Electronically actuated charge ports, falcon wing doors, bleeding edge electronics, frequent software updates, always-on connectivity with phantom drain, etc…
Features like these are nice to have when everything is working. However, they do create additional points of failure.
Some of the budget offerings such as Leaf, Bolt, Kona do not suffer from these types of issues because they were never features to begin with.
While these vehicles are perfect (handful of Bolt and Kona EV fires, first gen Leaf battery degradation issues), they are simple and trouble free cars that are predictable to service and operate. This can be beneficial for the general population, fleets, and overall will create a good brand reputation.
Would you like to see Tesla offer more stripped down base models? Or perhaps a Corolla fighting Model 2 focused on mechanical door handles with traditional key fobs and charge ports, tough as nails window regulators, and a minimalist distraction free software experience?
Let us know!
Every legacy manufacturer’s car seems covered in complexity, endless switches, knobs, sliders, and other moving components litter the interior of the car. It would seem that Tesla has a minimum set of features already, which is why it has the highest margins in the industry. Basically when Sandy Munro ripped the first Model 3’s build complexity they have bee relentless on removing build complexity. There is still room for improvement, but I wouldn’t be looking at competitors for inspiration, they are all copying Tesla right now.