Tesla Motors has dominated the automotive industry and disrupted the progression and permanence of the internal combustion engine since the beginning of the millennium. From the first generation Roadster, molded over the bones of a Lotus, Tesla pioneered the idea that maybe an electric car can be cool. So cool, that Marvel has modeled Tony Stark’s personality to loosely mimic that of Elon Musk, further boosting interest in his revolutionary electric car company. For every step forward taken by a competitor, Tesla is not only five steps ahead, it behaves as if competition is nonexistent. This automaker has broken the psychological barriers of those afraid of change. It has closed the gap between vehicles and electronics. Tesla has threatened powerful organizations that show resistance to making better environmental decisions. Tesla has also convinced the entire world that CEOs are just as worth paying attention to as our favorite music artists. The influence and growth of this brand are uncommon to witness and are worth a deep analysis. For a brand that has grown beyond the wildest expectations of skeptics turned customers, let’s look further into how Tesla can continue its legacy. Here are 10 things Tesla needs in order to maintain its dominance.
10 Release The Roadster
The EV market is steadily expanding past practical options, since proving its reliability and innovative potential. Tesla has been at the forefront of the movement and continues to push out top sellers. However, other vehicle types are exploring electric powertrain options outside of sedans, crossovers, and SUVs. Electric sports cars is a topic that is building traction within the industry and many carmakers are creating prototypes. It would be in Tesla's best interest to release the Roadster, before another manufacturer pioneers the sports car segment. Since the Tesla Roadster's introduction and waitlist, the excruciatingly long wait has given competitors a chance to catch up and paint the Roadster's potential as a pipe dream. While Tesla postpones, other cars like the YangWang U9, Lotus Evija, and Pininfarina Battista have not entered the market to twiddle their fingers and sniff one-anothers’ butts. They came to snatch the crown with aggression.
9 Create Monotony In The Commercial Segment With The SEMI
As EV sedans are becoming established, followed by electric pickup trucks, more categories of electric vehicles may become a central focus. The same press event that introduced the world to the Tesla Roadster, also introduced the world to the Tesla Semi. Since then, many EV 18-wheelers have been coming from behind the scenes. Companies like Nikola, Daimler Truck, and Xos Trucks are showing promise in getting ahead of the curve before truck drivers across the country began to consider switching to EV options. Tesla has done well with staying two steps ahead with a Walmart Canada deal, reserving 130 Tesla Semis for a hopeful near future. Some of the later updates on the Semi is that PepsiCo has received the first batch of trucks to go into production. 100 Semis were reserved and built at a Gigafactory in Nevada.
8 Prioritize Lifestyle Over Trends
Before the Ford Bronco came back on the scene, Jeep had no real competition with its Wrangler series. The Jeep Wrangler puts a heavy focus on lifestyle, as opposed to keeping up with what's in trend. Every update of the Wrangler is nearly the same as its predecessor, because "don't fix what ain't broke". It is mainly the only personal vehicle driven on the highway without doors, as well as a top choice for off-roading. Jeep’s Wrangler is very noteworthy, although Tesla has already done very well in establishing itself as a lifestyle brand. Tesla doesn't sell cars, they sell electric technologies to early adapters, and then the majority. If an electric car isn't in mind for purchase, solar panel roofing will keep a buyer within the Tesla lifestyle. Expanding on pushing technology within everyday needs has been Tesla's focus, and it has created a lifestyle from it that can continually be expanded upon.
7 Continued Focus On A Younger Demographic
One of the smartest aspects of Tesla's genius marketing is its focus on staying relevant in the eyes of the youth. Being loved by demographics too young to drive and too broke to buy is still highly profitable. The adults with money who can buy, look toward the children in order to keep up with the latest and coolest of what the world has to offer. The youth have evolved past teaching their elders how to use a smartphone. As new generations are the moderators of pop culture, the youth seem to daydream about electric cars more than Lamborghinis and Ferraris. Tesla’s fleet of cars, that have become known for its autonomy, is very desirable to young people who are less inclined to learn how to drive or even own a car in the very least. If they don’t ever purchase a Tesla, their supportive conversations act as free advertisement, as if they were Lamborghini and Ferrari. So why not keep the attention of the youth?
