3 ms·

I don't think anyone would have bought a Tesla if it wasn't for Elon Musk's charisma. By buying a Tesla, you're not buying a car. You're buying a vanity produ

by buyucu 2y ago

I don't think anyone would have bought a Tesla if it wasn't for Elon Musk's charisma. By buying a Tesla, you're not buying a car. You're buying a vanity product whose value is tied to the image of the celebrity promoting it.

entropicdrifter 2y ago
That's especially true of the Cybertruck, the only car Elon actually contributed to the design of (besides the charging port location on the other models)
- toomuchtodo 2y ago
  https://www.arenaev.com/tesla_pulls_out_all_the_stops_as_cybertruck_sales_grind_to_a_halt-news-4385.php https://www.arenaev.com/tesla_pulls_out_all_the_stops_as_cyb... https://electrek.co/2025/01/02/tesla-cybertruck-sales-are-disastrous/ https://electrek.co/2025/01/02/tesla-cybertruck-sales-are-di... https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/cybertruck-sales-took-a-disastrous-turn-in-4q24.339265/ https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/cybertruck-sales-too...
sottol 2y ago
A Tesla was genuinely an exciting car that many wanted. Sure, it lacked polish (and fit and finish were meh) but it was by far the best EV you could get for a long time. There was also the "other" factor before they were mainstream , or why some rich drive Land Rovers, Mercedes G class and so on, then it was just the hip car in the Bay Area and now everyone is driving them so why bother. Not saying people stopped buying them because of Musk, just that it wasn't necessarily his charisma that used to get people to buy them.
buffington 2y ago
> Elon Musk's charisma What little charisma Elon Musk had in 2019 had no influence on my decision to buy a used Model 3 at the time. If anything, Musk's "charisma" pushed me away from Tesla entirely, but the car's performance and charging network wasn't just better than the competition, it was fantastic, period. Elon or not, the deal I eventually got on a used one was worth it. Today, 250k miles later? Because of Elon Musk's "charisma", I'm both highly motivated to sell it, but also can't. That's because you're not entirely wrong. Turns out, when a celebrity billionaire starts let his evil show openly, the products he shills start to lose their appeal.
- FeloniousHam 2y ago
  You put 250k on a Model 3? I would love to hear your experiences. > I'm both highly motivated to sell it, but also can't. I'm sure Musk's antics affect new car sales, but it must be muted for the used market. But 250k is a lot of miles for any vehicle, and electric cars have an early smartphone era problem: each iteration brings much bigger improvements than you'd see in a more mature platform.
  - buffington 2y ago
    I've actually only put about 50k miles on myself, but it's still perfect for my needs. Battery health isn't at 100% any more, but I still get an actual 250-300 miles of range. Mechanically, the car is solid. Doesn't rattle or squeak. Clear, chip-free windows. No quirks of any kind, really. Pretty remarkable considering the number of miles on it. I have a Toyota van with fewer miles and with the exception of the bullet proof engine, the rest is barely holding itself together. Had a window literally just fall off it recently, as the glue had given up. I know Musk's antics are impacting my ability to sell my own car - someone recently drew the word "swasticar" (which is pretty clever, I'll admit) in the layer of salt/dirt/grime one gets during the winter on my car. I have to think that had something to do with Elon. Local used inventory has rapidly grown as well recently. I've been checking weekly for about a year, and today, there are probably 3x as many available on the market than there were a year ago. Obviously there are a lot of variables at play when it comes to used markets, but I doubt I'd be wrong to believe that Elon's behavior has contributed to that.
    - FeloniousHam 2y ago
      I know five real, actual people (two who are actively looking for an electric car) who will never buy a Tesla because of Musk, I think you're right about that.
igrekel 2y ago
No not quite, at least five years ago the model 3 was far superior to competing electric cars and a very comparative price. The whole vibe around it was a bit of a deterrent, not as much as it is now mind you. It was just a better car with better performance and more range, not to mention the one board integration with the supercharger network. The whole Elon aura played a role differently over time.
petee 2y ago
You could be right, though I'd like to think the engineers there still would have made a great car that could have stood on its own without needing a hype-man

