[Despegar]

Tesla would be fucked without tariffs.

[xp84]

Would you want for all cars to be made in China, the way all computers and smartphones are? I can't imagine any other outcome.

[nimos]

Instead lets have them made in a place that has threatened to take over ~4 sovereign nations in the past three weeks? Yeah I'll take the 1/2 price cars thanks.

[porphyra]

I don't mind having all my computers and smartphones made in China. And I didn't mind when both cars and electronics were made in Japan.

[loloquwowndueo]

That’s how the free market works, right?

[tokioyoyo]

Even if we consider "China is funding the companies to no end" argument... well, frankly, I wish US would do the same. It is pretty damn cool to see incredible technological progress in huge scale.

[rsynnott]

This _hasn't_ happened in Europe, which has lower tariff barriers on Chinese cars. BYD has about 15-20% of the EV market, as do VW, Stelantis, Tesla, Hyundai and BMW (unlike the US or China the European market doesn't have one clearly dominant player in EVs); no other Chinese manufacturer really moves the needle (though MG (SAIC) is regionally popular).

[cute_boi]

Yes, if it means I would have to buy car that costs an arms and a leg like tesla.

[tayo42]

There's different cars for different needs. F150 is the best selling vehicle in the US even though there are cheaper pick ups and cars in general.

There is alot if variety for cars. The US market can't be the only market keeping every European and Asian car manufacturer in business.

[j7ake]

Companies shouldn’t be taking handouts from the US government.

Let capitalism dictate where the cars get made. It is the American way.

[slt2021]

What is so special about EV cars? its just an appliance to move from point A to point B, even the electric motor inside EV is from household appliances like washer/dryer.

the question should be: Should American consumers be allowed to drive green environmentally friendly cars for $10k or should they be forced to shell out $50k (+interest) to billionaire elon musk

[Despegar]

Yeah I don't care

[almostgotcaught]

it's amazing to me when people on hn (supposed champions of meritocracy and innovation and free markets etc) are so scared of actual free trade. like what are you scared of? equilibration in wages? the only reason to be scared of that is because you're afraid of your purchasing power going down but that means of course your current purchasing power comes at the expense of someone else's. and if you don't buy that argument - "it's not a zero-sum game you communist!" - then you have nothing to be scared of (because your purchasing power will remain high) and you should support truly free trade.

[seanmcdirmid]

Tesla sells a lot of cars in China (made in China) and exports lots of cars it makes in China to countries like Australia.

[mikl]

So would all the other western automakers. The lower wage- and energy costs in China would strangle them all.

[outlace]

All American car companies would be

[throwaway5752]

Tesla is fucked.

On 12/17/24 they hit a 52 week high around $490 per share. Since then, in less than two months, they have lost one third of their value. https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/TSLA/

Musk has single-handedly alienated his core domestic buying demographic in favor of a group that, when polled, says they would not consider an EV at rates of around 70%.

EU markets in which TSLA was viable but contested are even worse.

This while Tesla's strongest international competitor is passing on units sold, executing better, and underpricing them.

As someone who has followed Tesla since the Model S, previously held Musk in some regard, and test drove a Model 3 I find this such an abject travesty of an outcome for what should have been a great US based global car maker and someone who had the potential to accomplish such good for the world with their incredible wealth and privilege.

[tokioyoyo]

To my understanding, the ridiculous stock price and valuation have absolutely nothing to do with the car business. It's basically the potential hopes and dreams of what the leadership can do with direct access to US government.

[sockaddr]

Yup. And don't buy the line that Elon made Tesla a success. They had the core tech and talent to build an EV (without all the other bullshit he added) before he came along. Given enough time they could have been something on their own too.

[werdnapk]

It's more the sanctions than the tariffs.

[drawkward]

And without EV subsidies