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This gave me chills. If I understand this correctly, they'll be able to write their own checks because they will essentially... 1) Own self-driving and thus,
by neogodless 6y ago
This gave me chills.
If I understand this correctly, they'll be able to write their own checks because they will essentially...
1) Own self-driving and thus, most personal transportation
3) Own / replace a large segment of public utility / power companies
4) Own / replace a large segment of insurance
5) Own / replace transportation power network
Right now, it's silly to think of Tesla as some kind of mega-monopoly across industries. So we invest in them betting on them becoming that. Is that what we want?
My counter-argument is that one of the bigger markets for automobiles, the U.S., is designed around personal choice, personal autonomy, etc. Many people just want a working car to give them freedom, and will buy whatever popular, trusted brand is available. The rest want one of the smaller brands, something that seems different from the mainstream (even if it's really barely skin deep). That has kept quite a few big players in the automotive marketplace, and despite consolidation over time, there's still variety, which buyers want. This argument really only addresses them as a car maker, though... and not at all for their spread across industry lines.
- sandspar 6y agoSomething will stop them. They're not expanding into a vacuum: they're expanding into well-established markets full of billion dollar companies run by people just as driven and talented as they are - not to mention other forces like governments, supply and demand etc. Look at someone who eats 5,000 calories a day and gains 3 lbs a week. "My god, in 10 years they'll weigh 10,000 lbs!"
- belltaco 6y agoPeople said the same thing about Apple, and watched while it eventually decimated Nokia, Blackberry etc. Both Tesla and Apple have that premium brand reputation, and older brands are perceived as legacy. Doesn't mean that the car brands will fall to a similar fate, but they have an uphill battle to fight and need to pull a rabbit out of their hats.
- joshuamorton 6y agoBut being a "premium" or lifestyle brand is a lot less useful if you're competing in the insurance or utility markets.
- dexterdog 6y agoIs Tesla considered a premium brand? Most of the cars they currently sell are pretty basic.
- mhh__ 6y agoYes, or at least they are a fashion statement to many. They aren't all that premium on paper
- Ekaros 6y agoSo they are the Prius of recent years?
- benhurmarcel 6y agoThey're pretty basic in terms of finish and equipment, but premium in terms of price. The most sold cars in Europe are models that start around 15~20k€. The cheapest Tesla starts at 51k€; that's about 3 times the price. Even if you only look at electric cars, the best selling one is the Zoe which starts at about half the price of the cheapest Tesla.
- emptyfile 6y agoPremium refers to the price.
- dagw 6y agoIn Europe Tesla's are much more expensive relative to their competition compared to the US.
- josefx 6y agoAs far as I understand Nokia was doing fine and was even ready to launch its own smartphone OS before it got subverted by a Microsoft manager that brought Windows Mobile and killed any chance it had to compete. > Both Tesla and Apple have that premium brand reputation, and older brands are perceived as legacy. In other words: overpriced crap vs. tried and tested.