How Tesla Planted the Seeds for Its Own Potential Downfall

The Daily

The New York Times

Daily News, News

4.4 • 102.1K Ratings

🗓️ 9 April 2024

⏱️ 31 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

When Elon Musk set up Tesla’s factory in China, he made a bet that brought him cheap parts and capable workers — a bet that made him ultrarich and saved his company. Mara Hvistendahl, an investigative reporter for The Times, explains why, now, that lifeline may have given China the tools to beat Tesla at its own game. Guest: Mara Hvistendahl, an investigative reporter for The New York Times.

Transcript

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0:00.0	From the New York Times, I'm Catcher in Ben Holt.
0:04.0	This is The Daily.
0:10.0	Today, the story of how China gave Tesla a lifeline that saved the company,
0:18.0	and how that lifeline has now given China the tools to beat Tesla at its own game.
0:25.0	My colleague Mara of Istanbul explains. It's Tuesday, April 9th. So Mara, you've spent the past four months investigating Elon Musk and his ties to China through his company Tesla.
0:51.0	Tell us why.
0:52.0	Well, a lot of American companies are... through his company Tesla. Tell us why.
0:52.8	Well, a lot of American companies
0:54.6	are heavily invested in China.
0:57.3	But Tesla is kind of special.
0:59.1	You know, as my colleagues and I
1:01.4	started talking to sources, we realized that many people felt that China
1:07.7	played a crucial role in rescuing the company at a critical moment when it was on the brink of in for making it the most valuable car company in the world today and for making
1:24.8	Eilamusk ultra-rich. That's super intriguing. So maybe take us back to the beginning.
1:30.9	When does this story start? So the story starts in the mid-2010s.
1:37.6	Tesla had been this company that had all this hype around it, but...
1:41.6	A lot of people were shocked by Tesla's earnings report.
1:45.2	Not only did they make a lot less money than expected,
1:47.9	they're also making a lot less cars.
1:50.5	Tesla was struggling.
1:52.4	The delivery of the model three has been delayed yet again.
1:56.0	Tesla engineers are saying 40% of the parts made at the Fremont factory need reworking.
	...

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