How crazy are Tesla fans? Just look at them!

Tesla enthusiasts, following in Musk’s footsteps, gathered together to talk about why they chose electric vehicles? Why choose Tesla?

The number of electric vehicles on our roads is increasing, and many people are choosing to buy Tesla electric vehicles. In Germany, due to government subsidy policies, the number of users purchasing electric vehicles is also increasing. As a result, the Tesla Model 3 ranked third in terms of new electric vehicle registrations in the first half of 2020. So, who actually buy Tesla electric cars? It is said that there is a special Tesla society. If so, what role does it play?

It was a sultry day in late August. Although the sun was still bright, a few yellow leaves from early autumn were slowly floating from the trees to the ground. The weather app on the phone shows that today's maximum temperature is 36°C. Then I switched my smartphone to another app, and the logo of the American automaker Tesla appeared on the display, as if to echo the logo in front of a fast-food restaurant diagonally across the street.

This kind of bright and moving scenery should also be seen in the town of Palo Alto, California, where the headquarters of the electric car brand Tesla is located. In front of me is the famous Swabian cleaning equipment manufacturing company in Germany. In fact, I'm in Leonberg, Germany, where one of Tesla's 75 charging stations is located. With 20 fast charging stations installed, this charging station is not only one of the largest superchargers in the whole of Europe, but also one of the most used due to its proximity to Stuttgart and the A8? motorway. Today, I met with some people from the Tesla community. In other words, I wanted to know if this group really exists.

Almost no money is spent on marketing

The time we met was 7 o'clock in the evening. I got there earlier because I wanted to get familiar with the surrounding environment. The Tesla community provided me with a car, after all, it wouldn’t be appropriate to drive a gas car there. They loaned me a Model When I posted on the forum, I expected some Tesla owners to respond in person and express their opinions on Tesla models.

This platform was created in 2011 by Thorsten Dohe. He is the general manager of a small management consulting company. He used to drive an Audi A6. High-power fuel vehicles always bring him a lot of driving pleasure. Then, he suddenly wanted to experience some new models, so he was very lucky to order a Tesla Roadster without a test drive. After the drive, Thorsten excitedly called it a "leap of faith."

At the time, Tesla’s marketing campaign was still in its infancy. Therefore, information about the new model is limited to a limited scope, or to put it bluntly: there is almost no marketing. Therefore, Thorsten established the Tesla Drivers and Friends (Tesla Fahrer und Freunde, TFF) forum. Here, everyone can get to know each other, and there are currently about 18,000 registered members. “At first there were very few people, but then around 200 enthusiastic sports car drivers joined our forum,” he recalls.

The community is very united and harmonious. "Everyone helps each other. Tesla drivers here can get various supports, such as helping them charge their electric cars in emergencies." If the driver is in an emergency , other members of the extended family will pick him up at the designated location and take him to the next urban express train station. “For me, the forum is a refuge for problem-solving,” Thorsten explains with great pride, continuing: “In an unexpected emergency, our first thought is not to call for a tow truck, but to ask for a tow truck. Groups asking for help. ”

Tesla is still trying to save money on marketing, replacing little with traditional advertising and relying solely on word of mouth. Thorsten confirms this: “We organize our own events and conduct our own testing.” The latter is particularly important and is often the “initial motivation” for users to purchase. Therefore, the Tesla community often provides its own private cars for users to test drive.

What I read on the forum confirmed Thorsten’s description: nearly 40 people commented on my post, and one even came to Leonberg to meet me in person to talk. My own opinion on electric vehicles. In the past, we've often been misunderstood as being reluctant to cover Tesla and electric vehicles. Then, the first test driver began the test drive of Model S. This car is noiseless and fully demonstrates the advantages of electric vehicles.

A fuel car enthusiast who has changed his mind

Norbert drove a Tesla Model S. He comes from Wolfsburg and studied mechanical engineering. Now, he works as a software developer. "My hobby is modifying internal combustion engines," he admits quietly, as if he's afraid of other people's disapproval. However, this concern is unfounded. "I just wanted an environmentally friendly car at first. Of course, if I'm lucky, this car would have the best combination of driving pleasure and excellent power performance. At that time, this car met all my requirements," said No. Burt explained.

