I have bought two (2) EVs, neither of them Teslas. Why not:
1. Too expensive. I grew up too poor to spend that much money on a car. I recently failed to pull the trigger on a $65k Volvo XC40, so the initial Tesla models that were even more expensive than that are clearly right out.
2. By the time a less-expensive model came out, it came with what seemed like the worst possible UI imaginable. Not having an instrument panel in front of the driver is ludicrous.
With no other issues, those two alone explain why I did not buy a Tesla. But of course, there's more. Although I initially passed up the brand because of the high cost, I developed more reasons with time. In as near to chronological order as I can recall:
3. "Full Self-Driving" is either a delusion or a swindle, and the continued insistence on it puts me off the brand.
4. "Fit and finish" issues are widespread, and I cannot fathom spending so much on a car and then accepting bits that aren't fit together perfectly, and I lack the personality needed to aggressively follow up and get them all resolved.
5. Open defiance of the authorities during a pandemic that was killing people rises to almost the level of a sole disqualification by itself. It pushes several of my buttons at once.
6. The open antagonism between the company and drivers is bizarre. Every time a high-profile collision prompted Tesla to release information most people would consider private in an attempt to show that it wasn't the company's fault, I grew less likely to consider any purchase ever.
7. "Pedo guy" and related. Ultimately, the owner of Tesla has worked hard to make himself the face of the company, while also engaging in what should be brand-damaging behavior. It didn't seem to damage the brand, but rather encouraged his fans, which itself damaged the brand in my eyes. Long before his purchase of Twitter, he had destroyed any possibility of me wanting to be associated with his companies' products.
Fortunately, you asked for my reasons, so I assume there won't be a devoted legion of fans arguing every point below. My reasons are my own, and don't have to convince anyone else.
> 3. "Full Self-Driving" is either a delusion or a swindle, and the continued insistence on it puts me off the brand.
I think FSD will happen eventually.
What people don't understand is that if you buy FSD now, you're not paying for a feature you get now, you're paying for a feature that you'll get later as it's developed. You're paying for early access in the beta. Also, Elon has stated that the price of FSD will increase over time as it improves. By buying it now, you're insulating yourself from future price increases.
That said, Elon's marketing of it is pretty deceptive. He talks as if it's only 6 months away, but you'd have to have had your head in the sand to not notice that he's been saying FSD is < 6 months away for YEARS. If you're spending thousands of dollars on a feature that seems very pie-in-the-sky, then I would hope you'd do research on it first. Even just 10 minutes of research would yield a conclusion that FSD isn't there yet and won't be there for several years.
If it matters at all, I've been a Tesla owner for 3 years, did not buy FSD, and will not buy FSD. Autopilot is all I need.
FSD is not happening in the sense I mean it but it might in the sense you mean it. I mean “single-lane three-dimensionally-twisty-motorcycles-do-40mph roads covered in literal ice in complete darkness”. Because that’s what a large chunk of driving looks like around here. Even assuming no traffic and perfect understanding of the placement of the vehicle on the road (there’s no technology currently that can do that - no roadside markers, snow everywhere etc.) keeping it moving in the roughly the right direction without crashing would be a miracle of automation. But on a well-maintained California highway - sure, why not.
1. Too expensive. I grew up too poor to spend that much money on a car. I recently failed to pull the trigger on a $65k Volvo XC40, so the initial Tesla models that were even more expensive than that are clearly right out.
2. By the time a less-expensive model came out, it came with what seemed like the worst possible UI imaginable. Not having an instrument panel in front of the driver is ludicrous.
With no other issues, those two alone explain why I did not buy a Tesla. But of course, there's more. Although I initially passed up the brand because of the high cost, I developed more reasons with time. In as near to chronological order as I can recall:
3. "Full Self-Driving" is either a delusion or a swindle, and the continued insistence on it puts me off the brand.
4. "Fit and finish" issues are widespread, and I cannot fathom spending so much on a car and then accepting bits that aren't fit together perfectly, and I lack the personality needed to aggressively follow up and get them all resolved.
5. Open defiance of the authorities during a pandemic that was killing people rises to almost the level of a sole disqualification by itself. It pushes several of my buttons at once.
6. The open antagonism between the company and drivers is bizarre. Every time a high-profile collision prompted Tesla to release information most people would consider private in an attempt to show that it wasn't the company's fault, I grew less likely to consider any purchase ever.
7. "Pedo guy" and related. Ultimately, the owner of Tesla has worked hard to make himself the face of the company, while also engaging in what should be brand-damaging behavior. It didn't seem to damage the brand, but rather encouraged his fans, which itself damaged the brand in my eyes. Long before his purchase of Twitter, he had destroyed any possibility of me wanting to be associated with his companies' products.
Fortunately, you asked for my reasons, so I assume there won't be a devoted legion of fans arguing every point below. My reasons are my own, and don't have to convince anyone else.