TOCNYS Finishes the 2019 Demo Drive Season with a Bang in Western NYS

For the presumably final Tesla demo drive event of 2019, TOCNYS invited the Tesla team from Pittsburgh for a multi-city Western NY endeavor over the weekend of November 9 & 10. This marked the second time the Pittsburgh team had cooperated with TOCNYS (the first in Buffalo). Also very notably, this was the first TOCNYS event to take place at a Tesla Service Center!

The public's interest in Tesla vehicles once again was proven to be high as the event's press release landed stories in several area media sources, most notably Rochester's Democrat & Chronicle. When all was clicked and typed, well over 200 people signed up hoping to land a chance to schedule a coveted demo drive spot.

The buzz was so big enough in fact, that the NYS DMV caught wind of our event and sent a rep to attend and confirm that it truly was just an educational event and not a sales event, as sales activity outside of the 5 approved Tesla stores are still unfairly limited by NYS law. (Our actually-pleasant DMV friend did show up, btw, and even went for a demo ride in a Model X :)

It must be said that the Tesla Pittsburgh team was supremely efficient and effective. Having brought 4 drivers for the trio of Model 3's and 1 Model X, they had a dedicated team member at the registration desk. Upon arrival well before the official event start time of 10 AM, it was found that they had already started giving demo drives well before that even!

The unfortunate attendees who hadn't been able to schedule a demo drive were fortunate to be directed by the Tesla team over to the TOCNYS volunteers. They consisted of ~15 TOCNYS members who enthusiastically invested their weekend day answering questions, leading vehicle tours, and giving demo rides.

The Buffalo half of this event occurred on the following morning at the Buffalo Supercharger. TOCNYS member-organizer John W. kindly brought some bananas for breakfast for the Tesla team and other TOCNYS volunteers. (According to at-the-scene witnesses, everyone went ape over that :) Though holding this part of the demo drive event at the outdoor Supercharger location was cold, it did have its advantages. The demo vehicles could charge immediately upon the event's conclusion and head back home to Pennsylvania.

Now for the numbers: At the end of the 2-day event, there were over 60 demo drives were conducted by the Tesla team, complemented by 40 demo rides given by TOCNYS member volunteers.

Thanks to all those who made this event possible:

• Jessica, Tara, Drew, Suzi, and Nick of the Pittsburgh-Wexford Tesla team and Scott of Cleveland-Lyndhurst Tesla
• Jim and the rest of the Henrietta Tesla Service Center crew
• TOCNYS member John W. for organizing the Buffalo-end of the event
• The many TOCNYS volunteers who spent a cold weekend day warming the hearts of the public toward Tesla!

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