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Elon Musk: Officially a fraud and piece of shit. Official or unofficial war criminal?


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2 hours ago, A-Tex Devil said:

I presumed this was a sarcastic post.  Whoops. 

Ummm yea..... of course it was. Point is not everyone who buys a Tesla is a Maga idiot. The lack of QC/radar and other proper shit, is now priced into the Model 3 and Y and it's tough to beat them on price. 

Edited by totallynotabuttpirate
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Would-be Tesla buyers snub company as Musk's reputation dips

Spoiler

 

Hyunjoo JinApril 1, 202412:31 PM CDTUpdated 2 hours ago

SAN FRANCISCO/LONDON, April 1 (Reuters) - The ranks of would-be Tesla buyers in the United States are shrinking, according to a survey by market intelligence firm Caliber, which attributed the drop in part to CEO Elon Musk's polarizing persona.

While Tesla continued to post strong sales growth last year, helped by aggressive price cuts, the electric-vehicle maker is expected to report weak quarterly salesas early as Tuesday.

Caliber's "consideration score" for Tesla, provided exclusively to Reuters, fell to 31% in February, less than half its high of 70% in November 2021 when it started tracking consumer interest in the brand.

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Reuters Graphics

Tesla's consideration score fell 8 percentage points from January alone even as Caliber's scores for Mercedes (MBGn.DE), BMW (BMWG.DE) and Audi, which produce gas as well as EV models, inched up during that same period, reaching 44-47%.

Tesla did not respond to a request for comment. Musk in the past has blamed high-interest rates for curbing consumer demand for big ticket items like cars.

Caliber cited strong associations between Tesla's reputation and that of Musk for the scores.

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"It's very likely that Musk himself is contributing to the reputational downfall," Caliber CEO Shahar Silbershatz told Reuters, saying his company's survey shows 83% of Americans connect Musk with Tesla.

Reuters spoke to five marketing, polling and car experts who said controversies surrounding Musk's increasingly right-wing politics and public statements are weighing on Tesla's brand and demand.

"It is hard enough to win sales without getting into politics," said Tim Calkins, a marketing professor at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management.

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Economic fears, the lack of affordable new models and rising competition from cheaper rivals like China's BYD have also been cited by Wall Street analysts as putting pressure on Tesla.

Overall electric vehicle sales in the U.S. are forecast to increase 15% in the first quarter of this year, according to estimates by researcher Cox Automotive. Tesla sales are projected to increase by 3%.

"The EV slowdown is shaping up to be a Tesla slowdown," Cox analyst Stephanie Valdez Streaty said during a conference call Thursday.

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New car registrations for Teslas in California- their biggest market in the U.S. - posted their first drop in over three years in the fourth quarter of 2023 even as EV sales rose overall.

At least five analysts cut Tesla's target price last month, saying the automaker could post disappointing first-quarter delivery results. Tesla shares are down nearly 30% year to date.

Musk's outsized personality benefited Tesla as he promoted tackling climate change by reimagining cars as stylish, electric computers on wheels that could beat gasoline guzzlers in looks, performance and handling.

Tesla achieved breakneck annual sales growth for more than a decade.

[1/3]Elon Musk, chief executive officer of SpaceX and Tesla and owner of Twitter, gestures as he attends the Viva Technology conference in Paris, France, June 16, 2023. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes Purchase Licensing Rights

COURTED CONTROVERSY

In recent years, the billionaire courted controversy with comments and actions including his embrace of the Republican party and endorsement of anti-semitic comments on X. Musk has denied being anti-semitic.

When asked by an investor during a January 2023 conference call if his political comments were hurting Tesla's brand and sales, Musk said he was "reasonably popular," referring to his then 127 million followers on X, formerly known as Twitter.

"Whether you hate me, like me or are indifferent, do you want the best car, or do you not want the best car?" Musk said at another event in November.

Brand valuation consultancy Brand Finance found Tesla's reputation fell in 2023 in the United States, the Netherlands, France, United Kingdom, and Australia. Tesla's reputation did not suffer in China, where access to news on the company and its CEO may have been limited, and Germany.

Reuters Graphics

In the U.S., a survey by consumer analytics firm CivicScience shown exclusively to Reuters found that 42% of respondents had an unfavorable view of Musk in February, up from 34% in April 2022 when Musk disclosed his stake in Twitter.

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"A modest but growing number of EV shoppers are increasingly put off by Elon Musk's behavior and politics and are now finding viable alternatives to Tesla in the marketplace," Ed Kim, president of California-based consultancy AutoPacific said.

