Why Tesla Succeeded

[@mjgbabydragonlet]

Merry Christmas Team Freitas!

[@michaelpfister1283]

I have heard this argument - that only government can build x (usually some form of infrastructure) - for so many things, from the space program to healthcare. I wonder how many of these fields Musk needs to succeed in before people finally get it? Elon Musk will always be revered as the man who reminded us that free markets work. Thank you, Elon!

[@JerryHurtgen]

Meanwhile, all the people who want to mandate EVs fail to see they're only feasible because of Tesla's innovation. And yet all the kids hate the fact Elon Musk has reaped the reward for taking that risk. If he had failed, he'd be poor and there'd be no functional EVs.

[@de3481]

And the most hilarious thing about that argument is that the people making it truly believe that the gov't builds things.

[@MrE2raHV]

also the government shouldn't help electric car companies by giving them giant loans

[@doberski6855]

They shouldn't be helping any car company with giant loans!

[@777Outrigger]

The only government loan Tesla got was from the Energy Department’s Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing program. GM and Ford got a loan in this program too. Tesla got a $460 million loan out of $8.6 billion available. And Tesla paid their loan off early.

[@allanmonroe692]

​@@777Outrigger They were the only one to pay off early.

[@Theggman83]

Yeah, the government should stop "helping" and let companies figure it out.

[@Jst4vdeos]

Tesla paid off their loan early whily GM and Ford still haven't paid back their much other loans

[@LorisSawmill]

Can't afford one. I'll stay with my gas vehicle, a 20 year old F150.

[@brianadixon8995]

Ditto I like my '98. He gets things done.

[@wazzup233]

But it'll become more expensive in the future if your F150 would be auctioned as a "vintage car" if that one is well maintained or refurbished.

[@cdmays]

Tesla driver here. I love my car. It is amazing. However, I think you need to check your facts. Tesla has taken hundreds of millions of dollars of government subsidies and loans over the years.

[@jameshoffman552]

The supercharger network made investing in Tesla in 2019 a no-brainer

[@shrimpkins]

"But without government, who would build the roads?!?!?" Or the charging stations that cost $1 billion each, and take 6 months to complete...

[@jimshafer970]

Government built the roads for all cars. Tesla built the charging stations.

[@shrimpkins]

@@jimshafer970 OK, thanks for clearing up the mystery.

[@uromvictor]

​@@jimshafer970 ok. Should i tell you private companies built the road. Government only financed it. Because private sector showed the the value.

[@xRiddleMeThisYouTube]

The Constitution gives the power to build roads to Congress (Article 1, Section 8).

[@shrimpkins]

@@xRiddleMeThisKZbin Thank you

[@bills5009]

Love ya, Nick - but you can't charge a Tesla in "a few minutes".

[@vicmontes7314]

I rented a Model 3 for a few weeks, no trouble with the charging... I'll buy a Tesla when my wife's Escape keels over...soon enough! $6,000 transmission!

[@Alexzw92]

15 minutes is close enough to a “Few”

[@bills5009]

@@Alexzw92 If you're charging to 50%, you might get it done in 15 minutes. Going to 80% will take about 30 minutes. Full charge will be an hour.

[@briansransom]

Everything you said is correct except for the fact that government is still subsidizing Teslas. Can you say for certain that the company would’ve been successful without all the government subsidies?

[@sparklessconnectionselectrical]

Also families making 250k a year would get 14k in subsidies

[@DemPilafian]

Great video! Tesla has been dedicated to 100% true EVs from day one. Every single legacy car manufacture hedges their bets and produces suboptimal EVs. A concrete example of this problem is how the original Ford Mustang Mach-E had *2 km of extraneous wires weighing over 30 kg* because it used wire harnesses designed for Ford's gas vehicles.

[@idksomecarguy]

EV’s are great for people that can charge at home, once they get better range/charge time they will be the best dailys

[@javabean215]

Wow. It's like allowing the free market to really be free, rather than some inappropriately named segment of bureaucracy within the government. Whoda thunk it?

