(Source: Nikkei Asian Review)
"Whether Tesla is six years ahead of mainstream automakers, or three or eight, is somewhat immaterial. The point here is that a start-up can take on the leading car makers and beat them at their own game. Not only can it beat the car makers, but also several tier one suppliers; recall that Tesla decided it could make a better autonomous drive computer than Nvidia, that it had been using for Autopilot. It is this component that has Toyota and VW worried." – Peter Richardson
Key Takeaways:
- There's a whole ecosystem advantage that Tesla has built in EVs.
- While buyers of all competitor EVs find it difficult to find a compatible charger on the go, Tesla owners have access to multiple supercharging stations to choose from.
- Tesla does not have the scale to take on the mainstream automakers, but it’s not losing its lead in EV and AV tech anytime soon.