They made the first fully electric luxury car (Tesla S).
They created the first super-charger network. It's still the largest network of its kind.
They are the first car company to also be a large-scale battery manufacturer.
They are the first car company that pre-sold half a million cars.
They are on track to deliver fully electric mass market (as defined by volume) car. Tesla 3 is expected to reach production/sales of 0.5 - 1 million a year, easily surpassing any single competing, fully electric car.
Yes, Tesla is a car company but they already did plenty to deserve a little more than "just another".
In 1900 28% of the cars produced in the US were electric. Albeit only a little more than 4,000 were produced. In those days all cars were luxury items, a horse was non-luxury. They also held the land speed records vs ICE prior to 1900.
Didn't Telsa partner with Panasonic to build the battery factory? Panasonic has been making batteries for years.
They've only built 200k cars total! Probably more since March.
On track to deliver...let's see if they can meet their target.
You asked a question and they directly answered it for you.
You probably also have a similar opinion of Apple then because they were not the first company in the world selling an MP3 player?
I could afford the later 2 devices on a sub 20k a year college restaurant jobs salary. At the time I bought both of them.
Telsa is not affordable by the majority of people with their currently available models. While a Nissan Leaf is pretty affordable especially adding in the tax break the government and my state used to offer.
> Tesla is not affordable by the majority of people with their currently available models.
By that standard, the company who invented fidget spinners made a bigger contribution to society than Tesla because more people can afford their products.
Does the tZero from AC Propulsion that inspired the Tesla Roadster not get the credit because it was just a kit car?
They've pushed battery technology further than any other manufacturer in the last decade. And furthermore, "they've been successful in moving markets" is a novel thing in itself.
>>To me they only make cars that are affordable by the rich but they've certainly been successful in moving markets.
What do you think the first people said about Daimler?
Not really. They've done a lot to bring down costs by simply increasing the scale, but at the end of the day Tesla battery packs are just a bunch of standard 18650 cells that have been used for years. Panasonic, LG, and AESC are responsible for most of the advances in the actual chemistry.
They use lithium batteries. You could even buy the same types of cells on amazon that Telsa uses, 18650.
This is a lot like saying you can buy the same food resources that go into world class restaurants. Technically true, yes. But does not diminish the accomplishments of Tesla in the least.
As for the impact of Tesla, wait a few more years, then it'll be clearer to see.
If Tesla folds in a few years everyone will just point at Leafs and whatever else is out saying look Tesla was the one who started this.
Tesla fans will say it either way.
Tesla fans will say it either way."
Why do you think that is?
It allowed them to use existing battery chemistry and cells to provide incredibly high power output (Ludicrous mode) while also preserving the lifetime and capacity of the battery, which is no simple feat.
Someone who works at Tesla/Solarcity told me recently that the same approach is behind the Solar Roof: existing PV cell technology but with very novel packaging.
Do you have any sources? Genieunely curious to learn about what makes them special.
What makes them different is how they have captured the public's imagination via creating incredible supercar-like performance purely using electricity.
What they've essentially done is solidified the public perception of Tesla being at the forefront of a revolution.
It's the same thing that makes something like Apple special. On a cost-performance ratio, if you build your PC from scratch, you will likely get better specs and performance for a much cheaper price. But it won't be an Apple device or enact within the apple ecosystem.
Someone will probably build a better 100% electric car (eventually) but nobody will have the same level of cultural cache. There will always be nitpickers who can say that the eventual BMW/Audi/Ferarri electric car is hotter than the Tesla, but it will never be as revolutionary as Tesla.
Tesla, Apple, Google, Facebook. These, and likely a few more companies, have transcended their mediums to make them truly special not only within their respective industries but societally as well.
While it's not that sexy, I think that distributing the batteries throughout the very bottom of the vehicle was a novel and very useful innovation.
The Tesla cars have a much, much lower center of gravity than any ICE car could have and that is a figure/measurement that seems to matter enough to people that car magazines discuss CoG when reviewing new cars. It helps a lot with handling and safety.
All wheel drive with multiple motors, while not a Tesla innovation, is also something they are doing that is a pretty big leap forward in that space. It's hard to get excited about Quattro when the Tesla gets AWD from two different motors.
https://icdn-4.motor1.com/images/mgl/WAg3r/s3/honda-ev-plus....
Well I did opt for an engine that didn't have an ELSD available in the 2016 model or lockers in any configuration. Should've bought a Wrangler.
Tesla is poised to have it's Apple moment soon, driving the industry forward while taking the cream off the top and profiting handsomely.
They are the old Ford of automobile manufacturers one could say.
EV that accelerates from 0-60 in under 2.5 - completely novel.
If you look at Wikipedia it says electric cars were faster than gas cars until about 1900.
I think Telsa's greatest contribution will be moving the electric car and renewable markets. Whether or not the company itself will be successful is yet to be seen. To me they only make products that are affordable by the rich but they've certainly been successful in moving markets.