[@caseclosed9342]

Fun fact: Tesla is the only major car company not to be unionized

[@benjamingooch8723]

The Korean and Japanese brand factories in the US aren't either. Possibly even the Volks and BMW.

[@jeffhaines3354]

Nick, thank you for covering a topic that is otherwise heavily criticized by conservatives. The only thing that I would add is Musk’s distain for federal funding for any industry - including the ones he’s in. I think sometimes we get so polarized that we don’t stop to critically think about each issue. In this case, a lot of conservatives criticize electric vehicles because of extended charging stops on long distance trips. However, in that case, I’m probably going to be renting a car anyway. Someday, I probably will buy an electric car - most likely a Tesla. When I do, I wouldn’t be charging off the grid, but primarily off solar panels and other renewable resources that I own.

[@nunyabidness3075]

The terms liberal and conservative are pretty useless these days, and are even less useful when it comes to EV’s. If you are hearing complaints about range and charging its most likely, imo, what you are hearing is the reaction to the feeling that ICV’s are under attack by lefties and big government while tax dollars are being spent to boost EV’s. American conservatives naturally want the market to decide and don’t like government choosing winners. They also suspect cronyism and have become suspicious of academics and their climate change theories for both a lot of bad science AND a lot of nasty rhetoric AND a long term of purges of conservatism from academia. Then there are traditional conservatives who are very status quo oriented reacting. Mostly though, Trump supporters who are nationalist and populist are the loudest, and their reasons are mostly just reactionary. Their reasoning is just rationalization for their disagreement with their enemies - progressives, elites, and the environmentalists.

[@charlespichan9619]

I've been waiting for you to do one on Tesla! The only way for innovation is without the government. (Mostly)

[@McMillanScottish]

Yeah, just like GM built most of the first real roads in this country, and for the same reason. Yet, government still found a way to make owning a car a tool of oppression. And they're gonna do the same thing with electric cars, but even more, because they will have total control over whether your car starts or stops.

[@aaronpitts5127]

Car style, sales model, word of mouth, etc. Sure they, like all other electric cars, have issues. But so did the model A. Otherwise Ford would have stopped there. Tesla also didn't try to sell people on "saving the planet". (News flash, you're not savthe planet). They just made it fun.

[@GetThemLyrics]

I bought one because it’s cheaper in the long run, fun, and on long road trips FSD is a blessing. I could care less about the environment.

[@marklittle8805]

Musk said no one would want electric cars if they looked like crap and didn't perform. That is why Teslas have decent styling (except for the stupid truck, but some people like that) and go like a bat out of hell...

[@danashumway7090]

Tesla is the perfect example of how private industry is always more effective than government interference.

[@KallMeCricket]

And the phenomenon that the big wire at the charging stations get cut and stolen for copper to sell And the recent article that state farm insurance removed their charging stations from the parking garage, and are not allowing employees electric vehicles to park in the garage due to risk of fire

[@lacie5522]

And now Tesla is the largest car company in the world by a wide margin (measured by market cap).

[@skaruts]

The largest company while selling the least cars. That ought to raise some questions, but there's a certain cult of personality distracting people from it.

[@vicmontes7314]

​​@@skaruts uhhh, their market cap includes things other car manufacturers can't do...Robots, AI, Mega Power Storage, FSD.... Yea, no other companies do these things like Tesla. Tesla is a modern GE. Go ahead and go short! That would be brilliant!

