Looks like inexpensive robots, not EV vehicles are the future.
intercst
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I chuckle at who they think is going to spend five figures of discretionary income on a robot to fold their laundry or load the groceries.
I am sure there are many out there - probably about the same number that are today buying the Model S or the Cybertruck.
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You’re thinking about it the wrong way.
What’s the monthly lease payment, or the monthly cost with 7-yr financing.
Very few people buy an automobile with cash.
My $21,000 Model Y with the 1 yr bumper to bumper warranty was an excellent purchase. I expect a $10k to $15k used robot to be just as good.
Also, I’m pretty sure that the tasks that the robot will be able to accomplish will be like having a 24-hr/day housekeeper. You may even be able to use it for childcare. {{ LOL }}
intercst
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Well, there are those ‘hidden financial movers and shakers’ with $40 trillion in hand. To start with, the wealthy will buy them (as you noted) and then the well off will rent them. So it goes…
DB2
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Irrelevant. What middle class family (or lower) is going to add such a month expense for a luxury. Are you going to buy a $20,000 robot to fold your laundry?
No. But I might spend $20,000 for a robot with a 5-yr plus service life that can perform the duties of a 24/7 housekeeper.
I know that things are very inexpensive in Indiana. Can you hire a 24/7 housekeeper for $300 to $400 a month in Indiana? (i.e., $20,000/60 months = $333/month.) And not have to worry about theft, minimum wage, or employer payroll taxes?
intercst
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I honestly hope and pray we have something so fanciful (and fictional) as a $20k robot that will last for five years and be able to perform household duties 24/7. I think you are foolish to think you will have such in your lifetime - But I hope you are right and I am wrong.
But maybe we will have thousands of them by the end of the year as promised. Maybe they will actually have working fingers by then.
I will see your promotional video (with a lot of fake robots) and raise you a real life video of the current model from 9 days ago.
You can hear Musk in the background.
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Here’s the full 19 minute video.
I wonder what a Chinese robot with the same functionality costs? My robot doesn’t necessarily need to be a Tesla.
intercst
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I wish I did not have spellchecker.
The Gen Z want a simpler life. The more complex it gets the more people are tired of it.
Last year, people bought EVs that were geared not to be computers, unlike Tesla. Tesla’s CEO was beside the point. People want a dashboard again in front of the driver. They want knobs.
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Which were these? The only EV that works off a smartphone is the Amazon plastic pickup truck.
and the lack of the EV tax credit makes it unlikely that this gets to market.
Also interesting that the host in the video is 6’ 10” and fits in the back seat of the SUV model.
intercst
Very highly ranked and the big substitute for Tesla. The dashboard is not fully centralized. There are buttons and knobs.
AI Overview
Hyundai EV sales in the US are experiencing strong, record-breaking growth, driven by increased consumer demand and popular models like the Ioniq 5. In August 2025, Hyundai reported a significant 72% surge in year-over-year EV sales, with the Ioniq 5 sales increasing by 61%. This growth trend continued into Q1 2025, with substantial increases in electrified vehicle sales and new model introductions like the three-row Ioniq 9.
Key Highlights:
- Record-Breaking Growth:
Hyundai set an all-time record for August 2025 U.S. sales, largely due to the surge in electric and hybrid vehicle demand.
- High Demand for EVs:
Electrified vehicles now account for a significant portion of Hyundai’s sales, with 32% of their retail mix in August 2025.
-
Popular Models:
- The Ioniq 5 is a standout model, with sales increasing by 61% in August 2025 and setting a Q1 2025 sales record.
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-
Favorable Market Conditions:
The increased interest in electric vehicles is helping Hyundai’s overall sales figures and maintaining its competitiveness in the market.
- Recent News:
In the past year, Hyundai has also seen significant growth in hybrid sales, with a 40% increase in Q1 2025 alone, further contributing to the company’s strong performance.
No one wants the stink’n robots from Tesla. Don’t kid anyone else that those will ever sell.
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Batteries on Robots are going to be small. The one above has a two hour life. Then it needs to recharge. The word “fast” is a marketing term.
Yep, buttons & knobs, but you’re still paying for an onboard computer that was obsolete when they speced it 3 or 4 years ago.
intercst
It’s not the batteries. It’s the “degrees of freedom” in the hands. Human hands have 27 degrees of freedom. Latest Tesla model has 22 degrees of freedom. Unitree G1 Standard has 7.
That’s why is has difficulty picking up an egg without breaking it.
intercst
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Apparently not so. A survey last year found that more than a third (38%) paid cash.
https://www.thezebra.com/resources/research/car-buying-by-generation/
DB2
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Por fin calló la locha
The expression “por fin calló la locha” (the coin finally fell) means that someone has understood or realized something they hadn’t understood before, similar to the expression “por fin entendí” (finally understood it) or “por fin me realised” (finally realized). The term “locha” in Venezuelan slang refers to an old coin, and the phrase is a colloquial way of expressing that an understanding of something has finally dawned or dawned on them.
TKS
Google AI & Google Translate
Locha = 1/4 real
Locha = 1/8 bolívar
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People don’t know what they want until you give it to them.
SteveJobs
Too bad that no one will ever build a better battery. Battery developmdent is dead! So sad!
BTW, the financial industry just got a new venue,
Leasing Humanoid Robots.
The Captain
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This may be entirely irrelevant, but Musk’s successes have been in fields which already exist, but which he adds a twist. In those areas where he’s “pioneering”, not so much.
Cars existed, there was obvious worldwide demand, but he took out the combustion engine and put in batteries. Big change, obviously, but the utility of the car was a “proven concept”.
SpaceX the same, if different. There is a market for rocket launches, around the world there were thousands every year. He figured out a way to make them cheaper, reusable, and so: big success.
Boring company: driving for long distances through tunnels, maybe not entirely new - some metropolitan areas have limited tunnel infrastructure, but the idea of deploying on a mass scale is a step up, and has not been particularly successful. One project fairly complete (Las Vegas), one more announced - in almost eight years.
Probably too early to comment on Neuralink, but Solar City hasn’t been particularly successful (perhaps because it has no “secret sauce” that can’t be easily replicated by others), and nobody thinks the Twitter acquisition has gone well. Add in DOGE and it’s hard to say “everything he touches turns to gold.” Home robots will probably be a thing, although it looks to be a very limited market, with uncertain prospects or even a “good use” case (the “folding laundry” meme) so far.
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The pioneer Tesla didn’t do so good.
The Captain
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And here I thought I was the only one! 
Pete