Tesla shitcanning showrooms and service centers...
 

https://www.tesla.com/blog/35000-tes...-available-now

But you can buy a $35k Tesla now.

They are expanding service, not closing them.

But they are shifting all sales online and closing showrooms... Apparently keeping some galleries (ie a place to go look, but not test drive...). Not a big deal for me - both of mine were done online.

I’m curious when the increased range update will arrive. 15 more miles for existing cars. I’m thinking that Tesla under rated th 3 originally to see how battery degradation went with the different chemistry used in the 3. They must have felt they could uncork the hidden range without people worrying about degradation now...

And no test drives.

The Tesla Distortion Field was a topic of conversation at dinner tonight. Interesting times.

I would never have bought my car without the test drive. I went on 3 actually. Are there really that many people who buy without driving?

Also note, they fancier variants keep getting cheaper. I could buy my car today for less than I paid even with the tax incentive cut in half. Or complete eliminated.

ZBB, where do you see the 15 mile range thing? This is what I found. (cue autocross clsssing rant by clyde)


"We’re also excited to announce that we’re implementing a number of firmware upgrades for both new and existing customers. These upgrades will increase the range of the Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive Model 3 to 325 miles, increase the top speed of Model 3 Performance to 162 mph, and add an average of approximately 5% peak power to all Model 3 vehicles."

I misread it. Range increase is only the RWD...

Semi-related: Jason the engineering explained guy traded his RWD model 3 for the model 3 performance because of the throttle lag Tesla programmed into the RWD models. He explains it in this video while making liberal use of the fart app. :lol:

The instant torque was one of the things that sold me on the car. There's no way I'd want the car if it was laggy.

https://youtu.be/XzspO4-T7t4

Stuff like the fart app and the other dumb easter eggs are a major turn-off for me. But whatever.

I didn't realize that "no test drives" is now a thing. The announcement of the shorter-range, $35k model 3 was intriguing to me. It's nowhere close to worth $60k or whatever they want for the top trim levels, but around the same price as a Bolt? Uh, yeah, that's interesting. But if I can't drive it? Definitely not.

He claims you have a 7 day, 1000 mile return period. Not sure what the fine print looks like but in theory you can take an extended test drive before you’re “committed”, and return it if you don’t like it after trying it out for a few days, but you do have to pay in full before you get to do that. :)

Which is a whole lot of "fuck you" to your customers. But I get that's beena thing with Tesla from day 1.