In the many years of me driving an electric car, there was always one brand that would give me the excitement and longing for that I was craving. Even before getting my first Renault Zoe, I was fascinated by this little startup called Tesla. I followed their videos right from the early days when they made their prototype roadster from a cannibalised Lotus. When their cars became commercially available, I would start to see them on the roads here in the UK. It almost became a running joke between me and my girlfriend whenever we would see one, as she would point it out knowing that I would get the spark of envy, which, as somebody who is an environmentalist and tries to keep check on some of those more base emotions of envy and longing for a consumer product. In time, my rational mind would take over and I would realise that the vehicle I had was perfectly sufficient for my needs. But even in the last couple of years, when I was finally ready to change my little Renault for something more capable, I teased myself by going on the Tesla site to see what sort of configuration I could create. Even at its most affordable, the price I could get the car down to was something I was unable to justify and since driving another electric car from a legacy car manufacturer, Hyundai’s IONIQ 5,, if you are interested. I began to find a realisation that many more before me had come to. And now I’m at a point where I can say with certainty that far from pining and being desirous of a Tesla, I have now managed to cure myself of this particular aspiration. Firstly, although in no particular order, the build quality never seemed up to the standard to justify the cost, which might have been acceptable had it not been for legacy car manufacturers who caught up and decided to release their own fully electric vehicles. It made you realize that whilst some in the electric car community are frustrated that they still make fossil cars and plug-in hybrids, which some frustratingly call self-charging hybrids, the benefit of using a legacy car maker is all of the years training, heritage, and know-how in building reliable and solid vehicles can be applied to their electric vehicles. And while I will concede that the infotainment and software in a Tesla is still pretty hard to beat, it’s not sufficient for me to ignore how much better other cars have become in comparison.
But perhaps the most obvious reason not to buy a Tesla has to do with the inexcusable actions of Mr. Elon Musk. The warning signs have been present for years insofar as he may not be the most trustworthy executive. Many charismatic and high-profile people in business have made promises that were either not kept or thoroughly underwhelming when coming to fruition, but the frequency of promises broken and promises ignored with regards to Tesla have eroded faith, which is a fragile commodity in business. The next most notable step in Musk’s decline was when taking over Twitter. Far from bringing a keen sense of business acumen to the platform and making it a haven for free speech, it soon degenerated into a platform I now almost entirely ignore. I am struggling to think of a social network I would be more offended to allow my children to be on than Twitter. I know it’s called X now, but this is how little respect I give it. And whilst I generally try to avoid talking about politics, it cannot be ignored that Musk’s support of President-elect Trump was really the last reason I needed in a long line of reasons. It’s unsure as to why Musk has pivoted so drastically from somebody who seemed to be the champion of electric vehicles as a way of, as he calls it, averting this terrible experiment that we seem to be doing to the climate to supporting a man who has openly expressed his disdain for the very vehicles that have elevated Musk to his current position. Trump obviously promises to repeat his tax cuts for the most wealthy in American society. But as the world’s richest man, could this really be an incentive for Musk? I will never understand how people with more money than can be humanly spent in a lifetime will make decisions only in their own financial interest. Bill Gates, by comparison, seems to be working as hard as possible to give away his money to those who need it most. I can’t comprehend a mindset of constantly being on a treadmill of acquisition. It may be naive of me in my position, but if I was successful enough that I could live comfortably and ensure those I loved were afforded the same luxury, then that would bring me some sense of peace and power to be able to voice my opinions honestly and support righteous politicians as much as they can be found. I digress.
Perhaps Musk is sliding into further megalomania, and having achieved eye-watering amounts of money, is looking for more power in a new Trump administration. Or perhaps, as some have suggested, that his maverick management style is posing some legal problems, and he made the savvy decision to ingratiate himself with somebody who could one day pardon him for his transgressions. Whatever the reason, the result is the same: I no longer wish to give any money to somebody who makes those views and supports others who have demonstrated such disdain for humanity. Plenty more political commentators, commentators more articulate than myself, have laid out an exhaustive list of reasons why Trump is terrible news for all those who have a vested interest in humanity. As George Monbiot put it many years ago, Trump, for whatever reason, doesn’t seem to share the traits that you would expect amongst your fellow human, calling him a corporate homunculus as his priorities only appear to be his personal satisfaction rather than those of his own children, let alone the wider population.
And by extension Elon Musk has taken me so long when others identified it so quickly is that I was trying to be willfully ignorant of the evidence around me. In some ways I felt like a scorned lover who had invested so much time and passion and energy in trying to get to a state where I could acquire what I considered to be the pinnacle of electric vehicle and I didn’t want to see the evidence. I feel somewhat ashamed that I was susceptible to the same confirmation bias that I accused others of being subjected to. No one is immune from this phenomena.
The phenomena of surrounding yourself with news, people, content that reinforces your world view at times at the expense of reality. Or perhaps I hoped that Musk would suddenly pull the rug out from under everyone and reveal it all to have been an immense trolling exercise on the far right and that his support was only to get to a place where he could enact the plans that he had promised for so many years or that once in the new Trump administration he would subvert it from the inside for the greater good. And while that prospect may still be true it is looking less and less likely.
Many years ago if you wanted an electric car of any worth then Tesla was your only option. And while they didn’t invent the electric car obviously the way in which they popularized it and made it desirable is an achievement that can never be taken away from them. But as the landscape has changed and the transition to more sustainable transport is on its way at a pace then in some ways they have been a victim of their own success.
Frankly there are cheaper better alternatives which have the added bonus of not supporting a man who is so easy to disagree with. From my perspective if my opinion has anything I think that South Korea with Hyundai and Kia are really the most exciting areas to look when considering a new car. But now I see some of the more cost-effective Chinese brands appearing on the streets of Colchester, where just a few years ago they were exclusive to the Chinese market.
Ultimately, it’s your choice. And while you may not be able to vote in US elections your purchase of any product is a vote for the company you want to survive and thrive and the type of people who lead them. I have made my vote. And I’m very happy with the decision I have made. Now, if you don’t mind, I have to get in my Hyundai and run some errands.
Speak to you soon.