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Do you think Honda, Toyota and every other car manufacturer would even be offering electric vehicles at this time if Tesla did not exist?

synthc 4y ago
I think they would. Toyota already had very good hybrid cars for years, so plenty of experiences with batteries. Tesla made electric cars sexy, but I was always just a matter of time before electric would go mainstream.
- stevenjgarner 4y ago
  I think the existing investment in tooling, plant and equipment that these companies have accumulated makes it hard to economically justify starting from scratch with new tooling, plant and equipment on a product line that has no competition. Tesla provided that competition, and justified such investment.
roflyear 4y ago
Who cares?
- stevenjgarner 4y ago
  I for one. Disruption of complacent industries has defined our age, and been the motivator for countless entrepreneurs. Created more jobs than we can realistically measure, through the emergence of entirely new industries. The established auto manufacturers have a long standing pattern of paying lip service to electric vehicles. General motors went so far as to reclaim, disable, crush, and/or shred virtually every model of the EV1, the first mass-produced and purpose-designed electric vehicle of the modern era. [1]. The manner in which GM created barriers to entry for electric vehicles with the EV1 program is the stuff of legend. [2] TSLA has been the most shorted stock in history, with close to $57 billion being lost by short sellers between 2010 and 2021. [3]. That entrenched economic forces want Tesla ended is no secret. The mass adoption of electric vehicles was Elon's stated goal with Tesla, and it looks like that is well on its way to being accomplished. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors_EV1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors_EV1 [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Who_Killed_the_Electric_Car https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Who_Killed_the_Electric_Car [3] https://qz.com/1979325/tesla-not-gamestop-is-the-most-shorted-stock-in-the-world/ https://qz.com/1979325/tesla-not-gamestop-is-the-most-shorte...
  - roflyear 4y ago
    I really don't think just b/c tesla "did it first" we should give a crap. We should only give a crap that companies are bringing cheap EVs to consumers. tesla is not doing that. > That entrenched economic forces want Tesla ended is no secret. Literally a conspiracy theory.
    - stevenjgarner 4y ago
      > Literally a conspiracy theory. A conspiracy theory to have your stock undermined with unsurpassed short selling? Or for the president to hold an "EV Summit" and not even invite the company with the most US electric-car sales (74% over the past three years) who were recently dubbed the "most American-made"? [1] [1] https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-beats-ford-as-most-american-car-2021-6 https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-beats-ford-as-most-ame...

synthc 4y ago

I think they would. Toyota already had very good hybrid cars for years, so plenty of experiences with batteries. Tesla made electric cars sexy, but I was always just a matter of time before electric would go mainstream.

stevenjgarner 4y ago
I think the existing investment in tooling, plant and equipment that these companies have accumulated makes it hard to economically justify starting from scratch with new tooling, plant and equipment on a product line that has no competition. Tesla provided that competition, and justified such investment.

roflyear 4y ago

Who cares?

stevenjgarner 4y ago
I for one. Disruption of complacent industries has defined our age, and been the motivator for countless entrepreneurs. Created more jobs than we can realistically measure, through the emergence of entirely new industries. The established auto manufacturers have a long standing pattern of paying lip service to electric vehicles. General motors went so far as to reclaim, disable, crush, and/or shred virtually every model of the EV1, the first mass-produced and purpose-designed electric vehicle of the modern era. [1]. The manner in which GM created barriers to entry for electric vehicles with the EV1 program is the stuff of legend. [2] TSLA has been the most shorted stock in history, with close to $57 billion being lost by short sellers between 2010 and 2021. [3]. That entrenched economic forces want Tesla ended is no secret. The mass adoption of electric vehicles was Elon's stated goal with Tesla, and it looks like that is well on its way to being accomplished. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors_EV1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors_EV1 [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Who_Killed_the_Electric_Car https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Who_Killed_the_Electric_Car [3] https://qz.com/1979325/tesla-not-gamestop-is-the-most-shorted-stock-in-the-world/ https://qz.com/1979325/tesla-not-gamestop-is-the-most-shorte...
- roflyear 4y ago
  I really don't think just b/c tesla "did it first" we should give a crap. We should only give a crap that companies are bringing cheap EVs to consumers. tesla is not doing that. > That entrenched economic forces want Tesla ended is no secret. Literally a conspiracy theory.
  - stevenjgarner 4y ago
    > Literally a conspiracy theory. A conspiracy theory to have your stock undermined with unsurpassed short selling? Or for the president to hold an "EV Summit" and not even invite the company with the most US electric-car sales (74% over the past three years) who were recently dubbed the "most American-made"? [1] [1] https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-beats-ford-as-most-american-car-2021-6 https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-beats-ford-as-most-ame...