GM Vs. Tesla Electric Vehicles

Tesla sales figures far outpace every other manufacturer. What is keeping them in the top spot? Is it brand loyalty? Recognition? I’m interested in objective reasons why it’s consistently number 1. I get that it’s the oldest so there is a level of trust in the platform but there has to be more to it than that. Other manufacturers have some really compelling offerings. We have an ID.4 and Blazer EV and love both. Full disclosure, I’ve never driven a Tesla.

ETA: I’m in the U.S.

Has been in my mind for sometime.

Silverado and Sierra use cases versus use cases for large body on frames SUVs. EVs are 10x more suitable there. Not saying, GM shouldn't have introduced Silverado EVs, but alongside, EV Tahoe which is a suburban mom dropping off her 2-3 or 1 kid to school, going grocery shopping and maybe one or two road trips a year, not towing much or need payload numbers. Doesn't ride like a truck, because they're not body on frame, and would have fewer problems than their gas/diesel vehicles, no regular maintenance except for filter changes and washer fluid refills, no gas station trips to refuel - all would have been great selling points - especially for vehicles that would get driven by women.

2025 sales for those three combined was 275k. GM could have possibly made sales figures close to 10-20k large EV SUVs if it had them on offer, and maybe only half of EV sales would have eaten into gas/diesel sales.

Alongside EV trucks, and it's smaller EVs lineup, including those large vehicles EVs - possibly GM would have been gross profitable on EVs, versus only being variable profitable. Also, engineering and tooling costs spread over a wider models, meaning more sales, vehicles could have been cheaper too.

Hey everyone — first post here!

This is about my Model Y LR, I’m not talking about a company but rather the CAR itself

I’ve been scrolling through Instagram all morning and for some reason my entire FYP is filled with people ranting about EVs. It’s wild how angry some folks get just seeing an EV mentioned in a car post. It honestly reminds me of the people who clung to their BlackBerrys when the iPhone came out. Same energy.

Anyway, I’ve been driving a Tesla since January, and I have to say — it’s hands down the best car I’ve ever driven. And I say that as someone who’s really into cars.

Here’s a quick breakdown of what I’ve loved (and what I haven’t) after driving it for 7 months, mostly around Texas and Oklahoma:

Pros:

It’s insanely quick. I’m not just talking fast — I mean quick off the line. 0–30 mph or 30–60 mph, it’s basically unmatched on the road. That snap acceleration is super helpful for merging or avoiding people who try to cut you off. Value for money is unbeatable. I picked mine up used with just 1,000 miles for under $40k. Genuinely, I don’t think there’s a nicer car out there at that price point right now. Free charging is everywhere. I’m lucky enough to have a free 75kW supercharger just a block from my house. Charging hasn’t cost me a dime yet. Cons:

Charging can feel like an extra chore. It’s kind of like when you switched from a BlackBerry to an iPhone and suddenly had to charge every night. Not a huge deal, but it’s definitely not “fill up and go” like a gas car. Final thoughts:

This morning’s Instagram doom-scroll pushed me over the edge on the EV vs. gas car debate. Here’s my honest take:

If you don’t need a truck and you’re shopping for anything under $60k, just get an EV. You won’t regret it.

Edit

I’m simply sharing my personal experience with daily driving an EV, specifically the Model Y. I’m not here to discredit other EVs—I haven’t had the chance to drive them regularly, so I can’t speak for them.

This isn’t meant to convince anyone to go out and buy an EV either. It’s just my honest take after switching from an ICE car and driving an EV daily—through commutes, errands, and regular life in a densely populated area.

I totally get that the Model Y might not be the best EV out there, but I’m focusing on what’s stood out to me in everyday use—what's made the biggest difference in my routine.

And if you’re one of those people who think it’s boring or too minimalist? Honestly, that’s one of the main reasons I love it.

I have absolutely no problem with Musk. I think people are complex and multi-faceted. He's not a normal person for sure, but I have no problem with him blowing billions for his own weird entertainment/politics.

All of that aside, it's made it extremely difficult now to figure out if a Tesla is actually a good car or not, because when it comes to reviews and things there are so many people against the car because something the owner did.

I don't care about the owner, or the company or even the ethics of it. The car as a peice of engineering and tech. Is it good value for money to get me from point A to point B, safely as far as EVs go?

Once you get a charger at home, you’ll start to feel that it’s insufferably inconvenient to go fill up your ICE cars.

Since BYD seems to be the hot topic about how China is going to kill the rest of the EV industry, why don’t others just straight up copy them? For all the IP shit they blatantly steal, seems like an uno reverse would be in order.

