Tesla

Tesla Fan Creates 3D Configurator To Make Vehicle Ordering Process More Interactive

Tesla fan @albn thought that the EV company’s online configurator could use a 3D makeover. He went as far as actually making a 3D configurator to show the Tesla community and Elon Musk just how cool it would be—especially for those purchasing their vehicles on the website. His willingness to help Tesla improve--even just the website--reveals a lot about the community surrounding Elon Musk and the EV automaker.

The Tesla community only had kind words to say about @albn’s suggestion to Elon Musk and the EV maker. Some wondered why Tesla didn’t already have a 3D configurator on its website.

Explaining his idea, @albn noted that people purchasing their Tesla could interact with their preordered vehicle more if there were a 3D configurator. He used a Tesla Model 3 in his sample, which demonstrated just how well a 3D configurator would work with Tesla's website.

In his 3D configurator, @albn was able to turn the car 360 degrees and play with the lighting surrounding the vehicle, too. This way, people could see how the color would look in a different light. His 3D configurator seemed to offer the same capabilities for the interior of the Model 3 as well. A person placing the order could see how the car’s interior would look in all angles in either black or white.

Many people in the Tesla community supported @albn’s idea. They tagged Elon Musk in the comment sections below his Twitter post about a 3D configurator for Tesla's website. With enough support, @albn’s idea might become a reality. Elon Musk and Tesla are probably one of the companies—if not the only—that actually listens to its consumers’ suggestions on a consistent basis.

Tesla’s Save Dashcam Clips on Honk feature, for instance, was suggested by @brandonbernicky in the comments section of one of Musk’s tweets. Bernicky suggested the feature on November 13, 2019. Elon Musk replied on the same day, saying, “Yeah, makes sense.”

Bernicky’s suggestion was added to all Tesla vehicles in the 2019.40.50 Update, which came out in late December 2019. It only took Tesla only a few months to implement Bernicky’s idea and share it with the rest of the fleet.

Elon Musk’s willingness to accept suggestions and give them a try reveals a lot about himself and the EV company he is running. It might be one of the reasons Tesla has become a company with such a supportive community. Elon Musk's open-mindedness makes him relatable and reachable.

It allows the community to accept big or small missteps—in the rare case, Tesla or Elon Musk does commit one—because they know both the company and its leader are not entirely infallible, like themselves. So they are more willing to forgive and help Tesla move on from its mistakes and oversights.

Musk--and Tesla as a whole--are grounded, which could be why the community surrounding it readily offer suggestions. Ideas like @albn or @brandonbernicky's help Tesla become better because they are direct.

Neither Elon Musk nor Tesla has to guess what the community or consumers want because they already know. The open communication between Elon Musk/Tesla and the community is what drives the company forward and helps it keep innovating.

Featured Image Credit: @albn

Follow me on Twitter: @PurplePanda88

About the Author

Claribelle Deveza

Claribelle Deveza

Longtime writer and news/book editor. Writing about Tesla allows me to contribute something good to the world, while doing something I love.

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