Tesla Is Not a Traditional Car Company

Originally published 2020-07-09Robin’s commentary (as of July 2020)

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Collected in Robin Shen’s Field Notes · Content type and attribution are shown above

English translation of the Chinese post originally published 2020-07-09. Translated 2026-11-05 with AI assistance. Historical figures and claims have not been updated or independently verified. 中文原文

Sources and verification notes

Note checked 2026-10-25

This is commentary from July 2020. Tesla prices and Musk’s ideas belong to that context. The US$140,000-to-US$100,000 Model S figure is relayed from other commentary and unverified. Musk publicly proposed one million robotaxis operating by late 2020 in 2019; that plan was not achieved on schedule. Ford’s official history gives US$825 in 1908 and US$260 in 1925. The Moore’s-law passage is the author’s conditional extrapolation.

Quotation scope and limitations: Robin’s complete original argument, with no third-party reprinted content.

Reading guide

Traditional automakers consider used-car values and keep raising prices; Tesla takes the opposite path, with other commentary describing a Model S reduction from US$140,000 to US$100,000. Robin compares the Model T, launched above US$800 in 1908, whose assembly-line production enabled falling prices and Henry Ford’s mass-ownership vision. Tesla resembles technology and internet businesses: direct sales and online performance updates. If it followed the post’s version of Moore’s law, performance would double or prices halve every eighteen months. Musk envisioned cars earning money as autonomous ride-hailing vehicles and storing rooftop solar energy to exploit time-of-use rates. Do not let current habits limit imagination.

Key points

Traditional makers protect resale values; Tesla instead cuts prices.
The Model T fell from over US$800 in 1908 to US$260 in 1925 through assembly-line production.
Tesla uses direct sales and online performance updates like a technology business.
Musk envisioned cars as income-generating tools and energy-storage vehicles.

A magnifying lens examines layered signals and data textures, suggesting technological exploration and judgment. — Trends & technologyThematic illustration · AI generated

Full text — English translation

Tesla Is Not a Traditional Car Company Traditional automakers are trapped in rising prices with more equipment. One major reason is protecting used-car transactions and residual values. Owners do not want a major price cut shortly after purchase that damages resale values. Tesla clearly does not prioritize this. Other analyses say the classic Model S fell from US$140,000 to US$100,000, prompting questions about owners’ acceptance. Set those feelings aside and consider the Model T. Introduced in 1908 above US$800, Ford’s famous car and moving assembly line transformed production. By 1925, its nominal price, without inflation adjustment, was US$260, realizing Henry Ford’s ambition of bringing cars into every household. Tesla is not a traditional automaker. It applies technology and internet approaches: no dealers and online performance updates. If it really followed the electronics industry’s Moore’s law, performance would double or the price halve every eighteen months. How does Tesla address falling prices? Musk imagines a car not just as transport, but as an earning tool. Park at work or home, and Tesla’s platform turns it into an Uber taking fares. He envisions owners recovering their investment in a year or two. Tesla and SolarCity also envision energy storage: rooftop solar charges the vehicle, which can save substantial money through US time-of-use electricity prices. Do not let present habits and thinking limit your imagination.

These articles are personal notes, book excerpts, and collected reprints. Figures and events reflect the time of the original publication, are not current information, and do not constitute investment advice.

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