Ross Gerber, President and CEO of Gerber Kawasaki Wealth and Investment Management and a Tesla Inc TSLA bull and investor, expressed skepticism on Wednesday regarding the feasibility of the new specifications announced by Tesla CEO Elon Musk for the company’s new Roadster.
What Happened: During an interview with the Schwab Network, Gerber expressed doubts about the feasibility of achieving a rapid acceleration of 0-60 mph in less than a second, citing potential discomfort for the driver and other risks.
“The car will lift off the ground and get airborne,” he said, due to the absence of a downforce system, commonly found in racing cars, to keep the vehicle grounded.
Musk said on Wednesday that Tesla aims to finalize the design of the new Roadster by late 2024, with deliveries expected to commence in 2025. According to Musk, the new Roadster would surpass the Model S Plaid as Tesla’s fastest car, boasting acceleration even quicker than many other cars worldwide.
Gerber also speculated that Musk’s motivation might be driven by Chinese competition.
“I think Elon has a little ego thing going on because of the Yangwang that came out from BYD. This is a supercar made by the Chinese and he wants to show that he can make a better supercar,” Gerber said.
Priced at 1.68 million yuan (about $233,470), the Yangwang U9 boasts unique features such as the ability to operate with three wheels, jump on all four wheels, and accelerate from 0 to 100 km in 2.4 seconds.
Why It Matters: While Gerber doesn’t foresee BYD cars dominating the entire U.S. market, he believes the Chinese automaker could perform well if it adopts a strategy similar to Hyundai’s approach with the Genesis luxury brand.
Gerber suggested that BYD could find success in the U.S. market by creating a brand that resonates with American consumers. Currently, BYD does not sell cars in the U.S. automotive market.
Image made via photos on Shutterstock and courtesy BYD
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