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Tesla takes on $30B in credit as it approaches unprofitability

161 points · 221 comments · ciconia

  1. Animats · · focus · HN ↗
    It's disappointing. They were the leading electric car company, and then they blew it. No new good models. The robotaxi that never quite works. The Cybertruck. The humanoid robot army. The out-to-lunch CEO off being a political.

    Tesla should be building something like the Slate pickup. Or like BYD's midrange models. Things that would actually sell.

    One of the lessons of the electric car industry is that when gas car companies build electric vehicles, the vehicles suck. They're usually adapted versions of gas cars, which means too much structure and cost in the wrong places. This usually comes out as a $5000 price penalty for the electric model. Tesla was well placed to avoid that.

    But they blew it.

    1. bzzzt · · focus · HN ↗
      "Gas car" companies like Volkswagen or Volvo also have EVs built from the ground up, and have models cheaper than Tesla, most of the time with slightly lesser range or other specs but price/performance wise in the same ballpark.

      If anything makes it more expensive it's the habit of certain manufacturers to nickel and dime buyers over every option.

    2. danny_codes · · focus · HN ↗
      Tesla isn’t interested in being a car company. That’s pretty clear from the fact they only sell 2 cars and some sort of dump truck. Though I don’t see people using the truck’s trash capacity too fully, generally only the driver’s seat is filled with detritus.
      1. JKCalhoun · · focus · HN ↗
        Ha ha, and here I thought it was a life-size R/C car/truck/thing.
      2. Animats · · focus · HN ↗
        Tesla is a car company, despite whatever Musk has been blithering. 2025 revenue:

        - Automotive: $69.53 B (73.3%)

        - Energy Generation & Storage: $12.77 B (13.5%)

        - Services & Other: $12.53 B (13.2%)

        Tesla car sales are down a little.[1] Not too much.

        The product is the stock. Tesla P/E ratio is above 350 today. For comparison, Ford is around 12.

        [1] <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.detroitnews.com&#x2F;story&#x2F;business&#x2F;autos&#x2F;2026&#x2F;10&#x2F;01&#x2F;elon-musks-tesla-likely-saw-sales-drop-in-third-quarter-analysts-say&#x2F;92039290007&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.detroitnews.com&#x2F;story&#x2F;business&#x2F;autos&#x2F;2026&#x2F;10&#x2F;01&#x2F;...

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