The world needs Tesla at the head of the net-zero transition, but not Musk as the head of Tesla

Musk must be given credit for pioneering the mass production of electric vehicles, but his interests have drifted to social media and meme stocks and that should worry his employees, suppliers, and customers

A Model X sports-utility vehicle in Littleton, Colorado. Recently, Elon Musk said the company 'should be thought of as an AI or robotics company.' Photo: AP/David Zalubowski

From the standpoint of America and the world, Tesla is a historically important technology-generating enterprise — the tip of the spear in the transition away from internal combustion-engine vehicles. 

From the standpoint of long-term shareholders, it has the potential to be a sustainable profit-making enterprise. From the standpoint of its suppliers, employees, and customers, it is a source of income and production.