Tesla/Space X/Boring Co./Neuralink

[paul78701]

Originally Posted by chinchaaa

what he has done that's good aside from jobs that pay well below the average income in this city?

If it's true that Tesla is paying below average, I was not aware of that. But yes, he's creating jobs. Not just Tesla jobs, but jobs that are being created from Tesla suppliers moving to town. Moving Telsa HQ here has also brought more attention to the city. Some may or may not agree that is a good thing.

As far as I can tell, his drama and this crazy Twitter saga hasn't done much harm Austin-wise. I don't how it really could, but who knows.

[lonewolf]

Originally Posted by Jdawgboy

I find it hilarious that some think we aren't on point with the topic subject matter. Reality is Musk is now tied to Austin for better or for worse, so I see nothing wrong with pointing out criticisms such as the lack of updates about the nature preserve, which is most definitely part of "local projects" It very much has to do with Giga Texas and whatever else he is doing with the large swath of land that he owns in the Austin area.

i don't see a preserve of much scale happening and i certainly don't expect it to be anywhere near the "ecological paradise" it was sold as.

my expectation is just a continuation of the type of trail/nature interaction that's on town lake

[enragedcamel]

Originally Posted by paul78701

The guy is obviously highly intelligent. But, just because one is highly intelligent doesn't mean that they aren't also immature, flaky, crazy, or whatever other applicable adjectives. He has exhibited these other attributes for quite a long time. Nobody should be surprised.

You take the good, you take the bad. So far, from what I can tell, he's done more good than bad for Austin.

I mean, he has been in Austin for how long? Less than a year? Give it time.

Don't get me wrong, I love some of the stuff he's doing, particularly with SpaceX. But that's far to the south, and the rest of his projects (including, yes, Tesla) are pretty meh.

[paul78701]

Originally Posted by enragedcamel

I mean, he has been in Austin for how long? Less than a year? Give it time.

That's why I said "so far". I'm not advocating for the guy. I think he's nuts. Just stating my observations.

Originally Posted by enragedcamel

Don't get me wrong, I love some of the stuff he's doing, particularly with SpaceX. But that's far to the south, and the rest of his projects (including, yes, Tesla) are pretty meh.

Meh or not, he's helping grow a segment of the job market that doesn't seem to have kept up. Manufacturing, blue collar jobs. We need those too. It's bad if we're only growing tech jobs.

[ahealy]

Originally Posted by paul78701

Meh or not, he's helping grow a segment of the job market that doesn't seem to have kept up. Manufacturing, blue collar jobs. We need those too. It's bad if we're only growing tech jobs.

Yes. We need way more trade / blue collar support for Austin.

[drummer]

Originally Posted by ahealy

Yes. We need way more trade / blue collar support for Austin.

With all the manufacturing coming to the area, these will increase as well. The issue is getting companies to pay a wage that can meet the cost of living in the area. I've had numerous conversations with our corporate leadership to get higher wages for assembly workers, etc., so we can keep them. They'll leave in a heartbeat for something that pays more, and they're not wrong to do so if they can. Apartment rents are higher than my mortgage in many cases.

[StoOgE]

Well. This thread should get interesting soon.

So, is Tesla's new "hardcore legal team" going to be HQ'ed in Austin?

[We vs us]

Someone’s gotta take his Twitter keys away. He’s gonna keep digging till he hits China.

[Armybrat]

Originally Posted by StoOgE

Well. This thread should get interesting soon.

So, is Tesla's new "hardcore legal team" going to be HQ'ed in Austin?

As if weneed any more lawyers.

[clubtokyo]

Ugh it really makes me sad that our great city has to be associated with this trash human. I used to be a fan….

[freerover]

Originally Posted by StoOgE

Well. This thread should get interesting soon.

So, is Tesla's new "hardcore legal team" going to be HQ'ed in Austin?

He won’t be Tesla’s ceo in 6 months.

[austlar1]

So if a slim majority of US Tesla customers (potential and actual) vote Democratic, which appears to be the case, one has to wonder what percentage of them will be so put off by Musk's denunciation of the the Democratic Party that they will no longer purchase a Tesla? I would imagine that figure is in the 10% to 20% range. Musk may be rich enough not to care, but I suspect shareholders might feel differently about it. On the other hand, could Musk be voted out by shareholders? Doesn't he own have "super majority" privileges along with his 22% share of Tesla stock? https://www.thestreet.com/investing/...stake-14564491

[homebucket]

Originally Posted by austlar1

So if a slim majority of US Tesla customers (potential and actual) vote Democratic, which appears to be the case, one has to wonder what percentage of them will be so put off by Musk's denunciation of the the Democratic Party that they will no longer purchase a Tesla? I would imagine that figure is in the 10% to 20% range. Musk may be rich enough not to care, but I suspect shareholders might feel differently about it. On the other hand, could Musk be voted out by shareholders? Doesn't he own have "super majority" privileges along with his 22% share of Tesla stock? https://www.thestreet.com/investing/...stake-14564491

10-20% sounds way too high to me. My impression is that most Tesla buyers buy the car because it’s the best EV out there for the price both in terms of long term data and charging network. A tiny fraction are actual fanboys or fangirls. The vast majority don’t care what Musk does or says.

