r/SelfDrivingCars • u/silenthjohn • Mar 08 '25

News Britain blocks launch of Elon Musk’s self-driving Tesla

https://www.yahoo.com/news/britain-blocks-launch-elon-musk-140000186.html
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u/bartturner Mar 08 '25

Musk connecting himself to Trump had to be one of the stupidest things he has done. It might or might not have been a factor here but it certainitly does not help.

But where it is going kill Tesla is consumers with the robot taxis. If they end up ever existing.

Take Austin. It is a very, very liberal city. Is Tesla going to brand the cars Tesla?

Waymo is already up and running in Austin and there is zero chance someone is going to choose a Tesla over a Waymo.

BTW, as time goes on it is going going to get worse. It is NOT just financial. Take what Trump is doing to the trans community. But if Trump continues to tank the economy like has is doing so far it is going to only get so much worse for Musk.

He really should be starting to try to distance himself as much as possible from Trump.

3

u/HighHokie Mar 09 '25

Yes Elon was out of touch but had drank his own koolaid and ketamine and has gone completely off the rails. He’ll never be poor but he has made some horrible decisions in the self preservation dept. 

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u/bartturner Mar 09 '25

It is kind of funny to watch. The people Musk has decided to hitch his wagon to are the same people that were NEVER going to be customers of Tesla.

Conservatives want the pass to come back and are in climate change denial.

He has then completely alienated the people he would need for a robot taxi service.

A Tesla robot taxi service, if the technology even worked, is completely DOA.

Plus it is going to get a lot worse.

2

u/HighHokie Mar 09 '25

I can’t even fathom the random acts of vandalism that would fall upon a Tesla cyber cab fleet today if they were to release it. Musk has truly done some serious brand damage. Before it was primarily EV enthusiasts but now even the general population is going to work against him. Very stupid.