8 ms·

Tesla only sold 104 Roadstars in 2011. Now they are on track to sell 250,000 Model S, X, and 3 combined in 2018. The scale of Tesla's accomplishment is truly un

by dmode 8y ago

Tesla only sold 104 Roadstars in 2011. Now they are on track to sell 250,000 Model S, X, and 3 combined in 2018. The scale of Tesla's accomplishment is truly under appreciated. It becomes even more impressive when you realize that this is an electric car, sold by Tesla owned stores, supported by over a thousand Superchargers. Amazing !!

pseudocook 8y ago
I wonder how many of those are Model S. I hope that Model S is not suffering any problems so that Model 3 and Model X can go forward. I am only person in my circle of friends interested in Model S as opposed to the other two models. Anecdotally, I lost count of the number of Model 3's I see on a daily basis in Bay Area.
- jgibson 8y ago
  What attracts you about the S more than the 3?
  - rconti 8y ago
    I really, really, really wish my 3 had the same awesome dash and display of the S. And of course the S is better looking although a bit long in the tooth. And has more space inside. And the power trunklid is nice because I'm not used to sedans and don't really like manually closing the trunk on the 3. It's a 2-step motion unlike a hatchback lid that closes more naturally. But the more time I spend in the 3, the more I realize it's a MUCH nicer car inside than the S -- which I didn't expect.
  - kentm 8y ago
    I can't speak for pseudocook but the fact that they replaced the dash with a tablet really puts me off of the 3. Not only is it ugly (IMO), its less functional.
    - what_ever 8y ago
      You may want to look at this - https://electrek.co/2018/07/30/tesla-model-s-x-interior-refresh-exclusive-first-look/ https://electrek.co/2018/07/30/tesla-model-s-x-interior-refr...
- dmode 8y ago
  Model S and X combined should be about 100K.
gamblor956 8y ago
Toyota went from selling 19,000 Prius' in 2000 to 281,000 Prius in the same timescale. It becomes even more impressive when you realize that before the Prius, there was no market for green cars, hybrid, electric, or otherwise. Amazing!!! [1] Even more impressive is that these are sales of a single model...
- curuinor 8y ago
  I mean, unironically, yes. Prius is one of the most remarkable cars ever, even if actual car enthusiasts weren't very enthused.
  - kposehn 8y ago
    As a car enthusiast, while I absolutely despise the driving dynamics of a Prius I deeply appreciate that it and other hybrids have had such a positive impact on cars. Hybrids are now becoming the standard for next gen drivers cars and are honestly pretty amazing tech. Now if only people would stop driving their Prius' 10-under in the fast lane.
    - kevingadd 8y ago
      It's hard to overstate just how weird the driving dynamics of a Prius are. I have a used one from like 8 years ago and going from it to driving a regular car is always a big adjustment because a Prius just doesn't handle like any other car. Solid commuter vehicle either way, though, and I can't complain about the gas mileage!
    - JonathonW 8y ago
      Have you driven a fourth-gen Prius (2016+)? Reviewers seem to agree it has a much nicer feel than previous iterations. (I own a 2018 and am very happy with it, but I've never driven an older one, so I can't personally address any complaints about driving dynamics.)
    - rconti 8y ago
      My favorite thing about the Prius (other than the economy) is the simply MASSIVE space inside -- particularly rear seat legroom and the flat floor, but the trunk is huge as well. My least favorite thing is the near-deafening road noise, particularly in the back seat. It's got a tin can door closure sound that reminds me of a Renault 5 or something. It's a HUGE step down from most economy cars in those regards. This was through the 2nd and 3rd gen, at least. I've not been in a 4th gen.
kanox 8y ago
I don't follow Tesla or the automotive market but I do follow space and for many years SpaceX was mocked because of it's low launch rate and delays. They are now #2 by launch rate, behind only China. SpaceX launches 2x to 3x more often than ULA or Ariane and their rampup was also faster than that of comparable vehicles. The argument that a company can't build it's product fast enough to satisfy demand strikes me as extremely weak: as long as margins as positive the production problems are solvable.
- TimTheTinker 8y ago
  SpaceX has Gwynne Shotwell. I’m not sure there’s a similarly capable decision maker at Tesla.
  - tomp 8y ago
    Do you have any more information about her, e.g. an interview or biographical article that would detail her talents? I'm wondering why you're judging her so highly (no tone other than factual question intended).
    - ordinaryperson 8y ago
      https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2018-07-26/she-launches-spaceships-sells-rockets-and-deals-with-elon-musk https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2018-07-26/she-launc...
      - deleted 8y ago
        [deleted]
    - mandeepj 8y ago
      It does not have insight into her SpaceX endeavors but gives a sneak peek into her thoughts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THQPNDNulVc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THQPNDNulVc
    - nickik 8y ago
      In the SpaceX and even the whole aerospace community this is basically assumed because of years and years of her interactions and conduct. Generally the theme is, if she says it the likely hood of something happening goes up 300%. That said, I don't necessary think that you can assume a direct causation of the difference between SpaceX and Tesla based on her alone.
stcredzero 8y ago
Tesla only sold 104 Roadstars in 2011. I'd love to see a Tesla version of the Road Star! http://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/Gallery%20%20A/Yamaha%20XV%201600__1.jpg http://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/Gallery%20%20A/Yamaha%20XV%...
- toomuchtodo 8y ago
  Musk was nearly killed in a motorcycle accident, and has said they will never build an electric motorcycle because of how much more dangerous a motorcycle is vs a car.
  - stcredzero 8y ago
    I'm really just calling out the spelling in the gp comment.
dreamcompiler 8y ago
The other thing that Tesla's naysayers still don't get is that A Tesla (any model) is the most fun street-legal car ever built Full stop, no caveats. American muscle cars from the 60s weren't this responsive. No German car is this responsive. You just have to drive one to understand.
- idts 8y ago
  You must not have driven many cars
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
- cnf 8y ago
  That is highly subjective. A friend of mine has a model S, and I do not like driving it much. I find it to be a boring experience. He is considering selling it after just a year because he finds it to be a boring car. To me, it is a one trick pony. It accelerates insanely fast. And that is about it. I MUCH rather drive my cheaper toyota 86 than a model S. I want it to be an awesome car, but to me it just isn't.
- koffiezet 8y ago
  > A Tesla (any model) is the most fun street-legal car ever built Most fun? You must not have driven many cars. If you only enjoy quick acceleration - sure, but I prefer a gocart feel and a car nimble around the corners, and the only tesla that's remotely competitive in this area is the roadster, of which it sold very few. The Model S, while it has a very low center of gravity which makes it feel like a smaller/lighter car than it is in corners, is still a large boat if you compare it to cars that are considered to be "fun" and well-handling. A lot more people would agree with the statement that an MX5/Miata is the most fun street-legal car ever built - because - well, it most likely is. :P

