>This now takes them into entirely new territory. This goes to the one feature that's critical to the success: credibility and trust. Carandriver says it best when they basically say "Why are they pulling these shenanigans? They don't need to. It's an awesome car"
I think this shows that Tesla just doesn't get the market they're aiming for.
With their prices(around $60,000 MSRP for the Model S, and $90,000 for the Roadster), they're looking at car enthusiasts and rich people. They're looking at an informed audience that will see through(or are capable of paying people to see through) the marketing to the direct impact on their bottom line. They're informed customers, and don't need this kind of marketing. The key points here was that they've gotten a bank to issue loans on the cars. That's all they needed to announce, not the terms or the nebulous "Total cost of ownership" calculation.
I think this shows that Tesla just doesn't get the market they're aiming for.
With their prices(around $60,000 MSRP for the Model S, and $90,000 for the Roadster), they're looking at car enthusiasts and rich people. They're looking at an informed audience that will see through(or are capable of paying people to see through) the marketing to the direct impact on their bottom line. They're informed customers, and don't need this kind of marketing. The key points here was that they've gotten a bank to issue loans on the cars. That's all they needed to announce, not the terms or the nebulous "Total cost of ownership" calculation.