenounos]

I hope they take that tax crap away soon. I don't like paying for rich people toys.

I'm good with that, too, just as soon as the fossil fuel companies lose all their tax credits. I'm tired of paying for more sh*t getting dumped into the atmosphere.

 

[oilhammer]

I'll do you one better, abolish the IRS altogether. Simple flat tax for everyone, even across the board. Simple. Tax code rules could fit on a post-it note. Nobody gets anything.

Not gonna happen, though.

 

[gmenounos]

I'll do you one better, abolish the IRS altogether. Simple flat tax for everyone, even across the board. Simple. Tax code rules could fit on a post-it note. Nobody gets anything.

Not gonna happen, though.

That would be ok with me. I hate doing taxes. Even with TurboTax, it still sucks.

 

[Daemon64]

I'll do you one better, abolish the IRS altogether. Simple flat tax for everyone, even across the board. Simple. Tax code rules could fit on a post-it note. Nobody gets anything.

Not gonna happen, though.

I've long been a fan of a flat tax, w/ 0 deductions and 0 extras. Heres the rate, its just gone, no credits and BS, done deal. EASY. Fit it on a post card, shouldn't be more complicated than that.

 

[gearheadgrrrl]

They sit and sit here, and usually get dealer traded for something in another area. The local Chevy dealer complained about the one Bolt they had that nobody wanted but GM forced them to get one. They used it for an in-town parts runner vehicle for a bit, so they could pile up the 7500 miles on it and pawn it off as a GM program car just to get it off their lot, LOL.

There's a whole bunch (like, 50+) Teslas piled at an abandoned mall in Chesterfield. Not sure what the deal is there but they recently got a good ***** slap by Mother Nature with hail. Bunch of mostly hueless cars just sitting there. I'll snap a pic on my way home tonight.

I've noticed that's the pattern with Bolts- They seem to pile up at the rural dealers while they sell in the urban areas. Tesla's solution is to have only big city dealers, so with there tech's per mile travel charges and one hour minimum any service on a Tesla is at least $500 out here!

 

[turbobrick240]

Tesla doesn't have dealers, they use a direct sales model. There are service centers and mobile techs that come to you. That $500 figure sounds very imaginative. Many times the service is covered by warranty and no cost.

 

[oilhammer]

I drive past a Tesla dealer every day. They most certainly have dealers. They call it a "gallery" or some such nonsense. But it is a dealer in every sense of the word, right next to a few other rich person brand dealers (Bentley, etc.).

It has a showroom.

It has a parking lot.

It has a service drive.

It has a couple Transit Connects on staff although these are usually out on service calls.

It has a nice F250 with a trailer to drag the broken ones back in when they are beyond what the guy in the little TC can handle.

 

[turbobrick240]

That's a service center. Tesla doesn't have dealers.

 

[gearheadgrrrl]

Tesla doesn't have dealers, they use a direct sales model. There are service centers and mobile techs that come to you. That $500 figure sounds very imaginative. Many times the service is covered by warranty and no cost.

no BS... I live 180 miles from the nearest TSLA store/shop. They charge $1/mile round trip per service call and $100 minimum labor. That's $460, add in the sales taxes and the minimum service charge here would be $500.

 

[oilhammer]

They can call it whatever they want, it looks and behaves just like a dealer to me. They sell new cars there, LOL. Sheesh... back off the Kool-aid, man!

 

[Daemon64]

They can call it whatever they want, it looks and behaves just like a dealer to me. They sell new cars there, LOL. Sheesh... back off the Kool-aid, man!

thats another thing I'm all about. Eliminate dealers. Service centers are fine, and buying direct from manufacturer. If i could buy new directly from manufacturer and never deal with a dealer again i would. Its a very antiquated system.

 

[turbobrick240]

They can call it whatever they want, it looks and behaves just like a dealer to me. They sell new cars there, LOL. Sheesh... back off the Kool-aid, man!

It may look roughly the same as a dealership, but it's not. Dealerships are a third party that acts as a middleman between the manufacturer and the customer. Tesla cuts out the middleman. That's why there's no haggling on price. People order their cars online and either get them delivered to their door or pick them up at a service center.

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

Whether the service centers are owned by the manufacturers or a franchise is probably not a concern for many consumers. Just like people don't care that Starbucks stores are company owned and Dunkin' stores are franchises. What does matter is that there's a place Tesla owners can go and have an issue with the car resolved and have repairs done, if needed.

Kind of like it doesn't matter to me if I buy my iPhone at an Apple Store or at my local AT&T Wireless store.

 

[turbobrick240]

It matters insofar as there are no dealer markups or other shenanigans. Most people don't enjoy the haggling process.

Tesla has approved body shops that do repair work. That small shop may be one of them.

 

[oilhammer]

You are arguing semantics. If you asked 100 people what is a building with a specific brand name on it of a car company that sells and services said car with a showroom, demo models to drive, a sales personnel, and a lot full of inventory, 100 people would call that a DEALERSHIP.

Certain McDonalds restaurants are franchised, and some are company owned. They are both a McDonalds restaurant and sell the same food.

