On Wednesdays, we look at artist/design statements or About pages and discuss the best vocabulary to describe the work. Today we’ll look at the About page of Tesla, a company that specializes in designing electric vehicles.
Here are the first two paragraphs from their About page, in italics.
Tesla was founded in 2003 by a group of engineers who wanted to prove that people didn’t need to compromise to drive electric – that electric vehicles can be better, quicker and more fun to drive than gasoline cars. Today, Tesla builds not only all-electric vehicles but also infinitely scalable clean energy generation and storage products. Tesla believes the faster the world stops relying on fossil fuels and moves towards a zero-emission future, the better.
Launched in 2008, the Roadster unveiled Tesla’s cutting-edge battery technology and electric powertrain. From there, Tesla designed the world’s first ever premium all-electric sedan from the ground up – Model S – which has become the best car in its class in every category. Combining safety, performance, and efficiency, Model S has reset the world’s expectations for the car of the 21st century with the longest range of any electric vehicle, over-the-air software updates that make it better over time, and a record 0-60 mph acceleration time of 2.28 seconds as measured by Motor Trend. In 2015, Tesla expanded its product line with Model X, the safest, quickest and most capable sport utility vehicle in history that holds 5-star safety ratings across every category from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Completing CEO Elon Musk’s “Secret Master Plan,” in 2016, Tesla introduced Model 3, a low-priced, high-volume electric vehicle that began production in 2017. Soon after, Tesla unveiled the safest, most comfortable truck ever – Tesla Semi – which is designed to save owners at least $200,000 over a million miles based on fuel costs alone.
Tesla’s vehicles are produced at its factory in Fremont, California, where the vast majority of the vehicle’s components are also made. As Tesla continues to expand its product line, Tesla’s production plan is also set to increase to a rate of 500,000 vehicles a year by 2018.
Now my comments:
This company does a very good job with their About page. They begin by talking about how they got started and also share their mission and goals for their vehicles. Next, they describe what makes their products unique and how they have evolved over time. They also talk a little bit about their process and vision for the future. These are all important elements in a good About page.
Let’s take a closer look at the vocabulary they use. In the first paragraph, we see the word founded, which means they started or created a business. We also see the word compromise. Usually, a compromise means two people agree on something by each giving up something they want. Most of the time this is a good thing, but in product advertising, it is often used in the negative to show that you don’t have to give anything up. Here they are saying that people who want to drive electric cars don’t have to give up the things they like, they can be better, quicker and more fun to drive than gasoline cars.
Next, they talk about the other products they make other than cars; infinitely scalable clean energy generation and storage products. Infinitely scalable means there is no limit to how many they can make. Clean energy means energy that does not cause pollution, and the generation and storage products are the solar panels and batteries they make for homes. Relying on something means you need it, and a zero-emission future means a future where cars make no air pollution. They also use a common phrase that means it is important that some event happens quickly. The faster _____ happens, the better. We can also say: the sooner _____ happens, the better. For example: the sooner I get my hair cut, the better! (I want to get my hair cut very soon.)
In the second paragraph, we see the words launched and unveiled. Launched means you are beginning something, and they began selling the Roadster. Unveil means you let people see something for the first time; it is similar to introduce. The powertrain means the parts of the car that create the power and bring it to the wheels. Premium means something that is better than usual and from the ground up is an idiom that means you start from the beginning and do everything in a new way.
Expectations are what you think will happen in a situation, so to reset someone’s expectations means to change what they think will happen. Expanded means you made something bigger, and capable means you have the skills to do something well. So Tesla is saying that their sport utility vehicle (SUV) has better skills (or features) than any other car in history that holds 5-star safety ratings across every category from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. So, we are only comparing cars with those same safety ratings.
A Master Plan means a detailed plan that will require a lot of time and effort. High-volume means they made a lot of them because the Model 3 is for people who are not wealthy. It began production in 2017, which means that’s when they started making them. Finally, they talk about the Tesla Semi, a short, heavy truck that has a long trailer attached to the back and that is used to move goods.
It’s even more important to have a good About page if you want to sell your designs to the public. People are more interested in buying your products if you explain them in an engaging way that is easy to understand. A good language coach can help you create a good About page to explain your work and sell your products online.
At Artglish, we help artists and designers to write a statement or About page that best describes their work. We focus on choosing the best vocabulary and language to help you share your work with others. If you want to learn more, click here to join The Studio and try some free ways to improve your English, or check out our Lessons page to learn how Artglish can help you succeed.
I’ve chosen 5 words or phrases for you to focus on today. They are in bold. If you don’t know them, look up the meaning, synonyms, antonyms, and other forms of these words. You can find links to Merriam-Webster dictionary sites at the bottom of this page.
To see the Tesla About page, click the link below:
https://www.tesla.com/about