Time Turns Many Tesla Doubters Into Tesla Superfans 

Dan Neil just did a write-up on the Volkswagens ID.4 for the Wall Street Journal. What is particularly interesting to me is that Dan sounds like an Elon Musk–funded Tesla fanboy in this article, which he openly addresses. This is in stark contrast to his interview in the Revenge of the Electric Car documentary back in 2011 where he likened Elon Musk and Tesla to a Jonestown-like cult that was doomed to fail.

Photo by David Havasi.

I was actually at the New York City premiere of Revenge of the Electric Car. Actor Tim Robbins (who narrated the film) hosted a talkback after the showing with some of the auto commentators that were interviewed in the documentary. I took the opportunity during the Q&A session to ask them if they had more optimism about Tesla since the production intent Model S was unveiled (it had just been unveiled). Their conclusions were still abysmally skeptical, sticking to their ill-fated predictions.

Me and Maye Musk, standing in front of a Tesla Roadster at the NYC premiere of the film Revenge of the Electric Car. October 21, 2011

Ten years later and Tesla is the most valuable automaker in the world. Dan Neil has certainly changed his tune since 2011, and he is not alone. Over the past decade, I have witnessed legions of people go from Tesla doubters to Tesla superfans. The superior experience that Tesla’s electric motoring provides is undeniable. Sooner or later, they all come around. Viva la rEVolution. 

STOCK DISCLOSURE / DISCLAIMER: During my employment at Tesla from 2012 to 2019, I was granted and optioned thousands of shares of $TSLA stock at ~$5/share (post split). I am long $TSLA with a multimillion-dollar stake in the company, and do not intend to sell any part of my stake for several years. Any content I create is not intended to be investment advice, and should not be viewed as such. Always do your own research before investing.