What’s “Tesloop”? Apparently, a Los Angeles to Las Vegas shuttle service using a Tesla Model S. So, what’s so special about that? Well, it was created by a 16-year (and his dad, to be fair) as a means of paying for the Model S in question.
Not a bad plan, huh? Want a Model S but can’t afford one? Find an untapped niche where it might be able to pay for itself. It’s worth appreciating the kid’s entrepreneurial sense even if there are some potential issues with the approach.
The specifics of the plan apparently make use of hired drivers who ferry passengers between the Californian and Nevadan cities for $85 each way. (The reason for the use of hired drivers is of course because the kid in question is too young to work as a paid driver.)
Green Car Reports provides more:
But 16-year-old Haydn Sonnad was eyeing something beyond such restrictive financial limits. The Los Angeles resident wanted a Tesla Model S, and his father even agreed to loan him the money for one. That is, his father said, as long as he helped contribute to the monthly payments. So Haydn came up with a plan.
… Once customers book a ride, they meet their car at a designated Supercharger DC fast-charging station in the Los Angeles area. Tesloop accepts up to four passengers per ride, filling all available passenger space in a five-seat Model S. The trip to Las Vegas takes about four hours, including a stop to recharge at the Supercharger station in Barstow, California. Free onboard Wi-Fi is included, although phone calls are limited to three minutes as a courtesy to other passengers.
Plans are apparently in the works to expand the shuttle service to include other cities as well (San Francisco and Palm Springs, in particular).
Interesting idea. And not a terrible price either….
That price is cheap, too cheap.
What would UBER or a Taxi charge.
Good question. And it does seem unlikely that $85 covers the time cost of the driver + degradation costs + opportunity costs related to the vehicle’s use, but maybe that is per person and there are always multiple passengers in the car?