Let's help Tesla out.

[Lotus Fury]

I'm excited by the Tesla Roadster despite some of the issues they are having. So I ask myself - How can I help? When the Elise first came to the US I had a demo locater for the Elise. How about I do the same basic thing for the Roadster. I can get my local group of enthusiasts together as I know the vast majority of the local car clubs. Maybe we can get a the local Lotus Clubs to help host events for Tesla. We can do a bit of leg work for their marketing department. If I can get some people in a couple cities maybe we can convince Telsa to send a Demo car around the US.

I bet if we organize it well and work with Tesla we could several hundred at each event. Get the local press involved and there's tons of free advertising for Tesla for just sending a car out. Possibly have a private event at select cities for perspective purchasers, not just gawkers.

Any other ideas? Anyone up for helping host events?

And most importantly - anyone from Tesla reading this?

[Bavarian Motorist]

I don't think it'd work as well as you think.


The cars are really expensive; over $100,000. Not something that just anyone can go and buy especially since it's such an unfamiliar product and sports car buyers usually aren't the greenest people around.



BUT, I'd still be willing to help After all, if it helps Lotus...

[Mr. Know]

Sad as it is, their corporate nightmares are providing plenty of press for them. They are also selling to a very limited market atm, so something like this is not needed. Anyone in California who doesn't know or hasn't heard of the Tesla is living in a vacuum. Then the service problem: you get to pay an 8,000 service fee if you don't live in metro Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, New York, and Miami.

[Lotus Fury]

It can. I know people from the SCCA club and the other Sports car club here, I've worked with most of the other car clubs (BMW, Jag, Merc, Ferrari) and I've worked with the local track (Beaver Run) and I've run the local Lotus club for a few years. I know when the local car events are, where they are and how many people show up. I know the media outlets here.

If they were to take a day tour from Minneapolis - Chicago - Cincinnati - Columbus - Cleveland - Pittsburgh - Boston - NYC - Philly - Wash DC - Baltimore - Atlanta they would reach ~50 million people in around 14 days. The longest bits would be Pittsburgh to Boston at 9-10 hours, Baltimore to Atlanta at 10-11, everything else is 2-4 hours.

Assume that 4 people go. 3 are employees of Tesla, two marketing and one technician. 1 is the truck driver. Two vehicles aside from the Roadster, tow truck and support vehicle. Figure $5000 rental for both for the two weeks. Gas is $4000 (guessing). Truck driver is $3000. Hotels, $150 per room, 2 people per room, 14 days = $4200. $50 per diem per person for food and such - $2800. Total $19,000. Let's say the real range is $25k to $30k. Even at that it's way cheaper than an ad in any major car magazine, normally $100k or so for a full page. You have people with deposits get test drives. Everyone else just gets to gawk and sit in it. You also reach a lot of people buy driving around the country and you save a ton of money and time by having some local people help set it up.

If you've read "Art of the Start" by Guy Suzuki it talks about Brand Evangelists and how they are a very powerful marketing force. It's true. Look at Lotus. It's the hardcore enthusiasts that kept Lotus in the US for all those years. Telsa needs to use their local Evangelists the best they can.

[Mr. Know]

Originally Posted by Lotus Fury

It can. I know people from the SCCA club and the other Sports car club here, I've worked with most of the other car clubs (BMW, Jag, Merc, Ferrari) and I've worked with the local track (Beaver Run) and I've run the local Lotus club for a few years. I know when the local car events are, where they are and how many people show up. I know the media outlets here.

If they were to take a day tour from Minneapolis - Chicago - Cincinnati - Columbus - Cleveland - Pittsburgh - Boston - NYC - Philly - Wash DC - Baltimore - Atlanta they would reach ~50 million people in around 14 days. The longest bits would be Pittsburgh to Boston at 9-10 hours, Baltimore to Atlanta at 10-11, everything else is 2-4 hours.

Assume that 4 people go. 3 are employees of Tesla, two marketing and one technician. 1 is the truck driver. Two vehicles aside from the Roadster, tow truck and support vehicle. Figure $5000 rental for both for the two weeks. Gas is $4000 (guessing). Truck driver is $3000. Hotels, $150 per room, 2 people per room, 14 days = $4200. $50 per diem per person for food and such - $2800. Total $19,000. Let's say the real range is $25k to $30k. Even at that it's way cheaper than an ad in any major car magazine, normally $100k or so for a full page. You have people with deposits get test drives. Everyone else just gets to gawk and sit in it. You also reach a lot of people buy driving around the country and you save a ton of money and time by having some local people help set it up.

If you've read "Art of the Start" by Guy Suzuki it talks about Brand Evangelists and how they are a very powerful marketing force. It's true. Look at Lotus. It's the hardcore enthusiasts that kept Lotus in the US for all those years. Telsa needs to use their local Evangelists the best they can.

While I agree that your marketing strategy has its merits, if they are sold out until well into 2009 already...I'd say they will not want to spend any advertising dollars to increase an already insatiable demand.

[Bavarian Motorist]

I say we do the same thing but with a Lotus Elise SC

[ivan1]

I thought this thread was going to be for anyone with transmission expertise....