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Comment by Cyclone_ | Hacker News Reader

I think Tesla may start to face issues when the other automakers start coming out with electric cars within the next few years. I sold off all my stock in Tesla, although I think they may still be a good short term bet. The supercharger network and cool factor is their big advantage at the moment, but I think in the future they won't do as well when there's more competition.

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I think Tesla may start to face issues when the other automakers start coming out with electric cars within the next few years.

Perhaps, but people have been saying exactly this about Tesla for the last ten years now. Hasn’t been an issue for them yet, despite much improvement in the EV offerings from other manufacturers.

Not only has it not been an issue...Tesla's share of plug-in sales has been increasing dramatically year over year.

Cadillac ELR, BMW i3, Chevy Volt, Chevy Bolt were all billed and hyped as "Tesla Killers" upon launch.

https://insideevs.com/monthly-plug-in-sales-scorecard/

To date, no other manufacture has announced any plans to procure enough battery supply to produce cars in comparable volume to Tesla.

To date. But more and more manufacturers are biting at their heels for the chance. With better and better cars.

that aren't selling nearly as well...

https://insideevs.com/monthly-plug-in-sales-scorecard/

True. lol People have been saying just wait for electric Toyota or BMW and it still hasn't happened yet.

No established car company has released a car that even attempted to match Tesla in terms of performance, range, value for money or overall feature set. Maybe the new Porsche will be close, maybe not, but nothing else is even in the ball park.

This has been said about Tesla since it's inception, and has still yet to be an issue for them. Their supercharging infrastructure is so vast now that, if other automakers want to compete with charging options, they're better off licensing the infra from Tesla.

The comparison of Tesla to other EV options just isn't fair. Tesla models were designed from the ground up as being electric from the start, but other options have been ICE cars transitioned to EV, which makes them less-than-ideal and they lack the low center of gravity and storage capacity a tesla has.

I really do struggle to see how other manufacturers will compete with Tesla. Tesla just does so many things right...

I am not so sure. Its really not just about their cars being electric. Its the whole technological package that's miles and miles ahead of the competition. I just bought a new Honda with Lane Keep Assist and Adaptive Cruise Control and a whole host of other features. Compared to my boss's tesla the "self-driving" features of the Honda are nothing. My honda doesnt even really have a way to get OTA updates to any software even though this car is a 2019 model with a persistent GSM internet connection.

Was your Honda 50,000, which is I think the minimum to get the tesla self driving features? I believe with paying for the 5,000 option you get no self driving features on the tesla, just old school cruise control.

That's not true, the 5000 add on was to be able to get the full self-driving when it comes out (which it hasn't yet). I have a Model 3 and I didn't opt in for the add on. You can always add it on later since it's just software, once it comes out. I still have full adaptive cruise control, auto steer, auto lane-change.

Sorry, maybe it is just the Model 3, but I thought to get anything like lane keeping and ACC, you had to buy the self driving package, otherwise you only get standard cruise and no lane keeping, which are standard on Honda now.

Exactly. Even things like the aerodynamics - the Audi coming out still looks like a gas-powered car and doesn’t seem to have taken advantage of the reduction in drag coefficient that is possible when you remove every vestigal design decision that was made, in part, to accomodate an engine, exhaust system etc.

I don't think at this stage the number of electric cars being made by other companies is the main threat to Tesla. The main threat is still convincing people that electric cars are a viable alternative to ICE cars, in which case the more alternatives there are a different price points then more people may be convinced to buy one, which actually helps Tesla. Ultimately, if there isn't demand on the level of ICE cars for electric, the Tesla is doomed with or without competition.

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