EVERYTHING IS STANDARD
When you buy a Tesla, it’s a new experience. You don’t need to go to the dealerships, although you can do it if you want, everything happens on the official website.
The order takes 5 minutes, at most, while it sometimes takes 20 minutes just for the configurator stage with other manufacturers. Why ? Simply, because everything is standard. The basic autopilot functions, the heat pump, fast AC and DC charging, heated seats, infotainment… Admittedly, there are two to three trim levels with different performance, as well as some colors and the rim sizes, but that’s it. You won’t have any bad surprises.
At Renault, the choice of the Megane E-Tech can be much more complicated, with all the subtleties. We have also dissected the configurator in a dedicated article to be sure to make the right choice.
Same observation for the price, you pay the same price as everyone else. You don’t need to visit several concessions, to negotiate… to realize, finally, that your neighbor has had a larger discount than you.
SUPERCHARGERS
Imagine an alternate universe where the experience at a gas station is reserved only for drivers of one type of car. Peugeot owners, including myself, can stop at a pump, swipe their bank card and fill up in the blink of an eye. All other drivers have to endure the tedious process of rummaging through an app (or their wallet for a season ticket), signing up for a season ticket, or tapping a well-worn touchscreen before they can do the full.
As fascinating as that sounds, that’s not the premise of the upcoming dystopian blockbuster Mad Max: Gasoline Strikes Back. In a nutshell, that’s the reality electric car owners face today: a world in which charging is remarkably seamless for people who drive a Tesla and often frustrating for everyone else.
Conversely, with a Tesla, in a Supercharger, all you have to do is connect the cable to your car, and charging starts automatically, before being charged to the bank account linked to the car. The other manufacturers are getting into it, in particular with the Plug & Charge functionality.
Bottom line: Superchargers are plentiful, easy to find, easy to use, and may be the best reason to choose a Tesla over a competitor.