Quote:
Originally Posted by Efthreeoh
The Tesla company is not yet making a profit. It has not sold enough cars to recoup the initial investment. It will need 100s of millions to stay afloat until battery costs come way down as you think they will. If you study the industry successful startup auto companies sold cars to the masses; not just the Rich.
The Volt is a great car BTW, but is not a range~limited electric like the tesla.
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As pointed out, Tesla is making its way into profit. You can't compare this type of endeavor to other successful automakers, as it's not apples to apples. If Tesla was another ICE-car builder, then yes, you could make the comparison. But they're not. A better comparison would be when people went from horses to cars, where only the wealthier could afford the automobile.
As I said, other companies that have gone down this route had the bulk of their business coming from their standard ICE-car sales, so they could make more affordable cars. Tesla didn't have that luxury, and had little interest building ICE-cars in order to build a base. There is simply a bigger profit margin, per car, in a luxury vehicle.
I agree that the Volt is an awesome car. The range-extending generator is handy, though I don't use it that often. Once the infrastructure exists, and technology catches up, you'll be able to charge much quicker than today. Tesla has chargers that will give you the full 260-300 miles back in about an hour.
Yes, people who are driving cross-country may still have an issue for another 5-10 years. But the majority of drivers don't use their vehicles like that. Buying with that sole focus is kind of like buying a 1-ton pickup for the 1-2 times you're going to haul something.
Personally, I hope to always have an electric, and ICE vehicle in the garage, for different purposes.