Late last week , Tesla CEO Elon Musk presented Master Plan , Part Deux , the second one-half of his imagination for both Tesla and electrification at large . In his typical style , Musk dilate upon how he action his first set of goals , before explaining why we should worry about his projection for the future . The trouble is , while the original Master Plan described merchandise that Tesla was actually in the thick of preparing , Part Deux does n’t really say too much .
There are definitelyelementsof Musk ’s web log Emily Post that deserve recognition – and the best bit havenothing to do with cars– but overall , it reads as if it were design to provide distraction , rather than direction . Even for a man known as much for his pie - in - the - sky ideas as he is for his brutish efficiency , Musk seems to have finished his former grant with the help of some espresso and midnight oil . And when the chief executive hands in an naming at the last minute , maybe it ’s at long last time to raise an eyebrow .
Call me a skeptic , but I ’m still not convinced that the follow - up to Musk ’s magnum opus is anything but a diversionary tactics .
Courtesy of Tesla
It was a hollow bait-and-switch for the Tesla faithful
Tesla may not be a car troupe the size of General Motors or Toyota , but it ’s unequivocally the most fascinating self-propelling startup of the 21st century . When Musk announces that he ’s going to loose some new tidbit of information , people listen .
The cock-a-hoop news show that Musk harbinger ? Tesla is go to focus its efforts on " stunning " solar roofs , ego - driving engineering , a small S.U.V. and pickup truck , and advancements in – expect for it – electric tractor - trailers . Notably abstracted were specific details for any of it , which does nothing to squelch the fears of investors or stoke excitement in fan .
Really , thelastthing that Silicon Valley - proud Tesla take to do is present a batting order that mime that of a traditional auto company – which it will , if Tesla indeed introduces a little crossover and a pickup truck . Nevertheless , Musk is advocating for a ware portfolio that hits precisely what consumer wantright now , instead of trying to alter the world ’s perception as Tesla did with electric vehicles .
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The most interesting and unexpected constituent of Musk ’s manifesto was that Tesla may record the arena of semi - sovereign road trains – aka tractor - trailers that can push themselves . Last year , Freightliner – the trucking giant - slash - baby company to Mercedes , under Daimler - Benz – read offInspiration , a highly advanced self - driving truck . Simply put , Tesla does n’t have unique expertise in the space of Autopilot - comparable organisation to compete .
It’s a distraction from the real issues
News movement ring Tesla for the retiring few weeks has been less than positive , to say the least . A weakly tunedAutopilot might be creditworthy for " driver " errorand subsequent injuries or deaths . TheModel 3 is late , and fuck off later . The Gigafactory battery plant still is n’t ready . And agovernment inquiry into Tesla ’s shape qualityisn’t precisely a signboard of confidence , either .
In the midst of all this , Tesla understandably desire to pivot the conversation – that it started – aside from the benefits of ego - driving technical school and electric machine , and bring our attention to anewplan for product that might not yet be . Musk , in harbinger the deal with SolarCity and his vision for a Tesla future that need n’t of necessity involve or even be reliant upon cars , is but providing a beguilement from the current flow of high-risk word .
Musk treated the plan like homework – and botched it
Musk is a busy man who run several companies and does n’t have the well reputation for opportuneness , so expecting a overlord program to be on clock time is n’t very realistic . Still , Master Plan , Part Deux was as delayed as a 2d - semester elder ’s homework assignment . Musk was expected to reveal his next web log post by July 16th , or as hetweeted , " Working on Top Secret Tesla Masterplan , Part 2 . Hoping to bring out later this hebdomad . "
With lover likely on the sharpness of their place ( along with the media ) , the expect game began . First , Musk tried tomanage expectations : " Sunday is the end of the week :) . " Two days later , " scrap of a misdirection yesterday . Working on plan today . "
Finally , in an attempt , perhaps , to bring that he is a gentleman’s gentleman with deadlines , just like everyone else , he basically perish back to college - mode :
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A " master architectural plan " is n’t something you throw together at the last s . Pulling an all - nighter is something you do to finish up a term paper , not a visionary manifesto intent on changing the world . Industry reviewer Ed Niedermeyer said it well :
In retiring web log post , Musk has been known to ramble . Master Plan , Part Deux is no exclusion . Ten class from now , if not sooner , we ’ll see if there ’s a Master Plan , Part Trois , in which we ’ll learn that the solar roof project will be funded by Model Y deposits to the melody of $ 800 million . Knowing Musk , he ’ll terminate it a few mo before press " publish , " perhaps clutching a Red Bull in the other hand , or whatever tyke are drinking by then .
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