Model S

Make
Tesla
Segment
Sedan

To say that Uber has been having problems is an understatement. Tesla, on the other hand, is swimming in success. It first defied the odds of bringing electric vehicles to the mass market as it continued to develop its Supercharging network, and the firm continues to push the boundaries with new driving technologies, such as autonomous tech. Uber, well, its drivers still pick people up and drive them to places, and it hired a former NASA guy to develop a flying car, which, in all honesty, is kind of weird.

That all said, early Tesla and Uber investor Jason Calacanis stated on his podcast (via CNBC) that he thinks it's time for the two companies to merge – and then install current Tesla CEO Elon Musk as the main guy in charge of it all. "If those two companies were together, they would beat everybody at transportation," Calacanis stated. "They're on a collision course for sure." But the main reason why Calacanis is pushing this merger is specifically due to Uber's current state of chaos. Co-founder and CEO Travis Kalanick was forced out in June (he's now being sued by one of Uber's biggest investors for alleged fraud and breach of fiduciary duty), and before that there was the sexual harassment case involving a former employee.

And then there's perhaps Uber's biggest issue: the lawsuit against it filed by Alphabet's Waymo. Clearly, the ride-sharing company needs an overhaul. Calacanis added that the company needs "To get back to that sense of camaraderie and resolve these issues for the employees and the stakeholders in Uber. We need the founder involved. Banishing the founder is a mistake." A Tesla-Uber merger is definitely an intriguing idea, and Musk has proven himself time and again as a gifted leader. Each company would benefit. Tesla is currently developing its own ride-share program, Tesla Network, and Uber, in all honesty, is simply an app; it produces no hardware. Together, however, they could be a force to be reckoned with.