Elon Musk: Always A Douche

[HisMajestyBOB]

It could be that Tesla will benefit from a sudden surge in red-state enthusiasts for Musk ready and willing to swap their pick-up-truck for a pricy EV, but if that growth doesn't materialize, Tesla could find itself learning why profoundly alienating your core customer base and badly tarnishing one's brand isn't optimal business strategy.  It's certainly true that there are more viable EV options now than six years ago.

Yeah if Musk makes all Republican voters trade in their Ford F-150s for EVs then Tesla should be fine.

Tariffs on non-Tesla car components will be increased to 10,000%.
All government vehicles will be required to be Teslas.

[Valmy]

Tariffs on non-Tesla car components will be increased to 10,000%.
All government vehicles will be required to be Teslas.

Ok that could work 

[Jacob]

I've leased 2 Tesla Model 3s.  One of the most striking aspects of getting a Tesla was the lack of direct marketing.  They made no effort to sell; we had to come to them.  When the first lease was coming up, Tesla made no attempt to convince us to get a new one; we got routine notices of the lease expiry and that was it.

Now with the second lease is wrapping up this summer, things are very different, Tesla is already aggressively pushing us to get a new one.  It is a significant change in their behavior.

It could be that Tesla will benefit from a sudden surge in red-state enthusiasts for Musk ready and willing to swap their pick-up-truck for a pricy EV, but if that growth doesn't materialize, Tesla could find itself learning why profoundly alienating your core customer base and badly tarnishing one's brand isn't optimal business strategy.  It's certainly true that there are more viable EV options now than six years ago.

I expect Musk is going all in on getting money from the US government to make up for the possible future decline in Tesla value. Maybe it'll be a switch to Space X and related contracts, or maybe it'll be making the Feds buy Teslas whenever it's even remotely feasible.

[dist]

A bit like BB that only worries that buying a Tesla would be seen as a political statement. I'm really surprised one cannot see how not seeing this as a political statement is a political statement in itself: "I'm okay with Elon."

Well the argument would be that buying used doesn't give any money to Elon.

 

Sorry, work has been overly intense this past--checks notes--almost three weeks and I totally missed that you were talking about used vehicles.

That said, I wouldn't even consider buying a second hand Tesla as long as Musk is associated with it. If resale value plummets, people will also stop considering buying new ones.

[Sheilbh]

It could be that Tesla will benefit from a sudden surge in red-state enthusiasts for Musk ready and willing to swap their pick-up-truck for a pricy EV, but if that growth doesn't materialize, Tesla could find itself learning why profoundly alienating your core customer base and badly tarnishing one's brand isn't optimal business strategy.  It's certainly true that there are more viable EV options now than six years ago.

I know there are many, many other issues with Musk - but I do find that red-state enthusiast point maybe kind of positive. Musk might be negatively polarising people who were rolling coal into buying electric vehicles.

I always sort of wondered if in the US the best way to get everyone to take a vaccine would be to get one that was the "Trump shot" for his people and then everyone else could have the rest...

[Grey Fox]

It could be that Tesla will benefit from a sudden surge in red-state enthusiasts for Musk ready and willing to swap their pick-up-truck for a pricy EV, but if that growth doesn't materialize, Tesla could find itself learning why profoundly alienating your core customer base and badly tarnishing one's brand isn't optimal business strategy.  It's certainly true that there are more viable EV options now than six years ago.

I know there are many, many other issues with Musk - but I do find that red-state enthusiast point maybe kind of positive. Musk might be negatively polarising people who were rolling coal into buying electric vehicles.

I always sort of wondered if in the US the best way to get everyone to take a vaccine would be to get one that was the "Trump shot" for his people and then everyone else could have the rest...

Yes. It's already this way. During COVID, Moderna's vaccine was seen as the vaccine Black people should get by Black communities. They didn't trust the Pfizer one.

[Norgy]

Tesla's been the top seller for a long time in Norway. In January, sales plummeted by 36 percent. 

I think the Musk effect is one part. The other that Tesla's not had a new model out for quite some time, compared to the competition.

[Sheilbh]

Also cost - in the UK (we admittedly don't have tariffs on China for this), I believe BYD are doing very well. I know nothing about cars but from what I understand they're about half the price of Tesla.

[Josquius]

Maybe I'm over thinking it but recall seeing on newnight the other week some maga twat going on about how Europe should accept American standards for food and cars. If its good enough for America it's good enough for anyone.

In this I couldn't help but hear musks hand up his arse. I know he has been upset at the cybertruck crap not being road legal in Europe.

[Zanza]

Also cost - in the UK (we admittedly don't have tariffs on China for this), I believe BYD are doing very well. I know nothing about cars but from what I understand they're about half the price of Tesla.

You do not have to believe, there are public figures for this. BYD sold 8,788, a growth of more than 600%. However that's still only market share of 0.4% of the UK car market. Maybe you thought of MG, which is a Chinese brand these days? They sold about 82k cars in the UK.

[Sheilbh]

You do not have to believe, there are public figures for this. BYD sold 8,788, a growth of more than 600%. However that's still only market share of 0.4% of the UK car market. Maybe you thought of MG, which is a Chinese brand these days? They sold about 82k cars in the UK.

Honestly, I've no idea

I can't drive so know nothing about vehicles - my only impression is that Tesla are really expensive and there's now affordable EV alternatives.

Maybe I'm over thinking it but recall seeing on newnight the other week some maga twat going on about how Europe should accept American standards for food and cars. If its good enough for America it's good enough for anyone.

In this I couldn't help but hear musks hand up his arse. I know he has been upset at the cybertruck crap not being road legal in Europe.

I think it's broader than Musk. Zuck's comments have been very interesting on the need for America to start pushing back against European attempts to regulate American tech companies. Basically these are the 21st century national champions and America should back them.

Musk is on side too but I suspect it'll be something broader as a more concerted attack on European attempts to regulate Silicon Valley. Zuckerberg pointed out how much Meta have been fined over various issues in Europe in recent years - and I'd add from a privacy perspective the general perception in those circles in Europe has been that enforcement has, so far, been weak.

[Jacob]

I'd suggest banning American social media in Europe. I mean, in Trump's world view it only makes sense to use trade barriers to encourage the growth of national champions. Honestly, the US has taken unfair advantage of Europe when it comes to social media. Hugely.

[Sheilbh]

Although I think there's something to that (And I will bang on about it as someone who works in media - the platforms are as powerful and damaging: Apple, Amazon, Google).

I'm very struck by Thierry Breton's comments as the Commissioner shepherding through Europe's AI regulation that Europe was very proud of being the first to regulate AI, just as it was proud of leading on regulating data protection. But it would be better if Europeans could use European AI or platforms built with European values and in compliance with European law rather than using ones in either California or China and trying to regulate them from the outside.

[Jacob]

Agreed. I think Macron agrees as well, with the recent announcement about spending money on French AI dev.

Personally I'd love a European alternative to Whatsapp.

Also, relatedly but different topic, in some of the Canadian social discourse about "WTF, is the US going to annex us... what would an invasion look like." Someone made the point that tariffs are one thing - something we can whether with whatever economic downturn. But if AWS got turned off, we'd be proper fucked.

... hopefully it won't come to that.

[Valmy]

Might want to create your own secure cloud services.

You just have to prepare for the United States to come after you. The American Oligarchy wants to rule the entire world apparently.