[Continuation] Musk, SpaceX and future of Tesla II

[LiteBright]

....and remember it's China that will be paying those tariffs, not the US consumer who, for some unfathomable reason, is paying twice as much for their BYD as their neighbour in Canada.

Canada had also instituted a 100% tariff of Chinese made EVs. Maybe Maxico, which has not, would be a better comparison.

 

[The Don]

Canada had also instituted a 100% tariff of Chinese made EVs. Maybe Maxico, which has not, would be a better comparison.

Thanks. Every day is a school day.

What is the Canadian rationale, do they have a domestic EV manufacturing industry they're protecting?

 

[plague311]

What is the Canadian rationale, do they have a domestic EV manufacturing industry they're protecting?

Per Google:

Purpose
The Canadian government says the tariff is necessary to address unfair competition from Chinese producers. The government also cited China's state-directed policy of over-capacity.

To be fair though, the 100% tariff for Canada only started on October 1st of this year. So it hasn't been in effect for even 2 months yet.

 

[a_unique_person]

I don't know why only BYD is mentioned. There are other competitive manufacturers as well like MG.

 

[LiteBright]

Thanks. Every day is a school day.

What is the Canadian rationale, do they have a domestic EV manufacturing industry they're protecting?

Canada and in particular, the province of Ontario has a substantial auto sector although no EVs are being built here yet to my knowledge. But the transition is underway with 2 very large EV battery plants currently under construction by Stellantis and Volkswagon. With large supplies of Lithium, Cobalt and Nickel in Ontario and Quebec, battery production is a natural fit for this area. With Ontario & Quebec being the country's largest by population, any election victory runs through them and politicians know that.

The other reason is less talked about but equally as strong. Canada is essentially being strong-armed by the US to institute the same tariff they did. With the USMCA (the successor to NAFTA) set to be renegotiated in 2026, they have been applying pressure to both Canada and Mexico to keep out cheaper Chinese EVs. NAFTA & USMCA have been very good for this country and entire businesses have been built on its back. It would be extremely painful to lose that.

We are a small country that is heavily dependent on the huge country next door for trade. Sometimes we have no choice but to play the tune they've called.

 

[junkshop]

...Stellantis and Volkswagon...

Ah, yes those famously Canadian companies.

Yes, I know that these are their Canadian subsidiaries that use this that or the other Canadian materials, but does anyone really think that the profits are staying in Canada? National borders are but a minor irritation to these companies: the world is their oyster, and they bring their own shucking knives.

 

[LiteBright]

Ah, yes those famously Canadian companies.

Yes, I know that these are their Canadian subsidiaries that use this that or the other Canadian materials, but does anyone really think that the profits are staying in Canada? National borders are but a minor irritation to these companies: the world is their oyster, and they bring their own shucking knives.

It would be more ideal if it were locally owned firms building these plants but at the same time, they will pay taxes here, create hundreds of jobs and pay out tens of millions of income that will mostly be spent here. Thats not even mentioning all the locally owned suppliers of materials and services that these plants will boost. 9 billion dollars of foreign investment is not a small amount for a country of 35 million people.

Are you really trying to suggest that countries shoundn't try to attract investment from outside their own borders? I'd love to see your economic case for that.

 

[junkshop]

...Are you really trying to suggest that countries shoundn't try to attract investment from outside their own borders?...

No.

 

[Gulliver Foyle]

I don't know why only BYD is mentioned. There are other competitive manufacturers as well like MG.

BYD are the best known.

 

[The Great Zaganza]

IM has self-driving cars like the L7 that can be summoned.

 

[The Great Zaganza]

German Space start-up Polaris just tested successfully a demonstrator drone with an aerospike engine in flight.

Aerospike engine - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

This type of engine was initially planned for the Space Shuttle, as they are very efficient for all levels of atmospheric pressure.

It's probably more than a decade until they have anything commercial, but these kinds of innovation show that SpaceX's dominance is only a temporary one.

 

[The Great Zaganza]

Looks like magnetizing the chassis of a cybertruck makes susceptible to rusting.

Owners will look back fondly on the times where Tesla haters dumped paint on their cars.

 

[jeremyp]

Looks like magnetizing the chassis of a cybertruck makes susceptible to rusting.

That's confusing. What do you mean by "chassis"? As I understand it, the Cybertruck is of unibody construction and the frame, such as it is, is made from aluminium.

Do you mean magnetising the body panels makes it susceptible to rusting? Is this something that is likely to happen during the normal course of events?

And do you mean "more susceptible than it normally is" - I understand that Cybertrucks are susceptible to rusting right out of the factory.

Owners will look back fondly on the times where Tesla haters dumped paint on their cars.

I think they'll look back fondly on the time when they had $80k+ and no Cybertruck.

 

[Trebuchet]

The transformer for my low-voltage sidewalk lights failed, so I made a note in my to-do list to get a new one: "Buy new LV Xformer."
Hmmm. Does Elon know that "X" has long been used to mean "trans"?

 

[The Great Zaganza]

https://www.reuters.com/legal/what-is-next-musk-after-judge-rules-against-him-tesla-pay-case-2024-12-03/

This is how you do it: don't let Musk plunder another company.

 

[jeremyp]

https://www.reuters.com/legal/what-is-next-musk-after-judge-rules-against-him-tesla-pay-case-2024-12-03/

This is how you do it: don't let Musk plunder another company.

FTA

However, that would contradict his track record of taking cases to trial rather than striking deals

Except there was that time where he was sued for sexual harassment and SpaceX settled rather than contest the case. Maybe he could take his new deal in ponies.

 

[a_unique_person]

https://www.reuters.com/legal/what-is-next-musk-after-judge-rules-against-him-tesla-pay-case-2024-12-03/

This is how you do it: don't let Musk plunder another company.

