Elon, you just gave Apple tons of credibility

Tesla today is amazing. Customers love its cars. Model S’s are everywhere in London (granted it’s not statistically significant but certainly encouraging).

The Model X launch was a masterpiece *. The Powerwall range is intriguing.

And this morning I saw this:

Everything is wrong about this. Some people will argue that Elon has his “own way” at PR. But from such a smart guy, aggressive remarks like this simply don’t bode well.

• “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.”
• “You can’t just go to a supplier and say: Build me a car”. Anyone who knows even a little bit about Apple knows it is certainly not how they operate. Elon definitely knows this. So again: this does not sound right.

Apple going into cars represents a challenge for Tesla (the car branch, that is). There will most likely be a significant overlap in terms of target market. But Tesla have proven themselves already, and again, their customer base seems loyal.

Build on this. There is no need for denigration. It makes you look weak.

* I love the Flacon Wings doors demo. But once your kids are seated in the back row, how exactly do you access the driving seat… with its standard door :-)?