[island911]

Originally Posted by Heel n Toe

Because they already know what Bob Lutz is talking about in his article in the new R&T?

I found some highlights on a Tesla forum:
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Tesla's showing all thee signs of a company in trouble, bleeding cash, securitized assets, and mounting inventory. It's the trifecta of doom for any automaker, and anyone paying attention probably saw this coming a mile away.

Low gas prices are not helping sales.

There's never been any secret to the company's battery tech. Other automakers bought into Tesla's tech early did so to avoid having to pony up development dollars on first-generation battery packs of their own. Now that Audi has announced it's getting into the EV game, Tesla should be even more concerned. If you're a luxury buyer, which car would you rather have?

Distribution problem. Nobody's ever been successful with company stores. BMW tried it in the 70s, didn't work.

Musk figured that if factory stores work for Apple, they'll l work for Tesla. But the fixed costs for an Apple store are next to nothing compared with a car dealership's. Smartphones and laptops don't need anything beyond a small storefront and a staff of kids. A car dealership sits on multiple acres, you need service bays, chargers, trained sales force, plus all finance and accounting people. It ties up a staggering amount of capital, especially when you factor in the inventory. Under a traditional franchise, the factory never has to carry that burden. Right now, Tesla does.

Stockholders may be clinging to the hope that the company's upcoming SUV will help put Tesla on track, but there's little evidence to bolster that optimism. A big, expensive vehicle with a compromised structure to accommodate gullwing doors can hardly be sales knockout.

If I were in Musk's seat, I would look at cutting cost. Not just taking cost out of the car, but reducing expense in general. When they have a situation where, on an operating basis, they're losing $4000 per car, they're in trouble.

I would seriously consider an entry level model with a range extending hybrid driveline. Something that has a smaller battery that also looks great and drives great, something that's electric most of the time, say 50-60 miles. Would an ICE dilute the Tesla brand? Maybe, but everyone said Porsche could never build a front-engine car, and look how that turned out.

I like Elon personally, and I think the Model S is a fabulous car, but history's filled with defunct companies with great products run by brilliant people. Unless Tesla rights its organization and products in a hurry, it'll join those ranks.

Bob Lutz in Road & Track.

I think he's been reading PPOT over the years ;-)