Waiting for Tesla Model 3 and the Hope for Our Future
Today, people started waiting in line for the preorder of Tesla’s new Model 3 early around the world, from Chicago to Australia. It is great to see the people who are enthusiastic about electric cars. While not a lot of people showed up, there were just 50 in an Australia location, it is still nice to see that more people are embracing electric cars. I know someone who is extremely excited for the new model, who proceeded to the Chelsea Manhattan location tonight to wait in line. He was the first one there, and snapped a photo, smiling proudly at the camera. But now as I write this, it is almost 9PM and only 5 people showed up. Where is the enthusiasm? Is it simply too early into the night? Are people waiting until morning?
Most New Yorkers don’t drive, and there aren’t many chargers in the city, but what saddens me is that New Yorkers probably don’t care. New York is not the main Tesla market, so it is understandable that people are not lining up around the block. And putting down $1000 for a car just for preorder, is a large chunk of change. But how is it logical that while people line up for days for an iPhone, 16 hours before one of the greatest preorder events I have ever known, and there are hardly anyone there? Where is the fervor for probably the best affordable electric car ever made? People will line up for days to pay $600 for a device that goes out of style in a year, but not care enough for a brand new Tesla where all you need is a $1000 downpayment (which is fully refundable). This is a car that could potentially disrupt the auto industry. The enthusiasm is there for the few, but so lacking for the majority of population.
People who line up for products days in advance are the rare advocates, and those are always the minority for any product. But by sheer number, the enthusiasm for a environmentally benefitting car is minute compared to that of a phone, and this is just disheartening.
So after all the hype, there is likely no need to wait all night for the Tesla Model 3. There won’t be a line in the morning. And whether you are the first to order, or the 50th or 100th, there is not a huge difference to your order delivery. But what I had hoped to see was people clamoring for a product that could benefit humanity, something that could do for us so much more than a smartphone ever could, a product that could change our lives for the better.
You may say, a phone is different than a car, that I’m comparing apples to oranges. And you would be right. An electric car should be so much more important than the newest version of a smartphone. But people are strange creatures. Brand, self image, and peer pressure are all colluding to drive people to purchase what they deem as important. I don’t know if this will ever change. I can hope that this Model 3 starts a sort of revolution, leading us to an era where people see the things that truly matter. But that is probably a tall order. However, as long as it moves the needle in the right direction, that is progress. A car may be a big commitment compared to a phone that you would happily trade in next year, but people need to think of the larger picture, of the future.
What really matters? Sustainable transportation and our environment, or gadgets that get tossed into landfills each year?
Note: This article is of my own opinion. This is not an endorsement of Tesla Motors, but an endorsement of electric cars. This is also a preponderance of our choices, and not a campaign for the company. I am in no way affiliated with Tesla Motors.
