Replies

I’m, quite possibly, the last person anyone would want to write to about how great Musk is. I think he’s a snake oil salesman, nothing more.

I don’t care about his cars...the first of which went to the rich, who also enjoyed some generous tax breaks from the rest of the taxpayers, so they could enjoy a Sunday driver to brag about to their rich friends.

As for his factories, it’s nice to see him building in the US. However, if what Peter Schweizer says is true, when China built a factory for him in China, he was required to give them access to the technology. So, time will tell if China can’t figure out a way to undercut him.

[Musk] is a snake oil salesman, nothing more. * * * * qaz123, you've stuck to your guns on this belief for a long time, and I'm glad to have your opinion because it tampers down the excitement over Musk because he's done a few good things. It's too early in the game to tell. Here my thoughts:

Musk has OEM agreements with U.S. automakers that guarantee he'll benefit indirectly from continued subsidies by the U.S. government.
One of Musk's biggest opportunities is serving the developing world with low bandwidth. His SpaceX rockets have launched 4,000 low earth orbit satellites providing internet connectivity anywhere, basically enabling communications in countries where the wireline and WiFi networks are insufficient. So I think applying Musk's manufacturing prowess to creating a new Xphone family of phones/smart devices is in the cards.
Musk is clever. I suspect X sabotaged the DeSantis presidential launch on its first day: purposely slowing the X event so DeSantis looked incompetent. In fact, the Ron "Top Gun Wannabe" DeSantis candidacy has been in a tail spin since that event.

I’m, quite possibly, the last person anyone would want to write to about how great Musk is. I think he’s a snake oil salesman, nothing more.

I don’t care about his cars...the first of which went to the rich, who also enjoyed some generous tax breaks from the rest of the taxpayers, so they could enjoy a Sunday driver to brag about to their rich friends.

Tesla started at the very top of the market, making (inefficiently) very few, very expensive ~~cars~~ toys. Tesla was able to learn at high-price, low volume production and transitioned successfully to the segment of the market gradually closer to the median price market. Make no mistake, Musk himself believes in the goal of net zero CO₂, and Tesla’s customers have predominantly been high-income liberals.
The change is that now the cheapest Tesla is priced just below the median sale price of a new car bought in America. And on top of that, watt-hours to run a Tesla a given distance are less expensive than the gasoline it would take to propel a traditional car of similar size the same distance. And maintenance/degradation of Teslas - not excluding battery degradation over years of use is lower than that of traditional cars. Which means that the numbers favor buying the cheapest Tesla over buying a similar traditional car.
But of course, convenience of charging an EV is a different proposition to the convenience of filling a gas tank. In typical use, the typical car doesn’t travel far enough in the typical day to warrant recharging an EV at a stand-alone charging station rather than just plugging your car into house current in your garage at night. Even if you do need additional charge during the day, the cost per watt-hour is still favorable - and, depending on factors including not necessarily needing to charge fully at the stand-alone station before returning to base and plugging in your car overnight, the time at the charging station might or might not be tolerable. If you’re doing that much driving, you might be able to take a lunch break while charging your car.

As for his factories, it’s nice to see him building in the US. However, if what Peter Schweizer says is true, when China built a factory for him in China, he was required to give them access to the technology. So, time will tell if China can’t figure out a way to undercut him.

Musk gets a hero’s welcome in China when he shows up there. It has to be said that the Chinese government was far-sighted when it gave Tesla the deal it did for the Shanghai factory; EVs are coming to dominate in China - and also in Scandinavia. Even in the face of tariffs, Europeans buy a lot of Shanghai-made Teslas. Tesla’s Model Y is currently the largest selling vehicle in China, in Europe, and worldwide. Not in the US overall, but in California and other liberal bastions.
Much as the so-called “Inflation Reduction Act” is fraudulently labeled and actually inflationary overall, it subsidizes batteries and EVs made in the Western Hemisphere, and prevents China - including Tesla Shanghai - from penetrating the US market. Teslas sold in the US are more America-made than an awful lot of competitive vehicles. If not all of them. All such Teslas are made in USA, and Musk likes his suppliers to be sited close to his factories. And likes vertical integration even better.

I am not a fan of Musk either.

When you do a deep dive on his companies and wealth what you find is a good old fashioned welfare mom.