Model 3 owner Carolyn Donlin talked about how easy it was to commit to Tesla's ecosystem after her excellent experience owning the automaker’s all-electric sedan. Donlin increased her sustainability score even further after she subscribed to Tesla’s solar subscription.

Carolyn Donlin started her sustainability journey with a hybrid vehicle. After the Model 3 was released, she decided to buy one since it was well within her financial capabilities. She purchased one in early 2019 and has never looked back since.

Donlin’s experience with the Model 3 matches the experiences of most car owners who own a Tesla. In her article, which is posted on Tesla’s official website, Donlin writes: “My Tesla brought me immense joy and pride knowing I am driving without emissions, but I also knew that I could do more from a sustainability perspective.”

Donlin, like many other Tesla supporters, seemed very conscious about her carbon footprint. Buying a Model 3 seemed to be one of the steps she took to reduce it.

Several months after she purchased her Model 3, Donlin returned to the Tesla store to express her gratitude. She was able to meet the Tesla advisor who helped her with her purchase, which is when he mentioned Tesla’s “full ecosystem” and the company’s subscription for its solar panels.

It worth mentioning that Donlin had been approached by solar companies before the Tesla advisor suggested the automaker’s subscription plan. She had declined solar panel pitches and/or subscription packages in the past because they “felt too salesy.”

When her Tesla advisor mentioned solar panels, however, she was intrigued—partly because of her previous experience with the company during the purchase of her Model 3 and her experience driving a Tesla, too. After discussing some specifics with the Tesla advisor, like the size of the solar system, Donlin signed up for the subscription almost immediately.

According to Donlin, her solar subscription cost US$65 a month but saves her more than US$40 on her electricity payments each billing cycle. Before her transition to solar panels, her monthly electricity bill ranged from US$140 to US$200, which is US$1,680 or US$2,400 a year. After Tesla solar was installed, Donlin’s bill was US$500 annually, including the subscription cost.

"Before solar, our utility bill ranged from $140 - $200 per month. I didn’t realize how significant the savings margin could be, until I received my first bill. Our utility bill was only $33. It has not been less than $100 since 1997 when my husband and I moved into our home. We are paying $65 per month under the subscription program and with our $33 utility bill, we’re saving more than $40 per month. Annually, it’s like being gifted a round trip ticket from California to New York. Subscribing to solar is truly the most affordable way to charge my Tesla and power our home," she wrote.

Tesla’s growing ecosystem doesn’t get much attention, even though it could be the company’s primary source of income in the future. The Tesla ecosystem may be overlooked now, but Carolyn Donlin’s experience reveals how instrumental it will be for the automaker’s other products and services. 

Featured Image Credit: Tesla