Elon Musk says Tesla would possibly by no means carry its new ‘Mannequin YL’, a brand new six-seat variant of the Mannequin Y launched in China this week, to the US, and the explanation for that is ridiculous.
He thinks Tesla received’t want it due to, you guessed it: autonomy.
Musk has been framing autonomy as Tesla’s salvation. He’s on report as saying that you simply shouldn’t put money into Tesla except you consider it would lead in autonomous driving, regardless of being fallacious about Tesla fixing autonomy nearly by the tip of yearly for the final six years.
The CEO’s perception that Tesla has been persistently on the verge of fixing autonomy for the final 6 years has led to many dangerous choices.
It has affected Tesla’s designs and options, like eradicating the gear and switch sign stalks, as a result of he thought drivers wouldn’t want them by now. Now, Tesla is bringing again the flip sign stalk as an aftermarket improve.
Musk additionally canceled new Tesla fashions, such because the extremely anticipated “$25,000 Tesla”, as a result of he believed it wouldn’t be wanted as a result of introduction of autonomy, regardless of an inner report that confirmed this was a nasty concept.
Now, the CEO is including one other dangerous choice to the listing.
Earlier this week, Tesla launched a brand new Mannequin YL, an extended model of its best-selling electrical SUV with six seats, in China.
As we identified in our article, it is a widespread section in China, and there’s already a number of competitors. Nonetheless, Tesla might simply carry this model to different markets, corresponding to North America, the place there’s much less EV competitors, and it might show widespread, as larger automobiles are the norm within the US.
However CEO Elon Musk has now thrown chilly water on the enlargement of the Mannequin YL in North America.
In response to Omar Qazi, a Tesla influencer identified for defending Tesla and Musk’s each transfer, claiming that the explanation Musk had but to remark or share Tesla’s launch of Mannequin YL is as a result of it’s solely out there in China for now, Musk responded that Mannequin YL will not be deliberate for manufacturing within the US till the tip of 2026 and it would by no means come:
“This variant of the Mannequin Y doesn’t begin manufacturing within the US till the tip of subsequent yr. May not ever, given the appearance of self-driving in America.”
The CEO means that the brand new variant’s manufacturing within the US will lag behind China by greater than a yr, or could by no means materialize, as a result of he believes the appearance of autonomous driving within the US will render it out of date.
Electrek’s Take
That is cause quantity 69,420 why Elon Musk shouldn’t be CEO of Tesla anymore.
As I already acknowledged, I consider Mannequin YL can be an even bigger success for Tesla in North America than in China.
In China, Tesla was already costly. Over 90% of Mannequin 3 and Mannequin Y patrons go for the bottom RWD variations of these automobiles as a result of pricing.
Tesla’s choice to supply a costlier AWD mannequin received’t considerably enhance its volumes in China.
Moreover, EV competitors is already intense in China, the place Chinese language EV firms don’t endure from tariffs like they do in different markets. There are already a number of 6-seater electrical SUV choices which can be cheaper than the brand new Mannequin YL.
Nonetheless, in North America, the Mannequin YL might probably undercut the few current 6-seater and third-row electrical SUV choices and show widespread.
But, Musk delays the launch by greater than a yr and claims it might by no means occur attributable to autonomy.
It’s so silly as a result of even with autonomy, which I don’t consider might be as widespread as Musk claims subsequent yr, the Mannequin YL would make sense as it will be a greater Robotaxi with six seats.
For the sake of Tesla, Musk has to go. It’s unlucky that shareholders don’t understand this or are too involved in regards to the short-term affect on the inventory.
