Tesla and EVs

[Harvey]

An updated version of the "should I or shouldn't I?" question given current skyrocketing gas prices:

What to Know About Electric Cars When Gas Prices Are Surging

War in Iran has disrupted global oil supplies, which is prompting some car shoppers to look for ways to climb off “the gas-price roller coaster.”

www.nytimes.com

As always the comments are the best part of the article.

 

[ChrisC]

Sixt rented me a Chinese Hybrid SUV (think it was in a premium category because the rental agent asked for a shout-out for the upgrade in feedback forms). It was from BYD (banned in the USA) and wonderful. I'll throw some photos up (some day).

If Elon really thought he was making the best cars, open the US markets up. Such favors given to him in subsidies and closed markets.

Which the USA should for strategic reasons.

 

[EMSC]

Sixt rented me a Chinese Hybrid SUV (think it was in a premium category because the rental agent asked for a shout-out for the upgrade in feedback forms). It was from BYD (banned in the USA) and wonderful. I'll throw some photos up (some day).

If Elon really thought he was making the best cars, open the US markets up. Such favors given to him in subsidies and closed markets.

Which the USA should for strategic reasons.

Remember Elon already sells in competition with BYD within China for example. Would it require significant changes in the Tesla US strategy, almost certainly.

However, I believe the US tariffs on Chinese cars are actually to primarily protect GM, Ford, etc... who currently struggle to even compete with Tesla on price/tech. They would be the first to be completely slaughtered by BYD is my guess.

 

[jasoncapecod]

i saw that BYD will be selling in Canada soon...Just a matter of time before they start being seen in the US...

 

[Sbooker]

Australia is a tiny market but it shows that BYD is making its mark.

 

[Tony Crocker]

If Elon really thought he was making the best cars

Elon was making the best electric cars up to about 2020. Since then he's convinced that self driving cars are the only ones worth investing in. So far he's losing the bet with Waymo on that tech.

Charlie Munger recommended BYD stock in 2010, a couple of years after Berkshire-Hathaway bought a 10% interest in the company. BYD stock went nowhere for a decade, ran up some in 2020-2021 during the EV stock fad period and has not moved much more since then despite the steadily rising sales.

 

[Tony Crocker]

.Just a matter of time before they start being seen in the US...

I have my doubts. The prohibitive tariffs on Chinese EVs were enacted under Biden. Legacy auto and their unions still have lots of bipartisan clout in the US.