Elon Musk Is Running Out Of Ideas To Save Tesla
www.forbes.com
He's dialing down his DOGE role but Tesla needs a new hit EV and none is on the horizon. And the company’s booming battery business will suffer from Trump’s tariffs.

Summary

Tesla reported its worst quarterly results in four years, with Q1 income down 71% and EV sales falling 13%.

Elon Musk vowed to refocus on Tesla amid backlash over his political role in the Trump Administration’s DOGE program, but analysts doubt his return will fix worsening issues.

Tesla faces eroding market share, failed products like the Cybertruck, and a coming 145% tariff on imported Chinese battery cells set to hammer the company’s battery pack business, one of the only bright spots last quarter.

Musk’s pivot to robotaxis and humanoid robots lacks credibility, and critics say Tesla has no compelling new EVs to revive growth.

  • IphtashuFitz@lemmy.worldEnglish
    9·
    1 day ago

    Even in a very optimistic timeline it would take years for Tesla cars to suck less. I don’t think Tesla has that kind of time any more, now that there’s growing competition from big automakers like Honda & Toyota as well as Hyundai, Volkswagen, etc. and all the other EV companies like Rivian.

    Those established automakers have a long history of innovating & listening to customers. As their expansion into the EV market grows, they’re going to put a lot of pressure on Tesla to innovate as well, and that doesn’t mean bowing to whatever whims the CEO has.

    • AA5B@lemmy.world
      2·
      3 hours ago

      That’s wishful thinking

      • Japanese manufacturers may have started driving toward the party but they’re way late and lost along the road
      • US legacy manufacturers will stick with gasoline trucks, and are rolling back their EV efforts
      • Rivian and Lucid are promising but still in the business of a small number of niche models. Rivian may change that in the next couple years but it’s not a given

      So, Hyundai/Kia. And we’re wondering why Chinese companies look like they’re about to take over

    • Tja@programming.dev
      1·
      11 hours ago

      Honda and Toyota are flopping HARD on EVs. Their EVs suck, like worst in the market suck. Hyundai / Kia are doing a great job, and VW is boring but okay (now after fixing the 3.0 software debacle).

      I wish rivian and lucid had more funding, cause their cars are top notch, but the companies have growth pains.

      • Zacpod@lemmy.world
        1·
        3 hours ago

        I can’t speak to Honda’s current line up, but my Clarity PHEV is fricken’ amazing. Best car I’ve ever owned.

    • Jakeroxs@sh.itjust.works
      21·
      1 day ago

      Likely correct on paragraph 1, paragraph 2… not so much.

      The reason tesla was able to get such a foothold was because they were innovating where the established automakers were floundering.

      • piecat@lemmy.world
        2·
        1 day ago

        In defense of the established automakers, they wisened up and got into the EV market before it was too late. They adapted instead of becoming the next Blockbuster or Kodak.

        Any advantage that Tesla had is long gone.