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Blog Post #5 – Tesla Domination

Tesla Domination

Lucas

If I told you to picture an electric car in your mind, what brand of car would you see? I wouldn’t be surprised if you pictured a vehicle from Tesla Motors. When it comes to electric vehicles, Tesla had become a leading factor in the subject. Electric vehicles have become a higher demand as the years go on. The automotive industries in the US and Canada are approaching towards the innovation and technology of advanced electric vehicles. With global warming becoming a more detrimental problem in the last decade, electric cars are increasingly in demand because of their lower degree of carbon emissions. When it comes to electric vehicles on the market, Tesla had undeniably become a leading factor in this subject. In this round of research, questions will be answered regarding why Tesla is so successful in the EV market.

 

Sales of Electric Vehicles:

 

In the 68.8 million cars that are sold worldwide in 2020, only 3.24 million out of it are electric cars, equivalent to 5 percent. However, EV sales are growing expeditiously as time goes on. While less than 200,000 are sold globally in January of last year, it has increased to almost 600,000 in December of that year. Within the market, Tesla has completely dominated especially with the presence of their model 3. In 2019, Tesla has made up 78% of all EV sales in the US. In the first half of 2020, they’re outselling the next 3 EV manufacturers combined. There had been a significant lack of competitors for Tesla and its vehicles. Although different companies such as Ford and Volvo have launched their electric cars, it simply didn’t hit the consumers the same way that Tesla did.

 

Why Are People Choosing Tesla for an Electric Car?

  • Technology

https://www.tesla.com/en_CA/autopilot?redirect=no

As the years go on, technology has become a bigger part of our life. Tesla has greatly demonstrated this point by adopting advanced technology in their vehicle that makes it safer and more convenient to operate. Many people even described them as computers on wheels, which makes a lot of sense. One part that makes Tesla vehicles unique from the others is that they are software-defined vehicles, meaning that the functions and features are enabled through software. While you might need to replace your car for a newer model because of the improvements, it is not a big problem in software-based vehicles. Software updates are also available for Tesla owners to make their vehicles better. They can repair bugs, add new features, and even upgrade vehicle performance without visiting the dealer. Updates in the past have included decreasing charging time, faster vehicle speed, updated driving simulation, and features such as traffic lights recognition and summon mode. Tesla is also a leader in the world for self-driving technology. Vehicles have been installed with 8 cameras and a foreward facing radar and continuously monitor its surroundings. It utilizes these sensors and the computer to steer, accelerate, and brake automatically. Although fully self-driven vehicles are not yet available at Tesla, all their cars already have the hardware needed to do so.

  • Driving Experience and Design

Out of many other electric cars, Tesla has provided one of the best consumer experiences of operating and driving their vehicles. Most importantly, Tesla gets all the credit for producing a car that offers a smooth and impeccable ride. In the summer when I went biking at Whistler, my dad’s friend took me there all the time with his Tesla Model X. Not only noticeable by its unique design, the vehicle was extremely comfortable to ride and drive in. When it hits the road, I could instantly notice how smooth and vibrationless it is. Also with its quietness, the vehicle feels like it’s taking no effort while accelerating or climbing up hills. One function that provided a lot of flexibility in the car is the ability to adjust the suspension height. While you might want to lower it on the highway for smooth cornering, adjusting it high allows the vehicle to drive on unpaved roads. However, the vehicle doesn’t perform as well in off-road situations because of its stiff suspension. Another function that improves the driving experience of the vehicle is the different driving modes that it has. These include the chill mode for casual everyday driving, sports mode for high acceleration and speed, and ludicrous mode in performance packages for explosive speed and acceleration. These two functions have made the vehicle customizable and better suited for various driving circumstances. Another huge factor that makes Tesla so popular is its batteries. They offer batteries with a longer range than all their competitors. They are also the only company that provides different battery options for different prices.

 

Tesla vehicles also have a modern and sleek design. The aesthetics of the interior is minimalist and clean, equipped with a big touchscreen and rigid feeling seats. Many buttons visible in traditional vehicles are omitted with the functions accessible through its screen.

  • Marketing of their brand

Tesla is a young company. However, their marketing and the catchy brand name has become recognizable to many people around the world. Being so recognizable, you might be surprised that they spent no money on advertisements. One factor that made Tesla so known is because of their celebrity CEO Elon Musk. During all the interviews that Musk has been to, he always acts as a commercial for Tesla. Many of his actions are also involved with the brand such as sending a Roadster to Space and escorting astronauts with a Model X on board of SpaceX rockets in May 2020. Because of their popularity, the release of other brand’s EVs also serves as free marketing for Tesla. When a company launches a well-rounded EV, news titles and analysts often label it as “Tesla Killers” which has the opposite effect of giving Tesla more hype.

