Elon Musk: If You Don't Make It at Tesla, You Go Work at Apple

[LotusLord]

Or maybe they leave because they're fed up of working for a ****.

+ Haven't Tesla's cars all be crap so far? Every time they were on Top Gear they just got ripped into for how unpractical they're.

I see a few people with model S' around town and they seem quite nice. If you have the money for one (I don't) I can see the benefit. Significantly better range than most other all electric cars and what I see as a fairly Apple like design element really. Stylistically, of course a personal preference, I would get a Tesla over any other electric car as well. Most other electric, or hybrid vehicles look too similar in my opinion.

 

[divideby]

Musk wouldn't be talking **** if he wasn't concerned about Apple's potential car. Makes me think he might know something that the rest of us don't about Apple's plans.

You have to understand that Musk has been talking **** about technology companies for years before even the recent rumors of the Apple car. In his view, technology companies have failed us by giving us "only 140 characters" and the best minds are at work trying to figure out how to get people to click on advertisements.

I don't think he is worried about Apple. In fact, he always states that the goal of Tesla is to make the electric car more viable and encourages companies to create them.

Building cars is not rocket science.

I hope this is meant to be ironic because Musk's other company is a rocket company that he built from the ground up using rocket science.

 

[koruki]

Whoa.. Musk fan here and shocked at that statement. Maybe he's frustrated with losing employees and having a rant about it. Apple shouldn't be underestimated but the same can be said about Musk. If there was a thrown in Silicon Valley Jobs left behind, its now occupied by Musk. Let's not forget Steve had his public comments that didn't go down well with some either. Lets not forget whose going to control most of the worlds battery supplies starting from next year, so even if Apple go down the EV route, they will need batteries.

 

[pubwvj]

Elon is scared.

 

[haruhiko]

Just because he's not as bad as Jobs doesn't mean he's OK. Jobs lived under constant stress and ended up dying young with a broken family. Not a happy way to live.

I like what Tesla does, but I've always seen Musk as an arrogant **** and don't really care to see him succeed. At this point, I'd rather Mercedes or someone just copy their stuff and make better cars.

Tesla is getting so popular in my city... I think Elon Musk is doing something right here. Automotive is an industry that so far hasn't been disrupted by tech companies, and I really don't think Musk is disrupting it as he is basically making the same thing, exchanging the internal combustion engine with an electric motor that was invented a century ago by Mr. Tesla and he freely took away the design due to expiration of patents. I wish the tech giants make something great in this field.

 

[Andres Cantu]

Basically if a company talks bad about Apple, they're either jealous or scared of them. Or both.

Elon Musk is no different.

 

[koruki]

Building cars is not rocket science.

Get an engine, pour in some gas and go right. Yeah, not the same sort of 100 year old car we're talking about here. Even if it was rocket science, guess what he musk does on the side.

 

[Aluminum213]

No matter how successful Tesla is, or how great their cars are, Musk's comments display a lack of class.

Something that Steve Jobs had right?

 

[Roller]

He doesn't need to have class. Steve Jobs didn't have class. He straight out called people bozos if he didn't like them.

Anyway, Musk is Tesla's boss. What do you expect him to say?

I guess you're right... it's too much to ask of people in Musk's (or Jobs's) position to act graciously because they don't have to.

 

[MrX8503]

Elon Musk should be worried. Apple has created small startup backed by a multi billion dollar company.

 

[Dreamer2go]

Since it was Steve's 4th anniversary of passing away a few days ago, I really wonder if he was involved in Project Titan....

 

[Q-Dog]

I like what Tesla has done so far, but surprised at Mr. Musk's tone. It sounds like frustration, and perhaps desperation? I wonder if maybe Tesla sales have slowed with the current low price of gas?

 

[koruki]

Just remember Steve Ballmer’s dismissive response to the iPhone in 2007. “It doesn’t have a keyboard so it can’t be used for business.” (laugh, chuckle). Just remember the European watchmaker’s dismissive response to the Watch right before their sales started to slump.

