here's a short's take...
what you currently have from tesla in relation to level 4/5 automation are a number of promises... not successes... and now you are watching the most capable companies roll back investments and getting shut down... these are not examples of companies that can't compete with Tesla... instead this is real time data emphasizing my (and others) negative sentiment towards the stock pumping statements being made by many companies suggesting that they're going to "really soon" start replacing everything we've known about personal transport for the last century with robot cars... and Tesla has now cornered itself by marketing the M3 to be the solution to all of this.
I commend all of these companies for trying... but this &$*# is HARD!!!... and many will fail at trying... but while Apple, Google and Uber fail... their core business is not dented a bit... but Tesla on the other hand is propped up on promises based on completely incredible challenges like this, massive manufacturing scaling, disrupting energy sector, etc.
you might see your list as competitors falling off... while I see it as examples of the ridiculous challenges Tesla has risked it's entire company and shareholders with.
why didn't they just make the M3... and leave this kind of stuff as extra credit?
This is useful, thanks. And while I agree Musk often bites more than is healthy to chew, I have yet to see Tesla fail at stuff that matters.
They've already achieved impossible, self-driving is waaaaay less scary than walking a tightrope of developing car from scratch, by the company that didn't exist 20 years ago, and scaling such company with limited capital, while developing new technology.
I think you just underestimate what Tesla has done already - think deeply about challenges. For example, Lucid motor has to: develop car, hire people that have logistics experience, establish relationships with parts suppliers, hire people that can build factory, get place, contractors, permits, money for factory, find production line people, engineer line, find suppliers for line equipment, find people in remote locals that can open service center, buy/rent property, find contractors to build service center, get local sales people, train them, oh yeah right, create training, right, develop training, hire trainers... This is just a beginning, you can see how this becomes way complicated as you expand over the globe; problems at every task will slow you down, and cost lots of money. And Tesla has overcome that and much, much more.
There is a lot I don't like about Musk and how he manages expectation, but in terms of getting results, he's insanely capable of getting it done. World doesn't notices this clearly, as Elon over-promises stuff before it's done, and dilutes in the process shock value of achievements (I have theory why, that would get me many 'Dislikes'
.
Anyhow, in the context, about self driving,
he's got this.
