Tesla isnt deserving of dethroning VW, says former Presidential candidate

Tesla stock (NASDAQ:TSLA) has been on a tear, with the company recently overtaking Volkswagen as the world’s second most valuable carmaker with its $100B market cap. Yet for former presidential candidate Ralph Nader, Tesla’s rise is not at all that positive, as it could be the start of the stock market bubble’s “implosion.” 

Nader’s incendiary comments against the electric car maker were shared on Twitter, where he further explained that Tesla is only producing a fraction of Volkswagen’s annual production output despite its higher valuation. He included a warning to Tesla’s supporters, stating that it’s best they “watch out” due to competition from upcoming competitors and the company’s high debt.

“When the stock market bubble implodes, it will have been started by the surge in @Tesla shares beyond speculative zeal. Deep in debt, selling less than 400,000 vehicles last year, and challenged by several competing electric car models in 2020, Tesla’s stock valuation stunningly exceeds VW, which sold over 10 million vehicles last year. Watch out Tesla believers,” he said. 

Nader’s recent comments against the electric car maker are a bit strange considering that Tesla is arguably one of the few automakers today that is displaying growth year-over-year. Apart from this, the former presidential candidate should also be aware that Tesla is an American company — one that is giving jobs to tens of thousands of people across the country. 

Yet, if his comments hint at his stance, it appears that he would rather support Volkswagen, a company that admitted to intentionally cheating customers and regulators with emissions-cheating devices, than a disruptive US-based electric car maker that creates zero-emissions vehicles. 

Also interesting is Nader’s comparison between the valuation of Tesla and Volkswagen seemingly based solely on the number of vehicles each of the two companies produce. Tesla, after all, is no ordinary carmaker, thanks to its battery storage and energy business, as well as its proprietary in-vehicle software and Autopilot system. These are things that traditional OEMs struggle with, such as Volkswagen, as evidenced by the ID.3 being delayed due to software issues. 

Nader’s comments are unfortunate, but this is not the same time that an American politician has taken issues with Tesla. Previously, Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey took a strong negative stance against Autopilot, claiming that the technology harms people. He has taken steps to ban Autopilot from being used on the roads, partly due to some users abusing the system. This was despite the proper use of the feature actually making drivers safer, as per Tesla’s quarterly safety reports.

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