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jackvalentine | 12 days ago

I just ordered a 37,000AUD BYD, the "$25k (USD) car" that Elon used to promise was coming.

Seems like I'm not the only one with 2779 BYD EVs sold in the country in January compared to just 501 Teslas.[1]

[1] https://business.carsales.com.au/news-room/news/vfacts-janua...

discuss

order

Betelbuddy|12 days ago

This is a quote from Tesla latest earnings call, at 04 min..

"Because we're really moving into a future that is based on autonomy and so if you're interested in buying a Model S and X, now would be the time to order it, because we expect to wind down S and X production in next quarter and basically stop production of Model S and X next quarter. We'll obviously continue to support the Model S and X programs for as long as people have the vehicles, but we're gonna take the Model S and X production space in our Fremont factory and convert that into an Optimus factory, which will... with the long-term goal of having 1 million units a year of Optimus robots in the current S/X space in Fremont."

bhouston|12 days ago

This reads to me like someone saying “you can’t dump me, because I am preemptively dumping you.” It is a forced pivot to avoid having to admit failure.

palmotea|12 days ago

> but we're gonna take the Model S and X production space in our Fremont factory and convert that into an Optimus factory, which will... with the long-term goal of having 1 million units a year of Optimus robots in the current S/X space in Fremont."

I don't know how well that's going to work out for them. I saw these robots (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVX6vq0RSnY) on the Chinese New Year Gala, and they look way more dexterous than any Optimus video I've ever seen.

kelipso|12 days ago

Wonder what the maintenance picture for Tesla will be like from now on. Crazy expensive parts at the very least I would imagine.

NalNezumi|12 days ago

Can someone enlighten me WHO the customer to those million Optimus robots are?

I've been working in robotics for years now, I've talked with ex Optimus developers, FigureAI devs, some Japanese humanoid devs, researchers, talked to people in conferences and no one. Absolutely no one I've met take Optimus seriously. If a lab is considering buying a humanoid they'll go to China. Hell, even MIT professors that have been crucial to the development (Boston dynamics etc) seems to not put too much emphasis on Tesla.

But I've also been to industrial robotics conferences, mostly for customers and user focus and not developers and usually the perception is different in those circles.

So who are the optimistic customers for Optimus?

prawn|12 days ago

I think those are just two of the models that aren't pushed particularly hard. As I understand it, Model 3 and Model Y are the major models in recent time?

I think S, X and Cybertruck are just 3% of 2025 deliveries?

KennyBlanken|12 days ago

> 1 million Optimus robots

Are there that many unemployed actors available?

jackvalentine|12 days ago

I'm not sure what you're trying to tell me.

gradus_ad|12 days ago

The whole pivot to Optimus is insane. I can understand the market following Elon down all the other paths he randomly skips down but Optimus... Really?? The only way to explain it is it's not being taken seriously but Elon seems to be taking it very seriously...

PearlRiver|12 days ago

I bet Chinese robots will be cheaper lol.

dkobia|12 days ago

The average price of a new car in the US is now ~$50,000 and the average monthly payment is almost $800. All people want is an affordable car and it is clear that won’t happen any time soon. It isn’t strange at all that prisoners to this system are cheering on the Chinese disruption.

plugger|12 days ago

You're definitely not alone! I just took delivery of a new BYD Shark 6 on Monday. It's amazing and I paid $41k USD ($57,900 AUD) for it. Before that was available I was planning on punting on a used Hilux.

I'm charging my Shark right now and I couldn't be happier. I expect my fuel bill (it's a PHEV) to drop by 70-80% when compared to the 2010 Commodore wagon I was driving last week.

Rodeoclash|12 days ago

Congrats on your upgrade from bogan to neuvo-bogan ;)

(I kid, I also drive a byd, ATTO though rather than shark)

blub|12 days ago

The apparently widespread enthusiasm for spyware on wheels (a category in which Tesla also competes) is sobering.

Many customers really only care about price and that it generally works and looks fine and have zero idea about the hidden costs.

Rover222|11 days ago

The current model 3 is about $29k with inflation from 2017. They didn't quite hit the mark, but it's not like they're wildly off.

dboreham|12 days ago

Saw lots of BYD in New Zealand recently. Probably more than I saw in Hong Kong.

panick21_|12 days ago

When Tesla dropped the 'Model 2' car because 'the future would be all robo taxi' I dropped my remaining position in the stock. The idea that car sales would collapse by 50% because robo-taxi would happen just around the corner was crazy.