Encore: Tesla vs Detroit | Motor City Fights Back | 3

Business Wars

Wondery

History, Business, David Brown, Management

4.6 • 13.2K Ratings

🗓️ 3 May 2023

⏱️ 39 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The battle to dominate the EV market is on. Tesla’s market value is now around $20 billion. At this rate, Tesla could wipe the floor with GM in a decade. Ford, Toyota, Nissan, Honda and Chevrolet are taking notes. No one wants to be bringing up the rear. After near-devastating production issues, Tesla is finally churning out hundreds of its Model S every week from its newly acquired, five-acre factory, on par with any plant in Motor City. But Tesla has serious problems to solve. Like how to get cars to the people who want to buy them. And that’s something that Detroit and its vast network of dealerships does very, very well. And it will do whatever it can to keep that advantage to overtake Tesla in the EV market.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	This series originally aired in 2022.
0:14.2	May 2013 is just after midnight in Detroit.
0:18.9	I have to admit this is one hell of a car.
0:23.0	General Motors Chief Executive Dan Accerson is on a covert mission under the cover of darkness.
0:29.2	He doesn't want anyone to see what he's doing on the cold deserted streets of the motor city.
0:35.1	He's driving a Tesla. GM Vice Chairman Steve Gersky is riding shotgun.
0:42.0	The car hits 100 miles per hour with a whisper, like it's barely trying.
0:48.1	Good Lord, this thing pushes you back in your seat.
0:53.6	I do miss the roar of the engine though, that's weird.
0:58.7	Both men are obsessed with a Model S from mechanics to marketing.
1:04.2	Gersky looks at the large computer screen embedded in the elegant dashboard.
1:08.8	This is one hell of a car.
1:11.1	No wonder people are going nuts over this. It's like a hot date.
1:14.9	Yeah, I drive a Volt and it's a good car, but this thing is so sweet.
1:20.3	I feel like I'm being unfaithful.
1:23.2	Accerson smiles as the car smoothly rounds a curve in the rotor to fast clip.
1:28.6	He's a focused analytical man with an engineering degree from the Naval Academy.
1:33.7	He's worked in telecom and knows about fast-paced technology.
1:38.8	He's become increasingly frustrated with a lack of fresh thinking and research and development at GM.
1:46.9	Accerson pulls the car to a stop in his driveway.
1:50.3	Both men get out to examine the EV.
1:53.2	Accerson points at the back seat.
	...

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