> Tesla's only edge is in battery tech and being a status symbol.
You might want to do some research into Tesla if that's all you think they have going for them.
Their software, energy generation, and charging infrastructure are also setting them way apart from everyone.
Re:Q2 2020 Update
by Dumblydorr on Thursday July 23, 2020 @08:53AM
(#23926794)
They're not just a car company, that is a poor comparison. They sell batteries which is much higher margin, and they take advantage of green EV policies which no other car company is well positioned to do. These two advantages alone set them far above other car companies.
> Car manufacturing is not the same as slinging books online. Profits are consistently thin
Margins in retail shopping used to be consistently very thin, that's not generally the case with cars (think Ferrari...).
is it battery tech only ?
I heard they were using non traditional electric motors too (switched reluctance ?)
Also note that 'only battery tech' may become extremely important in the post fossil fuel world.
Re:Q2 2020 Update
by michalxnet on Wednesday July 22, 2020 @06:16PM
(#23922202)
They can go on energy market where you can create local decentralized energy hubs running as franchise where they rent the infrastructure and you can throw internet package to the offer.
Re:Q2 2020 Update
by spectrum1234 on Thursday July 23, 2020 @08:54AM
(#23926806)
No, their edge is their factories (manufacturing innovation). This is the real product. The cars don't really matter. Seriously.
However...
Car manufacturing is not the same as slinging books online. Profits are consistently thin and Tesla's only edge is in battery tech and being a status symbol. So it is trying to be the Apple of cars but also grow like Amazon. And their aren't breakeven without credits, so it is kind of like if 2004 Amazon was able to reach breakeven only because Barnes & Noble had to pay Amazon for not having a website.
Also, I am unconvinced that one car brand will be the "Apple of cars" since there is no ecosystem lock-in and at the end of the day it is a fashion/trend symbol - precisely when unemployment is nuts and the economy is in the shitter. It quickly could become more of a overly flashy negative than cool aspirational thing, kind of a rich-is-bad type of reach that Hummer had with gas-is-bad.
Maybe Elon pulls it off, but at this price it is really investing in a future that hasn't been built or even imagined yet.