This is the typical mindset of investors who look backward--P/E ratio--while attempting to value a growth company.
Electric vehicle penetration will soar from 3% to 20% by 2025. Tesla volumes will soar alongside from 500K to 3.5M. That equates to 2025 EPS of $18 ~ $900 at 50x (2x P/E to growth ratio) and $600 present value.
"Their battery technology is all from Panasonic"
Panasonic manufactures 2170 and 18650 cells. Tesla provides the formula for the chemistry of those cells, and creates a proprietary pack from them. Tesla also has multiple breakthroughs with the introduction of its 4860 cell, now being produced at the Roadrunner facility on Kato Road.
"their self-driving technology is behind Waymo"
Waymo's release of "public-but you can't sign up" self-driving ride share service is a specialized solution restricted to a specific area. Deep NN require vast amounts of data that is well labeled, Tesla has an advantage here.
"Other car makers have access to most of the same technology and much more experience mass-producing vehicles."
OEMs will need to spend billions to retool their factories to produce EV. As EV penetration rises they are left with useless equipment, technology and engineers. Massive amounts of capital will be need to retool factories to produce EV specific platforms. Converting ICE platforms to EV has proved to produce inferior product. OEMs have little software expertise. OEMs may have had superior manufacturing skill, but with Tesla's cell-to-body, and metallurgy breakthroughs allowing giga-castings that replace hundreds of parts and processes this is no longer true.