Tesla Is Making It Hard For Other Car Companies To Compete

Every time I ask a Tesla owner to list the tech that makes some kind of difference they can't come up with anything meaningful. What is it? Dog mode? Cheetah mode? Flush-mount door handles? A big tablet stuck to the dash looking like a high school shop project? Maybe Autopilot? (Which never gets good reviews from independent analysts.) OTA? ... Is that the big tech you talk about? Most driving is done locally. How about listing all that tech that makes a difference in how cars are used most? I'd like to hear.

You don't really explain how you got to the $19,000 Tesla "Model 2" pricing, but my guess is that you started with Tesla projected price target of $25K, and then subtracted the proposed Green bill tax subsidies of $7,000, which actually could be a net cost of $18K. But it is very possible that the proposed Model 2 is 2-3 years away (as Elon projected) and it could actually be a China-only model, using LFP batteries. The current Model 3 is priced at $37K, so the net price if the green bill passes would be $30K. Potentially Tesla could have factored in the tax subsidy already, and the Model 2, with it's lower performance, size, and range, could end up starting at $32K, with a net price of $25K. But Tesla could much more easily de-content a bare bones Model 3 to lower the price $5K, and that way hit the $25K price point without having to build another model. Keep in mind that the refreshed Chevy Bolt now starts at that same $32K price, and they would also have a net price of $25K, and therefore make some compelling competition at that lower price point.

Timothy, Do you have strangers ask you to justify why you think that your car is better? Clearly that is a question asked by someone who doesn't want to buy your car. From your negative comments I think that there is no answer that would change your view about Tesla cars. And that is actually OK. because EVs are not for everyone, but oddly most people who actually own an EV won't ever go back to wanting a fossil fuel powered car in the future. EVs are ideal for local driving, because that is where they really excel over gas vehicles that are horribly inefficient in stop and go traffic.

Ironically, I see more Tesla haters among Bolt owners than other EVs. Is it because Tesla gets all of the press attention? To answer your question, it is Tesla's whole approach to car building that sets them apart. They are certainly influenced by building economically, but they always work to build a better EV, with more efforts in engineering than marketing. Whereas legacy automakers struggle even with the value of building a competitive EV. I always liked the Bolt. It was a great collaboration between GM, Daewoo, and LG, as was the Spark EV before it. The only problem with the Bolt was the fact that GM didn't support it the way that it deserved, like the Volt before it. If GM had lead with a dozen EREV and BEV models back in 2013, and committed to EVs as Tesla has, then they would been at the forefront of the upcoming EV wave, as Tesla is now. As to particulars, the Tesla stays ahead with hundreds of big and small innovations like the Octovalve, one piece frame castings, Autopilot/FSD, their own 4680 batteries, heat pump and circuitry cooling, the supercharger network, superior performance, superior efficiency, efficient Giga-factories, and the list goes on. You would serve the EV movement better by showing what GM is doing right with EVs, rather than trying to shoot down Tesla.

Wow! Do you honestly believe that Tesla's Octovalve, one piece frame castings, Autopilot/FSD, 4680 batteries, heat pump and circuitry cooling, the supercharger network, superior performance, superior efficiency, efficient Giga-factories, are all not valuable in owning a Tesla EV, and that they do not affect people driving EVs normally? Those are some pretty thick blinders that you are wearing. Of course other EV automakers (and all automakers) have technical innovations that make their vehicles appealing and competitive. It is exactly the combination of ALL the Tesla-specific innovations listed above (and dozens more) that come together to produce an EV product lineup that is well ahead of their competition, on many levels. That certainly doesn't mean that buyers won't prefer to buy EVs or gas powered vehicles from other automakers, because other EV designs and features may simply be a better match for other buyers. And importantly gas powered vehicles make up over 90% of new vehicle sales, which makes them the biggest competition for every EV automaker.