EV general discussion

[b0rn2sk8]

They are on the high street in the UK too, and if I wanted a test drive or, post-purchase, access to the dealer, I'd be considering that in my purchase decision;
maybe I'm just outdated with respect to current, virtual, sales/post-sales processes.
The efficiency of a garage network for car support is compelling, albeit I rarely use the main delaer (BMW)
I suppose Tesla have had to make workshop manuals availible for 3rd part support (haynes?)

I couldn't find statistics for potential manufacturing capability for polestar versus tesla(500k total) vehicles;
since they are from China, I wonder if that will impact usa penetration,
like customer volvo familiarity in eu, tesla must have grown a similar patriotic bent, maybe the Mustang Mach will become more its competitor in NA, for compact premium segment.

It’s funny you should mention penetration in the US, Tesla isn’t really seen in the same way as Ford and GM by a lot of consumers despite being an American company and made in America (unlike a lot of Ford and GM cars which are made in Canada and Mexico).

Some states have even blocked them from selling cars because of their direct sales model but will happily accept imports. Madness really when you think America takes capitalism way further than the U.K.

I think that comes from it’s Silicon Valley roots and what it stands for (e.g. against the American oil industry). The Mach E has similar branding issues because those same people think it’s tainted the Mustang brand which is all about American muscle and big V8s.

That said a Chinese built Volvo will get nowhere in the states.

 

[thewanted]

Wallbox installed today. Car arrives tomorrow, all being well.

Great choice. I have a grey Andersen A2

 

[WJA96]

They are on the high street in the UK too, and if I wanted a test drive or, post-purchase, access to the dealer, I'd be considering that in my purchase decision;
maybe I'm just outdated with respect to current, virtual, sales/post-sales processes.
The efficiency of a garage network for car support is compelling, albeit I rarely use the main delaer (BMW)
I suppose Tesla have had to make workshop manuals availible for 3rd part support (haynes?)

I couldn't find statistics for potential manufacturing capability for polestar versus tesla(500k total) vehicles;
since they are from China, I wonder if that will impact usa penetration,
like customer volvo familiarity in eu, tesla must have grown a similar patriotic bent, maybe the Mustang Mach will become more its competitor in NA, for compact premium segment.

I think the existing car brands are taking the proverbial at the moment.

I've got a Model 3 Performance and it has no service schedule. They suggest I change the cabin air filter and brake fluid every 2 years. If I don't it doesn't affect my warranty. And they provide instructions so you can DIY both jobs or get them done at any garage. If it breaks or I have a warranty issue I contact Tesla (through the app) and a Tesla Ranger turns up and fixes the car where I am. In the worst case and they have to take the car to London to repair it, they leave me another Tesla as a loan car. And even that will change as they're building a dark service bay in Norwich so the cars won't have to go to London anymore.

Compare that to dealer network servicing and warranty repairs. Some of them might come and pick your car up, even leave you a loan car, but it's usually the smallest car they sell and sometimes not even the same brand as the one you're driving. The EV servicing schedules by ICE car brands is particularly daft. I posted somewhere back in the thread about how much Audi wanted for a service plan on an e-Tron. It was a small fortune and for doing what? Checking that the battery cooling hoses aren't leaking? Really? We're thinking about getting a Kia e-Niro or a Hyundai Kona Electric as another electric company car and they want £700 for 3 years/45,000 miles servicing. When I queried what the consumable parts were I was told it was 2 x cabin air filters, 1 x brake fluid change and 1 x set of windscreen wipers. The rest was checks and free software updates. Every 10,000 miles teh car will have to go to a dealer for an "inspection". Hyundai/Kia are only doing this to keep the dealers sweet. And the other brands are just as bad.

Call me a Tesla fanboy if you will, but I like my car to not need a service every x miles. I like the fact that theyve completely eliminated the concept of a full service history because it just doesn't need one. And I like the fact that it doesn't cost me £250-£600 every year.