by dmode 8y ago

pseudocook 8y ago

I wonder how many of those are Model S. I hope that Model S is not suffering any problems so that Model 3 and Model X can go forward. I am only person in my circle of friends interested in Model S as opposed to the other two models. Anecdotally, I lost count of the number of Model 3's I see on a daily basis in Bay Area.

jgibson 8y ago
What attracts you about the S more than the 3?
- rconti 8y ago
  I really, really, really wish my 3 had the same awesome dash and display of the S. And of course the S is better looking although a bit long in the tooth. And has more space inside. And the power trunklid is nice because I'm not used to sedans and don't really like manually closing the trunk on the 3. It's a 2-step motion unlike a hatchback lid that closes more naturally. But the more time I spend in the 3, the more I realize it's a MUCH nicer car inside than the S -- which I didn't expect.
- kentm 8y ago
  I can't speak for pseudocook but the fact that they replaced the dash with a tablet really puts me off of the 3. Not only is it ugly (IMO), its less functional.
  - what_ever 8y ago
    You may want to look at this - https://electrek.co/2018/07/30/tesla-model-s-x-interior-refresh-exclusive-first-look/ https://electrek.co/2018/07/30/tesla-model-s-x-interior-refr...
dmode 8y ago
Model S and X combined should be about 100K.

gamblor956 8y ago

Toyota went from selling 19,000 Prius' in 2000 to 281,000 Prius in the same timescale. It becomes even more impressive when you realize that before the Prius, there was no market for green cars, hybrid, electric, or otherwise. Amazing!!! [1] Even more impressive is that these are sales of a single model...

