Tesla is an unusual car company. Tesla is a certain way of thinking and living. That is why all over the world, the owners of their cars create clubs.

In Austria, about 350 Tesla fans, they formed the Tesla Club Austria / Twitter. Bernd Donner, a spokesman for the club, in an interview with Trending Topics explains the reasons for the success of the American automaker, why Elon Musk is currently so successful and how word of mouth contributes to the success of the company.

What exactly attracts you in Tesla?

This is the first company to fearlessly say they want to make electric cars. Club members love different things in their cars, some like acceleration, some are fascinated by the appearance, some love the simplicity of design, but they all share a desire to be sustainable.

Some of the Club members attended the Tesla Club in Los Angeles. There, they felt that the transition to sustainable mobility had really gone from CEO Elon Musk to the company's customers. Mask's plan is a logical story, which is why many Tesla drivers are brand ambassadors.

What is the difference between Tesla Club and clubs of other car brands?

The network of Tesla clubs is unique. Currently, more than 100 clubs are officially recognized. They have a contract with Tesla and certain advantages: they are invited to global club events. Behind this is worldwide enthusiasm with tens of thousands of participants.

Are these clubs an important success factor for Tesla in many countries as brand ambassadors?

The most important success factor, above all, is word of mouth recommendation. The company's marketing philosophy is unique, because Tesla doesn't advertise its product, while constantly trying to make it as good as possible.

There are also various referral programs, at the moment, for attracting new customers, you can get free miles when charging on Superchargers. And the Tesla Supercharger network is incredibly large and well thought out. It is also impressive how quickly the American automaker switched to the new CCS connectors. This took only three months.

Marco Hornegger, Bernd Donner and Günter Macher from Tesla Club Austria. © Günter Macher

What contract do clubs have with Tesla?

As a club, they are able to transmit their feedback directly to Tesla and usually receive answers to them. They can hold events at Tesla service centers and receive discounts on goods. In fact, it is about fulfilling a mission together. There is no money for clubs.

Club members also help Tesla, for example, with deliveries Teslas to Europe. They advise new buyers on various topics and issues.

Model 3 is also a relatively expensive car. Will Tesla become cheaper or will the company remain in the premium segment?

It will definitely be cheaper. Prices for Model S and Model X have become cheaper over time, so Model 3 will certainly be cheaper. Tesla is working to make batteries cheaper, constantly researching new technologies or buying other companies such as Maxwell Technologies, which are leaders in the field of batteries. This year will be another “Battery & Powertrain Investor Day” with an interesting announcement.

Also, in China, drawings of even a smaller car than Model 3 are already being developed, so a cheaper model may appear.

What is the technological advantage of Tesla over other automakers? What role do software and data play?

Vertical integration is similar to Apple, that is, to its own software and hardware. Thus, the company can respond much earlier than others. In Tesla, you can simply get new features along with the update.

In addition to their own battery production, they already have a fleet that constantly provides data. In addition to their own battery production, they already have a fleet that constantly provides data. Which are sent to Tesla headquarters, where they are processed in order to improve driver assistance systems.

Follow me on Twitter Eva Fox 🦊

Tesla Club Austria https://www.teslaclub.at/

Featured image: Stefan Debera, 404 Volt