Re:Tesla Prices IPO At $17 Per Share
by gamble on Tuesday June 29, 2010 @02:16AM
(#1470588)
Much as I like the Roadster, I'm extremely pessimistic about Tesla's chances. Established auto companies with much deeper pockets would have trouble bringing the Model S to market. Tesla hasn't been very successful selling the Roadster, a car whose $100k price tag ensures it's selling to a demographic that doesn't care about service, warranty, or battery-replacement costs. The Model S will be an order of magnitude more difficult to sell, even assuming they meet their own overly-optimistic development schedule.
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Seems like a good time to try their luck though. Demand for non-petroleum powered cars is building, nobody is established as a manufacturer and it seems the technology is now up to the job. It's still a gamble, but the odds seem a bit better than usual.
I've seen too much news trying to spin the "Tesla raises $221MM" as a huge number. Sure, for most of us that hack away on web apps, $221 million is insanely high, but it's important to remember that Tesla's operating at a loss of nearly half a billion right now and is still losing money. The S is necessary to turn the cash flow around.