I don't feel good about Elon, but Tesla still makes good cars. I still own one. I like the Lucid better though. When I got the Lucid, I wasn't thinking about getting a Tesla. I can't say how much of a factor Elon was, but he certainly didn't help matters. After test driving the Air, stepping back into the Model S that I drove to the showroom felt like a step down.
I don't like Elon, but Tesla has
never made good cars (in my opinion). They had made
new cars that were
innovative, but I never thought they were
good cars.
I loved the original roadster because it was fun as hell, but it was simultaneously a death trap.
So, for what it's worth, me not liking Tesla's cars has nothing to do with Elon; but he doesn't help matters now either.
But I also wonder if people should try to punish Elon by punishing themselves. It will take years before Lucid has a full lineup, and for now, some of Tesla's models are a good choice for many people. I care more about the other 87% or so of stockholders, as well as tens of thousands of employees, than I do about Elon. If he loses a few billion dollars, it won't affect his lifestyle.
They're no longer the best choice for many people, however, I would argue Kia/Hyundai offer
better choices in Tesla's price range. And that is extremely sad. I love that there's more competition, I just wish Tesla were still
competing. (in innovation, etc., and I'm not counting the cybertruck or this robotaxi or the never-to-be-released roadster, none of which are serving the same market you're talking about).
And I do think Elon is the one holding Tesla back from innovating and competing again. They need leadership, and he is simply not leading.
In the long run, I hope that Lucid ends up with a competitive lineup that beats Tesla across the board, but for now, they are ahead in many ways but behind in some. There are still lots of things that Tesla's software does that are missing in the Lucid, as well as some poor choices they made that Lucid got right. Lucid's finally at the point with ADAS that it does what I actually care about most day to day, but I wouldn't mind seeing more.
Agreed completely. The difference is I don't see Tesla improving their lineup very much.
Let me be super-clear: I hope they do. I want them to be real competition, outside of just mass sales at low prices. I want
more competition, not less. I love Lucid's vehicle, but it's extremely important to note that that is singular tense and not plural.
Please nobody come @ me by saying Tesla is innovating. That's fine, I know; they finally had 48v in their cybertruck. Woo. That's not what I'm talking about, and you know it. I mean it with sincerity, not with derision toward Tesla or Elon. I genuinely want them to compete well. They just aren't today.