The Tesla community is one of the most polarizing groups in the world of cars. It looks like it’s almost 50/50 in terms of whether Tesla’s supporters are willing to lend their support to other manufacturers. Some are not willing to listen to other companies.
While there is no oppressive impulse in one way or another, one thing is certain: Tesla supporters love Tesla. But if they are willing to commend another automaker for developments they may have made or cars they plan to build, it is a different story.
For years, Tesla has always been considered an automobile company without much potential. I didn’t have much money. There weren’t many proven veterans of the automotive industry behind their cars’ engineering or supply chain, and I was trying to convince people that gas was less than electric. In 2008, this was not a simple task. It was almost impossible at the time.
Only a few people could afford Tesla’s Roadster, which was part of the plan so the company could accumulate funds for future projects. But besides that, even if it were affordable, would people have bought it? Who knows.
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But after Tesla started making the Model S, people started to really listen. People had invested their money in the company’s IPO just two years earlier, and the Model S was the sleek, fast and beautiful car that everyone wanted. But it was still a steep climb. After the Model X was launched, there was little difference; it was just the SUV version of an electric car. But the Model 3 came and convinced many people around the world that Tesla was real. He had built a car that people could afford. It had great reach, it had performance. Above all, Tesla proved he could mass produce a vehicle, even if it was hell.
Slowly but surely, skeptics switched sides. They realized that they were all wrong about Tesla, but the early investors and people who believed in the company from the beginning did not agree. Who could blame them?
They believed in Tesla from the beginning. They knew that Elon Musk could take the company to a new era, and they were right. Now that others are coming on board, there is a point where many of us can feel a little sympathy for them. If you weren’t with us then, don’t be now. Suggestions of a sense of movement come to mind when explaining this situation. It’s almost reminiscent of how I see many Chiefs hats and jackets in the store right now. Not for a second do I believe there are so many Kansas City fans in York County, PA.
I don’t necessarily disagree with what Tesla’s loyal fans are doing. They believed in Tesla from day one, and now that it is the most valuable car manufacturer in the world and is successful, many people are on board, and that may not be very pleasant.
However, more fans means more sales, which means that the stock price goes up. This means that there are more EVs on the road instead of gas cars, and it means that Tesla’s mission is coming true. Although fandom is something that can be attributed to a “feeling of movement”, maybe some people just wanted proof that Tesla was real, and I can understand that too.
Tesla’s Day 1 also had to deal with other auto companies throwing stones at Tesla for years. GM, Ford, all of these companies didn’t bother to do EVs. They would launch one or two models, some of them not even reaching the production lines. So they would say that Tesla’s business model was ridiculous or unsustainable. Now, they are taking inspiration from this “unsustainable” company. Interesting how it works, isn’t it?
Now that other automakers are concerned with the electrical mission, they claim that their car is the “Tesla Killer” (a term I came to hate in my day as an automotive journalist). They are claiming that their batteries will be better and their cars will be cheaper. Blah, blah, blah, we’ve all heard it before. The problem is that these companies continue to say what they say, but do not follow the same path. They are always saying how the next big hit will be, but it rarely happens, considering that automakers constantly delay launches or completely cancel projects.
On the other hand, Elon has always openly supported more automakers that manufacture more EVs. Everything contributes, and I don’t think he ever took much criticism personally; I imagine he used it as a motivation based on the way things happened. Personally, the compliment for always following the right path and never being stingy or ugly with an automaker that didn’t support you. I think it just added fuel to him and made him want to perform The Master Plan a lot more.
But if we all love Elon and support him and are grateful for what he did for the EV community, should we follow his guidance and support other automakers for what they are trying to do? Is it just a lost cause? What do you think of other automakers trying to launch effective means of electric transport?
Personally, I support any EV. I will never say that any EV is better than Tesla’s because I really believe that they are the best EVs out there. I think there are always things to work on, but if you want something that is reliable and delivers a wide reach, Tesla is the best option today.
I also like other automakers. Rivian and Lucid are showing enormous potential and I think they have a great chance of being there in a few years. Volkswagen will always have a small place in my heart, since the first car I owned was a 1998 Jetta K2, but I think they have a lot of work to do. This will be done, I am sure, but if I am going to support an EV company that has already produced the ICE, it will be VW.
I would love to hear your opinion on this. I want to know if you support other car companies that are producing EVs, or are you loyal to Tesla? We will maintain respect as always. Do not openly attack any company or other people’s beliefs. Try to be as respectful as possible and take everyone’s opinions into account.
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I use this newsletter to share my thoughts on what’s going on in the Tesla world. If you want to speak to me directly, you can send me an email or contact me on Twitter. I don’t bite, make sure to reach out!