Is Elon Musk hurting Tesla? (Mod Note Post #1)

This is the problem with building a brand around one personality.

Some buyers won’t necessarily focus on Musk’s antics, but many will and particularly in the US where he’s engaging directly in politics and alienating a lot of would be Tesla customers.

It’s also happening at a time when other manufacturers are rapidly catching up with Tesla as the EV market matures and expands and inevitably is becoming more competitive.

Tesla is massively overvalued but I think he may well end up being the prick that bursts the bubble.

To place your brand in the middle of an American culture wars debate, and on the side that most of your most likely customers aren’t on is … well … at best a spectacular miscalculation.

Tesla could have happily motored along without any fuss.

I think the comparisons with Jobs are very limited. The only issue there was that the distinction between Jobs and Apple was becoming blurred, but he wasn’t a particularly controversial character in the public space and tended to be rather low key and private beyond his tech sector role. You certainly didn’t see him intervening in politics or making toxic public statements. I know there may have been internal politics and some people didn’t like him, but it was corporate tech sector internal clash of personalities stuff. It was nothing like this at all.

It's even more of a concern when you consider that EVs are primarily bought on the basis of a environmental considerations, which means you're dealing with a cohort of very ethically motivated consumers.

Yeah, he moved EVs to a somewhat more mainstream position and made them suddenly seem 'cooler' but that isn't enough to retain market share if you're starting to do all the things that are likely to really annoy that kind of consumer, which is exactly what he is doing.

I mean, this is heading to a point where it's like trying to selling solar panels under the Trump brand or something. It's just doesn't work.

He's too politically charged and he is very much the ambassador for the brand. So, his politics in most people's minds are now Tesla's politics. His statements are Tesla's statements.

I honestly think Tesla needs to ditch him, distance themselves from his politics and ranting and just move on.

I had a twitter account until earlier this week but as I never used it I just decided to close it because, as you say, it's just monumental waste of time following adults bickering to each other. Now I have only LinkedIn remaining of the usual suspects. Let's hope some looney doesn't take over that next. Great if Musk will hand over the Twitter baton to somebody else, it's about time in my opinion. Somebody should just remove the phone from him and ask him to run Tesla/SpaceX instead.

Henry Ford used to say something like any publicity is good publicity but I'm not buying that. Still wouldn't stop me getting another Tesla if they stay competitive. Based you your experiences in VW thermal management and software Tesla will continue to be the golden standard in EV tech where you just drive to places without having to double guess what the car is doing to accomplish it. As long as it stays that way people will continue buying regardless of the CEO.

I've seen some horrible bosses in my day so I don't think it makes Musk any worse than any of those, In fact I'm sure he's better than at least 2 of my old bosses who were right sons of bitches.

"The world is more divisive as a lot of people feel the stakes are high whether it’s climate change, inequality or threats to democracy."

Social media has caused a lot of People to get involved in stuff they wouldn't if it were not for social media, spreading ideologies that go against everything normal. I've seen and heard things the last year or two that have really shocked me and I know if it were not for social media it wouldn't be.

All social media has done as far as I can see is cause massive division.