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WanderingEng  ·  2917 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Comparison: Tesla Model 3 vs. Chevrolet Bolt

Tesla is the Apple of the car world.

    I imagine it wouldn't take more than one or two major recalls on the Model 3 to land Tesla into financially tough territory.

Sticking with my Apple analogy, I think it depends whether the Model 3 is Tesla's MacBook or iPod. If they're still selling to a niche crowd, that crowd will weather a few bumps along the way. What's Tesla's typical schedule, something like 12-24 month delays when rolling out the Model X? Things like that haven't hurt the brand. If they are trying to push into mainstream crowds, they'll have to come through and can't risk major problems.

The other thing is what other car companies do. I have to imagine Ford has a design for a Focus with a 200 mile range. There are pros and cons here. On the one hand, it makes it harder for a niche manufacturer to stand out. On the other, it validates the electric car model and draws attention to Tesla.

I'm not really an electric car enthusiast, but working in the electric power industry, if this stuff picks up it'll be a decade or so of chaos (in a good way (for me)).