I am in the market for a new vehicle and am strongly considering purchasing an EV. Tesla’s lineup seems stale to me. The Model 3 is relatively modern. However, the Model Y is due for a refresh but project Juniper has been delayed. The Model X, and S are also stale. Competition offers fresh models with more better build quality and design. Tesla seems to be falling behind.
You mean restyling? It's a feature of classic automakers that I actually don't like. It seems aimed at forcing consumers to get a new vehicle by making the old one seem deprecated. It's mimicking the fashion industry, where fashion shouldn't matter.
If you mean vehicle development, Tesla does that, continuously. A 2022 model 3 is a different car from a 2018 model 3, as much as a 2024 highland is. You don't need to touch the exterior to improve the car.
How strange. So you didn't ever buy the car? You never owned it, but paid for - I assume - a percentage of its sticker price over 3 years? Then do you get a credit for a new one?
Step back a bit and ask yourself: Why not? If it's a great car, and if it has been technologically updated, should you really care that much about a new front grill design?
It reminds me of how Ford started and owned the market, then GM became dominant by offering different colors, models, and styles that would appeal to the market segment that wanted a car but not the model T.
Other companies like BMW are doing very well with electric models because they are focused on delivering the same "BMW experience" in electric models.
As far as I can tell the 3 and the Y are decent vehicles but no longer illicit the kind of emotion that excites a purchase. I don't get the cybertruck at all in terms of product/market fit. Seems like an "Edsel moment" to me.
For most other EVs, it still feels like you're sitting in a car.
The main reason I'd consider something other than a Tesla today:
- What's the maximum range
- How much range do you get for the price
- What's the total cost (there are cheaper cars that look great)
As far as I'm concerned, nothing is outright beating Tesla on design. It's hard to beat simplicity.
Also, sitting in a Tesla on the road is a lot less special nowadays. It is the most common model. This used to be an argument I heard about why people would pick a Polestar over a Tesla: People would say "Hey, there's a car." and not "Hey, there's a Tesla." -- but nowadays, Teslas are as ubiquitous as cars, and all the new EVs have annoyingly bright beams.
Teslas are very stale inside. The "tablet as 99% of the interface" is horrible and should be left in the 20teens. Physical buttons for the most important interactions with the car are in all ways better. I understand why they do this, they are going all in on autonomous driving, so sure. I recently purchased an EV and when I sat in the Tesla, I hated it. I don't want to play the iPad driving game.
I know this is a popular opinion, but you'll be hard pressed to find a Tesla owner that shares your opinion. It could be self-selection, or it could be that Tesla's user interface actually works very well.
In my opinion, it's the latter, after observing how my parents adapted to driving a Tesla. I was actually concerned it'd be a hard transition, but I only had a couple "support calls" related to the car.
Yes, it is stalkless. You get used to this in minutes, and, IME, stalks feel antiquated soon after that.
It drives really well and is a much smoother and quieter ride than our 2020 Model 3 LR without sacrificing performance.
I also drove the 2022 Model S refresh. This car was also very nice, but it feels heavy and, in my opinion, doesn't command the cost they're asking for it (especially when it was, like, $110k for the LR variant). Also, it's headlights are somehow worse than the Model 3.
KIA has some nice EVs the EV6 line and EV9 there's a new EV3 coming soon. I'm looking into the EV9 GT. I wish the Hyundai Sante Fe had a BEV model option it looks nicer outside than the EV9. The Hyundai KIA 800V (ish) charging is superior to Tesla vehicles.
It’s not clear if Tesla is focused on new models anymore. Seems like they think that the only way to justify their stock valuation is if they improve FSD.
at this stage FSD is a meme. "We are confident FSD will be available next year and its impact will be profound" repeated year after year for a DECADE now.
Its not happening anytime soon, especially if tesla want to rely solely on visuals inputs without lidar.
What’s “stale” about the S/X, which were refreshed relatively recently, and which are still untouchable in terms of performance? The interior is wholly different from the original Model S/X and the exterior still looks great, all these years after the original release.
Why must a manufacturer change a great design just to satisfy the subset of customers who have an irrational need for annual novelty?
Surely the sales figures for the 3 and Y speak for themselves.
Tesla is not stagnating. It continues to dominate.
Maybe some people don't want to pay 2024 prices for a 2012 design? Front grill aside, the Model S design has barely budged since its debut, and the X is only 3 years newer. There's almost nothing differentiating a used S/X from a new one to a passerby, and that's not something everyone buying new likes.
Tesla isn't Porsche, their designs are getting stale.
People often buy new iPhones despite the exterior design barely changing since 2017.
When it comes to phones, buyers are smart enough to realise that it's what's inside that counts - the processor, screen tech, cameras etc. They understand that iterating these components is more important than iterating the superficial shell they're housed in.
Unfortunately the car market is irrational. Some customers want superficial new shells every year, in order to show off to others that they're wealthy enough to refresh their car.
These kind of customers may not appreciate that since 2012, Tesla has delivered several radical new Model S vehicles, albeit in the same skin. The Model S has been:
* transitioned from a single motor to triple motors (for extra performance and torque vectoring).
* increased its power from 363 hp to 1020 hp, with a breakthrough carbon-wrapped rotor allowing much higher RPM, and improved drivetrain efficiency.
* replaced its 60kWh battery pack with a 100kWh pack, improving range, longevity, power delivery and charging speed.
* made major iterations to the computer, with many new capabilities added in hardware and software.
* improved full self driving to the point where it can navigate city streets with barely any intervention.
* completely revamped the interior. Ventilated seats. Rear screen. Acoustic glass. Improved legroom and headroom. Heat pump for HVAC
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There are many benefits to customers in Tesla preserving the exterior shell of the vehicle - in particular it means servicing is easier and cheaper, as there is less variation in parts between model years. Accessories from earlier cars are compatible with later cars. There is less needless devaluation of older models.
2017 iPhones don't share any sheet metal with 2024 iPhones the way Teslas do [1]. Yes iPhones share similar design language but their design has not stood completely still for a decade.
Other car companies are evolving their tech and their designs, while Tesla is seemingly only doing half of that.
[1] Unless we want to count the iPhone SE, their cheapest budget-oriented phone, but that only proves my point further that new designs are valued more.
