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This is a poor piece written by someone who does not like Musk (or who is shorting Tesla) and as a consequence has written a piece more like Fox News than The A

This is a poor piece written by someone who does not like Musk (or who is shorting Tesla) and as a consequence has written a piece more like Fox News than The Atlantic. For example: "a boss who’s made the brand so toxic that people would rather go to his dealerships to wave angry signs than to buy cars." What evidence does the author have that the people waving the signs would have bought Teslas? Ob.: Yes, Musk has gone mad.

fortran77 2y ago
As a person who owns two Teslas (and has no plans to get rid of them) I don't think the author is saying that these protestors were potential customers, I think he's saying that the brand has been impacted negatively by them, and that potential customers are starting to look at the alternatives. (Even I am noticing how nice some of the new GM and Kia and Ford and BMW electric cars look).
- bdangubic 2y ago
  I own two Teslas as well and was waiting on new Y to upgrade, not happening right now as my wife would divorce me that same day I went to pick it up :) Musk successfully alienated his customer base (rich liberals) to the point that I do not believe the company will survive this unless he leaves... and of course he cannot leave because Tesla is a meme stock now, if he left the stock would tank (only he can sell fantasies like robotaxis and robots etc to justify triple-digit P/E ratio...)
  - taylodl 2y ago
    Musk has to leave for Tesla to have a shot at a future. There's an ever-shrinking cadre of "investors" willing to buy Musk's "promises" in lieu of delivered results. That's unsustainable. Get rid of Musk and absolutely their stock price is going to "tank", or I should say re-adjust to what it should have been all along. Part of sending Musk on his way would involve Tesla owning up to what they are: an EV auto company with massive vertical integration on the charging side that allows their customers to charge at home, off-grid, and during their travels. Robotaxis and robots are a distraction from their core competency, and in my mind, makes their stock less valuable.
    - damnitbuilds 2y ago
      But their valuation was based on those distractions, not on being "an EV auto company..."
      - bdangubic 2y ago
        that’s exactly it… and Musk’s margin calls would kick in hard if Tesla stock starts going where it should be. This is a pickle they are both in, can’t move on from each other and can’t stay together
        taylodl 2y ago
        That's why I began with "Musk has to leave for Tesla to have a shot at a future." Tesla needs to decide if they're going down with Musk, or whether they're going to slog through a market correction and likely come out the other side well positioned for growth. The choice is theirs.
- damnitbuilds 2y ago
  "I don't think the author is saying that these protestors were potential customers" Yes he is. He wrote ( and I quoted above ): "people would rather go to his dealerships to wave angry signs than to buy cars." Yes, of course the brand has been impacted negatively. Which Musk must have seen coming. I think he wants to be right, not popular. To a level bordering on mental illness, and wholly unsuited to someone leading a company that needs to attract customers. It would be a problem even if he was right. And on many things, he is not.
  - watwut 2y ago
    > people would rather go to his dealerships to wave angry signs than to buy cars. That statement means people are more likely to protest then to buy. They don't need to be the same people.
    - damnitbuilds 1y ago
      "would rather" means they are making a choice, so they are individual people.
legitster 2y ago
Their own shareholder report literally ascribes poor sales to the political climate Musk has created.
- damnitbuilds 2y ago
  Yes.
- enslavedrobot 1y ago
  And the fact that they literally stopped making their best selling car for "several weeks" switched over all their production lines to produce the refreshed Model Y and ramped production back up. In the automotive industry this is a monumental task that necessarily reduces production. Non Model Y sales were up year over year.
beloch 2y ago
Consider the international market. Many Americans may not think much about the Trump administration's threats to annex Greenland or Canada. I assure you that residents of the EU and Canada do. Musk is seen as being in lockstep with Trump on these issues, and Tesla sales have taken a steep plunge in Canada and the Europe this year. It's more than can be explained by Tesla not releasing new models recently. This isn't irrational hatred, as some are clearly trying to paint it. Why support someone who is part of an administration that's threatening your country with economic ruin or outright invasion? It's not as if there is no competition in the EV sector, nor does Tesla have a reputation for unmatched value, safety, or quality. People who choose alternatives to Tesla are giving up nothing and gaining peace of mind.
- damnitbuilds 2y ago
  Agreed.
thiht 2y ago
> written by someone who does not like Musk Yeah we’ll have a hard time finding someone who doesn’t hate Musk, who’s not also a MAGA cultist.

