On March 31st, 2016 Tesla began taking pre-orders for their long-anticipated Model 3 sedan. Sparking a frenzy throughout the environmental community, the Model 3 represents what many have longed for, “the working man’s electric vehicle.” Without a single paid advertisement or endorsement, a grassroots movement fueled by plug-in enthusiast has already lead to the reservation of more than 325,000 Model 3s.

While this is undoubtedly a big milestone for Tesla and the electric vehicle industry as a whole, it solidifies something much more significant: consumers are redefining what it means to be an “early adopter.” 325,000 people (a number greater than the population of Pittsburgh) have signed their name and forked over a $1,000 down payment for a vehicle whose specifications are still unclear. The Model 3 may go into production in 2016 or 2017, it may have a range of more than 200 miles, it may come equipped with Tesla’s “autopilot” feature, and it may be another 3-5 years until you can park it in your driveway. All of this uncertainty for a price-tag starting at $35,000: still relatively expensive in terms of a sedan.

The Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative (SGCC)–an organization that studies consumer interests as they relate to energy and the smart grid–has been documenting the growth of the “early adopter.” Released earlier this year, SGCC’s 2016 State of the Consumer Report found that consumers are increasingly more eager to adopt new energy technologies–such a plug-in electric vehicles. Through what has become the nation’s largest longitudinal survey of smart energy consumers, SGCC has found that the number of consumers who agree that they are “always eager to be the first one to buy new products or technologies” has climbed steeply from 19% in 2011 to 31% at the end of 2015. That’s an increase of more than 29 million people (adults, aged 18+).

While the underlying reasons for this change are still a topic of debate, SGCC believes that consumers are more comfortable with products that are released as “beta” versions that are then improved upon over time, such as the regular upgrade cycle we see with smartphones. There is also an increased trend towards collaborative consumption and financial business models that enable consumers to “try before they buy”– even for products that require significant capital investment.

This eagerness to adopt new technologies has interesting implications for utilities and other energy sector stakeholders. These 325,000 Tesla customers serve as a real life case study, further supporting SGCC’s findings that smart grid-enabled technologies can be rolled out, tested, and continually iterated upon rather than having to be “fully baked” from the outset. As the next few years are poised to bring about some of the largest changes in electric utility rate design, smart home products, services, and renewable sources of home generation, it’s assured that all eyes will be on Tesla.