Great post - fully agree. Hidden just below the ‘feel good’ surface appears to be another layer of protectionism for the not-so-big 3 auto makers that made a conscious decision to not transition when it mattered most - with EVs and with EV charging infrastructure. A part of us should be upset that we are once again bailing out Detroit and that our kids and grandkids will be paying for their failed EV transition and their EV charging infrastructure after Elon showed the world over the last decade that this wasn’t necessary. And it literally feels as if language in this bill, and all the public discussions surrounding it might also be designed to hurt Tesla’s 2021 delivery numbers by creating a situation where buyers may delay their Q1 purchases, followed by an unnecessary cap per manufacturer which only Tesla could be hurt by in 2021 as well. And ‘conveniently’ if they delay signing the bill they may prolong Q1 and maybe Q2 angst for Tesla shoppers, and if they quickly pass the bill they accelerate Tesla sales hitting the vehicles cap. Ugggh.
I do wonder if it was Tesla’s greater understanding of how this language may effect them that was the catalyst for lowering prices.......and if so, a brilliantly played move IMO. Fight back by pounding through the sales cap ASAP and then putting significant pressure on lawmakers to prioritize fighting Climate Change over fighting a paradigm shift away from Detroit and Wall Street, and then use the power of Social Media and millions of loyal Tesla fans to help raise awareness to the need to extend/eliminate the vehicles cap and help turn up that heat after Tesla blows through that cap in mind blowing fashion.
From the 50,000 foot level this isn’t the time to get lost in cognitive dissonance down in the weeds over what side of the aisle is doing a better job trying to move the needle. This is the time to make sure both sides of the aisle are doing everything they can to move the needle forward as fast as they can to save our Planet.
Regardless of how this plays out, everyone here already knows that Tesla won’t have more than a few vehicles left in inventory anywhere on the planet at the end of 2021, regardless of what kind of screwing they may get from DC in the final language of this bill. And what those people looking to shackle Tesla until others can catch up haven’t yet come to grips with is that Tesla will also be down to its last few Powerwalls, and Powerpacks, and Megapacks, and solar panels, and solar roofs, and everything else in the Tesla Store at the end of 2021 as well. And that this will be the case for every product that Tesla makes at the end of every year for the rest of this decade. And every person buying every one of those Tesla products is equally as important as anyone that decides to buy a Chevy Bolt or a Mustang E instead. Thus the language in that bill needs to put consumers before manufacturers if anyone wants to pretend this is a free market economy.