fortran77 2y ago

As a person who owns two Teslas (and has no plans to get rid of them) I don't think the author is saying that these protestors were potential customers, I think he's saying that the brand has been impacted negatively by them, and that potential customers are starting to look at the alternatives. (Even I am noticing how nice some of the new GM and Kia and Ford and BMW electric cars look).

bdangubic 2y ago
I own two Teslas as well and was waiting on new Y to upgrade, not happening right now as my wife would divorce me that same day I went to pick it up :) Musk successfully alienated his customer base (rich liberals) to the point that I do not believe the company will survive this unless he leaves... and of course he cannot leave because Tesla is a meme stock now, if he left the stock would tank (only he can sell fantasies like robotaxis and robots etc to justify triple-digit P/E ratio...)
- taylodl 2y ago
  Musk has to leave for Tesla to have a shot at a future. There's an ever-shrinking cadre of "investors" willing to buy Musk's "promises" in lieu of delivered results. That's unsustainable. Get rid of Musk and absolutely their stock price is going to "tank", or I should say re-adjust to what it should have been all along. Part of sending Musk on his way would involve Tesla owning up to what they are: an EV auto company with massive vertical integration on the charging side that allows their customers to charge at home, off-grid, and during their travels. Robotaxis and robots are a distraction from their core competency, and in my mind, makes their stock less valuable.
  - damnitbuilds 2y ago
    But their valuation was based on those distractions, not on being "an EV auto company..."
    - bdangubic 2y ago
      that’s exactly it… and Musk’s margin calls would kick in hard if Tesla stock starts going where it should be. This is a pickle they are both in, can’t move on from each other and can’t stay together
      - taylodl 2y ago
        That's why I began with "Musk has to leave for Tesla to have a shot at a future." Tesla needs to decide if they're going down with Musk, or whether they're going to slog through a market correction and likely come out the other side well positioned for growth. The choice is theirs.
damnitbuilds 2y ago
"I don't think the author is saying that these protestors were potential customers" Yes he is. He wrote ( and I quoted above ): "people would rather go to his dealerships to wave angry signs than to buy cars." Yes, of course the brand has been impacted negatively. Which Musk must have seen coming. I think he wants to be right, not popular. To a level bordering on mental illness, and wholly unsuited to someone leading a company that needs to attract customers. It would be a problem even if he was right. And on many things, he is not.
- watwut 2y ago
  > people would rather go to his dealerships to wave angry signs than to buy cars. That statement means people are more likely to protest then to buy. They don't need to be the same people.
  - damnitbuilds 1y ago
    "would rather" means they are making a choice, so they are individual people.

legitster 2y ago

Their own shareholder report literally ascribes poor sales to the political climate Musk has created.

damnitbuilds 2y ago
Yes.
enslavedrobot 1y ago
And the fact that they literally stopped making their best selling car for "several weeks" switched over all their production lines to produce the refreshed Model Y and ramped production back up. In the automotive industry this is a monumental task that necessarily reduces production. Non Model Y sales were up year over year.

beloch 2y ago

Consider the international market. Many Americans may not think much about the Trump administration's threats to annex Greenland or Canada. I assure you that residents of the EU and Canada do. Musk is seen as being in lockstep with Trump on these issues, and Tesla sales have taken a steep plunge in Canada and the Europe this year. It's more than can be explained by Tesla not releasing new models recently. This isn't irrational hatred, as some are clearly trying to paint it. Why support someone who is part of an administration that's threatening your country with economic ruin or outright invasion? It's not as if there is no competition in the EV sector, nor does Tesla have a reputation for unmatched value, safety, or quality. People who choose alternatives to Tesla are giving up nothing and gaining peace of mind.

damnitbuilds 2y ago
Agreed.

thiht 2y ago

> written by someone who does not like Musk Yeah we’ll have a hard time finding someone who doesn’t hate Musk, who’s not also a MAGA cultist.