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The same thing is happening to traditional automobile manufacturers now as what happened to the likes of Kodak and Xerox when the digital revolution came. They

The same thing is happening to traditional automobile manufacturers now as what happened to the likes of Kodak and Xerox when the digital revolution came. They'll deny that the change is happening until it's way too late, and then become obsolete. Even when any outsider can look at the industry and say it's obvious that the future is electric and any manufacturer that hasn't already seriously dived into making EVs is being stupid. And yet, here we are ...

esturk 7y ago
The tragic part is there were probably employees pushing for change but management must've smothered them like a dying patient with a pillow.
- quickthrower2 7y ago
  Why take risks where you can fail when you are getting paid a fat check every month. It’s a “no one was fired for keeping the company running” kind of thing.
rootusrootus 7y ago
GM has announced what, 22 EVs in the next couple years? I don't think they're in any danger of becoming obsolete due to Tesla. If anything, Tesla should be getting worried. When competition heats up people will start caring more about reliability, features, and looks.
- intopieces 7y ago
  Did GM announce a charging network? Most people may be able to charge at home, but they also want peace of mind the 1 time a year they travel on a road trip. I picked Tesla for my next EV because of the charging stations. Level 2 and even CHAdeMO and CCS are just too slow, and there’s not enough of the latter two.
  - bradlys 7y ago
    I don't think the vast majority are buying electric cars with it being their only vehicle. Aren't 80% of Tesla owners also homeowners? Likely living with a spouse, who has a non electric car for those longer road trips. And maybe a Tesla owner uses the Tesla network for road trips but I think the majority of electric owners without a network have a gas car too. Even then, I think those buying an electric can afford air travel.
    - deleted 7y ago
      [deleted]
  - rootusrootus 7y ago
    As I recall, the largest DC fast charging network is no longer Tesla's, and that will only accelerate over the next couple years. I'm hoping that soon Tesla will make an adapter available so I can use that network too.
    - CydeWeys 7y ago
      Source? Last time I saw this claim, it was some manufacturer that was also compatible with Tesla's charging infrastructure, and including Tesla's own network as part of its claim.
      - intopieces 7y ago
        EVGo is the nation's largest provider of DC fast charging. It has 800 stations to Tesla's 443. Tesla can use EVGo and L2 stations through ChargePoint. But, EVGo usually has 1-2 chargers per station, whereas Tesla has 10-30. Tesla's onboard computer routes to the Tesla stations and prepares the battery to be charged, something that I haven't seen in other EVs.
- pmorici 7y ago
  I would be surprised if GM has more models available than Tesla in the US at any point in the next 5 years. Tesla will have 7 once all the currently announced models are in production.
- virgilp 7y ago
  Lots of companies rushed smartphones after the iPhone; like GM with EVs, Nokia also was the inventor/original smartphone producer.. in fact, it was more advanced in the field than GM is with the EV. Yet here we are, with Nokia being a shadow of its former self. I wouldn't be so quick to claim "Tesla should be worried" - Tesla should only be worried about its own execution, and should be ignoring competition altogether (which I think they do).
- Dumblydorr 7y ago
  Everything you mentioned is dependent on them rolling out EVs in volume reliably, which is probably going to take another 5 years. Meanwhile, Tesla's vehicles have a massive lead on efficiency, range, brand, and performance. GM simply makes lackluster vehicles and I dont see their quality improving to rival Tesla or its huge tech lead.
- koffiezet 7y ago
  > Tesla should be getting worried I'm not exactly a Tesla fan, I think their cars are pretty bland, certainly the interior is pretty spartan for the price you're paying, and I'm not convinced of the entire infotainment system/massive screen in the middle. But... Other manufacturers allowed Tesla to become an established brand, and right now if you tell someone you have an electric car, their response will be "oh a Tesla?" 9 out of 10. On top of that, Tesla is learning quality/finish faster than other manufacturers are learning how to mass produce electric cars properly. The newer model 3 from one colleague is miles ahead build-quality-wise of the one from another, who got one of the first to arrive in Europe. And lastly, Tesla has a massive head-start in battery production capacity, and I would not be surprised if they'd start selling batteries to other manufacturers soon. Battery supply chains are currently the limiting factors for many car models (the Hyundai Ioniq has a massive waiting list for this exact reason for example). Most classic car brands also give priority to direct battery supply towards their more mass-market lineup where they're now offering hybrid solutions. They can make what - 10 hybrid cars with the same amount of batteries it takes to make a single-electric-one? Choosing between selling 1 or 10 cars limited by a strained supply chain is an easy choice. Sure they'll offer electric versions for a premium, but the hybrid-ones are the ones they're really producing and driving sales.