6 Bashing Competition On Track And In Tech
Apple versus Android: the never-ending debate that should have been settled a long time ago. Both smartphone operating systems have proven themselves time and time again. How are green text bubbles inferior to blue text bubbles? They are not. Which phones are better has never really been the true focus. Customers want to feel that their investments are also status symbols. Having customers voluntarily go to war over smartphones was never by accident. It's psychology at its sneakiest. Perhaps a bit silly, but it would be genius to spark a never-ending war with any EV carmaker that comes close to threatening Tesla's market dominance. Maybe Tesla can convince its fanbase that all other EV manufacturers are copying or plotting against them, instead of being forced by federal regulations to go green. Elon Musk can be an overpowered propaganda tool if he sees a need to be.
5 More Party Tricks And Easter Eggs
Tesla is the most likely carmaker to pull a bunny out of a top hat. As a brand that has become cemented in pop culture, Tesla made an amazing choice with its theater, arcade, and Toyboy options. Did you know that a Tesla can fart? You can even use the screen as a sketchpad and submit your art to Tesla for review. Another feature is to have the map display your Tesla driving on Mars. These hidden easter eggs make the Tesla appealing to more than just the driver. To the untrained eye, the appearance of a Tesla does not scream for attention. This increases appeal to financially comfortable adults who are practical. The novelty of an expressive full-size sedan that isn't fun has worn off, and Tesla has proven that it has more than just its name to stand its ground as a quintessential car.
4 Ecosystem: Linking Tesla Products
Samsung and Apple are two great examples of product companies that have created ecosystems around their products. Their phones connect to their laptops, which connects to their earbuds, which connects to their GPS tags, which connects to their watches. Tesla has taken steps towards this with at-home powerwalls and a charging station network that stretches across the entire world. There may be opportunities to further these efforts. Their built-in gaming system (Steam) can connect to at-home Playstations and save data through a cloud. Tesla can better equip its vehicles to operate as power banks for a single-family home during a power outage. These suggestions are just that, considering Tesla’s efforts in bringing their EVs to the forefront of many automotive and technological cultural shifts. Blogs that review laptops and smartphones have expanded to EVs, because of Tesla. The expansion of their ecosystem can show promise for ongoing dominance in the industry.
3 Planned Obsolescence
Here is a controversially immoral method of maintaining market dominance: Planned Obsolescence. It is the act of purposefully designing and selling products that quickly become useless. This may look like making products that wear down easily, due to their components being made cheaply in quality, but expensive or difficult to replace. A great example is BMW. Owning any of its vehicles past five years can be financial suicide. Another example of planned obsolescence is making products that are incompatible with its successors. Apple utilizes this tactic often. An infamous example would be them getting rid of its headphone jack, making all headphones without Bluetooth unusable. Many product companies lose long-term revenue, considering that the practice is often intentionally, and financially spiteful towards customers. Tesla may never have to resort to this type of behavior, however, they have a fanbase that will generally support their decisions.
2 Offer Subscriptions, Although To The Dismay Of Customers
Adobe is a software technology company that offers a vast selection of applications for creating and editing. Adobe has grown from 22 million active users by the end of 2021 to over 30 million active users in 2023. 15.79 billion US dollars was their annual revenue in 2021 and is expected to grow to $28.72 billion by 2024. The large increases in Adobe’s numbers are a result of its subscription service. In recent years, subscription services have gotten out of hand and disrespectful. HP requires monthly payments to use printer ink that the buyer already owns. BMW requires monthly payments to allow customers to use heating features in the car that they already own. Tesla has many opportunities to profit from subscriptions as a technology company. Over-the-air updates with premium additions can cost a fee. Certain games and party tricks can cost as well. However, TopSpeed is not saying that customers should deal with additional expenses. Times are hard.
1 The Boring Company Loop System
The CEO of Tesla just so happens to be the founder of The Boring Company, the company that introduced the world to Loop. The Boring Company digs tunnels at a low cost to alleviate traffic and enable rapid point-to-point transportation. Their website shows Teslas inside of tunnels called the Loop, and it reads, “Loop is an all-electric, zero-emissions, underground public transportation system in which passengers are transported directly to their final destination with no stops along the way.” Teslas have been used as chosen vehicles to demonstrate the future of highway transport. The steps that the brand has taken help to bring cinematic visions of cars in sci-fi genres to life. This is a very effective strategy for maintaining the carmaker’s dominance in the EV market. This makes Tesla seemingly a symbol of most change in the automotive industry, thus keeping the brand on top.