The first mover advantage is real, but I can’t quite understand why it is thought to be a check-mate. Ford had an oh-my-God enormous first mover advantage with

The first mover advantage is real, but I can’t quite understand why it is thought to be a check-mate. Ford had an oh-my-God enormous first mover advantage with the production line. Japanese car companies started literally from nowhere, in an economy shattered by war. VW was literally kickstarted quite late into the game. I don’t think it is right to assume that, even if Tesla makes the first affordable, good range electric cars, then the rest of the market can just fold. Especially since electric cars are simpler than ICEs so surely it’s easier to catch up.