curuinor 8y ago
I mean, unironically, yes. Prius is one of the most remarkable cars ever, even if actual car enthusiasts weren't very enthused.
- kposehn 8y ago
  As a car enthusiast, while I absolutely despise the driving dynamics of a Prius I deeply appreciate that it and other hybrids have had such a positive impact on cars. Hybrids are now becoming the standard for next gen drivers cars and are honestly pretty amazing tech. Now if only people would stop driving their Prius' 10-under in the fast lane.
  - kevingadd 8y ago
    It's hard to overstate just how weird the driving dynamics of a Prius are. I have a used one from like 8 years ago and going from it to driving a regular car is always a big adjustment because a Prius just doesn't handle like any other car. Solid commuter vehicle either way, though, and I can't complain about the gas mileage!
  - JonathonW 8y ago
    Have you driven a fourth-gen Prius (2016+)? Reviewers seem to agree it has a much nicer feel than previous iterations. (I own a 2018 and am very happy with it, but I've never driven an older one, so I can't personally address any complaints about driving dynamics.)
  - rconti 8y ago
    My favorite thing about the Prius (other than the economy) is the simply MASSIVE space inside -- particularly rear seat legroom and the flat floor, but the trunk is huge as well. My least favorite thing is the near-deafening road noise, particularly in the back seat. It's got a tin can door closure sound that reminds me of a Renault 5 or something. It's a HUGE step down from most economy cars in those regards. This was through the 2nd and 3rd gen, at least. I've not been in a 4th gen.

kanox 8y ago

I don't follow Tesla or the automotive market but I do follow space and for many years SpaceX was mocked because of it's low launch rate and delays. They are now #2 by launch rate, behind only China. SpaceX launches 2x to 3x more often than ULA or Ariane and their rampup was also faster than that of comparable vehicles. The argument that a company can't build it's product fast enough to satisfy demand strikes me as extremely weak: as long as margins as positive the production problems are solvable.

TimTheTinker 8y ago
SpaceX has Gwynne Shotwell. I’m not sure there’s a similarly capable decision maker at Tesla.
- tomp 8y ago
  Do you have any more information about her, e.g. an interview or biographical article that would detail her talents? I'm wondering why you're judging her so highly (no tone other than factual question intended).
  - ordinaryperson 8y ago
    https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2018-07-26/she-launches-spaceships-sells-rockets-and-deals-with-elon-musk https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2018-07-26/she-launc...
    - deleted 8y ago
      [deleted]
  - mandeepj 8y ago
    It does not have insight into her SpaceX endeavors but gives a sneak peek into her thoughts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THQPNDNulVc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THQPNDNulVc
  - nickik 8y ago
    In the SpaceX and even the whole aerospace community this is basically assumed because of years and years of her interactions and conduct. Generally the theme is, if she says it the likely hood of something happening goes up 300%. That said, I don't necessary think that you can assume a direct causation of the difference between SpaceX and Tesla based on her alone.

stcredzero 8y ago

Tesla only sold 104 Roadstars in 2011. I'd love to see a Tesla version of the Road Star! http://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/Gallery%20%20A/Yamaha%20XV%201600__1.jpg http://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/Gallery%20%20A/Yamaha%20XV%...

toomuchtodo 8y ago
Musk was nearly killed in a motorcycle accident, and has said they will never build an electric motorcycle because of how much more dangerous a motorcycle is vs a car.
- stcredzero 8y ago
  I'm really just calling out the spelling in the gp comment.

dreamcompiler 8y ago

The other thing that Tesla's naysayers still don't get is that A Tesla (any model) is the most fun street-legal car ever built Full stop, no caveats. American muscle cars from the 60s weren't this responsive. No German car is this responsive. You just have to drive one to understand.

idts 8y ago
You must not have driven many cars
deleted 8y ago
[deleted]
cnf 8y ago
That is highly subjective. A friend of mine has a model S, and I do not like driving it much. I find it to be a boring experience. He is considering selling it after just a year because he finds it to be a boring car. To me, it is a one trick pony. It accelerates insanely fast. And that is about it. I MUCH rather drive my cheaper toyota 86 than a model S. I want it to be an awesome car, but to me it just isn't.
koffiezet 8y ago
> A Tesla (any model) is the most fun street-legal car ever built Most fun? You must not have driven many cars. If you only enjoy quick acceleration - sure, but I prefer a gocart feel and a car nimble around the corners, and the only tesla that's remotely competitive in this area is the roadster, of which it sold very few. The Model S, while it has a very low center of gravity which makes it feel like a smaller/lighter car than it is in corners, is still a large boat if you compare it to cars that are considered to be "fun" and well-handling. A lot more people would agree with the statement that an MX5/Miata is the most fun street-legal car ever built - because - well, it most likely is. :P