Since this is the thread where we discuss the
actual movement of the actual stock, well, TSLA is generally on an upswing right now as anticipation for the semi builds, and reviews of the Model 3 come out. Only thing hurting the stock is macro factors, like the war of the loudmouths going on between Washington DC and Pyongyang. Happy to see it at $365 right now, only $20 below ATH.
Now, to the people describing the horrible future that Tesla faces -
1) How did the rest of the industry allow Tesla to become the industry leader? The Model S was shown in 2009 and was on sale in 2012... and five years after deliveries began, Tesla is still eating the lunch of the major manufacturers. Check this out from today -
Mercedes-Benz gets reality check from Tesla owners after asking fans if they want electric cars
2) Tesla has the biggest factory, and is the world's largest consumer of batteries. I find it odd that the company with the biggest factory is under some sort of threat from other manufacturers that all have smaller factories right now.
3) The rest of the industry is struggling to get to where Tesla is
now. Audi's R8 E-Tron is the poster child for this. Each time they tried to put it out, they realised it was either *sugar*, or a money-loser. Tesla has the fastest acceleration and longest range. Their mission is not to have the most luxurious interiors, or the best handling on the track - it's to replace ICE road cars, and buyers are still lining up for their product. We just found out that Nissan, who has arguably had the best chance at putting out a car with 200+ miles of range, is, after 5 years' chance to develop a custom platform, going to put out a car with like 170 miles of range that still looks like an econo-bucket. The Chevy Bolt EV is built for Chevy by LG who will undoubtedly be learning from their tech and introducing it to others.
4) Where is Tesla going to be in 2020? Looking back, 2014 is when they introduced the P85D with 3.2-sec 0-60, incredible traction and extra range due to dual motors, and first Autopilot hardware. 3 years from now it's reasonable to expect the Model 3 to be the IBM of electric cars, self-driving Tesla Network to be operational and making money for owners, Model Y to be recently out, semi truck to be gaining hold in the marketplace, as well as an electric pickup truck probably being readied for launch - size unknown but expected to be popular. Multiple battery factories and/or assembly facilities under construction. And Tesla continuing to thrive without paying for any advertising.
So, Tesla has "first mover advantage." There's nothing wrong with that! Standard Oil enjoyed it for decades. (LOL) IBM enjoyed it for decades. Netflix confounds the critics by staying in front and continually growing despite their product ostensibly being a commodity that anyone can provide. Amazon continue to grow and rivals have had years to emulate, but still can't crack it. Apple put some cool technologies together into the same device and created the modern smartphone. Each one of these companies created their market and were able to dominate it. You're saying that, sure, Tesla created the electric car market, but they can't and won't continue to dominate it. I say you're not providing compelling evidence they won't continue to dominate. Someone else has to catch up and pass them by - no small feat. There is continual over-respect for conventional auto manufacturers. They're obsessed with chasing the money and thinking in the short term. Look what happened in mid-2008 when high gas prices caught them off-guard... there weren't enough small cars on the market, everyone was producing gas-guzzling SUVs. They're still in love with ICE vehicles and their lucrative maintenance, and spending billions on advertising and marketing to sell crappy cars. Do you really think they have the brains and drive to lead the market and climb past Tesla, whose publicised position is to always take the long-term, first-principles approach?