by buyucu 2y ago

entropicdrifter 2y ago

That's especially true of the Cybertruck, the only car Elon actually contributed to the design of (besides the charging port location on the other models)

toomuchtodo 2y ago
https://www.arenaev.com/tesla_pulls_out_all_the_stops_as_cybertruck_sales_grind_to_a_halt-news-4385.php https://www.arenaev.com/tesla_pulls_out_all_the_stops_as_cyb... https://electrek.co/2025/01/02/tesla-cybertruck-sales-are-disastrous/ https://electrek.co/2025/01/02/tesla-cybertruck-sales-are-di... https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/cybertruck-sales-took-a-disastrous-turn-in-4q24.339265/ https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/threads/cybertruck-sales-too...

sottol 2y ago

A Tesla was genuinely an exciting car that many wanted. Sure, it lacked polish (and fit and finish were meh) but it was by far the best EV you could get for a long time. There was also the "other" factor before they were mainstream , or why some rich drive Land Rovers, Mercedes G class and so on, then it was just the hip car in the Bay Area and now everyone is driving them so why bother. Not saying people stopped buying them because of Musk, just that it wasn't necessarily his charisma that used to get people to buy them.

buffington 2y ago

> Elon Musk's charisma What little charisma Elon Musk had in 2019 had no influence on my decision to buy a used Model 3 at the time. If anything, Musk's "charisma" pushed me away from Tesla entirely, but the car's performance and charging network wasn't just better than the competition, it was fantastic, period. Elon or not, the deal I eventually got on a used one was worth it. Today, 250k miles later? Because of Elon Musk's "charisma", I'm both highly motivated to sell it, but also can't. That's because you're not entirely wrong. Turns out, when a celebrity billionaire starts let his evil show openly, the products he shills start to lose their appeal.

FeloniousHam 2y ago
You put 250k on a Model 3? I would love to hear your experiences. > I'm both highly motivated to sell it, but also can't. I'm sure Musk's antics affect new car sales, but it must be muted for the used market. But 250k is a lot of miles for any vehicle, and electric cars have an early smartphone era problem: each iteration brings much bigger improvements than you'd see in a more mature platform.
- buffington 2y ago
  I've actually only put about 50k miles on myself, but it's still perfect for my needs. Battery health isn't at 100% any more, but I still get an actual 250-300 miles of range. Mechanically, the car is solid. Doesn't rattle or squeak. Clear, chip-free windows. No quirks of any kind, really. Pretty remarkable considering the number of miles on it. I have a Toyota van with fewer miles and with the exception of the bullet proof engine, the rest is barely holding itself together. Had a window literally just fall off it recently, as the glue had given up. I know Musk's antics are impacting my ability to sell my own car - someone recently drew the word "swasticar" (which is pretty clever, I'll admit) in the layer of salt/dirt/grime one gets during the winter on my car. I have to think that had something to do with Elon. Local used inventory has rapidly grown as well recently. I've been checking weekly for about a year, and today, there are probably 3x as many available on the market than there were a year ago. Obviously there are a lot of variables at play when it comes to used markets, but I doubt I'd be wrong to believe that Elon's behavior has contributed to that.
  - FeloniousHam 2y ago
    I know five real, actual people (two who are actively looking for an electric car) who will never buy a Tesla because of Musk, I think you're right about that.

igrekel 2y ago

No not quite, at least five years ago the model 3 was far superior to competing electric cars and a very comparative price. The whole vibe around it was a bit of a deterrent, not as much as it is now mind you. It was just a better car with better performance and more range, not to mention the one board integration with the supercharger network. The whole Elon aura played a role differently over time.

petee 2y ago

You could be right, though I'd like to think the engineers there still would have made a great car that could have stood on its own without needing a hype-man