Re:Elon Musk Gambled Tesla to Save SolarCity
by macspoofing on Tuesday August 27, 2019 @07:25AM
(#20808373)
I was pushing back against the statement: "there is something to be said for integrating transport and energy services in one great package."
I interpreted that statement as justifying Tesla's SolarCity purchase (which was always a bad idea. Even back when the purchase was announced, almost everyone knew this was a favour for Musk because SolarCity was in a downward spiral and there was no business reason to justify it.)
Like you alluded to in this response, Tesla never needed SolarCity to have a integrated solution. I agree, EV-buyers are probably the kinds of people that may want solar panels. As vehicle buyers they are also the kinds of people who want tires for their cars. In both cases, it makes far more sense for Tesla to rely on partners to supply solar panels and tires to those buyers, rather than compete in those markets directly.
I interpreted that statement as justifying Tesla's SolarCity purchase (which was always a bad idea. Even back when the purchase was announced, almost everyone knew this was a favour for Musk because SolarCity was in a downward spiral and there was no business reason to justify it.)
Like you alluded to in this response, Tesla never needed SolarCity to have a integrated solution. I agree, EV-buyers are probably the kinds of people that may want solar panels. As vehicle buyers they are also the kinds of people who want tires for their cars. In both cases, it makes far more sense for Tesla to rely on partners to supply solar panels and tires to those buyers, rather than compete in those markets directly.