Rest Easy Models S and X - Big Changes Coming at Tesla
One thing that over fifty trips around this sun of ours has taught me is that change makes people very uneasy and behave in strange ways, even if that change happens to be good for them in the end. Looking back on transitional times I’ve personally lived through there seems to be a general feeling of outrage, contrarianism, and overall squirreliness. Sound familiar? This kind of behavior is playing out all around us today.
Such is especially the case after some of Tesla’s announcements during yesterday’s earnings call. Elon Musk announced that production on the Tesla Models S (large sedan) and X (large SUV) would be wound down within the next few months and the factory in Fremont, California would be retooled for Optimus robot production.
Elon also mentioned the Cybertruck line might be transitioned to a “fully autonomous” line with potential use for localized cargo delivery. It looks like a majority of Tesla’s resources in the near future will move away from cars that people drive and be focused on the fully autonomous Cybercab, Optimus humanoid robot, AI, and the much anticipated Tesla in-house silicon chip fab.
Even diehard Tesla fans on the social media platform X were reacting harshly to this news today. So begins the Five Stages of Change, which as it turns out are the same as the five stages of grief—denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and then finally acceptance.
After attending the shareholder meeting in Austin this past November and listening to Elon’s keynote it was pretty clear Tesla would be phasing itself out of the car business as we know it but I guess many people just weren’t prepared for it to happen so quickly.
Even though I knew it was coming it came as a shock to me as well when I first heard it yesterday and for the next few hours I was flooded with nostalgia. I always dreamed of owning a Model S Plaid in Ultra Red with white interior but 0-60mph in less than two seconds would have probably spelled serious trouble for someone who comes from a long line of thrill seekers.
Throughout his career Elon has demonstrated an uncanny ability for not only predicting the future but also the rare talent to assure his visions of the future are born into reality. The problem is most people just cannot visualize a future so different from the world we’re currently living in, hence the outrage and the tantrums. Former Apple CEO Steve Jobs loved saying, “People don’t know what they want until you show it to them.” I always thought this was just Jobs being egotistical but now I understand he was just telling the truth.
"People don't know what they want until you show it to them." - Steve Jobs
As someone who has experienced the evolution of Tesla’s FSD over the past few years I can say that life with the autonomous driving feature is better than life without it. I can remember the precise moment Full Self Driving earned my trust and my overall attitude flipped, I was in the car with my brother and we witnessed my car driving itself, expertly through three consecutive roundabouts. I have gone from feeling as though Tesla’s Full Self Driving was a clumsy, slightly inebriated, teen driver with a learner’s permit to a sophisticated, highly capable, limousine driver (or lead-footed race car driver in the case of Mad Max mode).
I still enjoy driving, I really do. What I don’t enjoy is driving on roads filled with distracted drivers who aren’t paying attention to the road or anything around them. It’s getting to the point now where I witness a near-miss almost every time I get behind the wheel. When I engage full self driving now in my Model 3 I actually feel safer knowing there are eight cameras and a car that can react to the unexpected magnitudes faster than any human could. Now I actually feel like a rider in my own car instead of sweating before each traffic light, perched nervously on the edge of my seat.
After having some time to digest this news I see the wisdom in Tesla growing in this direction. Some day in the not-so-distant future driving your own car will be a niche activity like going four-wheeling in the woods or taking a car to a racetrack. Most people won’t miss it but for those who do miss driving there will still be the opportunity for them to do it.
This is just one example of a succession of huge changes that humanity will be presented with in this next decade. Humans really are wonderfully adept at adapting to change once we know it’s inevitable, we just don’t particularly enjoy the process of getting there, and often we go kicking and screaming. Rest easy Model S and X, it sure was a hell of a lot of fun getting to know you.
All for now. Thanks so much for reading.