All the News for April 2021

We went to the movies!!

With the slow & steady improvements to the pandemic's impact, we felt an outdoor activity & the ability to practice social distancing was just what the doctor ordered! So sure enough, our first NTTOG live/in-person social event is now on the books!

I think those in attendance would agree that it wasn't so much about the movie (as it was a BEAUTIFUL spring evening), but a chance to finally reconnect (safely & outdoors) with members of our NTTOG family with whom we've not seen in r/t in well over a year!

We gathered early on Saturday March 27th, starting around 6:00 PM while there was still plenty of daylight. Our NTTOG banner was easy to spot up in the canteen area, and served as our gathering point so we could reconnect with old friends & to make new ones!

As more & more people get vaccinated (and as the pandemic begins to weaken), we look forward to more in-person events, and especially more drive-in movie FUN!!

Drive Electric Earth Day (DEED) 2021

On Saturday afternoon, April 17th (2:30 - 5:30 PM), we gathered for our SECOND in-person NTTOG club event: A safe-&-socially-distanced in-person gathering to celebrate Drive Electric Earth Day for 2021.

Our friends at Shannon Brewing Company in Keller, TX once again opened their hearts & home for this great event! Your NTTOG club served as the organizer & sponsor of this local DEED event.

But important to note: this was not strictly a Tesla-only event! We had very good representation from many other BEVs and PHEVs from across North Texas. By our count (and the nationally-tallied stats), the North Texas event was the largest in-person DEED event in the US, with 59+ cars and over 80 attendees!

For those of you who might not be aware, Drive Electric Earth Day (DEED) - April 1-30, 2021, is a nationwide celebration to raise awareness of the many benefits of all-electric and plug-in hybrid cars, trucks, motorcycles, and more. This year, for the 10th annual National Drive Electric Week, DEED will be adding online events for the first time!

The New Supercharger is Here!
The New Supercharger is Here!

The newest Tesla Supercharger station is finally here & operational! It's also North Texas' first v3 Supercharger, meaning that:

It charges up to 250 kW (for the newer cars that support faster charging rates)
Unlike the v2 Superchargers (not to be confused with Urban Superchargers), v3 chargers do not share a circuit or are wired in pairs.

A few personal observations from my first visit to the Grapevine SC on 4/10/2021:

While there are 12 charging stalls at this location, 4 stalls are on the East. side of the building, and the remaining 8 stalls on the West side.
The charging cable is noticeably smaller in diameter than the original SCs and urban SCs
The charging cable (to me) appeared to be slightly shorter than other SCs, making it critical that I back in until my rear wheels hit the wheel stops/bumpers, and that I am properly centered between parking stall lines.
There is an audible fan for each of the chargers, as Tesla has apparently now employed liquid cooling technology with v3!
The stall labeling/numbering implies that 4 chargers are sharing power (based on the original SC labeling/numbering scheme and architecture). @ Grapevine, these are labeled as 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D. To reiterate, each charger runs on its own 250kW circuit & does not share with adjacent stalls.

Did someone say "Road Trip" ??

NOTE: This event is for contributing/regular members only. Consider joining NTTOG today so you can enjoy this and future events for contributing members!

We're making up for lost time due to COVID-19 by inviting all regular/contributing (paid) members to join us for our first road trip in over 1.5 years! We'll be winding our way through both the highways & secondary roads towards our destination: Cedar Creek Brewery!

We'll gather first in a convenient SE Dallas location, and then begin our caravan towards Cedar Creek Lake. It looks to be an approximately 60 mile drive each way from point of departure. We'll spend a couple hours there, talking Tesla (of course) as well as other EV topics...all while we're enjoying some of their award-winning craft brews!

In addition to their selection of beverages, you'll also be able to take advantage of their Plowboys Cafe. It's located inside the Cedar Creek Brewery taproom, and serves up the best burgers in the area, along with great salads, sandwiches, shared plates, and a kids' menu.

This (like many of our other "members only" events from the past) will require pre-registration via Eventbrite, in order to properly plan and coordinate with our hosts at Cedar Creek Brewery. Make sure you check the Contributing Members FB page for more details and a link to register.

Consider Becoming a Regular/Contributing Member!

ARE YOU A MEMBER OF TESLA OWNERS CLUB OF NORTH TEXAS? Our main FB group is designed as a place to chat and share ideas and questions about Tesla ownership. But, being a participant on Facebook does not include you in the actual membership of our Club.

We refer to official Club members as "contributing" or "regular" members. And while we certainly try to have a few events every year that are open to everyone, the majority are for contributing members only. There are many factors that play into this, but one major factor is that Tesla Owners Club of North Texas purchases & secures liability insurance for our events - many other clubs do not.

Join us today as a contributing member and insure that you get invited to all of our Club events. Hit our website and select the MEMBERSHIP tab to join. https://ntxteslaowners.com/

Proposal: State-wide Tesla Owners Club (TOC)

The NTTOG Board of Directors is seeking permission from our membership to change our charter and bylaws. This change would allow for the creation of a state-wide TOC, using the North Texas Tesla Owners Group (d/b/a Tesla Owners Club of North Texas) not-for-profit incorporation and tax exemption status.

