Tesla to build electric-car factory in San Jose

This is one of the very few EV companies I take seriously. They have some wealthy backers, they have not side-stepped safety testing, as Zap and Zenn and Tango do, each in its own way, and they have a realistic business plan, going for the high-end low-volume market first, where their low volume capacity can compete, and aiming for lower-cost and higher-volume models as they penetrate the car market and accumulate capital.

(Zap avoids safety testing by leaving off one wheel, and thereby classifying it as a "motorcycle." Zenn does it by sticking in the NEV classification. And Tango does it by pretending to be a kit car, which you can assemble in a day. All are good, but none can penetrate the mainstream car market.)

 

uhh ohh made in america, so I guess 99% of the people here won't buy it. :biggrin1:

 

That's a pretty stupid remark. People here have bought a Japanese car because there is not a single American car maker (except now, Tesla) making a single car that is not crap. I know I speak for 99% of priusChat members when I say we desperately want to be able to buy an American made car, if somebody would make one as good as the Prius.

It remains to be seen if Tesla's family sedan (third in line in their business plan) will be an affordable, high-quality car, but what I'm seeing of the company gives me hope that it will be. It will be several years, however, before they're up to the quantity that can make a difference in the market. Their next car, after the Roadster, will be an expensive sporty sedan, and the Roadster has just recently gone into production.