[@skaruts]

​@@vicmontes7314 no, they can't do FSD. Tesla had to stop lying about it being FSD for legal reasons. And robots? All the videos they made with robots were obvious montages. Their robots have been laughably bad, and they are also not selling those robots at all. I don't remember enough about the Megapack thing. My point is, though, that back when Tesla stock was severely overvalued, it wasn't even selling enough cars to justify investing in Tesla stock. And given that sales have only ever been growing slowly, questions should be raised about where did all the money come from to invest in the rapid expansion of the company into research and production of Megapacks, Robots, Trucks, laughable Cybertrucks, among other things, as well as all the EV infrastructure all around the US. Some of it were gov subsidies, but a lot of it was and still is gullible people investing in Tesla stock due to Musk over-hyping everything.

[@vicmontes7314]

@@skaruts Let us know when you get in a Tesla and try FSD (whatever you want to call it). Until then you're just an uninformed naysayer with an opinion.

[@skaruts]

@@vicmontes7314 I didn't express any opinions. Those are known facts, that Musk has been having legal troubles for false advertising regarding the FSD lie, among other things, and that Tesla robots are not for sale and have been laughably useless for years now. It's quite ironic that you think I'm uninformed.

[@BlaineNay]

But, how much did Tesla get in taxpayer subsidies to do it?

[@nathanmjking]

$2.4b in subsidies and government loans - almost all of which came from state or local level and much of which it's since paid back. For comparison, Ford has received $33.5b, GM $50.3b and Fiat-Chrysler $17.6b. Almost none of it between the three of them has been paid back.

[@Theggman83]

No one is buying EV where I live. It's gonna be a long time before they make a decent pickup truck for farmers and laborers... And there just aren't any chargers out here...

[@TSDamiano]

Eu , china , canada , switzerland : subsidies EVS with tax breaks or subsidies

[@skaruts]

I've never heard anyone say the markets couldn't grow an EV industry without government help. Also, I don't think Tesla's sales reflect the money they spend building infrastructure. They haven't actually been very successful in that regard. I'm just saying...

[@nunyabidness3075]

I don’t think you were listening. I’m not being argumentative. It’s the whole justification for subsidies which it was reasonably thought were needed to get enough volume going to attract capital. It’s not crazy either, as much as I think it was done poorly. I am not a Musk hater, but Tesla made a car before he bought the company. They built a tiny, enthusiast vehicle based on an IC car in production already. The volume and position of the existing auto companies is a MASSIVE deterrent to competitors. It’s not like they all haven’t had subsidies or other help either. Still, boutique performance car companies do find wealthy customers for products even where trying to compete for volume car business is not really sensible for a new player.

[@skaruts]

@@nunyabidness3075 There was a time when Tesla stocks were more valuable than those of most other car companies put together, all while Tesla sales were the lowest. I wasn't alluding to subsidies from the gov, I was alluding to stock fraud.

[@vicmontes7314]

​@@nunyabidness3075 Now let's get it straight...Lotus modified the Elise chassis for Tesla which included the suspension for the longer wheelbase. Lotus has a history of working with other manufacturers including Ford (Lotus TwinCam and F1, Cortina...) GM including the 1990s Corvette ZR-1 powertrain and suspension.

[@skaruts]

@@nunyabidness3075 youtube deleted my reply, as usual. I wasn't alluding to subsidies, I was alluding to stock fraud.

[@rphb5870]

One word: Governmentsubsidy, combined with an irrational fear of the weather spread by nefarious moral busybodies

[@jamsbong]

People don’t realize is that Tesla get a lot of their income from carbon credits. When GM, Ford and Chrysler sells gas cars they have to pay for carbon credits. This money is paid directly to Tesla.

[@yewo.m]

As much as I'm a big fan of Elon Musk and all his companies, I'm also kinda concerned about the potential conflict of interest with him having such big direct influence on government right now, and the kinda look that will give if things go wrong. Like Tesla wants the government to scrap the requirement for reporting vehicle crash data when accidents happen with autopilot, which just looks kinda sus

[@lutdootutdoo5342]

Tesla received government money too…

[@TheRealDrJoey]

EVs are like Bruce Willis in "The Sixth Sense"---they don't know they're dead already.

