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If self driving cabs happen within those 10 years, I don’t think anything can stop them.

If that doesn’t come to pass, Tesla has a tougher road. They will face competition. But from where? Companies still selling a large % of ICE vehicles can’t market their EVs effectively. So realistically Tesla won’t start getting competition until the petroleum tipping point in the auto industry. I don’t know when that will be. Not next year!

And that’s the starting gun for Tesla’s competitors. Tesla has already been building factories, flat out, for a decade.

So, I would say “impossible” is too strong a word.




>Companies still selling a large % of ICE vehicles can’t market their EVs effectively.

This is nonsense. Every major manufacturer is marketing an EV. The problem is that nobody, including Tesla, has figured out how to make these cars profitably.


My understanding was that they aren't profitable because they are sinking every penny into growth. Not because they're selling cars at a loss.


That's your understanding based on what, exactly?

Because I can see in their financial statements that their R&D spending is decreasing over time, and that their investment is actually below what is required to maintain plant and equipment depreciation.


What about the new factory in China and the myriad of products being brought into production right now like the model y, semi, roadster and solar roof? Do you have any credible source that Tesla is selling cars at a loss?


Yup, it's the Amazon model.


This comment demonstrates a lack of understanding of both company's business models.

Here's the two company's R&D spend:

https://ycharts.com/companies/AMZN/r_and_d_expense

https://ycharts.com/companies/TSLA/r_and_d_expense

Amazon: billions and billions. 9 Billion this quarter alone, which is more than Tesla has spent on R&D in their entire existence. Tesla? 300 million this quarter and trending down.

Amazon was generating REAMS of cash flow, for 10 years before they earned a profit. Billions and billions of dollars for investment. Tesla is regularly cash flow negative, almost half a billion per quarter on average:

https://ycharts.com/companies/AMZN/free_cash_flow

https://ycharts.com/companies/TSLA/free_cash_flow

So can you explain how these "models" are at all similar? Do you think all unprofitable companies are like Amazon?


Yes I can.




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