Electric Vehicles (EVs) generally represent progress and promising technology. Like any innovative technology, there are successes and failures. In 1910, the USA had 400 gasoline-powered automobile companies. By 1940, there were 44, and in 1970, there were 7. Many of us recall the popularity of companies and brands such as DeLorean, Pontiac, Plymouth, Studebaker, DeSoto, and Oldsmobile. These automobiles are no longer manufactured.
The Tesla board recently approved a $1 trillion pay package for Elon Musk, contingent upon the company meeting specific goals. Among the goals are to increase Tesla’s valuation by 567%, deliver 20 million vehicles, produce 1 million robotaxis, 10 million Full Self-Driving subscriptions, and manufacture 1 million humanoid robots.
Tesla had a head start in the EV business. Two Silicon Valley entrepreneurs created the early Tesla prototypes, and afterwards, Musk joined the Tesla Board. Subsequently, Musk assumed managerial control of Tesla. In the early years, under Musk’s leadership, Tesla achieved phenomenal success. Despite, or perhaps because of, the early successes, Musk began to promise innovations and features for Tesla products that seemed impossible to achieve. As it turned out, almost all of his “over-the-top” promises were proven to be pipe dreams.
Musk’s managerial behavior became increasingly erratic during the COVID period. He became frustrated by COVID restrictions and declared that he would move Tesla’s headquarters and operations to Texas, which had loose governmental restrictions. However, it would be unfair to blame Texas for Musk’s subsequent behavior.
In 2024, Musk spent $277 million to back Trump in his presidential bid. Subsequently, in 2025, Musk became the ultimate White House insider for a few months. He and his gang of 20-something special government workers invaded and tore up many Federal agencies. Musk was allowed to sell his Tesla vehicles on the lawn of the White House. He was riding high as he and his little son were allowed to bloviate during Trump’s White House news conferences endlessly. In the end, Musk came to criticize Trump’s hallmark policy initiative (imposing massive tariffs on almost every country in the world). Suddenly, Musk was persona non grata at the White House.
Musk’s bizarre behavior during his brief White House period not only led Trump to question Musk’s brilliance but also prompted EV consumers worldwide to reconsider purchasing Tesla vehicles. This shift in consumer sentiment had a direct impact on Tesla’s sales, which plummeted.
Musk and Tesla’s PR reassured everyone that he would return his attention to Tesla, and all the problems would be resolved. NEWS FLASH: The damage has been done, and Tesla has not yet returned to “normal.” As they say on the farm, “the chickens have come home to roost.”
Likewise, there is one minor problem with Tesla’s autonomous vehicle technology. Its cars are crashing. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Tesla’s robotaxis have routinely crashed in the streets of Austin, Texas—the company’s only testbed—despite having a human safety monitor in the driver’s seat. Tesla does not reveal to anyone the other times when the human monitor avoids a crash. The current leader in robotaxis, Waymo, has half as many accidents as Tesla, WITHOUT a human safety monitor. As I have previously mentioned, most experts say that Tesla’s autonomous strategy is seriously flawed because it skimps on sensors. Most manufacturers with autonomous driving aspirations utilize more than simple visual sensors.
The Musk Cybertruck appears to be the most monumental failure in the history of the industry. For those old enough to recall the Ford Edsel, the Cybertruck is likely to supplant it on the throne of idiotic design. Tesla promised to sell 250,000 Cybertrucks in 2025. As of the end of September, they sold 16,000! They sold 39,000 units last year, primarily to early adopters who bought naively based on Musk’s hyperbolic hype.
Musk’s hubris with the Cybertruck and autonomous driving parallels his pronouncements about his human-like robots. Other manufacturers, such as Boston Dynamics, Figure AI, Unitree, and others, are clearly far ahead of Tesla.
The young Musk had some degree of humility and control over his emotions. The old Musk has become so enamored with himself and his lust for money that he has apparently “gone nuts.” You be the judge.
Completely nuts——however he can be dumb like a fox—–or like Trump being the blind squirrel who finds a nut every once in a while.