esturk 7y ago

The tragic part is there were probably employees pushing for change but management must've smothered them like a dying patient with a pillow.

quickthrower2 7y ago
Why take risks where you can fail when you are getting paid a fat check every month. It’s a “no one was fired for keeping the company running” kind of thing.

rootusrootus 7y ago

GM has announced what, 22 EVs in the next couple years? I don't think they're in any danger of becoming obsolete due to Tesla. If anything, Tesla should be getting worried. When competition heats up people will start caring more about reliability, features, and looks.

intopieces 7y ago
Did GM announce a charging network? Most people may be able to charge at home, but they also want peace of mind the 1 time a year they travel on a road trip. I picked Tesla for my next EV because of the charging stations. Level 2 and even CHAdeMO and CCS are just too slow, and there’s not enough of the latter two.
- bradlys 7y ago
  I don't think the vast majority are buying electric cars with it being their only vehicle. Aren't 80% of Tesla owners also homeowners? Likely living with a spouse, who has a non electric car for those longer road trips. And maybe a Tesla owner uses the Tesla network for road trips but I think the majority of electric owners without a network have a gas car too. Even then, I think those buying an electric can afford air travel.
  - deleted 7y ago
    [deleted]
- rootusrootus 7y ago
  As I recall, the largest DC fast charging network is no longer Tesla's, and that will only accelerate over the next couple years. I'm hoping that soon Tesla will make an adapter available so I can use that network too.
  - CydeWeys 7y ago
    Source? Last time I saw this claim, it was some manufacturer that was also compatible with Tesla's charging infrastructure, and including Tesla's own network as part of its claim.
    - intopieces 7y ago
      EVGo is the nation's largest provider of DC fast charging. It has 800 stations to Tesla's 443. Tesla can use EVGo and L2 stations through ChargePoint. But, EVGo usually has 1-2 chargers per station, whereas Tesla has 10-30. Tesla's onboard computer routes to the Tesla stations and prepares the battery to be charged, something that I haven't seen in other EVs.
pmorici 7y ago
I would be surprised if GM has more models available than Tesla in the US at any point in the next 5 years. Tesla will have 7 once all the currently announced models are in production.
virgilp 7y ago
Lots of companies rushed smartphones after the iPhone; like GM with EVs, Nokia also was the inventor/original smartphone producer.. in fact, it was more advanced in the field than GM is with the EV. Yet here we are, with Nokia being a shadow of its former self. I wouldn't be so quick to claim "Tesla should be worried" - Tesla should only be worried about its own execution, and should be ignoring competition altogether (which I think they do).
Dumblydorr 7y ago
Everything you mentioned is dependent on them rolling out EVs in volume reliably, which is probably going to take another 5 years. Meanwhile, Tesla's vehicles have a massive lead on efficiency, range, brand, and performance. GM simply makes lackluster vehicles and I dont see their quality improving to rival Tesla or its huge tech lead.
koffiezet 7y ago
> Tesla should be getting worried I'm not exactly a Tesla fan, I think their cars are pretty bland, certainly the interior is pretty spartan for the price you're paying, and I'm not convinced of the entire infotainment system/massive screen in the middle. But... Other manufacturers allowed Tesla to become an established brand, and right now if you tell someone you have an electric car, their response will be "oh a Tesla?" 9 out of 10. On top of that, Tesla is learning quality/finish faster than other manufacturers are learning how to mass produce electric cars properly. The newer model 3 from one colleague is miles ahead build-quality-wise of the one from another, who got one of the first to arrive in Europe. And lastly, Tesla has a massive head-start in battery production capacity, and I would not be surprised if they'd start selling batteries to other manufacturers soon. Battery supply chains are currently the limiting factors for many car models (the Hyundai Ioniq has a massive waiting list for this exact reason for example). Most classic car brands also give priority to direct battery supply towards their more mass-market lineup where they're now offering hybrid solutions. They can make what - 10 hybrid cars with the same amount of batteries it takes to make a single-electric-one? Choosing between selling 1 or 10 cars limited by a strained supply chain is an easy choice. Sure they'll offer electric versions for a premium, but the hybrid-ones are the ones they're really producing and driving sales.