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I heard the same arguments about SpaceX though. Building new cars are large, complex engineering projects, that have insane complexity around operations, manufa

I heard the same arguments about SpaceX though. Building new cars are large, complex engineering projects, that have insane complexity around operations, manufacturing and technology. Plus things like Brand awareness and identity. So image that GM wants to really compete with Tesla. They want to go Electric only. How do they: 1) Deal with dealers - which aare independent, and have their own view as to the product mix? 2) Develop efficient batteries and capacities - Tesla has a insane percentage of this capacity right now. 3) Deal with their unions, who definitely have a opinion about things, and are not going to let the company try anything new without their blessing and buy in? 4) Change their marketing image / brand identity? 5) Develop a electric drive-chain that is as efficient as what Tesla has? 6) Develop a network of chargers? All without taking their current business model? Note, VW really is trying to do it this way, and I am very skeptical. There are already a lot of signals that their plans are foundering despite a lot of hype around their battery contracts for example, they had to change tact yesterday and announce their own Giga-factory. Nevermind that VW's brand in the US is just slightly north of Enron's.

Certhas 8y ago
That's the US, but the charger network argument for example looks very different in Europe or China. And while Tesla has a good share of current capacity, the amount of capacity that is being built and will come online in China over the next few years is many times larger than what we have right now. Further, while European manufacturers and industry threw away a healthy position in battery R&D over the last decade or so, there is every indication that they are correcting this mistake. Whatever is going to succeed as the post Lithium-Ion tech might well not come out of Teslas labs.

Certhas 8y ago

That's the US, but the charger network argument for example looks very different in Europe or China. And while Tesla has a good share of current capacity, the amount of capacity that is being built and will come online in China over the next few years is many times larger than what we have right now. Further, while European manufacturers and industry threw away a healthy position in battery R&D over the last decade or so, there is every indication that they are correcting this mistake. Whatever is going to succeed as the post Lithium-Ion tech might well not come out of Teslas labs.