Tesla Convert.
Touching is believing.
Although I still don’t seek to save the planet from hydrocarbons, I am a believer in Tesla cars. Prior to my visit to the Bay Area in early June 2013, I had formed more negative than positive opinions about Tesla. Well, that changed the moment I finally got my hands on and inside the Model S.
Craftsmanship.
It’s been written about in car magazines and consumer review articles, but it’s difficult to believe until you experience the quality of the product in the metal. I was immediately impressed by the styling and overall finish of the car, both inside and out. The most surprising experience was the giant iPad interface in the dash. I had fully expected to find the touchscreen system both annoying and useless…I was wrong, it was great. That being said, I am still a fan of analog inputs, but it was very impressive, intuitive and ultimately useful.
Notable impressions:
- Body styling – It looks great today and will age very well.
- Fit and finish – Â There were no noticable flaws and the final assembly work seemed very well done.
- Intuitive design – Most inputs and controls were smartly positioned, although I felt some of things could have been better left analog or mechanical. Do you really need an electric motor to open the glove/cubby box?
Persuaded.
I had not planned ahead for the visit, so was unable to test drive the car. Even without any seat time on the road, I am impressed. While it’s unlikely that I have become 100% EV-minded, I was left with a newfound appreciation for Tesla and the potential game change it presents to the automotive world.
Maybe the test drive will finally convince me fully that EV is the future. We shall see.
