There weren't any fully electric cars for sale before Tesla.
They've only started to appear recently as other car companies see the writing on the wall and they don't want to become obsolete. Just looking at Tesla's market cap vs the rest shows you where the market is going.
Tesla is still far ahead. Just look into buying an electric car and compare.
> Just looking at Tesla's market cap
Hype does not translate to vehicle quality. Tesla's market cap is a statement about the current economy, not their electric cars.
> Just look into buying an electric car and compare.
There are other options, and they're getting excellent reviews. They just don't have the same cult following. Large car manufacturers who are allegedly playing catch-up have built excellent, affordable electric cars, and have announced more interesting models.
It's not like Teslas are outstanding cars for the price either. Much has been written about their build quality, among other flaws.
I just see Tesla as a flash in the pan. Ford released really good electric cars like it's no big deal, and announced a few more. Other manufacturers are doing the same. They'll build cars people will want, at prices people can afford. I don't see what edge Tesla has on them.
Non-Tesla chargers means a fillup takes hours rather than minutes. It's going to take a while to catch up.
Perhaps it's just my general disinterest in modern cars, but I don't really see what distinguishes Teslas from other electric vehicles. It has four wheels and a big touch screen, like all the other cars.