Photo: Catalin Garmacea
It's hard to ignore what Elon Musk did with Tesla Motors in a relatively short amount of time. However, as prolific and capable the Model S might be, people are not buying it for its environment-friendly ethos.
Yes, I've said it, Tesla Model S is not a green car. It happens to be electric, therefore, emission-free and friendly to the environment, but still, it's not a green car. Do you know why?
Tesla Model S is not a green car because people who buy it don't see it as a green car. For them, it's the next hot gizmo available for an amount of money they can afford to pay, but nothing more.
It's blistering fast, no doubt about that, especially after the latest addition of the P90D version and the Ludicrous Mode feature. It also offers a premium-wannabe cabin experience comparable to what the new VW Passat proposes, despite the Mercedes-sourced windows controllers and steering column stalks. But the Model S is not saving the environment, nor the planet, and I doubt Elon Musk is aiming towards this goal.
Why I'm saying the Model S is only a gadget that's cool to have these days? Well, I'm sure you all watched at least one video where a Tesla Model S is humiliating muscle cars and supercars on the drag strip, for instance.
I bet that if the Model S was not an EV and it used, let's say, sand, to go from A to B but with the same performances offered by the real-life electric powertrain, people would still race it on a straight and have a go at customizing handrests and other parts of the car. Because that's what you do with gadgets: you use them to have fun and show off, in some cases, and it has nothing to do with playing Captain Planet.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not implying the Model S is not a decent daily driver nor am I dismissing the technology behind it or its electric range, but looking at how some owners use their cars makes me believe it is just a fashionable gadget that happens to be electric.
Again, the OTA update system is a brilliant idea, but the addition of an Insane Mode or a Ludicrous Mode confirms my theory. It's what you do with your smartphone, PC, gaming console when you upgrade its operating system to make it better, faster and less battery consuming, but with Tesla this happens only for the fun factor's sake, not to boost the car's green character.
I'm curious how many Tesla Model S buyers have in mind the car's harmlessness towards the planet when they decide to buy one. It would be interesting if Tesla asked each customer why is he or she buying the car, and an honest answer, I repeat, honest answer would follow. Maybe they do that already but keep the answers to themselves, or perhaps there's no such policy at Tesla Motors.
Don't you agree it would be enticing to know the genuine reasons why people are paying hard money on the Model S?
Tesla Model S is not a green car because people who buy it don't see it as a green car. For them, it's the next hot gizmo available for an amount of money they can afford to pay, but nothing more.
It's blistering fast, no doubt about that, especially after the latest addition of the P90D version and the Ludicrous Mode feature. It also offers a premium-wannabe cabin experience comparable to what the new VW Passat proposes, despite the Mercedes-sourced windows controllers and steering column stalks. But the Model S is not saving the environment, nor the planet, and I doubt Elon Musk is aiming towards this goal.
Why I'm saying the Model S is only a gadget that's cool to have these days? Well, I'm sure you all watched at least one video where a Tesla Model S is humiliating muscle cars and supercars on the drag strip, for instance.
I bet that if the Model S was not an EV and it used, let's say, sand, to go from A to B but with the same performances offered by the real-life electric powertrain, people would still race it on a straight and have a go at customizing handrests and other parts of the car. Because that's what you do with gadgets: you use them to have fun and show off, in some cases, and it has nothing to do with playing Captain Planet.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not implying the Model S is not a decent daily driver nor am I dismissing the technology behind it or its electric range, but looking at how some owners use their cars makes me believe it is just a fashionable gadget that happens to be electric.
Again, the OTA update system is a brilliant idea, but the addition of an Insane Mode or a Ludicrous Mode confirms my theory. It's what you do with your smartphone, PC, gaming console when you upgrade its operating system to make it better, faster and less battery consuming, but with Tesla this happens only for the fun factor's sake, not to boost the car's green character.
I'm curious how many Tesla Model S buyers have in mind the car's harmlessness towards the planet when they decide to buy one. It would be interesting if Tesla asked each customer why is he or she buying the car, and an honest answer, I repeat, honest answer would follow. Maybe they do that already but keep the answers to themselves, or perhaps there's no such policy at Tesla Motors.
Don't you agree it would be enticing to know the genuine reasons why people are paying hard money on the Model S?
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