3 ms·

No hardware makes sense as the way for the model to work. That being said, I am not convinced it is worthwhile as a consumer. I would be personally annoyed any

No hardware makes sense as the way for the model to work. That being said, I am not convinced it is worthwhile as a consumer. I would be personally annoyed any month where my average daily mileage was less than the break-even point at standard electrical rates. If nothing else, the hassle of setting up a separate electric account for something I am already getting would make me hesitant to enroll.

bikewhore 4y ago
This is not unreasonable, but the same logic should make you (well, one) hesitant to purchase a car in the first place. In general they don’t “pencil out” for folks that don’t have a significant commute. But of course most of us make that decision emotionally, and perhaps that will happen here as well. (I would characterize convenience as an emotional decision, it’s not intended to have a negative connotation).
- lupire 4y ago
  You can't get really "pencil out" quality of life. The car enables opportunities and tradeoffs. Keeping your own stuff in your own car in your own garage/parking spot different from hiring cabs and car shares.
londons_explore 4y ago
It would be a nice scheme for a rental car or carsharing service. "plug in this car anywhere, and we cover the power cost". A bit like 'fuel cards', which let you top up a car with gas for free, and it gets billed to the owner of the car. Lots of companies do that for corporate cars so employees don't have to buy gas with their own money and get a refund.
jfengel 4y ago
It sounds like you're not the target market. The target market is somebody who wants a nice, predictable cost structure. They want to be insulated from price spikes or demand spikes (such as suddenly needing your car a lot more). They're not doing it as a charity. It will almost certainly cost more on average than charging it yourself. Maybe Tesla will be able to eke out some small economies of bulk-purchasing, but it's not the reason for this. It's about smoothing people's experience. People who would rather optimize can do that instead.

bikewhore 4y ago

This is not unreasonable, but the same logic should make you (well, one) hesitant to purchase a car in the first place. In general they don’t “pencil out” for folks that don’t have a significant commute. But of course most of us make that decision emotionally, and perhaps that will happen here as well. (I would characterize convenience as an emotional decision, it’s not intended to have a negative connotation).

lupire 4y ago
You can't get really "pencil out" quality of life. The car enables opportunities and tradeoffs. Keeping your own stuff in your own car in your own garage/parking spot different from hiring cabs and car shares.

londons_explore 4y ago

It would be a nice scheme for a rental car or carsharing service. "plug in this car anywhere, and we cover the power cost". A bit like 'fuel cards', which let you top up a car with gas for free, and it gets billed to the owner of the car. Lots of companies do that for corporate cars so employees don't have to buy gas with their own money and get a refund.

jfengel 4y ago

It sounds like you're not the target market. The target market is somebody who wants a nice, predictable cost structure. They want to be insulated from price spikes or demand spikes (such as suddenly needing your car a lot more). They're not doing it as a charity. It will almost certainly cost more on average than charging it yourself. Maybe Tesla will be able to eke out some small economies of bulk-purchasing, but it's not the reason for this. It's about smoothing people's experience. People who would rather optimize can do that instead.