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Tesla gives UK owners grabbing stick after forcing them to get left-hand-drive

electrek.co

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Re: Tesla gives UK owners grabbing stick after forcing them to get left-hand-drive

#51

Post by oniony »

inglor_cz wrote: post #11
TaylorAlexander wrote: post #6

I didn’t realize it was legal to drive left hand drive cars in the UK. Isn’t that generally less safe? I’m really surprised a company this large would end support for the right hand drive configuration.

In Czechia, where we drive on the right, I occassionally meet British-side cars. Rarely, but yes. (Corrected.) I suspect that already the fact that you drove on the other side for your whole life must mess with you. I certainly wouldn't dream of trying to drive in the UK, but I am the elusive below-average driver anyway.

If you drive on the right, then most of your cars should be left-hand drive.

Re: Tesla gives UK owners grabbing stick after forcing them to get left-hand-drive

#52

Post by stephen_g »

Mashimo wrote: post #13
TaylorAlexander wrote: post #6

I didn’t realize it was legal to drive left hand drive cars in the UK. Isn’t that generally less safe? I’m really surprised a company this large would end support for the right hand drive configuration.

> I didn’t realize it was legal to drive left hand drive cars in the UK. There is a tunnel from UK to France, would be weird if only British cars would be allowed to use it :P

Not to mention many vehicle ferries too between the UK and the continent.

Re: Tesla gives UK owners grabbing stick after forcing them to get left-hand-drive

#53

Post by rob74 »

pavlov wrote: post #17
TaylorAlexander wrote: post #6

I didn’t realize it was legal to drive left hand drive cars in the UK. Isn’t that generally less safe? I’m really surprised a company this large would end support for the right hand drive configuration.

The Model S and Model X account for something like 4% of Tesla’s sales today. They are very niche models. With cost-cutting and margin improvement driving everything at Tesla now, it makes sense they’d discontinue the expensive special configurations of the niche models.

But still, I mean, how much do they save? Both cars were already produced in that version, so the tooling for RHD already exists. Which means the only savings are from streamlining the production process (but I guess they have enough other options they need to keep track of) and maybe some simplification on the spare parts side (but most carmakers have already optimized this so the parts are mostly the same no matter on which side the steering is).

Re: Tesla gives UK owners grabbing stick after forcing them to get left-hand-drive

#54

Post by ojbyrne »

veltas wrote: post #29

Too many people with more money than sense. You don't know what to do with your money if you actually buy a car that's the wrong way round because they can't be bothered to support your driving side anymore... I couldn't imagine accepting a compromise like this for a trivial item, yet alone a car.

My impression is there’s basically only one person here who has (a lot) more money than sense.

Re: Tesla gives UK owners grabbing stick after forcing them to get left-hand-drive

#55

Post by masklinn »

sph wrote: post #8

How is it worth to lose the UK, AU and Japanese market with this move? I'm seeing a lot of Teslas in London, I don't see how eliminating the right-hand configuration is justifiable economically. Yeah it might be a ball ache to design a car that supports both driving styles, but all brands with global reach have to deal with it. The grabbing stick is equivalent to being told "fuck you for living in one of those countr…

1. Is it really a surprise coming from Musk?

2. Teslas are not built in the UK, between the import duties from brexit and the extra strong recession from brexit, I wouldn’t assume it’s a huge market for tesla

3. Same as japan, where teslas are status symbols for people with a lot of money, they sell low-mid thousands a year, which is less than they sell in Norway (a country with 1/20th the population) in a month.

That leaves australia, I’ve no idea what the EV market is over there. Though I would assume range anxiety is pretty major concern, SA, NT, and most of WA (and QLD outside of the coast) seem to have very little coverage on anything but 3-phase in caravan parks.

Re: Tesla gives UK owners grabbing stick after forcing them to get left-hand-drive

#56

Post by oniony »

ars wrote: post #3

What's with the word "force"? The tweet makes very clear there is no force, there are simply options and the customer can accept them or not.

If you want a Tesla S or X you are forced to buy a left-hand drive one. You are obviously not forced to make a purchase if you don't want one or decide the compromise is too much (which I imagine nearly everyone would).

Re: Tesla gives UK owners grabbing stick after forcing them to get left-hand-drive

#57

Post by inglor_cz »

oniony wrote: post #51
inglor_cz wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In Czechia, where we drive on the right, I occassionally meet British-side cars. Rarely, but yes. (Corrected.) I suspect that already the fact that you drove on the other side for your whole life must mess with you. I certainly wouldn't dream of trying to drive in the UK, but I am the elusive below-average driver anyway.

If you drive on the right, then most of your cars should be left-hand drive.

True, my expression was confusing, I corrected it.

Re: Tesla gives UK owners grabbing stick after forcing them to get left-hand-drive

#58

Post by simonblack »

TaylorAlexander wrote: post #6

I didn’t realize it was legal to drive left hand drive cars in the UK. Isn’t that generally less safe? I’m really surprised a company this large would end support for the right hand drive configuration.

It's legal, but no way would I drive a left-hand drive car on the left side of the road and vice-versa. Saw lots of UK right-hand-drive cars tootling around France, and even been driven in one there. But no way would I consider doing that myself, or the reverse in the UK.

To pass anybody, you have to take the whole of the car out from behind the car in front of you to see whether it's safe enough to pass, instead of the normal 'just enough across for the driver to see ahead'.

Re: Tesla gives UK owners grabbing stick after forcing them to get left-hand-drive

#59

Post by alibarber »

masklinn wrote: post #55
sph wrote: post #8

How is it worth to lose the UK, AU and Japanese market with this move? I'm seeing a lot of Teslas in London, I don't see how eliminating the right-hand configuration is justifiable economically. Yeah it might be a ball ache to design a car that supports both driving styles, but all brands with global reach have to deal with it. The grabbing stick is equivalent to being told "fuck you for living in one of those countr…

1. Is it really a surprise coming from Musk? 2. Teslas are not built in the UK, between the import duties from brexit and the extra strong recession from brexit, I wouldn’t assume it’s a huge market for tesla 3. Same as japan, where teslas are status symbols for people with a lot of money, they sell low-mid thousands a year, which is less than they sell in Norway (a country with 1/20th the population) in a month. Tha…

What import duties are Telsas imported into the UK subject to that would be different to those imported or built in the EU?

Re: Tesla gives UK owners grabbing stick after forcing them to get left-hand-drive

#60

Post by rob74 »

inglor_cz wrote: post #11
TaylorAlexander wrote: post #6

I didn’t realize it was legal to drive left hand drive cars in the UK. Isn’t that generally less safe? I’m really surprised a company this large would end support for the right hand drive configuration.

In Czechia, where we drive on the right, I occassionally meet British-side cars. Rarely, but yes. (Corrected.) I suspect that already the fact that you drove on the other side for your whole life must mess with you. I certainly wouldn't dream of trying to drive in the UK, but I am the elusive below-average driver anyway.

You mean the elusive below-average driver who assesses their driving skills realistically? Because there are enough far-below-average drivers on the road who don't think twice about maybe not driving (or improving their driving)...
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