your prediction/hope
Tesla will be the DeLorean of our times.
By that I don't mean it's bad, but just as the cocaine engineering of the DMC12 summed up the Reagan-era, Tesla will be a symbol of Obama's America.
Whenever any one wants to make fun of the 2010's they will show a Tesla
They need serious work to fix issues they've been having with the drive-train durability which shouldn't even be happening given its design.
There's also plenty of other niggles showing up from the car having everything be powered by some kind of electronics that wants to fail, like the door handles not presenting themselves, which are starting to surface which also are hurting the car's perception.
>>14037048
It's contingent on branding. Tech wise they WILL get overtaken by the bigger firms, especially considering their open source policy. However, if they've built up enough of a following by the time that happens, chances are they'll stick around. They're already well on the way - I reckon at this point the brand has enough clout that if things went tits up for them, there's a fair chance some other firm would buy it and use the Tesla name to sell their own upmarket electric stuff.
Also, can anyone imagine how tremendously bad the resale values on these things are? They've gotta be depreciating even faster than S-classes and 7-series.
It's enough headache trying to make power windows and sunroofs on cars from the mid-90s work. Just imagine trying to diagnose and fix the massive amount of electronic gremlins these things are going to accumulate when the warranty is up.
>>14037134
You can't have closed source on patents you have no legal right to.
>>14037048
The problem with Testla is that Musk is still a naive kid (albeit one enabled by riches). His view of the world is still quite juvenile and idealistic and as such, has no idea what the fuck he's dealing with in regards to playing in the auto and energy sectors.
HE'LL BE CRUSHED LIKE A COCKROACH AS SOON AS HIS COMPETITION NO LONGER NEEDS HIM FOR BETA TESTING.
>>14037152
The biggest issue is the cost of the battery packs especially when independent tests show a 14% loss in capacity after only 5000 miles of use. They are also designed so you have to use Tesla packs and although they are standard (unprotected) 18650 cells they have been epoxied in so should a cell fail and go open circuit that entire series string is dead for the life of the pack.
Unless electric-friendly infrastructure grows at the same rate as the company, I expect Tesla's government loans and rebates to collapse on it because so far they're not making a profit and merely operating off financial support. And given that infrastructure is a government issue and governments never get anything done in time, this case seems rather likely, which is a shame because Tesla have introduced quite a few innovations to the industry considering their modest company size.
>>14037152
All EVs have steep depreciation. Relatively short battery life combined with a high MSRP makes it inevitable. It doesn't seem to be hurting Tesla sales much yet, as early adopters are willing to pay a premium for the new tech.
Tesla will be around. Unlike other failed automotive startups, their car sales are bolstered HEAVILY by profits from tax credits bought by other car companies to skirt CAFE fines, and profits from proposed retail initiatives.
That, combined with cars that are actually good, and penetrating multiple markets, and we'll be seeing Tesla for awhile.
Need more battery research.
Like, all money into it. Using current battery tech in an innovative way doesn't cut it. We need a means of energy storage competitive with gas for range.
I hope Tesla succeeds because they're the only manufacturer challenging the stupid car dealership model.
>>14037257
>bolstered HEAVILY by profits from tax credits bought by other car companies to skirt CAFE fines, and profits from
They won't be huge. They'll be a niche company. Think about how many Fords and Toyotas you see, Tesla is not going to be on that level.
>>14037289
How do you propose we move away from dealership based to straight from manufacturer?
It simply isn't feasible with volumes of a larger car company. Tesla has the advantage of being small.
>>14037306
>look at how much McDonalds and Burger King trash you see strewn all over the street, Tesla will never be big like that
True
>>14037309
I can order a custom dragon dildo online and have it shipped to my home.
Is there a single reason the same wouldn't work for cars unless you're a shitlord who demands to take his car home the same day in which case kill yourself because you're at fault for the death of options in favor of trims?
>>14037309
>It simply isn't feasible with volumes of a larger car company. Tesla has the advantage of being small.