Martin, a plant breeder from Herzogen-Herrach, strongly agrees with this view and later gave his own conclusion: "Tesla's energy efficiency is unparalleled. 10 kWh Equivalent to 1 liter of diesel. The 100KWH battery installed in my car has a cruising range of up to 400 kilometers. "

The discussion became heated and the diesel was specially developed. “We have all the people we need in the community,” concludes Injection Systems’ Lars. Among them are tire dealers who specialize in Tesla vehicles, as well as lawyers and insurance brokers who can provide Tesla drivers with To choose the best insurance conditions, members can get all the help they need on the forum.

During conversations with community members, I found that they don’t talk much about fuel vehicles, but they are very enthusiastic about electric vehicles. Surprisingly, many Tesla drivers were once avid gasoline-powered enthusiasts. At this time, we found a Mercedes-Benz EQS-Erlk?nig? slowly approaching, apparently looking for a charging station. When the driver noticed our photographer, he quickly left with slight embarrassment.

Very Green

Business economist and baking guru Roland Schuren has been a member of the TFF Forum since 2012. He is currently building Europe's largest fast charging station at the Hilden Autobahn interchange in North Rhine-Westphalia with Tesla and charging service provider Fastnet. Part of the project is a five-story building. There is a bistro with a café on the first floor, where the dishes are all organic and guests are occasionally provided with small portions of lettuce and berries. “Tesla drivers love it here,” Schuren said. Tesla drivers are more environmentally conscious than the average driver. Everything will be ready by the end of 2022?

At a conference, Shuren had exchanges with Tesla about electric vehicles. Now he is very famous because, in June 2013, he was preparing to build Germany's largest public charging station in front of his bakery near the motorway interchange. It is planned to be completed in early 2019. Now, electric car drivers from various brands, countries and regions meet there every Saturday. The person who drives the most miles will receive a gift. Schulen said with a smile: "Although it seems that some people come here just to eat a Swiss breakfast, in fact what really attracts them is the atmosphere here."

I curiously discovered: Schulen Bread One corner of the store is known as "Elon's Corner." There is a humanoid plaque of Tesla founder Elon Musk, and his photo hangs on the wall. Indeed, Musk can be called the top star in the electric vehicle industry.

In my imagination, the Tesla boss should be admired and admired by his "fans" like a savior. It is conceivable that Musk, the savior, preached the good news of electric travel to his 38 million "disciples" through Twitter. Electric vehicles solve human and environmental problems, while charging stations are gathering places to recharge batteries.

I talked a lot with Daniel and Sebastian, the youngest of the group. What a coincidence is that they all drive Model 3. What sets them apart from other members of the community is not their attitude toward electric cars, but the issue of charging stations.

They argue that Superchargers are built for long-distance driving. “People come here not just to charge their electric cars, but here they can exchange views with each other on various issues related to electric mobility,” tax consultant Sebastian expressed his views very pragmatically. But Lars disagrees because as a Model S driver, he can charge at Superchargers for free. At this point someone asked to visit the charging station and everyone was very excited. This was an unusual experience for us or for the customers of Schullen Bakery.

I am convinced that a new generation of Tesla drivers is gradually growing up. Norbert also confirmed this change: "Tesla is gradually becoming the mainstream in the world of electric vehicles. Vehicle prices are also becoming cheaper." He was referring to the fact that after subsidies for electric vehicles, the current price of Model 3 is much lower At less than 40,000 euros, it is therefore affordable for many potential users. The test-drivers here who are interested in Tesla include not only people who simply believe in Tesla's ideas and technology, but also many people who get the best quotes from Tesla.

The only thing they have in common is that they greatly appreciate Musk’s enthusiasm. "I respect his performance very much. He is a visionary and has put forward many advanced ideas," Sebastian summed up his views. "But I don't want him to be my boss," he joked. Others smiled and nodded in agreement.

At 9:25 pm, we completed today’s test drive. It’s time to summarize today’s experience: Is there a Tesla community? No doubt about it! The transition to new energy sources is important to many people. You may think that electric cars have no future. Is Tesla a religion? Of course not. They are not trying to convert anyone, or, as a better word would be, "convince". Whether it is Tesla or other manufacturers, the main problem with their electric cars is the battery.

With Model 3, although Tesla is accepted by everyone, it has also lost some of its original charm. According to the association, Tesla will still be far ahead of the competition in its class simply because of its unparalleled network of charging stations. However, is this really the case? What I learned is that there are currently only a handful of suppliers that can pass Germany's strict quality assurance audits when it comes to building charging stations.

This article comes from the author of Autohome Chejiahao and does not represent the views and positions of Autohome.