And whatever sales losses from hardcore democrats that would change their decision to buy a Tesla because of Musk, on the flip side, will probably be offset by a tiny fraction of new Tesla adopters from the conservative side, who now seem to have changed their opinion on Musk and might be open to buying a Tesla in a show of support.

[austlar1]

Originally Posted by homebucket

10-20% sounds way too high to me. My impression is that most Tesla buyers buy the car because it’s the best EV out there for the price both in terms of long term data and charging network. A tiny fraction are actual fanboys or fangirls. The vast majority don’t care what Musk does or says.

And whatever sales losses from hardcore democrats that would change their decision to buy a Tesla because of Musk, on the flip side, will probably be offset by a tiny fraction of new Tesla adopters from the conservative side, who now seem to have changed their opinion on Musk and might be open to buying a Tesla in a show of support.

You may be right, and I'm sure Musk did a bit of calculus himself. He might be thinking about the market for his pickup here. I have a friend who is taking delivery of a Model 3 in a week or two. I am seeing him tonight at a party and plan to ask for his opinion. He is a hardcore progressive, so it should be interesting.

[ahealy]

Originally Posted by homebucket

10-20% sounds way too high to me. My impression is that most Tesla buyers buy the car because it’s the best EV out there for the price both in terms of long term data and charging network. A tiny fraction are actual fanboys or fangirls. The vast majority don’t care what Musk does or says.

Sure, but not for long. The EV market is vastly expanding with competitors. It's so funny this is all happening now. I currently own an EV and was just recently on a Tesla kick. I have to say, all of this crap flying around completely changed my mind and sours me on ever giving that company money. It's weird because it's not political either....it just feels messy.

I have some friends that are so far down the rabbit hole with him that they are convinced every tweet or comment is part of some vast master plan. It's really unfortunate the internet and social media can make some people so delusional...and loyal.

[enragedcamel]

You are right that other manufacturers have been jumping into the EV game. However, it is very unlikely that they will be able to catch up to Tesla's numbers any time soon, for one simple reason: they don't have the manufacturing capacity for batteries. Tesla saw that writing on the wall years ago and has been investing heavily in Gigafactories for precisely that reason. Everyone else has to fight for scraps (i.e. try to get it from the same few suppliers).

[ATX2030]

Giga Texas update 5/21

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4kFC13yOaw

[ahealy]

Originally Posted by enragedcamel

You are right that other manufacturers have been jumping into the EV game. However, it is very unlikely that they will be able to catch up to Tesla's numbers any time soon, for one simple reason: they don't have the manufacturing capacity for batteries. Tesla saw that writing on the wall years ago and has been investing heavily in Gigafactories for precisely that reason. Everyone else has to fight for scraps (i.e. try to get it from the same few suppliers).

Yeah...true. Ugh. I mean we need the clean transportation, so it's a win/win I suppose.

[kingkirbythe....]

Keep Bastrop Boring: Central Texas man wars with Elon Musk's Boring Company

https://www.mysanantonio.com/busines...P-CP-Spotlight

Just after 7 p.m. on May 3, a tall, bearded man in a white Stetson strolled up to the microphone positioned in front of Kyle City Council and spilled his guts about Elon Musk and his Boring Company’s forays into Texas. On that day, the company wished to get a professional services contract approved for a $3 million railroad pedestrian tunnel to connect with Kyle's Vybe trail system.

“I can tell you with some confidence I have more experience negotiating with the Boring Company than anyone in this room,” he said, choking up, his voice cracking. “They made promises about light pollution, noise, truck traffic, fiber internet, but one year later they’ve delivered on none of those promises.”

A year ago, the Boring Company became Chap Ambrose’s neighbor, and today, he’s informing the citizens of the suburb south of Austin about his odyssey as a warning. But Ambrose isn’t from Kyle; he lives 40-plus miles northeast in Bastrop County. And since May 2021, he has been in a protracted battle with Elon Musk’s $5.7 billion company that wants to alleviate traffic by digging tunnels under cities.

[Sigaven]

Musk went from hero to zero in a matter of a few years in my view...but I still want to get a Tesla. They're just beautiful cars.