 

[Joe T]

Great choice. I have a grey Andersen A2

 

[Haggisman]

I think the existing car brands are taking the proverbial at the moment.

I've got a Model 3 Performance and it has no service schedule. They suggest I change the cabin air filter and brake fluid every 2 years. If I don't it doesn't affect my warranty. And they provide instructions so you can DIY both jobs or get them done at any garage. If it breaks or I have a warranty issue I contact Tesla (through the app) and a Tesla Ranger turns up and fixes the car where I am. In the worst case and they have to take the car to London to repair it, they leave me another Tesla as a loan car. And even that will change as they're building a dark service bay in Norwich so the cars won't have to go to London anymore.

Compare that to dealer network servicing and warranty repairs. Some of them might come and pick your car up, even leave you a loan car, but it's usually the smallest car they sell and sometimes not even the same brand as the one you're driving. The EV servicing schedules by ICE car brands is particularly daft. I posted somewhere back in the thread about how much Audi wanted for a service plan on an e-Tron. It was a small fortune and for doing what? Checking that the battery cooling hoses aren't leaking? Really? We're thinking about getting a Kia e-Niro or a Hyundai Kona Electric as another electric company car and they want £700 for 3 years/45,000 miles servicing. When I queried what the consumable parts were I was told it was 2 x cabin air filters, 1 x brake fluid change and 1 x set of windscreen wipers. The rest was checks and free software updates. Every 10,000 miles teh car will have to go to a dealer for an "inspection". Hyundai/Kia are only doing this to keep the dealers sweet. And the other brands are just as bad.

Call me a Tesla fanboy if you will, but I like my car to not need a service every x miles. I like the fact that theyve completely eliminated the concept of a full service history because it just doesn't need one. And I like the fact that it doesn't cost me £250-£600 every year.

I found the Renault Zoe service plan amusing - iirc they quoted me £449 for the 3 year/30k plan. Doesn't sound too bad until you consider that an A service costs £93 and a B service is £134, so the total cost of servicing over that 3 year period would only be £320

 

[Desmo]

In the worst case and they have to take the car to London to repair it, they leave me another Tesla as a loan car.

They haven't picked up cars for a long time now. They might in extreme circumstances but it's not the norm. They also quite often give out Uber credit instead of giving you a loan car.

 

[Haggisman]

They haven't picked up cars for a long time now. They might in extreme circumstances but it's not the norm. They also quite often give out Uber credit instead of giving you a loan car.

My stepdad's Model S went in for repair recently - IIRC they had to take it up to Edinburgh, but they did get a loan car

 

[WJA96]

All I can say is when mine basically died, they turned up pronto in a M3 LR and took mine way on a trailer about 90 minutes later. It came back the following day, fixed and they took the LR away.

 

[Jonnycoupe]

Dealers are trying survive with the advent of EVs and OEMS needs dealerships to sell their cars. Hence the bonkers service plans.

 

[WJA96]

Dealers are trying survive with the advent of EVs and OEMS needs dealerships to sell their cars. Hence the bonkers service plans.

But Tesla don’t have dealers or service plans. Discuss.

 

[Jonnycoupe]

I wasn’t really talking about Tesla and the posts above by someone suggested the opposite?

 

[WJA96]

I wasn’t really talking about Tesla and the posts above by someone suggested the opposite?

Someone suggested that Tesla had dealers or a service schedule? No. They have some sales centres but they are 100% owned by Tesla and their preference is to have repairs done by mobile units or to take the car away to a ‘dark’ workshop if that is required.

 

[Simon]

I found the Renault Zoe service plan amusing - iirc they quoted me £449 for the 3 year/30k plan. Doesn't sound too bad until you consider that an A service costs £93 and a B service is £134, so the total cost of servicing over that 3 year period would only be £320

Incase you missed it

 

[sovietspybob]

That's one thing that did worry me slightly about Tesla, my nearest service centre is 2.5 hours away and in another country (England) so if i did get one (very unlikely thanks to covid!) and i had minor issues that needed sorting like a leak or a rattle would i be expected to drive it all the way there?

