Tesla Wants Out of the Car Business

China, EVs, and Tesla’s Competitive Position

• Several argue China is on track to dominate EVs, with cheaper, higher-quality models (BYD, Zeekr, Xiaomi, etc.) that beat Tesla on price, ergonomics, and features.
• Tariffs are seen as a temporary US-only shield; outside the US, commenters think Tesla is already losing badly.
• Some note China’s EV sector often runs at a loss, implying the current landscape may be politically/financially unsustainable.

Self‑Driving: Moat, Commodity, or Mirage?

• One camp: once “general” self-driving is solved, it will commoditize quickly; Tesla’s lead won’t last, similar to smartphones.
• Counterpoint: phones are not fully commoditized (Apple’s profits, ecosystem lock‑in); self-driving is highly specialized and may remain hard for decades.
• Some think full autonomy, as marketed, may never arrive; Tesla is overexposed to that bet and falling behind in cars.
• Others insist autonomy will eventually make manual driving rare, driven by safety/insurance and convenience, regardless of enthusiasts.

Tech Approach: Vision vs LIDAR, Data, and Maps

• Heavy criticism of Tesla’s camera‑only strategy; predictions that regulators may eventually mandate LIDAR and that rare but severe failures will be unacceptable.
• Defenders note that many advanced driver‑assist systems are camera-centric, and Tesla’s FSD has improved dramatically for some owners.
• Several say the real moat is massive data (from cars or smartphone apps) and detailed geospatial mapping, not any single sensor.
• Waymo is frequently cited as the current practical leader: true driverless rides in constrained areas with very high safety, vs Tesla’s “almost there” narrative.

Manual Driving, Regulation, and Culture

• Strong disagreement on whether people will ever accept bans on human driving; US commenters especially see this as politically impossible in the near term.
• Others highlight that regulation and insurance incentives have gradually constrained drivers already and could eventually marginalize manual driving in dense areas.
• Questions remain about mixed human/robot traffic, upgrade costs to roads, and whether “private buses” or AV-only zones are realistic given public budgets.

Brand, Politics, and Leadership

• Many argue Tesla’s brand has flipped from progressive to “toxic” due to Musk’s politics and social media behavior, hurting demand.
• Others still see him as an exceptionally competent risk‑taker making bold, mostly good bets; critics counter that he was sharper a decade ago and is now coasting or erratic.
• Debate over how much of Tesla’s early success was due to other founders (e.g., original “master plan”) vs Musk’s later FSD/robot pivot.

Financials, Valuation, and ‘Master Plans’

• One thread disputes the article’s claim of a “sales collapse,” pointing to ~12–13% YoY declines and recent QoQ growth—bad, but not catastrophic.
• Others respond that double‑digit drops are severe relative to prior growth promises and lofty valuation multiples.
• The latest “Master Plan” is widely seen as vague IR fluff, mostly re‑framing what Tesla already does, not a concrete new strategy.

Charging Network Economics

• Some suggest Tesla could be a strong, long‑term EV charging business.
• Industry-focused commenters say charging is already a race to the bottom: high capex, uncertain utilization, grid-connection bottlenecks, and significant maintenance, making it unattractive as a classic infrastructure investment.
• Home charging undermines public charging revenue, and most rival networks reportedly lose money.

FSD Users vs. Skeptics

• Some owners report using FSD almost all the time and describe it as “drives like a pro,” especially after recent updates.
• Others say they’ve heard identical claims for years while still seeing “very rare but very dangerous” failures and needing to intervene in tricky city situations.
• Waymo rides are contrasted as truly hands‑off, with no one in the driver’s seat, making Tesla’s incremental progress less compelling.
• Tesla’s effective walk‑back of earlier FSD promises (for 2016–23 cars) is seen as abandoning customers who paid large premiums.

Robots, AI, and Strategic Drift

• Commenters see the move to robotics/AI as chasing the current hype to sustain Tesla’s “future value” story now that its EV edge is eroding.
• Many doubt humanoid robots will be broadly useful anytime soon; others think Tesla is already behind Chinese firms and established AI labs.
• There’s a recurring theme that Tesla is shifting the “carrot” to ever-new visions (robotaxis, robots, AI) rather than consolidating its car business.

Media Trust and The Atlantic

• A small subset dismisses The Atlantic as inherently biased on Musk/Trump, questioning the framing rather than the underlying numbers.