On 10/16/2018 12:21 PM, EVDL Administrator via EV wrote:
On 16 Oct 2018 at 6:35, Paul Dove via EV wrote:
A car manufacturer doesn't make a profit till the production line is
paid for.
Of course, but Tesla's declared intent from the start was to make enough
money on the luxury models (X and S) that they could afford to introduce a
more affordable "Tesla for the rest of us."
Apparently you disagree, but un my view, they failed.
Maybe they didn't make enough money on the pricey Teslas. Maybe they blew
too much on other stuff. Maybe they tried to introduce the 3 too soon (and
that could be because GM scooped them with the Bolt). I don't know the
reason, just that the "affordable" Tesla isn't, at least not now.
I find it interesting to compare Tesla's approach to Honda's -- granted that
the latter is a much larger company. When they launched the Accord in 1976,
Honda priced it aggressively, to build demand. They probably took a loss.
The price rose in later years as it gained sales.
Similarly, Toyota took a loss on the early Prius. I think that was also the
case with the Nissan Leaf. That's just what automakers have to do when they
want a new and different vehicle to succeed. That and lots of advertising.
I understand that maybe Tesla can't afford to do the same, but I'm not sure
they can succeed in the long run if they don't. That's especially true in
the US, which is regressing into a less EV-friendly market.
Maybe the "Tesla cachet" will carry them through, if they can maintain their
reputation. Time will tell.
I surprised at the Tesla negativity. Especially from a group of
supposed EV enthusiasts. Tesla has been doing exactly as they've stated
for many years. They can be faulted ONLY for the schedule slippage. Of
course, it is still possible that they will fail to produce a $35k EV
but I can see nothing that indicates that that may happen. Tesla has
been dragging other car makers, kicking and screaming, much against
their inclinations, into the EV market.
Come on, you Tesla naysayers. Tesla has produced more EVs than any
other car maker. And those EVs are FAR superior to anything else either
offered or promised by other car makers. Have the naysayers failed to
test drive Teslas?
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