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Old 05-07-2015, 08:44 PM   #23
Itse
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Originally Posted by DoubleK View Post
The comparison you make between Tesla and Apple is spot on. That's what's worth getting excited about. Apple made technology accessible to the masses. Tesla is doing the same for renewable power.
Yup. Accessible, understandable and easy.

Especially many environment minded people aren't necessarily that tech savvy themselves, and many people are just sort of intimidated by technology. For them buying any technology is preferably like buying an iPhone. You go to the right store and you buy the one phone they sell. (Not exactly the truth anymore, but that's still sort of the idea with iPhone.) And then you know you will get what you want... and what you know other people will think is cool.

That's how you sell people stuff that doesn't necessarily make financial sense Ease of purchase and image rule.

Musk already has a major solar power company to sell this through (SolarCity) who will come to your place to install it for no money upfront. You can essentially go 100% solar on a whim, and the only thing you need to worry is paying for them after you've already got it.

Tesla's image is another key factor here, as they have a really hot brand right now. Despite not really being that great of a public performer, Elon Musk has a lot of that same magic aura that Steve Jobs had. The kind that makes people ignore scepticism and open up their wallets, because really they want to connect with that idea of who Musk is and the visions he's selling. A Powerwall is a lot cheaper way to get Tesla into your garage than a Model S.

It might not make economic sense, but then again most cars make no economic sense either.

If you look at the presentation, Musk also clearly understands what the real audience is. He's not selling the technology (no real specs) or the economic logic. It's an ideological purchase and an image purchase. "Traditional batteries are ugly." "Look at how terrible fossil power plants are. And ugly."

He's selling the idea that you can be part of a high tech energy revolution without understanding anything about it, and there's a good chance he's not even lying. It's a good pitch. It's pretty easy to see why this guy has made himself into a millionaire.
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