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Some potential Tesla buyers couldn't stomach a purchase amid the CEO's outbursts

17 points by fortran77 3y ago

fortran77 3y ago
I'm not sure there's a cause/effect here. But since it came from the WSJ it's worth considering.
dsgnr 3y ago
[dead]
davidw 3y ago
I want to live in times when I don't know too much or care too much about the politics of a CEO. But that's also a mutual thing: they need to not be waving it around in everyone's faces either. Maybe show up to talk about taxes or this or that regulation... that seems fair if they feel it's material to the company; but he has been so in your face about it. It's no surprise that it turns people off.
- bearjaws 3y ago
  Wealthy individuals have always influenced politics, we just talk about it a lot more now.
  - davidw 3y ago
    Yes, of course they have, but I guess I just discount that more when it's "I want tax breaks for the wealthy like me". It's regular old self-interest on their part. Some of the stuff he's on about... it's much broader (and nastier, IMO) than that, and since he bought Twitter, he gets to broadcast it far and wide so that people are sure to have seen or heard about it. As opposed to having dinner with his congressperson or more traditional ways the wealthy might lean on things.
  - ttfkam 3y ago
    Pretty sure John D. Rockefeller talked politics. William Randolph Hearst had his own newspaper and gave rise to the term "yellow journalism". Henry Ford was a fascist, complete with glowing admiration for Hitler. Wealthy individuals have always opened their mouths, were quite loud, and quite often spewed sewage through said orifices. Far too many equated economic success with comprehensive intelligence and expertise in all things. Musk is nothing new among the extremely wealthy, but has the potential to do just as much damage to the social fabric as his predecessors.
lobito14 3y ago
[flagged]
w0m 3y ago
I bought a Tesla before the Diver/sub idiocy. I still have (and honestly love) the car, but I don't think I could buy another in good conscience
jameskilton 3y ago
I owned a Model 3 for 5 years until it got rear-ended and insurance totaled it. I didn't replace it with another Tesla because of Musk. We instead went with a Ford Mach-E, and are quite happy with the decision.
- nickthegreek 3y ago
  [flagged]
Ajay-p 3y ago
The contra-positive is also interesting: Some Tesla buyers are eagerly buying because of the CEO.
- jajko 3y ago
  In the past, definitely yes. Now? I don't think so, early adopters/geeks generally follow news and usually have good moral opinions.
- dsgnr 3y ago
  [dead]
daft_pink 3y ago
I find the fact that the self driving feature results in much higher fatality rates to be a reason to strongly avoid the car. It’s high safety ratings and driver aids were a big draw, but the fact that more people die in Tesla’s than similar luxury vehicles is a huge turn off to me and not at all what I would expect.
- mgiannopoulos 3y ago
  Source for this “fact”?
  - daft_pink 3y ago
    The NHTSA system is down right now, but why are vehicles with built in crash warning systems and so much automation experiencing the highest accident rate? You would think it would be the lowest. https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevebanker/2023/12/18/tesla-has-the-highest-accident-rate-of-any-auto-brand/?sh=3bd6b70f2894 https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevebanker/2023/12/18/tesla-ha...
    - mgiannopoulos 3y ago
      Accidents per driver without taking into account the miles driven is kind of inaccurate. Not to mention there is no indication on whether Autopilot or FSD were in use. So this is completely not the way to judge FSD
fortran77 3y ago
Why is a WSJ article flagged?
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
- jfengel 3y ago
  A lot of people flag anything behind a paywall. Which the WSJ always is.

17 points by fortran77 3y ago

fortran77 3y ago

I'm not sure there's a cause/effect here. But since it came from the WSJ it's worth considering.

dsgnr 3y ago

[dead]

davidw 3y ago

I want to live in times when I don't know too much or care too much about the politics of a CEO. But that's also a mutual thing: they need to not be waving it around in everyone's faces either. Maybe show up to talk about taxes or this or that regulation... that seems fair if they feel it's material to the company; but he has been so in your face about it. It's no surprise that it turns people off.

bearjaws 3y ago
Wealthy individuals have always influenced politics, we just talk about it a lot more now.
- davidw 3y ago
  Yes, of course they have, but I guess I just discount that more when it's "I want tax breaks for the wealthy like me". It's regular old self-interest on their part. Some of the stuff he's on about... it's much broader (and nastier, IMO) than that, and since he bought Twitter, he gets to broadcast it far and wide so that people are sure to have seen or heard about it. As opposed to having dinner with his congressperson or more traditional ways the wealthy might lean on things.
- ttfkam 3y ago
  Pretty sure John D. Rockefeller talked politics. William Randolph Hearst had his own newspaper and gave rise to the term "yellow journalism". Henry Ford was a fascist, complete with glowing admiration for Hitler. Wealthy individuals have always opened their mouths, were quite loud, and quite often spewed sewage through said orifices. Far too many equated economic success with comprehensive intelligence and expertise in all things. Musk is nothing new among the extremely wealthy, but has the potential to do just as much damage to the social fabric as his predecessors.

lobito14 3y ago

[flagged]

w0m 3y ago

I bought a Tesla before the Diver/sub idiocy. I still have (and honestly love) the car, but I don't think I could buy another in good conscience

jameskilton 3y ago

I owned a Model 3 for 5 years until it got rear-ended and insurance totaled it. I didn't replace it with another Tesla because of Musk. We instead went with a Ford Mach-E, and are quite happy with the decision.

nickthegreek 3y ago
[flagged]

Ajay-p 3y ago

The contra-positive is also interesting: Some Tesla buyers are eagerly buying because of the CEO.

jajko 3y ago
In the past, definitely yes. Now? I don't think so, early adopters/geeks generally follow news and usually have good moral opinions.
dsgnr 3y ago
[dead]

daft_pink 3y ago

I find the fact that the self driving feature results in much higher fatality rates to be a reason to strongly avoid the car. It’s high safety ratings and driver aids were a big draw, but the fact that more people die in Tesla’s than similar luxury vehicles is a huge turn off to me and not at all what I would expect.

mgiannopoulos 3y ago
Source for this “fact”?
- daft_pink 3y ago
  The NHTSA system is down right now, but why are vehicles with built in crash warning systems and so much automation experiencing the highest accident rate? You would think it would be the lowest. https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevebanker/2023/12/18/tesla-has-the-highest-accident-rate-of-any-auto-brand/?sh=3bd6b70f2894 https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevebanker/2023/12/18/tesla-ha...
  - mgiannopoulos 3y ago
    Accidents per driver without taking into account the miles driven is kind of inaccurate. Not to mention there is no indication on whether Autopilot or FSD were in use. So this is completely not the way to judge FSD

fortran77 3y ago

Why is a WSJ article flagged?

deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
jfengel 3y ago
A lot of people flag anything behind a paywall. Which the WSJ always is.