“I was trying to point out (apparently not very well) that most people who are in the Tesla range of income see the Tesla as a status symbol, that buying one has nothing to do with the price of gas.”
It may be that currently, Teslas are more of a status symbol than a means of transportation. I don't know. No one has ever accused me of being a slave to fashion. I have suits in my closet that are twenty years old.
However, what I was trying to point out is that many people who buy expensive cars actually DO care about the cost of running and maintaining them, and that fuel cost is a consideration.
This is especially true for folks who, like me, drive a lot of miles every year. In fact, one of the things that motivated me to buy a Mercedes diesel was 1) I could keep the car for a very long time, and put a lot of relatively trouble-free miles on it, thus seriously mitigating the high initial cost of the vehicle and 2) the very low cost per mile, fuel-wise. I have a nice, comfortable, mid-sized luxury car that is peppy, fun to drive, carries a fair amount of luggage, and gets 30 mpg mixed driving, and 40 mpg on the road on long trips. AND, I don't have to replace a multi-thousand-dollar battery every 100,000 miles (which, at this point, I'd have to have done about twice).
As well, even though the car is getting older, and even with 200,000 miles, it feels, runs, and rides like new. If I can get the leather upholstery to hold up, or if I can do some minor restoration relatively inexpensively, I can give it to one of my sons in a couple of years, when my driving requirements will be dramatically lighter, and HE can run it for another couple of hundred thousand miles.
sitetest
Diesel is a very efficient option. They are known for longevity and high mpg. The VW mid-sized cars get very good mileage.
Cars are coming with more and more speeds in their transmissions in order to keep a more constant (and optimal) engine speed. It seems to me that if a car was equipped with a diesel powered generator, powering electric motors on the wheels, it should be very efficient. The transmission would be eliminated, there would be no need for a large battery, and the engine would operate at a constant speed.
Well I will be the first to admit that I LIKE expensive things.....but we keep them forever. We are also at the point in our lives where we have almost no bills. We, like you, have been fortunate as well as very smart and frugal with our money. The only other thing we could do with it is bank it all so our 1 and only daughter gets it all when we die. No fun it that, I intend to enjoy all that is left of my life, while I can.
Good luck to you sir and I hope your son enjoys the car.