As I look out of my window during the last remaining hour of work before the holidays, I am reminded of another way that Tesla’s autonomous driving will improve our way of life. There is an office building next to mine where a Mercedes GL-something with dealer decals is parked. It is a loaner vehicle. I don’t know what the car or owner is up to, but I see his SUV being swapped out for a loaner at least once a month. Maybe it’s just for detailing, or maybe he has a lemon. Whatever the case, it reminds me of how awesome owning an autonomous Tesla will be.
No more time-consuming trips to the service center for routine maintenance! The car can drive itself there and back without us flesh-bags needing to chaperone. It can even drive itself in for repairs if they aren’t immobilizing! Of course, a loaner can find you if your schedule necessitates it.
This type of perk can be very important for owners who live a little further away from their nearest service center. My closest location is about 65 miles away in a direction I rarely travel. It’s not as if I can just swing by on my way home from work. A significant portion of my day would be spent driving there and back. Or even worse, there and back twice when using a loaner.
Tesla is constantly growing their network of service centers, but this is currently a very real problem for many people. It is one of the biggest arguments I hear from otherwise interested buyers. Autonomous driving would fill this gap seamlessly. Perhaps the service centers will even be able to add more jobs (rippling economic growth!) and rotating shifts to accommodate growing numbers. Just as a Tesla updates its firmware overnight without interrupting plans, so too can a service call take place. Luxury and convenience take on new meaning with Tesla.
