Some products become so synonymous with their category that the brand name replaces the thing itself. You don't use an internet search engine, you Google it. You don't blow your nose on a tissue, you grab a Kleenex. And for years, Elon Musk's car company had a similar advantage. "Tesla" and "electric vehicle" were commonly used interchangeably, almost as if no other EV brand existed.
That was Tesla's superpower. They didn't just make EVs; they were EVs. Every other manufacturer was playing catch-up. But now? They're in second place. And for a brand like Tesla, second place might as well mean "first loser". Not even the Cybertruck design debacle was as bad for the brand as this.
