3rd April 25. First Tesla Experience

just1idea
Aug 28
3 min read

Updated: Aug 29

In my time in the car retail business I priced, and sold to the trade, a few Tesla's. But never drove one. Never wanted to, if I'm honest. So my opportunity came today when I had one to collect from South London and delivery to Stoke on Trent. There I was collecting another car to come back. So, an early start.

That early start meant a 5.50 start from home to catch the 6.24 to Marylebone and the Bakerloo line to Oxford Circus and grab the Victoria line south to Victoria station. From there.

Not knowing the underground actually takes you to the station I left Victoria station and crossing the road to enter the station itself. Missing the underground walk out

I caught the 8.16 which got me to Selhurst Station.

It's been a while since I was here. In the 90s to watch Liverpool lose 2-1 at Crystal Palace, to be exact.

In that match and being right at pitch side. I remember shouting at Ian Rush who was having a very poor game. What I called him made him look and shout something back. Hilarious. But we lost. So not so funny really.

Taking a 20 minutes walk along from the station to the dealer was an interesting walk. I always like to walk in different parts of the city. I find it strangely fascinating. I always prefer city's to beaches when on holiday. I know, weird.

But during today's walk I saw this Brazilian cafe or restaurant and logged it for future reference to take Alda for some home Brazilian food.

I arrived at the dealer. I say dealer. It was a back alley workshop and some cars parked there and the Tesla was waiting. But nobody there. Even though I had called yesterday and arranged the time of collection. Called the number the person answered and simply told me the keys were in the glove box and he would remotely open the car and off I go.

He agreed I would sign the appraisal and have it emailed to him. Easy..

So, my first experience with a a Tesla was this Model X in red. It looked huge. Especially parked in this small back alley.

This car was going to Stoke on Trent and had about 200 miles range. So a top up would be needed. What I learnt was Tesla owners with the correct account can use Tesla charging points free and I set the navigation system to get to a Tesla centre close to the destination.

I manoeuvred the car out between the buildings and joined the rush hour traffic heading towards Croydon and the A23 via Purley way. Quickly getting used to the size of the thing. It soon because easy to drive. However what wasn't easy was the huge amount of information coming at you via the stupidly big central screen that did everything. I'm sorry but having that much information about simply driving a car is distracting.

One on the less busy and faster road. I really had a feeling this is more than a car. It's a car built for the type of customer who not only buy Apple products, but look down and think anyone who doesn't. Is a person of lower intellect and standing.

The car in the way it drives can only be described as like driving a high tech IKEA triple wardrobe. No real car attributes just a way to get from A to B telling everyone look, I'm the same as all you other brainless sheep. But my product choice is superior to everyone else. Like iPhone users. I get iPhones. It's just not for me. And neither is a a Tesla.

Arriving at the Tesla centre on route. I charged it for 25 minutes and that gave it enough charge to leave with the customer.

I arrived at the company premises and handed over the Tesla to an employee and ordered an Uber to go to the trade centre in Stoke to collect the car bound for my Aylesbury customer.