Tesla, The Elephant in the Showroom
You can’t talk about electric cars without mentioning Tesla. The company single-handedly made electric cars cool, something you’d actually want to own rather than just tolerate for the sake of the planet. To me, its greatest trick wasn't building a fast car, but building a brand that inspires an almost religious devotion. Its Supercharger network was a masterstroke, and opening it up to rivals is a clever, if slightly galling, way to profit from the very competition it spawned.
The problem? Its valuation. It’s priced for utter global domination, a scenario that seems less likely by the day. As every other manufacturer rolls out a perfectly decent, and often more affordable, electric model, Tesla has to do more than just stay ahead. It has to justify being miles ahead, and that’s a tall order.