Elon Musk News, Good and Bad

The good and the bad about Elon Musk of late.

First, he has said rival Rivian Automotive will go bankrupt unless they change their game plan drastically. And, as it has turned out, Rivian is struggling mightily, leaving those watching the industry speculating if Rivian will go under, and leaving Musk looking like the Savant he is.

Second, Tesla has open-sourced all its designs and pattens, meaning anybody can use the protected designs for free. The thought there is that he -- knowing his company can not convert the world to electric vehicles on its own -- wants his competition to succeed. Benevolent of him.

Third -- and now the negative news -- Tesla battery packs are imbedded in the structure of the car, leaving them with what experts say is "zero reparability." As a result, if the batteries are so much as scratched in an accident, you have to replace the whole car. Insurers don't like that, and it drives up the price of insurance. Perhaps worse, if the whole car -- even if it's new -- has to be replaced, it means all the factory emissions that accompany constructing a new automobile must be repeated. Bad move, Elon. If the idea is to reduce greenhouse emissions, this is not the way to go about it. But, it can be a wise business decision. If the car has to be replaced, that means Musk might sell two cars instead of just one.

Fourth, some of the residents of Bastrop, Texas, where Musk's Boring Company operates, are upset with plans to dump waste water (from both Boring and nearby SpaceX) into the Colorado River. Treated water, mind you, not untreated water. Still, the residents (not all of them oppose Musk's plans) do not trust Musk, looking at his record regarding compliance with regulations, and wondering if he will comply with the limitations.