t's a far point. If I had bought another $70k car real depreciation would be similar, which is why I wouldn't have. Despite buying the performance model I'm not really a car guy. It doesn't factor very highly in my life above having safe transportation. I know how to put money to use and I hate to put it in a car, but I'm big on the electric vision, I really like Tesla's products and I can afford it so I went ahead. Now I'm just calling out the fact that Tesla is another scummy car company and much much worse in terms of customer service than the big brands. It's a major disappointment and I also hate getting swindled.
So, I take a different perspective to the "scummy car company" view, while understanding why you'd feel the way you do. I see Tesla as a company so wrapped up in growing pains, it is dropping the ball in a few areas. Personally, I have been let down in some areas, and not in others. The product is quality and truly revolutionary. The service departments are far and few between, overwhelmed and under resourced, "yet friendly". And basic business operations like sales, support, communications, marketing, and business strategy are woefully inadequate.
Tesla is what I call a 'vacuum' company. Filling a huge market vacuum. You don't have to do a perfect job to fill that vacuum, just good enough. Big oil let grow that vacuum grow to a tipping point with big motor companies, and Tesla swooped in to fill it. Can it be done better, yes?
Apple took off in 2006 from a small percentage player, to be the juggernaut it is today. Tesla has had almost the same runway. Both have amazing products, but the prior has near perfect business systems in place for customer service and customer experience. A feat that Tesla could learn a few lessons from.
That said, the first item, product quality, is the one that really matters. Tesla build a good car. And they can improve in the other areas with some top level adjustments.
While I think SpaceX and now Neuralink are neat, cool, and possibly world changing. It might be a good idea to focus on getting the cash cow humming smoothly before taking on other pet projects... Just saying...