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These two markets are so different that the only properties they share is both items cost money and are made out of roughly the same raw materials (steel, plast
by forgetfreeman 4y ago
These two markets are so different that the only properties they share is both items cost money and are made out of roughly the same raw materials (steel, plastic, wiring, etc). Tesla managed to claw their way into the industry through a brilliant marketing campaign that nailed the subset of the (entirely suburban) market that believe an expensive car is a status symbol and new always means better. This line absolutely does not scan in the context of agricultural equipment, where the defining ethic is one of hard work and rugged dependability, both of which have to be proven in action. All the hyper-macho cargo-pants-and-a-tactical-vest advertising in the world isn't going to make a dent in an industry where the only two considerations are price and proven durability. So you've got a chicken-and-the-egg problem. To prove durability and workability you have to have product in the field, but nobody's buying unproven equipment. Put another way: the ag industry doesn't have a cohort of suburbanites with loose cash and a taste for novely to tap into.
- DaiPlusPlus 4y ago…and absolutely not because EVs are superior to ICE cars in many critera? I didn’t buy my Tesla as a status symbol, I bought it because of the 0-60 time.
- kevingadd 4y agoChoosing a car based on 0-60 time is basically choosing a status symbol unless you do track/street racing on a weekly basis.
- sertsa 4y agoOr maybe they just think its fun.
- DaiPlusPlus 4y agoYeah, I should have put “because it’s fun to drive without contributing towards global warming” (I live in a hydro-power area) - guilt-free pleasures are hard to come by.
- forgetfreeman 4y agoNah. Here's why: anyone who actually engages the vehicle to it's full capabilities outside of a closed track is going to eat some combination of racing or careless/reckless charges and lose their license for sure, and likely the car as well. They think it sounds fun, think it's fun to tell folks around the watercooler, and putter along at the same speeds as the Toyota Yaris in the lane next to them.
- dotancohen 4y agoMy Tesla Model 3 cut my commute down from 50 minutes to 40 minutes. And I'm not driving any faster, in fact I'm one of the few drivers who do not exceed the legal speed limit. But the Model 3, with 498 horsepower, lets me overtake lumbering trucks on the narrow, winding, hilly, one-lane-in-each-direction road that makes up my commute. In my previous vehicle I could not overtake safely. With the Model 3 I can be in and out of the opposing land quickly without endangering myself or other motorists.
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- forgetfreeman 4y agoThey are certainly superior in may ways now, none of which was true when Tesla made their debut. There is also the raft of basic build fuckups, gross fitment issues, and bullshit software problems to consider, none of which dissuaded the early adopters required to have the brand hit critical mass and go mainstream. My next vehicle will almost certainly be an EV, and absolutely will not be a Tesla. Thank you for illustrating my point in any case.
- dotancohen 4y agoBrilliant marketing campaign? I'm pretty sure that Tesla does not advertise. What marketing campaign are you talking about?
- forgetfreeman 4y agoAnd you're proposing customers found out about the company through what? Tarot cards? ESP? Marketing takes many forms.