> If the major manufacturers aren't going to catch Tesla with manufacturing prowess, or capital, what are they going to catch them with?
Brand loyalty or aspiration that predates EVs; cheaper entry price (already happening); build quality; better UI (the giant touchscreen is a negative for a lot of people).
There are lots of reasons to buy a non-Tesla EV. I know people who, being told that the Mach-E wasn't going to be available for a while bought another ICE to drive until it was ready. I know people who bought Hyundais instead of Teslas. Heck, one person even opted for a plugin hybrid because only the Tesla had the range he needed for work and he didn't want one.
A good chunk of people I know are already opting for not-Tesla EVs. It's a brand that seems popular with a subset of the population, but doesn't have the widespread love that people on HN seem to assume.
I also think it's weird that people are comparing margins on ICE vs EV cars. Obviously, those will different. You want to focus on their margins in the EV space.
Brand loyalty or aspiration that predates EVs; cheaper entry price (already happening); build quality; better UI (the giant touchscreen is a negative for a lot of people).
There are lots of reasons to buy a non-Tesla EV. I know people who, being told that the Mach-E wasn't going to be available for a while bought another ICE to drive until it was ready. I know people who bought Hyundais instead of Teslas. Heck, one person even opted for a plugin hybrid because only the Tesla had the range he needed for work and he didn't want one.
A good chunk of people I know are already opting for not-Tesla EVs. It's a brand that seems popular with a subset of the population, but doesn't have the widespread love that people on HN seem to assume.
I also think it's weird that people are comparing margins on ICE vs EV cars. Obviously, those will different. You want to focus on their margins in the EV space.