Tesla launched a new social platform on its website aimed at enabling brand owners and fans “[t]take action on behalf of Tesla and the cleaner energy movement. ” The new microsite – called the “Tesla Engagement Platform” – already features information on how Nebraska residents can help support the company’s drive to enable direct sales and services in the state, future owner events and fundraising for relief. in Texas disasters after the recent winter storm.
“Engage Tesla is a new platform for both Tesla’s public policy team and Tesla Owners’ Clubs,” says the first post on the new microsite. “Your goal is to create a digital foundation for all of our work and make it easier for members of the Tesla community to know what’s most important to us, take meaningful action and stay on top.” Platform users can comment on posts and “like” what other people write. They can also follow individual accounts to stay up to date with comments from other users.
At the same time, Tesla is also closing the long-standing forum section of its website. While there are many Tesla-related forums on the Internet now, Tesla’s own message board was one of the first places where interested owners and buyers could get together and discuss the good and bad things about the company’s products. He was also unmoderated, which created constant problems with spam and trolls.
Tesla’s message boards still served that purpose to this day, but a warning at the top appeared this week informing users that the forums will become read-only starting March 15. “To continue the conversation with the Tesla community,” says the warning, “visit engagement.tesla.com.”
The Tesla Engagement Platform appears to be an effort to further capitalize on the potent enthusiasm of the company’s supporters, centralizing part of the work they were already doing on their own. For example, the Tesla owners club, based in Silicon Valley, had already raised $ 10,000 to support the community of Del Valle, Texas, which surrounds the area in which the company’s new factory is being built. And Tesla owners have long pressured their governments to adopt green energy policies.
But there has never been such a straightforward feedback loop with the company’s policy team as is being promised with the new microsite. The new website also makes it easy for people to sign up for local owners’ clubs and see upcoming events. He also follows Tesla’s recent efforts to bring stubborn supporters even deeper into the herd, such as when the company started taking questions from retail shareholders on its earnings calls.
As it is an “engagement platform”, there is also a comment system, which several users have already used to share their ideas for improvements. Some want a better direct line to the company’s customer service department, which is often criticized. But one of the most common suggestions so far is to keep the old forums or at least replace the message board with something similar – but moderated – on the new site.
“Please, don’t get rid of the Forums. This is not a substitute. The forums (with the exception of the trolls on it) generated informed discussions to help other owners with the problems, ”wrote one user.
Meanwhile, on Tesla’s official (and now officially condemned) forums, users are sharing their thoughts on the sudden decision on this topic.
“Welcome to the end of the line. You have exactly 13 more days to post topics and comments, ”says the initial post.
“This engagement site looks very limited, I can’t imagine it being a suitable replacement,” wrote one user. “Where are you going to visit? It looks like it was a few years ago, when my golf club closed. Striving to find a new home. “
March 5 update, 2:26 pm (Eastern Time): Added information about users being able to follow other users and enjoy posts on the platform.