 

[jpaul]

maintenance costs/service centres :

it will be interesting to see if polestar maintenance contract follows an ICE, or rather,Tesla leed; fleet purchasers obvously figure that into costs/acceptability of brands
moreover with the low volume of T cars in circulation+age the need for many dealership(2nd hand)/service facilities may not yet be necessary,
but, facilities may ultimately, ensure revenue+survival - a necessary evil (cheap remark : WJA96 did say they are creating a norwich service centre - why ?)

with r&d investement T is not making much profit, so they chose, judiciously, to invest in supercharger infrastructure too (albeit they are solid future investments) rather than dealerships, not needed during infancy.

with service centres in general there is probably some cross subsidy - the younger vehicles charges help ensure their availibility for older vehicles, maintaining 2nd hand value, symbiotically benefitting initial owner. , so maybe not taking the proverbial.

edit: lifetime ownership cost and the responsibility to recycle the batteries still has some ambiguity, like nuclear power stations ?

 

[Journey]

I believe they have a further 9 service centres opening, to go on top of the 12 they already have.

 

[WJA96]

Don’t get me wrong @jpaul - the quality on Tesla [understatement]isn’t the best[/understatement]. So they break (mine has been worked on 3 times but it only physically broke down once) and that’s why they need more regional service centres (I prefer the phrase dark workshop).

 

[WJA96]

That's one thing that did worry me slightly about Tesla, my nearest service centre is 2.5 hours away and in another country (England) so if i did get one (very unlikely thanks to covid!) and i had minor issues that needed sorting like a leak or a rattle would i be expected to drive it all the way there?

As long as you don’t want a Long Range Model 3 Tesla have plenty of immediately available UK stock. I’m not sure where the myth of low availability came from. When I first placed my order on the last Wednesday in February the website said estimated delivery May 2020 and they texted me my cars registration number on Friday of the same week with a collection appointment in London the following Saturday. You can see what cars they have in stock on the website.

And what you have to do if it breaks down does seem (from this thread) to be a bit variable. They may send someone to you, they may collect your car or they might ask you to bring it in. I suspect if you’re a long way away and it’s not urgent they might ask you to wait for a mobile Ranger unit to come to you when they’re in the area. Most of the issues I’ve seen reported as complaints are cosmetic things at delivery or paint issues after 12-18 months.

 

[Kenai]

Don’t get me wrong @jpaul - the quality on Tesla [understatement]isn’t the best[/understatement]. So they break (mine has been worked on 3 times but it only physically broke down once) and that’s why they need more regional service centres (I prefer the phrase dark workshop).

Maybe this is a stupid question but this whole 'dark workshop' thing - if you are continually unsatisfied with the resolutions being provided for your car, can you go to see the service manager, sit in his office, have a coffee and a frank discussion about your disappointment, in the same way you can with most other manufacturers?

If not, who do you escalate things with?

 

[WJA96]

Maybe this is a stupid question but this whole 'dark workshop' thing - if you are continually unsatisfied with the resolutions being provided for your car, can you go to see the service manager, sit in his office, have a coffee and a frank discussion about your disappointment, in the same way you can with most other manufacturers?

If not, who do you escalate things with?

Not in my experience. I’ve only spoken to people on the telephone, by text or by e-mail. That said, they do seem to have a refreshingly positive attitude to fixing your car. Their customer service ethos is extremely American. That might change when they open up in Norwich though...

And I wouldn’t want you to think that I’m unhappy with Tesla - quite the opposite. Their whole pre-delivery inspection system needs a gigantic boot up the backside but everyth8ng they promised to fix at the point of collection was fixed and then when I had an issue with the electric steering wheel adjustment they came the same day and replaced it in the car park and when it just conked out they came and got it then brought it back the next day. And when it’s running it’s AWESOME. It’s sort of like Alfa Romeo with good customer service.