Other automakers may eat Tesla’s lunch – The Wall Street Journal
DUBLIN – Tesla has the distinction of being the company that put electric cars on the map. Before Tesla, no one believed that electric vehicles (EVs) could be commercially viable. Tesla proved both that consumers have an appetite for EVs and that the infrastructure necessary to support them is possible. But Tesla's first-mover advantage may not be enough to sustain its lead in the EV space. While Tesla has struggled to produce a mass market EV – the average sticker price for a Model 3 is around $60,000, a far cry from the promised $35,000 – other companies have been launching low-cost EVs like the Nissan Leaf and the Chevy Bolt. And although Tesla continues to dominate the market for high-end EVs, luxury options are now available from Jaguar and BMW, to name a few. Tesla has a strong brand, but so do many other car companies, and other car companies have a far greater capacity to scale up production, manage costs, and deliver reliable vehicles. And they are increasingly moving into the EV space. Consider, for example, the news that Daimler's new CEO is the man who has been leading the company's push into EVs and self-driving cars. Tesla may have led the way into the future, but other companies are snapping at its heels. – Felicity Duncan
By William Boston
(The Wall Street Journal) BERLIN— Daimler AG on Wednesday said its long-serving chief executive will step down and will be succeeded by its current research and development chief, who has been leading the car maker's push into electric vehicles and self-driving cars.
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