He's appealing, of course.

 

[Darat]

He's appealing, of course.

He really isn't.

 

[plague311]

He really isn't.

True, but money is...ask his multiple baby momma's

 

[jeremyp]

True, but money is...ask his multiple baby momma's

 

[The Great Zaganza]

Cybertruck production slowing down, workers told to stay at home.

Tesla suspends Cybertruck production. Who could have predicted this?

Elon Musk's controversial electric truck may have dug its own box-shaped grave.

mashable.com

Are you tired of winning yet?

 

[a_unique_person]

Cybertruck production slowing down, workers told to stay at home.

Tesla suspends Cybertruck production. Who could have predicted this?

Elon Musk's controversial electric truck may have dug its own box-shaped grave.

mashable.com

Are you tired of winning yet?

That's only because Musk hasn't got his 86 billion.

 

[Orphia Nay]

The transformer for my low-voltage sidewalk lights failed, so I made a note in my to-do list to get a new one: "Buy new LV Xformer."
Hmmm. Does Elon know that "X" has long been used to mean "trans"?

Oh, that's delightful.

 

[novaphile]

Pretty much any system I've worked on, has used 'M', 'F' and 'X' for 'sex'.

Take that Elmo!

 

[dirtywick]

as musk, and by association tesla, shift away from electric cars into ai, mass producing affordable cars to luxury and boxing out cheaper chinese alternatives from the american market, and joining the right wing government corruption racket, musk says climate crisis is overstated in the near term

 

[a_unique_person]

as musk, and by association tesla, shift away from electric cars into ai, mass producing affordable cars to luxury and boxing out cheaper chinese alternatives from the american market, and joining the right wing government corruption racket, musk says climate crisis is overstated in the near term

I wonder how much being that wealthy would corrupt me. I hope not that much.

 

[dirtywick]

I wonder how much being that wealthy would corrupt me. I hope not that much.

that's a good question. personally, i feel that to even get that personally wealthy you'd have to have ripped off a lot of people, so i'd never get to that point. if you treat everyone that helped you be that successful along the way fairly, you shouldn't have that much left over for yourself. but we already know elon musk doesn't treat other people fairly, and that goes back a long way before this.

 

[3point14]

I wonder how much being that wealthy would corrupt me. I hope not that much.

I think you have to be a bit of a git to get that rich in the first place.

Are there any nice billionaires?

 

[Darat]

I think you have to be a bit of a git to get that rich in the first place.

Are there any nice billionaires?

I've only spent any length of time with two billionaires, both were nice people or at least came across as nice. Neither were from the Anglosphere so perhaps that is a factor.

 

[Gulliver Foyle]

I wonder how much being that wealthy would corrupt me. I hope not that much.

I think you're making a category error here. Musk isn't that corrupt because he's wealthy; he's wealthy because he's that corrupt.

 

[theprestige]

I think you have to be a bit of a git to get that rich in the first place.

Are there any nice billionaires?

George Soros?

Bill Gates?

Warren Buffett?

 

[theprestige]

I've only spent any length of time with two billionaires, both were nice people or at least came across as nice. Neither were from the Anglosphere so perhaps that is a factor.

I figure a self-made billionaire probably has to have decent social skills.

 

[plague311]

I figure a self-made billionaire probably has to have decent social skills.

Are "decent social skills" shown by offering a horse for sexual favors?

 

[3point14]

I figure a self-made billionaire probably has to have decent social skills.

I really don't think that's the case.

 

[jeremyp]

Are "decent social skills" shown by offering a horse for sexual favors?

Elon Musk isn't entirely self made.

 

[theprestige]

Elon Musk isn't entirely self made.

Well that didn't take long.

 

[plague311]

Well that didn't take long.

Is it wrong? Did Musk start from the bottom now he's here? Was he on a level playing field with everyone else? Do you ever actually make a ◊◊◊◊◊◊◊ point without being prodded? Is this where you get entertainment for your day? Just providing one line quips to threads so people can beg you to just get to the ◊◊◊◊◊◊◊ point? If you need this much attention, may I suggest a puppy?

 

[theprestige]

Is it wrong? Did Musk start from the bottom now he's here? Was he on a level playing field with everyone else? Do you ever actually make a ◊◊◊◊◊◊◊ point without being prodded? Is this where you get entertainment for your day? Just providing one line quips to threads so people can beg you to just get to the ◊◊◊◊◊◊◊ point? If you need this much attention, may I suggest a puppy?

I don't think it matters. Converting a couple million into a billion isn't a casual endeavor. Hell, total up all my assets, I'm probably a millionaire at this point. But I'll never be a billionaire. I just don't have the combination of ambition and charisma necessary to make that leap.

 

[plague311]

I don't think it matters. Converting a couple million into a billion isn't a casual endeavor. Hell, total up all my assets, I'm probably a millionaire at this point. But I'll never be a billionaire. I just don't have the combination of ambition and charisma necessary to make that leap.

That's not an answer to the question. The question was: Is Musk self made? The answer to that is "no". He started out with a huge, HUGE advantage that 99% of people don't have, right? I don't know what you lacking ambition has to do with others being "self made" or not, but Musk isn't self-made, by any definition of the word. Even you didn't say you "couldn't" be a billionaire even though you "could" be a millionaire, you just said you don't have the ambition to do it. Having millions of dollars at your disposal puts you significantly further ahead than most people.

 

[The Great Zaganza]

I don't think it matters. Converting a couple million into a billion isn't a casual endeavor. Hell, total up all my assets, I'm probably a millionaire at this point. But I'll never be a billionaire. I just don't have the combination of ambition and charisma necessary to make that leap.

that's not what he did.
He turned public money billion into personal wealth billion.