Start with IMPACT.
No – not a crash – although that definitely was a lesson learned – see below.
When telling a story or trying to sell something – start with how that thing is going to have impact. And don’t just tell – SHOW.
The other night, I had the pleasure of test driving a Tesla. (see below for a note about the experience). The main thing I recall from my experience, in addition to the sensation of being batgirl – is that the car I was driving had saved 4 barrels of oil in its short life on earth. I know that because on their main info screen they show how many gallons of gas and barrels of oil you’re saving. And Tesla is extremely consistent in this point around saving barrels of oil. Here’s a recent press release on a showroom opening. The 2nd paragraph is about their impact. Of course it furthers their reason for being – but hey – imagine if every company and/or product was up front with the impact they were going to have in the world? In fact – why don’t you share your thoughts on examples – serious, funny or other?
In terms of “impact” in the car crash mode – that, too was something very memorable – as one of their other key showing points is that, in accidents, their carbon fiber body fairs much better than many other materials.
Important disclaimer – I’m not a car person – and am typically happy in my aging Prius or mini-van but a very generous friend obtained this experience in an auction and we were the happy invitees to the experience. That said – I HIGHLY recommend going to your nearest Tesla showroom and giving it a whirl. I’ve never felt like bat-girl before, but definitely got a sense of what it would be to take the batmobile out for a spin – including the turbo jets on the back 😉
Suzi's Political & Educational Observations and Experiences 
Keep your aging Prius & mini van but use a bike as much as possible. I don’t know the facts but I would hazard a guess that the carbon impact of research, design, manufacturing and distribution of a Tesla will far outweigh any carbon savings you would make as an ordinary motorist.
Environmental arguments aside, I really love how nice the Tesla sales staff are to people. Even if have no intention of buying a Tesla and are just checking them out, they’re really nice to you. As the sales guy put it: Even if you can’t afford one anytime soon, we never really know who is going to be able to buy one in the future.
And… I’m a Prius owner as well. I’m pondering a plug-in conversion in a couple of years. I’m perfectly happy in my 2010 Prius… but… driving / owning a Tesla Roadster someday still seems totally appealing.