Tesla’s reputation has been on a gradual downward spiral in the past few years, spurred on by the recent actions of the Trump administration and its CEO Elon Musk. Yet despite Musk’s belief in his company’s success within the new presidential administration, it may wind up being a cause for his company’s deterioration.
Competition is needed for tech companies to thrive, and despite plenty of American car manufacturers jumping towards electric, Tesla has dominated the electric car industry within the United States. Tesla has been complacent with its products, thanks to Elon Musk’s stringent design choices prioritizing his vision over functionality.
This has unfortunately led to Tesla falling behind its competitors in the global market, where more affordable versions are available. Chinese competitors like BYD and Xpeng are exceeding expectations, drawing in customers with their affordability and eagerness to adapt to customer concerns.
Instead of catching up to these rising companies and building cars to match its competitors, Tesla has dug in their heels. Additionally, with how authoritarian Elom Musk’s views have become, he has quickly begun alienating any consumer base outside of the United States. Even if Tesla were to build electric cars that reached, or even surpassed the global standard, Musk’s views would still be the largest factor keeping the company from new customers.
Regardless, it seems that no matter how far Tesla’s stock falls Musk will still be sticking with his far-right beliefs. Time will tell if his current decisions will be a benefit for the company or a cause of its downfall.