That group includes Jonny Page, a London-based consultant who works with climate-focused startups and will purchase an EV this summer. It will not be a Tesla.

Page, 36, said his decision is partly because of concerns over Tesla safety but mostly about Musk's "unhinged" behavior. "I don't want to put a single penny in that man's pockets," Page said.

"I CAN'T GO BACK TO GAS"

Tesla's reputation is still sterling with many.

Market researcher S&P Mobility shows Tesla has the highest loyalty among major car brands, with 68% of owners choosing another Tesla when they bought a new car last year.

Christian Cook, a Tesla Model 3 owner in Texas who identified as leaning right, said Musk's actions made no difference and that he was "becoming numb to the shenanigans."

Kat Beyer, a climate activist in Wisconsin, said she wanted to avoid Tesla because of Musk's support for Republicans, but wound up buying a Model Y last year because of a lack of EVs with reliable charging infrastructure.

"It's hard to drive the car associated with him," Beyer said. "But I can't go back to gas."

 

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36 minutes ago, totallynotabuttpirate said:

Ummm yea..... of course it was. Point is not everyone who buys a Tesla is a Maga idiot. The lack of QC/radar and other proper shit, is now priced into the Model 3 and Y and it's tough to beat them on price. 

No shit, but they ARE useful idiots that are indirectly supporting the MAGA agenda by putting money in the pocket of Elon. That’s the point.

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5 minutes ago, bolverk said:

That's something I totally don't get with new cars: the display screens are fucking huge and distracting. There, for a good solid 5 seconds in that clip, the guy was staring at that touchscreen, which I think is a horrible idea in cars, fiddling around with whateverthefuck "mode" he wanted. Personally, I need tactile buttons and knobs that I can feel when driving--I don't care if the damn thing can drive itself.

Hell, I'd even miss my old stick-shift Honda Civic from the 90s, if it weren't for stop-and-go traffic on South Lamar.

Yep, I get it in a tactical vehicle, but to go to HEB (when it is open) just is something I do not need. To tell me the car is not working? Nah.

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So I spent over an hour with a Mach-E GT Performance today and it's a really solid car. Handling is bit better than the MY, but you lose the ground clearance and it still drives like an SUV/Crossover. After $10k of discounts, OTD price was $70K. So ~$17K more than an M3 LR with the $2K performance update (which beats the Mach-E 0-60 time). And the M3 has 70-80 miles more range. 

In summary, fuck no, I'm not spending $17K more for less performance and (mostly) less features. 

Unlike some of you neckbeard fucks, I'm out in the streets actually looking for a car that meets my needs, that's all that matters to me. It's really easy to spend someone else's money, so you can eat all the dicks in the world and I'll buy the car that I want. 

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10 minutes ago, totallynotabuttpirate said:

So I spent over an hour with a Mach-E GT Performance today and it's a really solid car. Handling is bit better than the MY, but you lose the ground clearance and it still drives like an SUV/Crossover. After $10k of discounts, OTD price was $70K. So ~$17K more than an M3 LR with the $2K performance update (which beats the Mach-E 0-60 time). And the M3 has 70-80 miles more range. 

In summary, fuck no, I'm not spending $17K more for less performance and (mostly) less features. 

Unlike some of you neckbeard fucks, I'm out in the streets actually looking for a car that meets my needs, that's all that matters to me. It's really easy to spend someone else's money, so you can eat all the dicks in the world and I'll buy the car that I want. 

 

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1 hour ago, totallynotabuttpirate said:

So I spent over an hour with a Mach-E GT Performance today and it's a really solid car. Handling is bit better than the MY, but you lose the ground clearance and it still drives like an SUV/Crossover. After $10k of discounts, OTD price was $70K. So ~$17K more than an M3 LR with the $2K performance update (which beats the Mach-E 0-60 time). And the M3 has 70-80 miles more range. 

In summary, fuck no, I'm not spending $17K more for less performance and (mostly) less features. 

Unlike some of you neckbeard fucks, I'm out in the streets actually looking for a car that meets my needs, that's all that matters to me. It's really easy to spend someone else's money, so you can eat all the dicks in the world and I'll buy the car that I want. 

Hell yeah! You tell those anonymous internet posters that you're not going to let them run your life!

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1 hour ago, totallynotabuttpirate said:

Unlike some of you neckbeard fucks, I'm out in the streets actually looking for a car that meets my needs, that's all that matters to me. It's really easy to spend someone else's money, so you can eat all the dicks in the world and I'll buy the car that I want

It's intimidating to be in the presence of such greatness. 

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2 hours ago, totallynotabuttpirate said:

I'm a big boy now, no one is going to tell me what to do!