 

Thank you for following my blogs and reading them. I hope you learned more about Tesla and its amazing vehicles today!

 

Cites:

https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2021/02/10/2173513/0/en/Electric-Vehicles-market-Demand-to-Be-Twofold-in-the-Next-Five-Years-with-a-strong-CAGR-of-10-6-during-forecast-period-2021-2027.html#:~:text=The%20automotive%20industry%20in%20countries,of%20the%20advanced%20electric%20vehicle.&text=The%20increasing%20demand%20for%20reducing,the%20growth%20of%20electric%20vehicles.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NF1wqf5pBdM

 

https://www.ev-volumes.com/

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tesla,_Inc.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMsvr55cTZ0

 

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7 Comments

  1. Hi Lucas,

    I did think of Tesla when I thought about electric cars. I think most people think of Tesla because of how easy to use its marketed to be. I also agree that Elon Musk does have a connection to many generations. This means a lot of different people know who he is and what he does. So you answered the question “why are people choosing Tesla for an electric car” so for your next question, maybe you could ask if it really is the best choice?

    Here are some sources that might help
    https://www.edmunds.com/electric-car/
    https://www.barrons.com/articles/comparing-tesla-electric-vehicle-upstarts-metrics-for-investors-batteries-51599773194

    Good luck!

  2. Hey Lucas, nice post! I really enjoy reading articles on this topic because it consistently blows me away is how successful Tesla is. Tesla is a relatively small company compared to other large auto vehicle companies, such as Honda and Ford. However, despite its small size, Tesla is by far the leading company in the electric vehicle field, a market that is growing by leaps and bounds. Even though other companies have far more money and experience developing cars, they somehow fail time and time again to create an electric vehicle that can truly compete with Tesla’s offerings, especially the range delivered by its cars. It’s also super interesting that even though Tesla spends virtually no money on marketing, it is still a household name all across the world; the cult of personality that Elon Musk has developed and all the memes that have been created based on him and his actions seem to be all the publicity the company needs to sell their vehicles. Great work!

    Some resources you may find useful are:

    https://www.reuters.com/article/us-autos-tesla-newera-insight-idUSKCN24N0GB

    https://qz.com/1984908/tesla-is-beating-traditional-car-companies-in-the-ev-race/

    https://www.investopedia.com/articles/active-trading/072115/what-makes-teslas-business-model-different.asp

    https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesmorris/2020/06/14/how-did-tesla-become-the-most-valuable-car-company-in-the-world/

    https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/061915/story-behind-teslas-success.asp

  3. Hi Lucas!

    I really liked your post, it was very interesting to read, I learnt a lot. I was shocked to find out that Tesla doesn’t spend any money on ads, but it does make sense. The first time I saw a Tesla, I remember asking my dad what it was, because I had never seen a car that looked like that. They were very rare at that point, but it seems like I see them all the time now.

    Good luck on your future research,
    -Jasmine Paduraru

  4. Lucas,
    I really enjoyed your third round of research! Very interesting! I defenitely do not know much about cars, but after reading your three rounds of research, I have learnt so much! I was very shocked to learn that Tesla has not spent any money on advertisements! Also, I defenitely agree that I do know Tesla through Elon Musk! Overall, great three rounds of research! I really enjoyed the visuals included! Great job!
    Looking forward to your future posts, Lucas!

  5. Hi Lucas,
    Great work on your final post. Personally, I think electric cars, specifically Tesla, will take over soon. The increase you mentioned (200k-600k purchases) was crazy. Even my family was considering an electric car. I do have a question for you: how do you think electric car companies, not just Tesla, will deal with the issue of charging the car on road trips/ long drives?

    N. Shahram

  6. Hey Lucas,

    What a read! My brother is very interested in cars and I never really took the time to understand why. Your posts have provided a lot of insight into the passion! I also liked the way your formatted your work and bolded important details. This allowed readers to remember specific facts and information!

    Tesla’s technology is very advanced and unique. You mentioned that the style and design of the vehicle impact customer response. In your opinion, do you believe this is the primary reason for Tesla’s success. Do you believe any existing electric car brand could someday surpass Tesla’s success?

    Great work! I wish you luck with your future research!
    Rasee

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