I vote it the dumbest thread in AT history.
OP you've won.
I'm pretty sure Adlep's Rossi thread tops this one, if not for it's longevity. At least both threads will live on and as time continues it's inexorable march forward, we will see who should eat crow. Of course, this being AT, those on the wrong side of the debate will just continue with one fallacy after another.
Stock price, LOL. Great indicator. How's everyone's Enron stock doing these days?
Tesla is still losing money hand over fist. Will they turn it around? Maybe. Hard to say.
But I can't exactly call a company successful when it's a pet project run by a billionaire who doesn't seem to care about losses. When a rich guy puts his wife to work running an "interior design company" to keep her busy, I wouldn't say she's successful when the only home she designs is her own, to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars per year.
Let me know when Tesla isn't a niche product and is actually profitable. When electric turns the corner, established players will eat Tesla's lunch. Ford, GM, Toyota, Honda; they'll flood the market with electric cars as soon as they're actually a viable option.
Your post definitely has sound logic, but the bolded about the big players could have some leeway. The established norm can sometimes get tunnel vision, like when the big three were pumping out shoddy SUVs, when the market was just wanting more reliable vehicles in general. Yeah, they have come around now (and even made the imports broaden their lineup), but are still shaking the unreliable stigma. Tesla is still in "hail mary" territory in my opinion, but I am rooting for them in a big way. Electric cars I am REALLY rooting for, because the motor side is already well established, it is just a matter of storing all that energy. Anyone with even a modicum of engineering smarts can see the advantage of an electric motor that spins in a perfect circle, when compared to the awkward concentric action of an otto cycle internal combustion one.
As with any intelligible discussion with electric vehicles, it comes down to storing the energy, but this thread is supposed to be about Tesla the company. Like I said, I am pulling for them, but I cannot refute the logic of your post.