I will post pics tomorrow of this dealership that doesn't exist. Even got a shot of that trusty F250, LOL.

 

[turbobrick240]

Yes, it's a matter of semantics and accurate terminology. If you prefer to call the Tesla service centers dealerships, that's fine. Most people will understand what you're trying to convey.

Here Is Why Tesla Has No Dealerships

Tesla is changing the way we look at the car dealership.

www.hotcars.com

 

[oilhammer]

It is NOT a service center alone, it even says so other Tesla website. They call it a "Store and Gallery". There is a sales department. And new car inventory (quite a few actually). You can go in and buy a new one right there. Jesus, dude.

I don't care what the arrogant pricks want to call it. I don't care if they have or don't have a framed picture of Elon in the showroom or gallery or whatever they want to call it. I don't care if the salesman is called a product procurement liason or some other such nonsense. It is a dealership where you can go and buy a darn car. Period.

 

[turbobrick240]

Yeah, you can go to one of the Tesla stores to order/buy a car, but almost nobody does that. Much easier to order one from the comfort of your home, then go pick it up or have it delivered. No haggling, no extended warranty crapola, no special undercoating sales pitches etc. Just pick up your car and drive it home.

 

[gearheadgrrrl]

Yeah, you can go to one of the Tesla stores to order/buy a car, but almost nobody does that. Much easier to order one from the comfort of your home, then go pick it up or have it delivered. No haggling, no extended warranty crapola, no special undercoating sales pitches etc. Just pick up your car and drive it home.

If you wanna pay full list price!

 

[turbobrick240]

They frequently have deals when they want to move inventory. If haggling is part of the car buying experience that you enjoy, I suppose you could give it a shot. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

 

[oilhammer]

Here is the dealer that doesn't exist:



Can't really see inside but there are a few cars sitting on the showroom floor, I think they only have a couple models anyway.

Here is the test drive car paddock that doesn't exist, with all them on their charging stations:



Here is a sign that doesn't exist, to help you navigate around this dealer that doesn't exist, so you don't get lost:



Here's a bunch of Teslas that don't exist, parked on the lot that doesn't exist, of the dealer that doesn't exist:



Some inventory that doesn't exist, on the overflow lot that doesn't exist:



Note that trusty F250 and trailer!

Some blue ones that don't exist:



Some red ones:



Another shot of some mixed ones:



White ones, gray ones, I think they have all of the few colors they offer (none of these exist, mind you):

 

[oilhammer]

And this whole nonsense of "no haggle".... yeah, welcome to about 15 years ago. Everyone is like that. The manufacturers make money off the financing, not the car itself. That's why entities like Ford Motor Credit and GMAC got to be so massive.

Internet sales? Yeah, that's old news too, and everyone offers that as well. Apparently some people haven't purchased a new car in quite a while.

And some folks still prefer to sit down with an actual human to make a transaction. They are just more comfortable that way. Maybe they have questions that cannot easily be answered pouring over some website, maybe they don't even have the internet (believe it or not, some people don't!)

Many of the dealers' sales staff are by appointment only now.

I could have purchased the Mini I just got totally online if I wanted. When we met (by appointment) with the salesman, he sat down at a desk, and went to the same exact website I went to at my terminal here at the shop. He went through the exact same steps I would have gone through. The only difference is as we were going along, he was able to live answer any questions I had.

Some people have such an unhealthy love of Tesla that they cannot see past common sense I guess. But hey, I must have been dreaming on my way home last night taking those pictures...

Tesla isn't doing anything that special. They build a product, they sell a product. They have a strange parts monopoly in that they don't want ANYONE (not even the owners) doing ANYTHING to them, and there have already been lawsuits dealing with this. We've already dealt with a customer here who curb rashed a couple wheels really bad and this dealer (that doesn't exist, mind you) wouldn't sell us new wheels! His insurance company got involved, and a week later two shiny new wheels showed up here and we wrapped them in the special Michelins they use and got him back on the road.

As far as sales, you can go to the above pictured DEALERSHIP, walk in, and purchase a new car from their inventory right now (well, they open at 10AM). You do not HAVE to go online and do it there. And given the pretty extensive inventory it looks like to me (never saw any of the big S ones, maybe they don't do those anymore or those are reserved for the ultra-elites?) but it looks like the more popular models are well represented to me, but I admit I do not know (nor care to know) how many options/configurations they offer as I have no intent of purchasing one ever.

Incidentally, I didn't see the little Transit Connect mobile rescue units at the dealer, they must have all been out on service calls. I would have gotten a pic of that too, as I'm sure someone thinks those don't exist either.

 

[turbobrick240]

Those blue ones look really nice! Did you take a test drive?

 

[oilhammer]

And when I google "Tesla DEALER near me" (those exact words) this is the place that comes up, with a link to their website, and it clearly says "Tesla Store and Gallery"

Google doesn't tell me "Tesla dealers do not exist"

 

[oilhammer]

This is the only thing on that lot I'd have any interest in owning:

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

Wow, that's a lot of cars. Not many "dealers" have that many unsold cars on their lots these days.