There are some benefits to moving to a state-wide TOC: Any Texas-based TOC now or in the future, could join this new company as a “chapter” and receive incorporation, tax exemption, insurance, and other shared services benefits. This type of structure benefits new clubs just getting started, as well as allows us to work together as a larger & more powerful entity.

Tesla Owners Club of North Texas would also become a chapter of the state organization - as a peer/equal to all other participating clubs. The new club would be: Texas Owners Club of Texas, with Greater Houston and North Texas now as "chapters."

NOTE: There would be an additional vote required of our membership when we’re ready to execute the transaction. More about this important topic in weeks to come. Make sure you're following us on all of our Social Media channels for the most up-to-date info!

Frequently Asked Questions:

Asked Too Frequently!

As our NTTOG ranks continue to grow (both contributing and free members), our main Facebook page has been flooded with people asking the same questions virtually every week:

Who's got a recommendation for wrap & what's the approximate cost?
I need to get my windows tinted - any recommendations?
Who would you recommend to install my Tesla wall charger in my garage?
I hit the curb while parking & now I've got road rash on my wheels - who can repair this?
I was just in a fender-bender...are there any good body shops that know how to work on Teslas?

These are just a few of the questions that get asked over & over every few days! Sadly this is also having a negative result on club membership and engagement, as many people are getting tired of seeing the same questions posted over & over, and end up leaving the group.

Prior to the pandemic, we created a very informative Google Docs spreadsheet that has lots of recommendations for pretty much every topic you can think of (just check the tabs across the bottom of the workbook to see each of the categories of goods/services):

Need a recommendation? Check out the spreadsheet!
Have a good experience with a vendor or service provider? Add it to the spreadsheet for the benefit of others!

You can also find the link to the Google Docs spreadsheet in the Announcements section at the top of our homepage (it's the 2nd bullet item):

Consider bookmarking it in your favorite browser for quick reference & to share!

....but wait! There's more!

Did you know that our Facebook page has a SEARCH feature? Yup! Just check out the top of the NTTOG Facebook Homepage:

PRO TIP: Please try doing a simple text search for the keywords relating to your inquiry! Some keywords that will return lots of results without any waiting include:
tint, wrap, repair, wheel repair, body shop, electrician, install, PPF, paint protection, car wash, ceramic, etc.

Please... "Search before you ask!"
Thanks in advance for your understanding and cooperation!

In case you missed it….Tesla in the News!

Please - stay safe. Wash your hands frequently! Cover your cough or sneeze! Practice "personal distancing" (we are still "social beings" and want/need to stay connected socially). Clean and disinfect surfaces daily! Vaccinate!

Important Information:

If you are a current owner of a Tesla (new or CPO) or are simply waiting for delivery of your new vehicle, NTTOG wants you to know you are welcomed and encouraged to attend our events and meetings. Come early to events and help us find and arrange the perfect group photo opportunity. We are ALWAYS looking for that perfect Tesla group photograph!
If you plan on coming to an event, please register through the Eventbrite link so we know who to expect. Some events may require additional registration for your guests. This allows us to gather an accurate headcount for meals, tickets, tables, valet parking, and other items in the planned event. If you are unable to attend an event please cancel your RSVP so we can provide an accurate headcount to the vendors hosting us and allow those who can attend to be moved from waitlisted to registration. We cannot plan and execute events without know how many will be in attendance and if you must cancel, we need to know. Providing an inaccurate headcount of attendees to our partner venues makes us look unorganized, and they won't be so likely to welcome us back in the future.
Unfortunately, Eventbrite only allows cancellations from a desktop computer and not a mobile device, and you can only cancel a free order for an upcoming event.
Membership renewals are now being processed through the Memberful system, so expect to see an email from Memberful, advising in advance when renewals are due. Email info@nttog.com if you are having any trouble with your renewal or updates to your membership info, and please let us know so we can help make it a smoother process.
If you are emailing us at INFO@NTTOG.COM, please sign your name to your email. We do not maintain a club contact list within our email client, and the person who replies to your message may not recognize you from your email address alone.
If you are a Contributing Member and have a badge, please always wear it to events. Our membership has more than doubled and wearing a badge helps you to be identified as an NTTOG member and it will help everyone to put faces with names.
Pro Tip! It is a good idea to keep your badges in your glove box to have them handy when attending club functions or when you are representing the club.

North Texas Tesla Owners Group d/b/a Tesla Owners Club of North Texas is an independent enthusiast organization and is not affiliated with Tesla, Inc. or its subsidiaries. TESLA, MODEL S, MODEL X, MODEL 3, POWER WALL, and the a "TESLA," "T" and " TESLA and T Flag" designs, and certain other trademarks of Tesla Motors, Inc. in the United States and other countries.

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