Let’s face it: Tesla is the new Apple iPhone!
They are going to be everywhere! You only have to sit in one to see its immediate appeal.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not some crazy blind/biased Tesla fan. I just think what they’ve accomplished (in terms of branding and financial success) is incredible despite still being far from perfect.
I’ll give you a quick rundown from my marketing/branding background…
Unparalleled User Experience
The Tesla user experience is incredible. Like nothing you’ve ever seen. Comparing Teslas to other cars is a bit like comparing automobiles to horse carriages. Just an entirely different generation of technology and totally different experience despite it both doing the same thing.
It reminds me eerily of the Apple iPhone before it launched. At first, it felt something like a waffle company trying to make cars. But not long after, it was hard to consider even anything else. iPhones are just so damn clean and easy to use. And the adoption rate was phenomenal. It seemed like iPhones took over the market overnight. You would think the cost would hold people back NOPE! Despite it being unheard of to spend even $300 for a phone, people were willing to pay $500 for one. Even people who you think wouldn’t have the money somehow had to have one.
Teslas change what it means to use a car. You aren’t just driving anymore. It’s like a mobile computer. A mobile entertainment center. It’s something between private AND public transportation. But more so than all its fancy high-tech promises is the user experience! It just evokes positive emotions.
Broad Eco-system
The whole “electric car” thing is not a new concept. It was talked about for at least 20 years…probably before that as well but I was too young to remember. But where Teslas stand apart from the rest is their comprehensive understanding of the ELECTRIC lifestyle.
You see, whereas all of Tesla’s supposed “competitors” are merely automakers and focusing only on cars and transportation. Tesla is an entire ecosystem of the “electric-lifestyle”. They aren’t just cars…they are batteries, solar systems, and where you go to “charge your cars”. An analogy to conventional gas cars would be that Tesla is the oilfield, oil refinery, gas station, gas car AND car dealership.
Now do you see the big picture? All of Tesla’s competitors at best only have 1 segment of the industry. Tesla has the complete vertical structure. And they’re not only competing with automakers!
Who Tesla competes with (in terms of entire automobile industry):
- Oilfields or “oil mines”? (Is oil mines even a thing?)
- Oil refineries
- Gas stations
- Car dealerships
- Automakers
- Car mechanics
- Convenience stores, coffee shops (soon to happen)
- Ridesharing apps (soon to happen)
I’m dead serious about the convenience store thing. I can see Tesla Supercharging stations to have little stores and hangout spots for people while they charge. Starbucks and AM PM better watch out!
Battery technology
I do believe that Tesla’s battery technology is by years and years more advanced than anybody else. If you look at most products out there, their likeness is easily copied within a few years but that hasn’t been the case for Teslas.
It’s absolutely laughable that even the next best electric cars have 50-150 miles less range. We’re talking huge companies with billions of dollars and been around for decades and they still can’t compete with Tesla’s batteries.
Tangible production
In this day-and-age of braggadocious Kickstarter campaigns and flashy CGI trailers, nothing is more valuable than actually having REAL PRODUCTS. Not just silly concept drawings and bright “visions” of the future but actual things we can see, touch, and play with.
Tesla has fallen short of lofty promises but still provides tangible things you can use. They still have a giant market of products. They still have rockets going to outer space.
I’ve seen many incredible concept cars out there, and in various markets (US, Europe, Asia) and some, I admit, look even cooler than Tesla. But they don’t even have a concept car. They don’t even have a factory. Not even the funds. And not even the technology. It’s just a promise that they will have it. C’mon now….look at how much time and money it took Tesla. Do I really think some other company popping up out of nowhere is going to be able to compete with them? If it’s not Apple or Google or similar, I seriously doubt it.
It’s not about just producing a cool car with promises but to have a brand with lasting trust. I might take a chance on “new brands” when it comes to clothes or restaurants, but not with my car. Nope. Sorry! While Tesla is new to me…it is indeed a brand I’ve heard of for a long time.
Brand trust
Tesla has for the most part held up to its absolutely crazy promises. Is it late sometimes? Yes Does it over-promise? Yes. Did we get a fully autonomous self-driving car exactly when Tesla said we would? Absolutely not.
But did we get an electric car that actually worked? That actually exceeded expectations and skepticism? Did we get not only a car, but a charging network, and reassurance we weren’t going to be ladened with a $100k paperwork after future bankruptcy? Did we not get renewed hope in a clean future? Did we not get handheld and coddled into an electric lifestyle? And super easy charge-fueling lifestyle?
Absolutely YES to all those.
Tesla has somehow not only made electric vehicles exciting but soon to be the norm. What seemed like a scary venture fortaken only by idiots is now the obvious “smart choice” by the cool kids.
I sincerely believe that Tesla will be in exactly Apple’s position soon as the EV lifestyle conglomerate. And other companies will come and offer a better car with better specs and better promises and it won’t matter. Even if they’re better on paper or even marginally better in real-world use, the great majority will still choose Tesla because that was their first EV love.
And even more unfortunately for those companies, the better they get…the better Tesla gets.
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