[@NashiHeartSoulSpirit]

More proof that we don’t need governments to regulate society.

[@nukejets]

Now they need to solve the battery fire problem.

[@DemPilafian]

Over 500 Americans lives are lost in gas vehicle fires every year. On a per km driven basis, gas vehicle fires are an order of magnitude more frequent and fatal than EV fires.

[@ctreid87]

Beard day!

[@LouisWritingSomethingCrazy]

They built their own charging stations. There, I saved you 3 minutes.

[@markmeridian3360]

EVs might have niches here and there but EVs have serious problems that will keep them from dominating the mass market. 1) They're too expensive. EVs cost more than an equivalent ICE car, 2) EVs take far too long to fully charge, about an hour (or more), even on a fast charger, 3) Only the more expensive ones have a reasonable range, 4) They deliver very poor range in cold weather, 5) They depreciate far faster than gas cars, 6) They cost more to insure and repair (that's why Hertz has backed away from their plans to increase EV adoption), 7) They have a risk of catching fire when they are parked, often when charging, perhaps in your garage or under an apartment building. For example, 50 brand-new Rivian EVs just burned down in their factory parking lot. EV fires are almost impossible to extinguish and are extremely toxic, 8) EVs cost more to drive per mile than an efficient hybrid when charged on a public charger at the highway-robbery rates they charge for electricity. This is a serious problem for people who don’t own a place to put a home charger, 9) Sufficient public charging infrastructure doesn't yet exist. This sometimes results in extremely long queues at peak times (such as holidays), 10) There is insufficient electricity supply to support a complete switch to EVs. About 20% more electricity supply is needed but that's not planned or funded, 11) EVs use up tires faster, 12) EVs don’t have as large of an environmental benefit as claimed - they require massive amounts of mining to create batteries, battery production emits CO2, defective/degraded battery recycling is extremely difficult.

[@bonniespeck]

If you build them, they will come

[@iamcomcy]

Exactly correct. :-)

[@mchume65]

I still don't want one, ever.

[@coleymoke6709]

This is the first time I've questioned your wisdom.

[@marklittle8805]

EVs are fine. It is the idiots who think they are saving the planet with them that are the issue.

[@anthonymorris5084]

The government subsidizes Tesla as well.

[@darkbringer1440]

Was that the tiny loan they paid back early while everyone else's EV departments continue to struggle?

[@anthonymorris5084]

@@darkbringer1440 No, it's the continued subsidies that governments, like Canada give to anybody who buys an EV including a Tesla. The Canadian program is worth billions of dollars. Numerous provinces also have their own subsidies that Elon Musk fully enjoys. Fortunately some provinces like Ontario ended this disgusting taxpayer rip off.

[@StudSupreme]

Wait - I thought Tesla got enormous amounts of federal funding.

[@geraldholt2755]

They did, but after the fact. I'm sure they planned on receiving government benefits, but they initially went for it.

[@lacie5522]

Tesla, along with all other EV makers, do get some government funding. Each company has a limit to how much they can get though and Tesla quit getting subsidies a long time ago.

[@777Outrigger]

The only government loan Tesla got was from the Energy Department’s Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing program. GM and Ford got a loan in this program too. Tesla got a $460 million loan out of $8.6 billion available. Tesla paid their loan off early.

[@stvargas69]

Im sorry, but after having driven a Tesla for a year I am not touting its laurels. The range you say is no longer a problem? Really? If you read their manual it clearly says for daily use dont charge over 80% & dont go below 20%. Thats "half a tank". If the big 3 told you that no one would buy their cars. Minutes to charge? Ok, 45 on a fast charger at Target but again they dont recommend that for daily driving. You cook the batteries that way. Similar to microwaving steaks. Is it hot, yea is it good? You tell me. They eat tires. The center dash controls all of your functions. So if you can change your settings on a computer while driving in bumper to bumper traffic or at 70, you are better than me. Kudos to Tesla for making a subpar car "without taxpayer money". Are EVs the future? Yes. But there are a 1000 bugs added with it. Im not going to go into the enviromental impact we dont see in their production.

