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Tesla seems to be doing pretty OK on the manufacturing side. These days quality of the physical product is decent enough and the price of their different models

Tesla seems to be doing pretty OK on the manufacturing side. These days quality of the physical product is decent enough and the price of their different models are highly competitive in their respective segments. The flaws in Teslas cars are mostly design choices (plastic seats instead of cloth/leather, bad ergonomics due to focus on minimalist aesthetic, uncomfortable suspension setup etc, etc). Some of it is following trends, some of it is Elons stupid ideas. Financially it seems like Teslas big problem is the AI-investments. Burning unfathomable amounts of cash on useless software, instead of putting that money towards developing their model lineup and improving quality on things that matter.

bryanlarsen 1y ago
Tesla learned how to do manufacturing from the Chinese. The first plant they built themselves was designed, built and run by the Chinese, and then basically copied to Germany. The Texas plant is an evolution of that. That manufacturing edge is the reason Tesla is still profitable despite its massive drop in sales.
StopDisinfo910 1y ago
> These days quality of the physical product is decent enough and the price of their different models are highly competitive in their respective segments. [...] The flaws in Teslas cars are mostly design choices These two parts don't really go together from my point of view. Tesla is often pricing a car with mid-range quality as a premium model. Personally, I think they are not very competitive anymore in the segments they operate in. They used to have first mover advantage but now historic manufacturers have similar cars on offer. At the entry level, in as much as they have a vehicle there, they are not competitive at all compared to the Asian manufacturers. I am more worried about the plummeting sales than the AI investments.
- apelapan 1y ago
  When I picked my Model Y the main competition was Kia EV6 and VW ID7. The monthly lease+insurance was $600 for Tesla, $850 for Kia and $1000 for VW. To get down to Model Y-level costs, I would have had to settle for a barebones ID4 or an MG. In that comparison the Model Y is a wonder of pace, space and grace. I don't like my Model Y, I sort of hate it, but if I had to make the choice again and the relative prices (and my car-needs) were the same, it would be a tight race. I'm pretty sure there will be better options next time, though.
  - bigbadfeline 1y ago
    > if I had to make the choice again The choices are different now, Tesla is no longer a winner. That despite the tariffs, without which nobody would buy Teslas.

bryanlarsen 1y ago

Tesla learned how to do manufacturing from the Chinese. The first plant they built themselves was designed, built and run by the Chinese, and then basically copied to Germany. The Texas plant is an evolution of that. That manufacturing edge is the reason Tesla is still profitable despite its massive drop in sales.

StopDisinfo910 1y ago

> These days quality of the physical product is decent enough and the price of their different models are highly competitive in their respective segments. [...] The flaws in Teslas cars are mostly design choices These two parts don't really go together from my point of view. Tesla is often pricing a car with mid-range quality as a premium model. Personally, I think they are not very competitive anymore in the segments they operate in. They used to have first mover advantage but now historic manufacturers have similar cars on offer. At the entry level, in as much as they have a vehicle there, they are not competitive at all compared to the Asian manufacturers. I am more worried about the plummeting sales than the AI investments.

apelapan 1y ago
When I picked my Model Y the main competition was Kia EV6 and VW ID7. The monthly lease+insurance was $600 for Tesla, $850 for Kia and $1000 for VW. To get down to Model Y-level costs, I would have had to settle for a barebones ID4 or an MG. In that comparison the Model Y is a wonder of pace, space and grace. I don't like my Model Y, I sort of hate it, but if I had to make the choice again and the relative prices (and my car-needs) were the same, it would be a tight race. I'm pretty sure there will be better options next time, though.
- bigbadfeline 1y ago
  > if I had to make the choice again The choices are different now, Tesla is no longer a winner. That despite the tariffs, without which nobody would buy Teslas.