It sure looks like Musk is whistling past the graveyard in this post of his.

I remember that, I also remember the iPhone being finished and ready to go on sale when that was said. Maybe I missed the Apple car launch yesterday?

 

[groovyd]

Tesla borrowed their design sense and hiring methods heavily from Apple anyway. If anyone eventually buys Tesla I hope it is Apple, just hoping they handle it better then they did with Beats.

 

[Rogifan]

This is a good point. But that being said, he was asked a question about Apple taking his "best engineers". Maybe he went overboard with the answer, but it is not like he came out of nowhere. Maybe he was tired of hearing about it?

Then you laugh it off or be coy about it, you don't diss multiple Apple products and suggest that making the iPhone is as simple as Cook calling Foxconn and asking them to build it. What was that if not dissing Apple's engineers and implying that Foxconn does all the hard work.

 

[heehee]

Or maybe they leave because they're fed up of working for a ****.

+ Haven't Tesla's cars all be crap so far? Every time they were on Top Gear they just got ripped into for how unpractical they're.

The Model S is the best car I've driven and I've driven a lot of cars, including Ferraris and Lamborghini. I was very close to buying one. I am for sure going to buy the Model 3 when it comes out, if it looks as nice as the S.

The Top Gear test was done on the Roadster many years ago and was completely rigged. It's not unpractical at all if you plug it in everynight, or even skip a night. No one drives more than 250 miles daily.

 

[BigHonkingDeal]

Right now, Tesla has the cache in automotive that Apple has in personal devices.

I like Elon Musk.... not only has he bet his personal fortune on Tesla but he also founded SpaceX the firm that supplies the Space Station and in the future will shuttle our Astronauts. Not to mention research on battery and solar technologies.
I think he should be allowed to give a smug answer here and there

 

[dannyyankou]

I honestly wouldn't be surprised to see Tesla introduce mobile devices in the near future.

 

[slu]

Then you laugh it off or be coy about it, you don't diss multiple Apple products and suggest that making the iPhone is as simple as Cook calling Foxconn and asking them to build it. What was that if not dissing Apple's engineers and implying that Foxconn does all the hard work.

Like I said, he may have taken his response too far, but he was responding nonetheless. You said to never punch down. I am going with your basic "But, he started it!" argument in response to that.

 

[Seoras]

Musk should be more concerned about Apple mounting an aggressive buyout of Tesla.
The most innovative thing they've come up with is the "PowerWall", that alone would be a tasty purchase for Apple.
How much VC has Musk raised for Tesla and how long can they haemorrhage cash?
Apple's sitting like a Dragon on a gold pile and Musk looking like Bilbo Baggin's.
Tesla being absorbed by Apple makes perfect sense for the ambitions of both.

 

[codelode84]

I'm about as big of a fan of apple products as anyone out there. But going up against Tesla is going to be a heck of a lot tougher than Blackberry. I think the idea of Apple building a car is a real stretch but who knows.

 

[JediZenMaster]

I could see tesla doing something like partnering with microsoft to go against apple.

 

[uid15]

Tesla is shocking.

 

[Kabeyun]

No matter how successful Tesla is, or how great their cars are, Musk's comments display a lack of class.

Agreed. Lest we allow the dazzle of his career daze us into thinking Musk has class, let's not forget this stuff.

 

[JediZenMaster]

Musk should be more concerned about Apple mounting an aggressive buyout of Tesla.
The most innovative thing they've come up with is the "PowerWall", that alone would be a tasty purchase for Apple.
How much VC has Musk raised for Tesla and how long can they haemorrhage cash?
Apple's sitting like a Dragon on a gold pile and Musk looking like Bilbo Baggin's.
Tesla being absorbed by Apple makes perfect sense for the ambitions of both.

Its not always about money. I would bet that tesla would sell itself to microsoft or partner with them somehow. I don't think honestly apple can do a car on their own. They need help.