[@Don_Beto_ptr]

Elon is Tony Stark

[@ElsuUni_]

charging stations still suck, electric cars still suck. Until I can fully charge my car in 4 minutes its crap. A 04 Jetta gets about 600 miles in 4 minutes.

[@GetThemLyrics]

You’ll never drive 600 miles in one go. You’ll need to go to the bathroom or at least stretch your legs way before that. No need for all that range.

[@HelenLannister]

The thumbnail is clickbait… they did indeed change the headlights, but while matrix headlights are very good, they’re not the reason for Tesla's success, and aren’t even mentioned in the video! :P

[@TheRealFelipeNoel]

I don’t think anything about the thumbnail before or even the title was about the matrix headlights

[@HelenLannister]

There is a big arrow pointing precisely to the headlight, with the caption “they changed this”. Which is true… they did.

[@WalterWhite1911]

Dear Nick, as much as I like you and your content, this is a pile of horsecrap. Tesla did (and does) get an inordinate amount of subsidizing from the government, both directly and indirectly. Besides, *CHINESE* electric cars are *by far* the most successful ones worldwide.

[@Sergio_Loureiro]

1. and 2. sentences are correct. 3. sentence I agree, if you append "getting burned by their own batteries".

[@marklittle8805]

Chinese ones are way more subsidized than Tesla, and have stolen IP. Plus, they are way more likely to catch fire. Tesla has some subsidies going their way, but nothing like BYD or Chery

[@Sergio_Loureiro]

1:10 In what world do you live in?????!!!!!!! Tell me where is that charger that only takes a few minutes to refill!

[@TheRealFelipeNoel]

From what I’ve read online, it seems to depend on the kind of charger you have

[@patrickwarren]

They are everywhere

[@KallMeCricket]

How much did they pay you for this why minute? I feel disappointed and lost trust in your content. In some types of accidents, EV's can spontaneously burst into flames. It has to do with the battery. The most recent of these accidents was in Oakland CA I believe in a cyber truck killing 3 twenty-one year olds Also, these batteries last 8-10 years? How do they get disposed of? Like fast fashion, I think EV's are built to be disposable cars, but the batteries may not be environmentally friendly to dispose of and all the plastic components of the interior

[@marklittle8805]

And a Gas car doesn't catch fire. It too has some environmental issues as well. EVs won't save the planet, but they are an option for people to drive something different that drives different. I won't have one because I don't like waiting to recharge; but I don't care if someone else drives one. That is the free market. As long as it isn't heavily subsidized I don't care. People can make choices

[@KallMeCricket]

@marklittle8805 I hear you honoring other's right to choose their preferred vehicle. As someone who has family property in the California mountains, has seen the devastating effects of large fires there, my own dad's house burnt to ash in the paradise fire, I am very concerned if these EV's and/or their charging stations pose a fire risk. What if one of my neighbor's choice to go with EV results in my home being burnt down?

[@Sergio_Loureiro]

1. Tesla was helped by government subsidies in many countries. The subsidy comes indirectly via the cars customers, to help lowering the purchase price. This was even very noticeable in Germany, when they made a law that artificially made Tesla care more difficult to sell, giving only the subsidy to cars up to a certain price, due to its price point being higher than German brand cars. Tesla was forced to get some equipment out of the cars to sell cars there. 2. In China, Tesla went there with big help from state-controlled government banks. getting subsidies to put the manufacturing plants there. 3. Tesla in 2018 was only profitable because of the carbon tax credits, a regulatory measure that forced the combustion engine car makers to pay them to compensate for the pollution. Your channel is full of shit because you always leave important matters out of sight. The name of channel should be `The *INCOMPLETE* Minutes', because these things are relevant. Just did a *Don't recommend channel* on my home page of KZbin.