How is it not feasible? I should be able to go and buy any new car I want from anywhere that wants to sell it, and not just from some fucking dealer who expects me to haggle like I'm in a Moroccan bazaar
>>14037048
As soon as big automakers get a move on with EVs, tesla will get smaller. But without tesla I don't think there's a lot of incentive for big automakers to push EVs
they have something extremely important; hype
once the model 3 comes out, there will be a lot of hype-buying and they'll get a fucking massive influx of cash and be able to go full scale with their operation.
i'm hype as fuck for the model 3, literally planning financially to be in a position to buy it when it comes out
>>14037331
>>14037327
I'm saying its not feasible due to volume. Every auto maker would need to create their own internal dealer network. Create physical infrastructure, hire, train, etc. It wouldn't happen even over a year.
>>14037331
>>14037327
And you could also find a dealer to order to spec. Idk why people ever buy from the lot unless its your perfect fit and for msrp and destination charges.
I agree direct from.manufacturer would be cool. But there needs to be a real plan to the solution you want.
>>14037100
I think it'll be like DeLorean because Elon Musk will probably wind up being indicted, and the company will just collapse. None of his companies can survive without his personality cult (and government support).
>>14037385
Car transport already exists, you'd only need to rearrange loads from semis onto smaller car haulers for delivery within a metro area.
A couple things I have noticed about people's awareness of Tesla
1. People, even people who aren't interested in cars, are aware of the brand and have a positive image of it. Anytime I see one drive by and I point it out usually I hear positive remarks over the car's styling, and often hear thoughts about how the car is the future of automotive technology.
2. I work in DFW and I see these often. Doctors especially love them, I've seen quite a few in hospital parking lots. I think Tesla needs to get a famous rapper to roll in one in a music video to market a more hip appeal. He also needs to make a smaller model that can compete in the 40-70k luxury model range.
Tesla's going to be big, I don't doubt it.
The reason DeLorean collapsed was because they sold an overpriced car with a terrible engine and passed it off as a high-end sports car. That and its head honcho being tied to cocaine dealing led to the company's collapse.
If Tesla had ended up that way, the company would have collapsed a decade ago, and we wouldn't be hearing about 30,000 Model S sales, the old NUUMI plant being turned into a full-production factory for Tesla, and the construction of a huge battery factory out in Nevada.
They already won the hearts of many of the big car reviewers, for the last 3 years we've been hearing about how these electric 4 doors can hold their own against Ferraris, and now there's a crossover being sold with fucking gullwing doors and a 30k car being prepped for mass production within the next 2 years.
And then there's SpaceX, which wants to show us in the next month or two how it plans to send people to Mars in 15 years, and that Hyperloop thing that has been going around the news ever since it was announced 2 years ago.
>>14037717
>1. People, even people who aren't interested in cars, are aware of the brand and have a positive image of it. Anytime I see one drive by and I point it out usually I hear positive remarks over the car's styling, and often hear thoughts about how the car is the future of automotive technology.
see that
that is why i don't see tesla going away soon, they have almost universal appeal and everyone wants one, but only if they were affordable.
tell them you can buy a 35,000 one (before incentives) in two years and they get excited
The year is 2025, Tesla is on the brink of bankruptcy. The warranty repairs are becoming too costly, despite being labeled as obsolete by top Silicon Valley CEO's there is still a growing used market in EV, there are many new competitors that are much more competent. Musk's twitter account no longer dictates the share price of his company. Musk realizes the worst has happened. quickly he goes to see Emperor Trump (who started his 3rd term). Weeping like the spoiled brat he is, Musk utters out, "Please your Greatfullness. I have run out of Meme magic. I will need a bailout to continue my company, Tesla motors!" The gentle and caring Trump, pickup Musk and sets him on his lap, comforting him like he does for us all. "Musk you have been loyal to my reign, your SpaceX program has built me a mighty space armada but this is something I simply cannot do." Musk's eyes well up, he looks up to The Emperor and asks why. Trump leans down close to Musk's ear, oh what an honor that must be, and whispers, "Free market."
>>14037835
3/10 you tried
>>14037717
>>14037729
Even though their reliability is shit, their customer satisfaction is still very high.
I only have a bit of experience with telsa but the few times I drove a P85S my impression was after the novelty wore off of the low speed acceleration, it would be a meh car to drive. Interior is bare too. Also in my short time with it the door handle got stuck open.
Looked into buying one, but it was too gimmicky; and I say this as someone who owns a DeLorean.
>>14037152
It's ok, you don't have to be afraid of the big bad computers.
