Car Owners from Three Counties and a Commonwealth Converge on Clarence

Under sunny, brisk conditions, the inaugural Buffalo Monthly Meetup (aka “Second Saturday at the Supercharger”) kicked off at 10 a.m. sharp on April 13, 2019 in Clarence.

(Photo: John) [L-to-R: John, Joe, Anthony, Richard]

In order of plug-ins, we hosted members John (Erie County), Richard (Genesee County) and Anthony (Niagara County), plus honorary member Joe from Massachusetts, in town for the Frozen Four hockey tournament. Our combo lived out the saying “the more, the merrier” with paint choices black, midnight silver metallic, pearl white and blue, respectively. All were Model 3s.

(Photo: Anthony)

The group wasted no time getting into the nitty gritty of ownership. Some experiences rang out positive, others were in definite need of improvement. Here are a few examples:

+ Going back to a new ICE vehicle is now a no-no (with the possible exception of a Lamborghini, but even that brought up an “Aren't they going electric?” right on cue).

+ Supercharging is a key differentiator from other brands of EV, and has become second-nature for all of us. There is no question that Teslas are viable for long distances.

+ Being able to appreciate the design and efficiency engineered into Model 3 versus Model S and Model X is another perk we would catch ourselves smiling about.

- HQ could stand to enforce a policy that promises are kept in the delivery process. We all noticed that home delivery assurances pretty much end up as vapor.

- Still on the topic of delivery, delays should be defined once and then known by all staff. The customer needs one good time frame for picking up their purchase.

- Defects or other repairs that go out to a service center must be coordinated and honored at the closest service center. Even if that means one in Canada.

Some of the members had more anguishing stories to tell, including one about a supposedly authorized tow driver who was not prepared to handle a Model 3 safely. We even heard about a rear window left open the entire way when flatbedded to a service center in Pennsylvania, not to mention tie-down straps marring all the pinwheels (aero covers). Again, the theme seemed to be recurring lack of communication, policy enforcement and plain old consistency across service experiences.

One glowing suggestion was to be transparent about all communications between staff and customers. This would show up as a simple log within the mobile app, visible at any time and easy to reference for future use.

Another need is to keep appointment times and tasks persistent. What if a customer lines up three repairs for a mobile service tech, but parts for only the first two make the cut? The same goes for scheduling mobile appointments, keeping the agreed upon time consistent between different staffers and contact attempts with the customer.

One of the owners keenly outlined where on his car there was evidence that the paint was applied over dust or other particulates. His hunch is that the car was painted outdoors. Not visible to the naked eye, but apparent by touch, this is a new concern that none of the rest of us had heard about before.

Another one of the owners has been experiencing an ongoing issue with Autopilot. There is a hesitancy changing lanes . . . but only to the right. Even after intervention by his service center, its cause remains a mystery and will need to be solved. This is a case where the collective input from owners across the state may answer it.

The news that TOCNYS has been working behind the scenes to secure better service accommodations was a welcome highlight of the meetup. The value of an officially sanctioned owners group stood out with the prospect of Niagara Frontier owners getting access to brick-and-mortar repair shops, hopefully sooner than later.

Not long after taking refuge from the windy day inside the coffee chain across the lot, courtesy of Anthony, we noticed our charges were already almost complete. Since Richard’s USB drive was malfunctioning, that was a prime chance for Anthony to borrow his laptop and do an error check from the comfort of the car’s cabin.

An impromptu Model 3 show-and-tell session wrapped up the event. Joe pointed out that his Massachusetts EV license plate miraculously absorbed 100% of the impact from a wayward treetop that had blown in front of him at highway speed. Talk about aim! (He's keeping the plate as-is, as a battle scar). And, did you know that only EV-trained tow drivers can handle EV-plated cars in Massachusetts? . . .

(Photo: John)

Keeping things in the air, John showed off a recent batch of homemade lift pads made with genuine Czech Republic hockey pucks, some hex bolts and bunch of low profile rubber stoppers.

(Photo: John)

They came in handy the day before when the OEM winter tires finally went on “summer” vacation. He also demoed a budget-friendly 40A J1772 extension cable, sometimes marked down on Amazon.

(Photo: Amazon)

Just as the group split up, a few other local owners showed up to charge. We shared our meetup schedule with them and look forward to keeping up this new monthly tradition.

Here's to everyone who drove out to participate—anywhere from three miles to over three hundred, technically!

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TOCNYS currently has meetups that occur across NY State. Check out our Meetups page to learn more and get connected to one in your area!

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