Tesla does nothing but grow in the market and has positioned itself as the clear automotive reference for an electric future. Or not? 2022 is bringing some trouble to the American brand that seriously worries its shareholders.
The truth is that for some time now Tesla has become synonymous with success. Not in vain, its sales are going from strength to strength all over the world and the Model 3 leads the sales rankings in several countries around the world.
But it is no less true that, when the situation of the already US automotive giant is analyzed, one can glimpse some signs of concern. Or, at least, certain problems that, if not resolved, can turn the tables in the future.
stock market crash
In a way, it is similar to what happened with the theoretical purchase of Twitter by Elon Musk. At first everything is praise and pride, but later the problems begin to surface.
Autonomous driving could be frustrated as a result of problems with Autopilot
In fact, last April we talked about the negative effect that the announcement of said movement by its founder had had on Tesla shares. Y the situation has worsened since then.
Tesla’s market value on December 31, 2021 was $1,056.78. Instead, this June 10, 2022, said value is only $691.04: 35% less in six months.
The NHTSA investigation
Tesla’s problems do not end there, unfortunately for the brand. After all, the stock market is an extremely volatile entity that fluctuates in an almost inexplicable way for those of us who are unaware of its real operation.
However, increasing research into semi-autonomous driving technology being carried out by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) It’s another matter.
Specifically, the NHTSA investigates cases of phantom braking caused by autopilot, Tesla’s star system installed in 830,000 vehicles of the brand. Even said US public administration has reported that it is currently carrying out an engineering analysis, the step prior to the potential order to withdraw the system.
This matter is not something that can negatively affect Tesla only, since the NHTSA admits there is concern on system design and functionality They monitor drivers and must ensure that they remain in control of the car and pay attention.
In practice, this could affect other manufacturers, as the NHTSA has noted that “the driver’s use or misuse of vehicle components, or the unintentional operation of a vehicle, does not necessarily exclude a system defect. This is particularly the case if the behavior of the driver in question is predictable in light of the design or operation of the system.
autonomous driving
The NHTSA investigation may not be the only one, as even the president of the United States Federal Trade Commission has publicly admitted that it intends to investigate Autopilot after receiving complaints about the system from some members of Congress. These consider that Tesla is exaggerating its real capacity for promotional purposes.
In the background is Elon Musk’s great project: the fully autonomous driving without any intervention from the driver, who could become frustrated as a result of issues with Autopilot.
Recently, the magnate of South African origin announced a new vehicle intended exclusively for taxi service and that will be equipped with autonomous driving. According to Musk, it will be “pretty futuristic” and it will not have a seat or controls for a driver.
This milestone is not just a technological dream of Elon Musk. The future autonomous driving system is part of a very large revenue plan for Tesla, since the plan is to charge a supplement of $12,000 for installation plus subscription fees to expand features as they are developed.
sales forecasts
The final issue of potential concern for Tesla is the impact that the COVID lockdown in Shanghai, China, has had in the brand’s global sales figures. And it is that in the eastern country this situation plummeted sales to practically zero last April.
It is clear that this situation will not plunge Tesla into a sales crisis, but the fact that this may make Musk’s sales forecasts for this year unfeasible is not insignificant.
At least Tesla remains the most successful brand in a market, that of electric cars, which is clearly growing and to which the unstoppable rise in fuel prices continues to benefit.
Will Elon Musk get out of this or will his excessive ambition end up frustrating his dream of dominating the world automotive market?
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Reuters