Tesla or GM: Whose Electric Cars Should You Buy?

Hey there! With gas prices soaring and climate change accelerating, I know you‘re considering an electric car for your next vehicle. Smart move! I‘ve been evaluating the EV options for months as an early adopter. Beyond saving money down the road, I‘m drawn to the instant torque, smooth quiet ride and reduced environmental impact that battery-powered cars provide over my old gas guzzler.

I want to compare notes on the two heavyweights shaping the electric future: Tesla and General Motors. You likely know Tesla as the trendy tech-centric brand started in Silicon Valley that‘s made EVs exhilarating. GM of course carries over a century of auto manufacturing expertise and billions invested to convert their fleet to plug-in technology. How do these corporate rivals‘ lineups and visions for our electric driving future stack up? Let‘s dive in!

Overview: Legacy Giant vs Hungry Upstart

Before evaluating individual models, we need context on the contenders. As the first successful startup auto maker in 90 years, Tesla‘s backstory reminds me of Amazon – an online bookseller crazy enough to take on retail giants. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos aggressively reinvested their profits into new technologies and customer experience ahead of cautious rivals, ultimately reshaping global shopping habits.

Tesla has charted a similar course since founders Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning quietly incorporated their battery car business in 2003. Partnership with Elon Musk accelerated plans for premium EVs wrapped in eye-catching designs. Their breakout Roadster sportscar beat major automakers to market as the first highway-capable plug-in vehicle. SUV and sedan variants sold globally followed, each expanding range and sales despite well-publicized manufacturing struggles.

What allowed this tiny startup to keep leading as corporate behemoths woke up to electrification? I believe it comes down to corporate DNA. With no legacy factories or dealerships tailored for gas vehicles, Tesla operates more akin to a software company – iterating quickly, taking risks and even updating deployed cars over the air like an iPhone. Their corporate focus since inception has been solely creating world-class electric cars.

Contrast this with venerable GM which began over a century ago by consolidating car companies into one giant before the Model T debuted! Leadership navigated complex structural shifts (remember Saturn in the `90s?) and overcame risks like bankruptcy and bailouts. But gradually keeping the lights on at hundreds of dealerships and maximizing ROI for shareholders took priority over pursuing advanced R&D like electrification.

When gas prices spiked in 2008, GM made half-hearted attempts at plug-in hybrids. Yet offering electric range under 40 miles signaled their commitment as tepid at best. Through this decade, Tesla‘s scrappy engineers passed auto giants fast asleep at the wheel, racking up accolades and devoted fans willing to wait years as deposits locked in production slots. Only witnessing 400,000 Model 3 orders on sheer reputation did GM leadership authorize billions to transition 50% of factories and models to EVs this decade.

So in 2022, we have Tesla leading the field after almost single-handedly jumpstarting public passion for EVs, but now GM is racing seriously to catch up by leveraging immense scale and experience. Let‘s see how the rivals‘ first round of future-minded offerings compare!

Model Showdown: LYRIQ vs Model Y

My local mall always has a mix of Tesla Model Ys and Ford Mustang Mach-Es prowling the parking decks looking for open Superchargers. The compact electric crossovers made up over 58% of all EV sales last quarter [1]. No wonder everyone from Mercedes to Nissan is revamping car platforms for affordable electric SUVs! What‘s GM‘s entry called again – the Lyric?

2023 Cadillac LYRIQ AWD

I‘ll admit when Cadillac unveiled the LYRIQ concept back in 2020, its smooth contours and 33-inch curved screen hinted Caddy could be a Tesla challenger. Turning the stylish show car into production reality ran into snags though, delaying sales nearly two years as software gremlins plagued GM‘s new Ultium batteries and drive units. Reviewers last month finally assessed how the first non-pickup GM EV handles American roads after officials greenlit dealer deliveries.

So what‘s the verdict taking on Elon‘s benchmark luxury crossover, the dual-motor Model Y?

2022 Tesla Model Y Performance

Surprising Power & Handling | Though the battery is smaller at 100 kWh vs the LYRIQ‘s 150 kWh pack, independent tests show the Model Y still zips to 60 mph a full second quicker! Credit Tesla‘s super-efficient integrated designs allowing the Y Performance to match the Lyriq‘s 500 horsepower for over $5k less. Reviewers praise the "lightning-like throttle response" while Cadillac‘s debut EV feels "more isolated, less engaging" at legal speeds. Caddy‘s edge comes from adjustable air suspension delivering a truly cushy, quiet freeway ride. But dynamically, Tesla battery mastery carries the Y to victory again!

