In a reasonable world, people could acknowledge both Tesla’s huge contribution to advancing electric vehicle technology and the significant ways it has fallen short of its own hype. Unfortunately, the modern Internet is not a reasonable place. The centrifugal force of social media has turned online discussion of Tesla—like most other topics—into an angry, polarized flamewar.
Source: Why customers love Tesla despite its many mistakes | Ars Technica
All I know is that I see a Tesla on the road every time I leave the house, and this is Columbus, Indiana, the home of Cummins. Heck, there’s even a Tesla in the parking lot at the facility I work at. Bold move considering that there’s an entire front row, at a different facility, that is reserved for people who drive diesel Ram trucks.
Tesla is clearly succeeding, given their steep uphill climb against the Big 3. Every car manufacturer has a full-electric in their lineup, and I think the entire automotive industry is about one more battery-tech innovation away from eliminating combustion engines entirely. Buses, cargo trucks, and long haulers are just dominoes in the chain.
For years, lots of people on the left have been freaking out that we have to rid ourselves of gasoline and Diesel engines by way of governmental regulation. They’ve managed to pressure regulators to make emissions requirements so stringent that it’s hampered the entire transportation market for decades. But the answer to getting rid of engines is right here in front of us, and it won’t take heavy-handed regulation. People will want to move to electric, once all the bugs are worked out of the supply chain, and the charging infrastructure is fully in place. I’ve never read an article about someone who drove one, and said that they preferred a gas engine. Everyone who drives one says it’s simply a better way to “car.”