Thoughts?

teslas just work. The driving experience is excellent, the software works, the Superchargers and trip planning jusr work. Best car I’ve ever owned. The total ecosystem just works. Driving a 2019 M3 LR. Bought before Elon went batshit.

There's the Hummer EV and Escalade IQ. Do those not fit what you're describing? They're both very expensive with the Hummer starting around the $70k mark, but I wouldn't expect a fully electric suburban to be too much cheaper.

Just got an ev three months ago and I can’t imagine going back to a ICE car now. I’m a huge car guy, too.

However, we still have two Miata’s in the family. I mean, we’re not crazy, lol

Didn’t even say which Tesla model or discuss the car mechanics properties that gear heads are familiar with…

I've been doing some research regarding General Motors and their EV production and marketing. They seemingly have some pretty impressive EV models with many more promising EV concepts. I honestly think they could end up pretty close to on top of the EV market in a few years so I was wondering what other people think about this.

Agreed.

And I think it was a poor decision on their part to build the Blazer EV and Equinox EV - instead of the Equinox EV and a Tahoe EV.

Blazer EV and Equinox EV are way too similar in dimensions and cargo capacity, and are basically chasing the same use-case buyer.

A Tahoe EV based on the same specs as the Cadillac Vistiq would have been the smarter play - setting Chevrolet up with a 3-row family hauler option for those that don’t want to spend Vistiq or Escalade IQ levels of money.

They're taking EVs a lot more seriously than some companies. Apparently the next gen Equinox EV is already fairly far along in development. And while the reincarnated Bolt may be going away shortly, they are almost certainly working on a new generation low cost EV. 

On the high end, Cadillac is doing quite well already. 

3 row, 7 passenger SUV is all most of the people I know wanted.  

Ford and Chevy, best we can do is a $110k full size truck. 

It's entirely up to them. Brand loyalty keeps them alive but their gas vehicles are crap. They've got one of the few price competitive and decently engineered consumer EVs on the market and the capacity to corner that sector if they tried. 

Realistically, I agree with the other guy. Flip flop until bankruptcy.

They aren’t backing down like others are. Their EVs are very nice. Compare an Optiq to a model y. There’s no comparison. A home in my neighborhood hada Model y that disappeared and became a lyriq. Then that same house had a model 3 performance that became an Optiq. Another house had a model x that became a Vistiq. We went from an id4 and a model 3 performance to a Hummer and a Sierra. So gm is definitely doing something right.

Previous owner. I had a 2016 Model S. I really liked it, at the time it was and felt way ahead of other vehicles on the market. Overall I didn’t have any real issues with it as my commute was fairly quick (less than 30min). I did end up getting another vehicle tho because charging stations are still few and far between in my area and my job changed to a field role so I was traveling a lot

Case by case scenario don’t listen to the confirmation bias echo chamber on either side of the fence.

I bought a cheap Model S with free unlimited internet and supercharging to mess with, being an electrician it’s the perfect side car for me. The gearhead in me still prefers my GT86/FRS. I’ve had to replace a couple things in the S (hence cheap) but it’s pretty easy to work on, easier than most of the gassers I’ve had.

The Love Story

I absolutely loved my Tesla Model 3. It was the perfect blend of a sports car and a family car—thrilling to drive yet practical enough for daily use.

• The handling was incredible—it felt like driving a go-kart.
• The audio system was unmatched—I doubt any car in its price range comes close.
• Every time I played music, I fell in love with the car all over again.

I bought my blue Model 3 with 19-inch wheels in 2020, just days after starting my first 9-to-5 job.

• With a free charger within walking distance, my charging costs were practically zero.
• In my first year, I spent only $18 on charging while driving over 15,000 miles.
• It was a dream car, and I was thrilled every time I got behind the wheel.

Over the next four years, I drove it 58,000 miles, taking multiple long road trips:

• Massachusetts (MA) to North Carolina (NC)
• MA to Washington, D.C.
• MA to Upstate New York

But in 2024, I made the tough decision to sell my beloved Model 3.

The real-world range was significantly lower than advertised—especially on long trips.

• I took monthly road trips, and charging stops were far more frequent than expected.
• In winter, range dropped dramatically.
  • Sometimes, I barely got 150 miles from a full charge (despite the ~300-mile estimate).
• Some argue that careful driving can help, but who buys a fun car just to drive it like a Prius?
• In contrast, most gas-powered sedans easily get 300+ miles per tank, no matter how you drive.

After countless road trips, I concluded: The Long Range Model 3 is not ideal for long-distance travel.

My biggest regret? Choosing the 19-inch wheels.

• Potholes = Flat Tires: Thanks to New England roads, I had to replace at least one tire every six months—sometimes even the wheel.
• Expensive Replacements: Tesla tires aren’t cheap.
• Worse Range: The 19-inch wheels significantly reduced efficiency.
• Fast Tire Wear: The instant torque meant frequent tire replacements.