Sleek Cabins, Diverging Tech | Both share minimalist vibes emphasizing touch displays spanning the dash. Tesla‘s 15-inch horizontal screen feels familiar, while Lyriq pivots a widescreen portrait-style. LYRIQ fashionistas will appreciate wrapping the curving OLED display in backlit wood and leather rather than the Y‘s matte plastic shell. Cadillac matches the premium feel with standard navigation, 19-speaker sound and remote parking – all optional extras from Tesla. Yet Caddy‘s flawed launch software lacks intuitive controls of the refined Tesla UI owners love. And Tesla‘s network of 15,000 public chargers trounces GM‘s fractured, changing EVgo/ChargePoint access plans.

Final Word | Similar as the specs appear, experience gaps separate the agile disruptor Tesla from GM‘s tentative debut EV. Watch for Caddy to smooth expected first-year quirks while Tesla keeps firing new battery recipes allowing lighter, lower-cost builds. The Model Y still epitomizes maximum electric driving excitement packaged for family life at its core.

Truck Talk: Cybertruck Squares Off with Silverado EV

As a former truck owner, I know capabilities like towing capacity directly impact livelihoods for some drivers. Can pioneers like Rivian convince us to give up rumbling V8 engines? While novel EV pickups tempted for years, legacy truckmakers watched idly until 150,000 Cybertruck reservations forced action. Let‘s see how the EV Silverado specs compare now that Chevy finally entered the 21st century!

2024 Chevy Silverado EV WT

Credit legacy engineering to spin up the Silverado EV in mere months once greenlit, though I‘m still aggravated Chevy ignored the electrification trend for so long! At least initial work delivered vital stats right-sized against Ford and Tesla‘s entries. Promised 400 miles between charges buoys fleet managers fearing disruption of job sites or commutes. Towing also impresses at 10,000 pounds – matching 80% of most well-equipped gasoline Silverados. Of course, torque-on-tap propels 0-60 mph in under 4.5 seconds – that outruns most sports cars!

Let‘s stack the deck against Musk‘s brazen Cybertruck expected to start full production early next year. Can GM‘s reputation for dependability help the Silverado EV close capability gaps?

2023 Tesla Cybertruck Tri-Motor

Straight away, the angular Cybertruck shocked truck traditionalists with dragstrip-worthy acceleration from its trio of motors. Tesla quotes under 2.9 seconds blasting to 60 mph in the range-topping tri-motor model! And with around 1,000 horsepower available, I don‘t doubt claims of hauling 14,000 pounds or sprinting tackling off-road terrain inflicted on other pickups.

Charging, Components Set Tesla Apart | However, peak charging rates determine extended driving capabilities even more than raw power numbers. Here‘s where fundamental designs shine brighter on Tesla‘s clean-sheet EV pickup. Engineering three motors and larger battery from inception allows the tri-motor Cybertruck to charge at full 250 kW speeds that Silverado can‘t match. And most comparisons overlook Tesla battery costs dipping under $100/kWh while GM pays over $150/kWh still – allowing more range for less cost [2]. Shared parts with existing models also let Cybertruck rollout faster.

Rugged Dependability Too? | What surprised me most learning about the Cybertruck is how overbuilt it seems: from the heavy-duty steel exoskeleton to the smart adaptive air suspension. This brute may challenge Silverado‘s reputation for lasting 200,000+ miles at construction sites! And GM must prove new EV components won‘t repeat risks of Bolt battery failures needing costly replacements down the road.

I love seeing viable EV trucks enter the arena to replace diesel dino-burners. Silverado checks the boxes but Cybertruck goes further as Tesla‘s halo product. Tough, fast and leveraging almost two decades of MVP EV learnings, I‘m reserving Cybertruck to reward Tesla charting the electric course early. Maybe you pick the Silverado; GM will sell plenty on familiarity alone. But Musk always pushes boundaries first before others follow.

Charging Networks: Tesla Still Leads

Here‘s an area most comparisons overlook that‘s essential for enjoyable electric vehicle ownership: charging infrastructure. An EV revolution relies on easily accessing reliable power sources conveniently during trips – or daily errands to maximize electric miles. Building out these vast webs of public plugs requires coordination on agreements, land use, capacity planning and equipment maintenance at scale traditional automakers never contemplated – much like gas stations owned by oil companies.

