A Visit to Tesla...

As a follow up to the previous article I wrote, Amber’s EV 101, this post covered what I used to think about plug-in vehicles, as well as what impressed me about the Tesla Model S. I was inspired to visit a showroom near me, to see one up close.

The Tesla showroom, is located on K Street in Washington, DC. Upon walking in, I felt the energy and excitement generating from the Tesla enthusiasts that work here. I was greeted by the sales reps, who seemed eager to educate anyone who walked through the door.

After I asked the sales rep, Marco, my questions, we took the elevator down to the parking garage, where they had a few different Model S cars. These are the cars that they take people for test drives and also use at Tesla shows/events.

When we were out on the road he told me to “Hold on, so I could feel the power of the acceleration.” There was one quote from the Tesla website, “The crazy speed builds silently and then pulls back the edges of your face. It had all of us endangering our licenses.”

The Tesla motor has only one moving piece, the rotor. As a result, Model S acceleration is instantaneous. When we were out on the road he told me to “Hold on, so I could feel the power of the acceleration.” In 5.4 seconds, the Model S is traveling 60 miles per hour.

The features give this car a very futuristic feel. I went to open the door, to find that instead of regular handles, these retract in when not in use or slide out, when the driver approaches with the key or with a simple touch. There is the option of an all glass panoramic roof. The entire roof is constructed from lightweight safety glass, with a swipe from the 17” touch screen it opens wider than any other sedan’s panoramic roof. It has the ability to save up to 20 profiles with seat, mirror and steering wheel settings, which come standard with this car.

When you click on your own profile, your phone contacts automatically show up, music, Bluetooth, navigation, internet, camera, etc. Added features are available and only a software upgrade away.

When the test drive was over, we got back to the showroom, I sat in the driver’s seat of the display vehicle and started pushing buttons to see what everything did. The sales reps thought it was funny, because I kept asking what all the buttons did and they told me to just push whatever I wanted.

 I noticed while I was there, that people walking by were always staring in the windows. Marco said, “Working there was like being in a fish bowl because people are always walking by and looking in.”

They say the Model S, is a driver’s car and you can truly customize it your way. The whole process of designing your vehicle is very interactive. There is a design studio, where you can customize your own features. You can match up the color of the car with the interior, etc. They had a computer that would show you the custom features you chose.

I pulled a quote from the Tesla website, that I think does a good job of summing up what this car represents, “Model S is a remarkably important car. This car shows that it can be done and it will be done.” 

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Amber Perry is a Marketing Specialist at SemaConnect. She graduated with a B.A. in Communication Studies from Towson University. Amber handles the SemaConnect blog, supports Public Relations efforts and helps build the overall brand. As a new EV convert, Amber reports with a truly fresh perspective. Learn and grow with her! She can be reached at amber.perry@semaconnect.com.