One minor accident opened my eyes to Tesla’s insane repair costs.

• I ran over road debris, causing two flat tires and some minor bumper/fender damage.
• I left the car at a Tesla-certified repair shop.
• The result?
  • Repair time: Over two months.
  • Repair cost: Over $11,000.
  • Insurance covered most of it, but I still paid a deductible & tire costs.

Even worse, since the repair bill was so high, the accident was classified as major accident, leading to:

• Higher insurance premiums
• More points on my driving record

Every time my car needed bodywork, it was stuck in the shop for months.

Yes, my accidents raised my rates, but Tesla insurance is ridiculously expensive—even for careful drivers.

• Most of my friends with clean driving records still pay $200+ per month.
• Insurance costs are a huge downside of Tesla ownership.

When I moved to Boston, I lost access to free charging and had to rely on Superchargers.

• No 250kW Superchargers in Boston —the closest one was 25 minutes away. I also was not able to find any 250 KW supercharger in NYC or DC.
• Slower chargers (75kW) took forever and often required paid parking.
• A simple charging session turned into a 90-100 minute ordeal (driving there, charging, driving home).

One reason I bought the Model 3 was its low depreciation—or so I thought.

• In 2020, studies showed it would lose only ~17% of its value over five years, better than a Toyota Camry (~20%).
• But then, Federal & State incentives returned, crushing resale values.
• People who bought before the incentives lost a lot of money on resale.

Within two years, Tesla introduced:

• Wireless phone charger
• Heat pump
• Double-paned windows
• Steering wheel heaters

While innovation is great, it also meant that:

• Newer models quickly made older ones feel outdated.
• Owning a Tesla felt like owning an iPhone—your car feels old within a year.

I genuinely loved my Tesla Model 3. It gave me four years of thrilling drives, countless memories, and a glimpse into the future of EVs.

But in the end, the range issues, expensive repairs, high insurance, charging difficulties, and rapid depreciation made it hard to justify keeping it.

For the right person, the Model 3 is still an incredible car—but for me, it was time to move on.

Depends on the model year. They improved over time.

If you don't care about speed there are cheaper EVs.

btw users HATES Tesla for reasons with ZERO correlation to the cars, so answers on users will be very misleading

​I'm that poor sucker who first imported a Silverado EV to Europe, only for it to burn down due to a battery failure .

​After that, I went ahead and bought a Sierra EV and brought it to Germany as well. Both of them were the best vehicles I've ever owned—as long as they were actually running. Unfortunately, they only managed to do that for about 3,000 miles each.

​After that, the battery in the Sierra EV fried itself, too.

​GM's terrible build quality is one thing, but what's turning out to be even worse is their customer service.

​Since there's no way to get it repaired in Europe, I had the vehicle shipped back to Canada, where my importer originally bought it. It's been sitting at a GM dealership there for 2 months now, waiting for a battery replacement. When you open up the battery connections, water literally pours out. So it's obvious that the battery can't be repaired and needs to be swapped out.

​What does GM do? For 2 months, they've been dragging their feet on the repair and demanding endless new tests from the dealer instead of just shipping a new battery.

​It's an absolute tragedy.

Need pros and cons ... no sugar-coating. Want honest feedback from actual people who own. Gas prices are insane and I'm seriously considering a Tesla.

I just want a car that's comfortable, reliable, and affordable (aka low maintenance and good mileage).

Many on this sub are interested in EVs but dislike Tesla's CEO politics. Voting with our dollars works the best. This post is to help such people to find good EV alternative to Tesla. Luckily, there is plenty of competition in USA market today.

I used to own a Tesla and now enjoy driving Lucid Air Touring (much better EPA, build quality and interior compared to Model S).

Here is my pick to replace every Tesla's vehicle (please note that this is somewhat California biased and is a situation as of February 2026):

Which one is your pick in each segment?

What I mean by this is compare EV manufacturers in 2026 to 2016.

In 2016 I could wax lyrical about why if you were going to buy an EV you should go for Tesla over the limited other options (mainly Nissan Leaf and a few other cheaper, short range city cars).

Supercharger access versus crap public EV charging (at least in the UK); huge difference in range; huge difference in charging speeds; battery management systems more advanced; liquid cooling versus air cooling; longevity of batteries; autopilot; rapid acceleration was fun to drive; etc.

Now when I look at the line up of mid-priced EVs they seem pretty similar on technical standards. The differences really come down to aesthetic preferences, much as has been the case for a while with ICE cars.

Would you agree? Or are there particular EV makes that you highly recommend or discourage versus the rest of the pack?