Yet preceded EV adoption in 2012 by aggressively rolling out their exclusive Supercharger network globally near retail centers and popular routes. Leveraging expanses of vacant parking lots at malls, grocery stores and rest stops served a twofold purpose: enabling Tesla road trips along major highways as well as funneling convenient top-ups while customers shopped.

In my area along the Northeast corridor, Teslas always clustered at the local Wawa and Whole Foods free stalls. And route-planning apps easily direct drivers to specific Supercharger sites along your trip for 20-30 minute meal or coffee breaks as packs rapidly charge. It‘s delightful and stress-free!

GM took another path, cobbling together multiple third-party charging networks like EVGo, Chargepoint and Flo into one "Ultium Charge 360" access plan for drivers. Right idea but the execution proves confusing with differing station providers, varied pricing plans and hardware incompatibilities limiting charge speeds. And awaiting entities motivated solely by profitability to deploy reliable charging where you need it for trips may not satisfy drivers expecting seamlessness.

Tesla‘s proven end-to-end model for power infrastructure remains years ahead while GM played catch up on the vehicles alone. That advantage will phase out by 2024 when GM horse-traded Tesla to unify plug standards across automakers. I expect the simplicity will help mainstream consumers consider plug-in options. But for now, Tesla‘s massive dedicated network still delivers the EV charging experience I prefer.

Self-Driving Efforts: Tesla Ships Today

We can‘t discuss future-leaning car companies without mentioning autonomy. Here I give GM credit for early leadership acquiring Silicon Valley darling Cruise to tackle self-driving. Conservative leadership and methodical development work birthed impressive urban robotaxis running today – albeit solely in San Francisco. Still years behind full commercialization targets, Cruise origins sustain an advantage creating HD maps.

Meanwhile shooting for the stars (and missing admittedly), Elon Musk positioned autonomy as Tesla‘s core mission publicly for years while resources focused on tangibles like Model 3 production. His impatient nature experiments directly on public roads, skipping costly lidar sensors claiming Teslas collect enough image data driving manually. Despite teams struggling matching that lofty roadmap, gradational lane keeping, assisted steering and highway Autopilot keep customers continually surprised as over-the-air updates unlock autonomy daily.

Both automakers uniquely positioned long term if solving autonomous mobility bears fruit as projected. Yet today, only Tesla seats have functionality taking the driving burden for minutes at a time during monotonous hourly commutes. And brilliant engineers compelled by challenges make the impossible inevitable over time. Once the hype settled at Tesla, we‘re left with Vision-based partial autonomy shipping today – and GM‘s limited AV testing fleets piloted within geo-fenced cities. Tesla‘s deployment pipeline stays years ahead while Cruise methodically scales.

Closing Thoughts: Legacy Giant Catching the Visionary Upstart

Stepping back, both contenders bring uniquely formidable strengths while racing towards an all-electric future. As the hunger EV startup stretching resources to escape niche status, Tesla claims impressive leads in critical areas like charging convenience, software refinement and bleeding-edge innovation culture from Elon Musk‘s product obsession. Fearlessness wedded to manufacturing competence will help Tesla expand sales faster than cautious Old Guard moving deliberately to electrify iconic models.

Yet giants like GM weren‘t toppled through a century of market upheavals without mastering mass production scale, operational excellence and brand loyalty spanning generations. With newer corporate leadership committing their full weight behind right-sizing factories and engineering investment for electrification, competitive pressure will push Tesla staying ahead. And GM‘s wave of EVs you feel familiar with while minimizing adaptation barriers should expand adoption rates enormously on trust.

For EV shoppers today, Tesla‘s lineup offers maximum high-tech features for the money while future-proofing your investment with continual improvements. As manufacturing scales up this decade however, GM‘s model diversity aiming at more lifestyle niches may ultimately sustain sales leadership won previously last century under Alfred Sloan‘s innovative market segmentation.

I‘m eager hearing which model catches your fancy most as exciting EVs choices explode! Let‘s grab lunch and chat more. This transition off gasoline promises a thrilling ride!

[1] Evannex Electric Vehicles, Q1 2022 EV Sales Scorecard
[2] Roland Irle, EV Volumes.com, 2022 Li-Ion Battery Prices Fall To An Average of $132/kWh