Riddle me this (for a prize to the first person with the correct answer)?

[4x15mph]

@Ronnie , congratulations on landing a job with Apple. What is your role there?

 

[Ronnie]

@4x15mph , thanks. I'm a contract negotiator, which is for the most part the same role I've had over the past 15 years at AT&T and Kaiser Permanente. As to what the subject of my contracts are all a can say is "stuff".

By the way, I bought my wife an apple watch yesterday, my first purchase under the employee discount program. What can I say other than I love my wife and want her to have what she wants (within reason of course).

Unrelated, we went shopping last night and ended up talking to tesla reps for over an hour at one of their "stores". My wife wants a bmw 435i but now I've got her thinking about a tesla model s. One big benefit for me, which I shouldn't mention to her, is that with the tesla and a one time payment of $8 to the DMV, I can use the carpool lane as a solo driver which is huge since my commute time has almost doubled with the new job.

 

[Murf'n'surf]

How long of a wait to get a custom order Tesla?

 

[PEARCE]

Congrats on the new job @Ronnie . Hope all goes well and you enjoy it.

Good luck on getting a Tesla. Those are some really cool cars. There are a lot of them running around here in the Dallas area. A guy I know at work will soon have one of the first Model X suvs in the Dallas area. I can't wait to see it!

 

[Ronnie]

Thanks guys. I didn't ask about the build/delivery time on a made to order car. They have a few new ones and cpo ones inventory. He plant is only a few miles from my house so supply shouldn't be an issue.

I need to do more research before I'm even willing to schedule a test drive. It all sounds good in the store but I think tesla is spinning or be intentionally vague in the batteries and the price/ savings. Incidentally, the cheapest new one I could build was $70k before taxes or tax brakes of $10k. It is for the 2 wheel drive 70 size motor (the p70). The most expensive is the p85 (now 90) d. It's a 4 wheel drive with all the bells and whistles for $144k plus tax before tax breaks. The standard p85 can be had for about $85k. I'd have a hard time not buying the "ludicrous speed" option package which improves the p85 acceleration from 5 seconds to 3 or 3.5 but it is a $10k option. They just introduced the sub last week but don't expect to get any to show for at least a month. At $132k for the first models available it is way out of my budget.

Batteries are expected to last 10 years afterwards they should be able to take up to a 75% charge. With the new battery plant in Reno they expect replacement batteries to cost $10k 5 or 6 years from now. They wouldn't / didn't tell me what they cost today. It's a bad ass car that would have kept up with the Ferrari Snyder and mclaren outside but like those cars, I like everything but the price.

 

[veedubtek]

A buddy of mine owns a p70 and a p85, and didn't pay anywhere near those prices. I think you'll find most dealers will move ALOT on those if you look into it more.

 

[PEARCE]

I've heard through the grapevine that there is a "middle-class" Tesla coming out in a year or two that will be around the 35k range. All I know for sure is that it'll be smaller then the Model S.

 

[Gym]

Congrats on the new job @Ronnie. With any luck Apple will start making jet boats.

 

[Ronnie]

Thanks and Lol, the iBoat.

My wife wore her new Apple watch to work today. The battery died before she left work. Apparently, she put it on the wrong side of the charger last night. Hmmm?