2016.04.30 Tesla Model ㆔ Reservation
Never let it be said that I could pass up a pun. It may be genetic.
So, as previously mentioned, I've reserved a Tesla Model ㆔¹. When I tell people this, most of them ask me if I'm worried about how long it might take or if it might never happen or if it might suck. Basically, they ask me if I have reservations about my reservation².
Let me contemplate these ideas in order.
Am I worried about how long it might take to get it? Maybe a little. Mostly because I have to flex my ability to tolerate delayed gratification about finally getting another car that I really want. And because it requires juggling more Mercedes lease term(s), which is unlikely to align well. But just having this as the official plan has been a huge relief, and has helped ease my #nosportscar angst. It'll be fine.
Am I worried that it might never happen? Let's put this as a qualified 99% NOPE. I have a lot of optimism about Tesla's future, especially in the context of teams of dedicated geniuses working in the USA. Meanwhile that residual 1% is a concern about society as a whole making transportation more sustainable. Simply put, this kind of development is frontrunner of a trend that simply must happen, and if it doesn't I'll be more worried about global issues than not getting my toy.
Am I worried that it might suck? Not even slightly. I've driven a Tesla Model S on four occasions, and it is wildly on the far end of the spectrum from sucking. It's possible that there might be production issues. If there are, I'll get them fixed.³
Elon Musk also just tweeted today that of course there will be an "Insane Mode" option, and that it will be <4 seconds 0-100 km/h. Hells yeah.
¹ Yes, I know it's cheesy as fuck to use the ㆔ Chinese character for 3. It's pathetic pandering to the symbology used by Tesla itself, but I do think it's amusingly albeit childishly clever. Ford stole the "Model E" trademark, ruining Musk's SEXY lineup, so using the E-like character is kind of close enough. Plus it's a canny nod to the largest car market in the world. They have also claimed that they view it as their 3rd-generation car, but that's a hollow excuse.
² Explaining the pun is poor form, I know. But it seemed contextually necessary.
³ There were problems with the Model S when it first came out. Virtually all those issues got fixed. Not just fixed, but fixed such that the owners were generally delighted with the end result. That's one of the fun things about an electric vehicle - there are simply fewer catastrophic-potential manufacturing elements in play.