Anton,
the early model 3's have parts that reportedly been banged out by hand. Check the latest news on this:
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-10-14/there-are-27-trillion-reasons-why-tesla-wont-rule-world
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-10-14/amid-management-exodus-tesla-fires-hundreds-workers
I think there's a company there... I don't think there's a company with a bigger market cap than Ford, however. It's ludicrous.
And, I don't buy the Elon Musk bullshit being blown around. Let's see his cars compete on a non-subsidized market and then I'll buy it... and be happy to be wrong...
Electric car sales are near zero without subsidies. Real products do not have to be coerced into being.
I think you are wrong. Electric cars are gaining huge popularity. Plenty car manufacturers have agreed to manufacture only electric by 2020:
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/jul/05/volvo-cars-electric-hybrid-2019
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/sep/07/jaguar-land-rover-electric-hybrid-cars-2020
And in the UK, there will be a ban on Petrol and Diesel cars in 2040:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/07/25/new-diesel-petrol-cars-banned-uk-roads-2040-government-unveils/
Tesla are offering fantastic benefits to attract new customers as Elon understands that many people are late adopters.
and where government subsidies are removed sales drop to zero.
I do like BMW's electric car lineup and technology. Tesla is close to a ponzi scheme at this point. Volvo is a dying brand. The EU will likely not exist by 2040. I do think there's a future in electric cars, but, I don't think Tesla is the future.
In fact, I'll bet on Ford, Toyota and BMW first over Tesla. Tesla is literally a scam. They've taken 450,000 pre-orders for the Model 3, are burning cash and people and still can't even come close to hitting their production or cost targets.
As a lifestyle vehicle, it's interesting. As a consumer product, leave that to the guys who know how to actually build cars.
We'll see who's right.
and the next level of Tesla's production woes.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-10-16/bizarre-reason-why-tesla-struggling-ramp-model-3-production
A company is only as good as its management. And if management can't hire people who know how to weld steel, it is a real problem.
Leadership matters.