In Feb Tesla was just starting to ship Model 3s to the EU but just that chip of what it sold in that month was enough to outsell the BMW 3 series, Mercedes C class and Audi A4 series throughout the EU and now we learn even in Germany. Tesla critics are mostly the worst kind of dishonest recalcitrant idiots and morons (always moronically trying to toss around the word 'reality' about which they have no clue) but what has to be realized here is that the people in the EU have apparently 1. stopped buying ICE and 2. have an apparent preference for Tesla. Some of that preference in overcoming nativism might have to do with higher levels of education and resultant awareness, but I think it is also just reasonableness when certain types and brands of products just no longer become acceptable like Blackberry vs iPhone or as is happening in China and around the world the preference for Huawei products over Apple products. This is what superior value and technology do. As Zach Shahan was already showing the drops in ICE were already suddenly greater than what hit automakers in the 07 crash and sent GM and FCA into bankruptcy but it appears this is global spreading to all ICE brands and worsening based on sample of US and EU. I think what has to recognized is a Tesla Model 3 for instance is better than anything BMW makes at any price and in pretty much every way. I think it is just a fact that BMW could not make the Model 3 right now at any price, it doesn't have the tech or the discipline to do it, nor the leadership. Tesla is simply a better smarter company than BMW run by better smarter more disciplined people. I noticed Der Speigel noted that the Model 3 was still not up to the best of Mercedes in interior quality and that may be true verses the Maybach end of things but it didn't say it wasn't up to BMW quality because BMW interior quality is crap as is BMW quality generally at this point as BMW's spontaneously combust in parking lots leading to BMW products facing injunctions globally in places like Korea. And notice which German CEO had the most trouble comprehending the trouble his company was in- that would be Harold Kruger of BMW in the recent exchange with VW's CEO he was still resisting until he wasn't. I almost forgot but its spastically funny that Texas thinks its harming Tesla by denying the ability of Tesla to do repairs on Tesla vehicles in Texas. Tesla's aren't BMW's they don't require regular major repair jobs by dealers to continue to run- and regular major repairs have never been a source of major profit for Tesla as they are for BMW and its dealers on quickly out of warranty BMW vehicles. Maybe Texas will notice that Tesla doesn't need dealers to sell cars? What does it mean when the people that ran BMW were either mentally or morally/ethically incapable of seeing the big picture or were both. Is that incompetence? What does it mean when every weakness they had they kept projecting onto their competition (Tesla) in paid media instead of doing something about it? What does it mean for them not to be in the middle of their own Diesel Gate when they are just as much at fault as VW? What was all that about? Here is a clue for BMW: Tesla is now the Ultimate Driving Machine. I am so glad that Tesla through being alphabet Nazi-ed by a Ford dropped the Tesla Model "e" for lame 'economy' and instead we got the Tesla Model 3 or M3 because every Tesla Model 3 even the base is better than every BMW 3 series including the top of the line M3. The Tesla Model 3 is the replacement for the BMW M3 and the entire 3 Series and with some small tweaks a replacement for most of BMW's nominal SUV line up. BMW can keep piling more knobs and plastic gimmickry into the interior it won't make any difference. Let me tell you a story about a friend's brand new top of the line 7 series BMW- he started hearing stories about how the paint on the vehicles plastic start button started wearing off and he started regretting his purchase. How is that for interior quality? I don't think there was ever a greater BMW enthusiast- his whole family was involved but he was crest fallen and it was hard for him to admit and its clear he now regrets the purchase. He's in cognitive dissonance which may turn into brand rebellion. By the way where is the start button in a Tesla? So go ahead BMW pay MSNBC to have Kramer say Musk should be removed to protect BMW. Its getting old, you're just like American Motors facing Toyota in the 70s but on a much accelerated schedule. You've lost your technology but much worse you've lost your art and you've become a rent seeker- the best thing that could happen to BMW is for its employees to buy up all its outstanding stock and divest and permanently divest its managers and permanently bar them from owning stock or options and bringing in a union of their own design (as Mondragon did- to further check stupid management,) then go the next step beyond and convert BMW to a pure membership organization (delisted several steps ago) getting rid of all the corrupting ownership elements- then you can get back to the pure pursuit of excellence. Also seriously consider automating out the management- might do better with a Magic 8 ball than current management, its failing even with its Rhenish advantages.
"Tesla critics are mostly the worst kind of dishonest recalcitrant idiots and morons...." Really? In 2018, over 15 million cars were sold in the EU. Tesla Model 3 production has averaged about 5,000 per week, but was reported to have hit 8,000 recently. Assuming that every single Model 3 that is built in 2019 is shipped to the EU (Highly unlikely), Tesla's market share would be only 2 to 2.5%. The Model 3 competes well in the narrow premium midsized sedan category, but even the premium midsized SUV category is larger. Tesla lost almost $2 billion in 2017 while BMW made $9.8 billion. Tesla had two profitable quarters in 2018, but still lost almost a billion dollars for the full year. "...the people that ran BMW were either mentally or morally/ethically incapable of seeing the big picture or were both." The "big picture" for any for profit corporation is profits. I would like Tesla to be more forthcoming and less secretive. In a few weeks Tesla will report its 1st quarter earnings. That should help reveal whether the company is on a profitable track, or if the last two quarters of 2018 were a fluke.