You're just not a big enough boy to actually do the right thing which is not support an apartheid racist cunt by justifying marginal gains.

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13 minutes ago, Captain Ron said:

That report is pretty damning. They might cite "production issues" but when you deliver significantly less vehicles than you make, that's not a production problem, but a demand problem.

 

Selling cars is hard.

 

https://wapo.st/49k56Oc

 

Quote

“This will be not be a moment of celebration for the bulls and instead be a rip-the-Band-Aid quarter for Tesla investors,” Ives said. “For Musk, this is a fork-in-the-road time to get Tesla through this turbulent period, otherwise darker days could be ahead.”

oh, i'm sure that he will turn his focus to TSLA and away from tweeting at all hours and "building" (well reducing) what Twitter is for sure now...right?! RIGHT?!

from comments elsewhere

Quote

In Q1 2024 Tesla produced 751 more cars DAILY than they sold.

this is a very good question btw

 

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11 minutes ago, NoName said:

oh, i'm sure that he will turn his focus to TSLA and away from tweeting at all hours and "building" (well reducing) what Twitter is for sure now...right?! RIGHT?!

from comments elsewhere

this is a very good question btw

 

At the bottom of Town Lake

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18 hours ago, Da Fino said:

Never realized they have those funny shaped steering wheels. Is that how they are selling all of their cars now?

Good friend of mine in LA owned two Teslas, the sedan and the crossover thingy. The crossover has that stupid wheel. They sold the sedan due to Elon's shittiness but have kept the crossover for the time being. They'll be getting rid of it soon.

 

12 hours ago, totallynotabuttpirate said:

So I spent over an hour with a Mach-E GT Performance today and it's a really solid car. Handling is bit better than the MY, but you lose the ground clearance and it still drives like an SUV/Crossover. After $10k of discounts, OTD price was $70K. So ~$17K more than an M3 LR with the $2K performance update (which beats the Mach-E 0-60 time). And the M3 has 70-80 miles more range. 

In summary, fuck no, I'm not spending $17K more for less performance and (mostly) less features. 

Unlike some of you neckbeard fucks, I'm out in the streets actually looking for a car that meets my needs, that's all that matters to me. It's really easy to spend someone else's money, so you can eat all the dicks in the world and I'll buy the car that I want. 

1cfd2edf-dfb3-4599-af82-4dd383d35a8e_tex

 

3 minutes ago, texasdago said:

At the bottom of Town Lake

The pond at Angela Chao's ranch? (Too soon?)

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14 hours ago, totallynotabuttpirate said:

So I spent over an hour with a Mach-E GT Performance today and it's a really solid car. Handling is bit better than the MY, but you lose the ground clearance and it still drives like an SUV/Crossover. After $10k of discounts, OTD price was $70K. So ~$17K more than an M3 LR with the $2K performance update (which beats the Mach-E 0-60 time). And the M3 has 70-80 miles more range. 

In summary, fuck no, I'm not spending $17K more for less performance and (mostly) less features. 

Unlike some of you neckbeard fucks, I'm out in the streets actually looking for a car that meets my needs, that's all that matters to me. It's really easy to spend someone else's money, so you can eat all the dicks in the world and I'll buy the car that I want. 

And I ain't even got a garage you can call home and ask my wife

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26 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said:

He’s going to have to move the operation to Mexico, isn’t he?

 

13 minutes ago, chainsaw said:

It's much less woke there due to the cartels

Maybe he could send Kpax to negotiate on his behalf as a show of goodwill

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2 minutes ago, mdmost said:

Elon needs to mute that End Wokeness one since it seems to be the primary source of where he gets his misinformation. So of course he won't do that. 

Unfortunately this line of thinking gives Elon the benefit of the doubt that he is seeking the "truth". He is not. 

 

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Just now, Hank Kingsley said:

Unfortunately this line of thinking gives Elon the benefit of the doubt that he is seeking the "truth". He is not. 

 

Yep.

The only two options here are that Elmo is dumber than a bag of hammers, or openly opposes the Republic.  Or both.  It's probably both.

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8 minutes ago, Hank Kingsley said:

Unfortunately this line of thinking gives Elon the benefit of the doubt that he is seeking the "truth". He is not. 

7 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Yep.

The only two options here are that Elmo is dumber than a bag of hammers, or openly opposes the Republic.  Or both.  It's probably both.

Elmo is dumb enough to absolutely believe he is seeking the truth - witness the Qanon idiots who believed they were doing their own research (reading stupid shit online).  

Edit and everything needs to be framed in the mindset of somebody who grew up in 1980s South Africa.

Edited by atomheartbevo
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