Are Teslas for everyone?

After driving a Tesla for more than three and a half years, I’m as still as satisfied of the car as I have been all along, except of course, Elon Musk’s behavior. Now, outside of its steep price, is owning and driving a Tesla for everyone? Not so sure, I have to admit.

A few days ago, I was reading an article about Hertz rent a car, dumping some of its Tesla fleet. The company probably bought way more Teslas than they needed in reality. Renting an EV to someone who has never owned or spent any significant time with one, comes with an unavoidable and significant learning curve. 

Folks who use an ICE car and rent a Tesla for just a few days, either for business or while vacationing need to familiarize themselves with a screen interface that is omnipotent, yet requires to be learned and assimilated. Think back to your first experiences with a computer, tablet, or smartphone, if you're no longer a teenager. You probably remember the disorientation and awkwardness you felt at the beginning? 

Not only that, but you also have to download apps to operate the car, understand charging and range protocols, set up credit cards for payments, and the list goes on… It's much simpler if you're between 25 and 50 years old, and the difficulties of grasping these complex tasks increases considerably after these age ranges. The experience demands a strong desire to actively learn, get a feel for the control screen, understand the apps, set up payments, and think about driving more efficiently. 

In short, if you don't already own and drive a Tesla, aren't very comfortable with technology, and are over 70, prepare to be overwhelmed by the complexity and the significant learning curve that Tesla requires, even under its extremely minimalist appearance.