Tesla's going to have an IPO. Newsweek has a list of five reasons - from the Tesla IPO filing - why they think the company won't ever be profitable.
http://www.newsweek.com/blogs/techtonic-shifts/2010/06/16/five-reasons-why-tesla-will-never-make-money.html
Discuss.
Newsweek is right on-target.
I'd love to see Tesla succeed, but I think that the car would have to perform flawlessly and cost around $23k for the company to be alive in five years.
I don't get as excited about the cars as I do about the coils. 
WANT
EastCoastMojo wrote:
I wonder if my Homeowner's Association would appreciate that in my yard as much as I would...
Looks like hours of fun for the whole family.
Investors are apparently going nuts over the IPO. I think they are insane. I think Tesla stock is a huge gamble.
If I was running Tesla...or any company...I'd do my best to keep it private. Once you have shareholders, it's only a matter of time until your company turns into a quarterly-profit-seeking zombie.
Cone_Junky wrote:EastCoastMojo wrote:I wonder if my Homeowner's Association would appreciate that in my yard as much as I would... Looks like hours of fun for the whole family.
If they HOA doesn't like it they can try to come take it away, just leave it on.
GameboyRMH wrote: If I was running Tesla...or any company...I'd do my best to keep it private. Once you have shareholders, it's only a matter of time until your company turns into a quarterly-profit-seeking zombie.
Only if you actually have confidence that you can and will make money your way. I see this IPO as a get rich scam by the current owners- sell stock, be worth something- then sell your stake to some unsuspecting company only for them to find out how bad of a plan you actually had.
But all in all, I'd love it if Ford was private.
In reply to alfadriver:
...and no UAW. (ducks all the flying wrenches aimed at my head)
holy cow, how loud must that arc be? O_O
Anyways. I never did get the arrogant and full of themselves attitude Tesla has towards the rest of the car industry. Especially in light of how much of the real process of car design they farm out so they can focus on battery tech.
And Battery Tech being: Buy a bunch of laptop batteries and hook them together. My opinion has been that Tesla (the car company) is a leftist smoke and mirrors corporation full of "feel good" ideas and little else. "Hello Lotus? I want a bunch of Elises. Hello China? I want a bunch of batteries." Then they totally screwed up the motor and transmission, resulting in long delays, cost overruns, cancelled orders, shutting down their remote office, announcing a new additional car (the previous one still vaporware at the time), I think they had a major management shakeup, all the while never having sold a single vehicle. Then they deliver a few cars and have an IPO. Uh-huh. I predict: Price of the stock will go up as everyone jumps on the "green" car movement, they never turn a profit, and the corporation dies painfully, with the corporate leaders retiring very wealthy.
GameboyRMH wrote: If I was running Tesla...or any company...I'd do my best to keep it private. Once you have shareholders, it's only a matter of time until your company turns into a quarterly-profit-seeking zombie.
Yep, agreed times one millions.
Margie
Dr. Hess wrote: ...shutting down their remote office, ...
and laying off those employees by blog post, no less!
I am pretty sure the idea is to take the money while the getting is good, kind of like all the dot com companies a few years ago.
Dr. Hess wrote: And Battery Tech being: Buy a bunch of laptop batteries and hook them together. My opinion has been that Tesla (the car company) is a leftist smoke and mirrors corporation full of "feel good" ideas and little else. "Hello Lotus? I want a bunch of Elises. Hello China? I want a bunch of batteries." Then they totally screwed up the motor and transmission, resulting in long delays, cost overruns, cancelled orders, shutting down their remote office, announcing a new additional car (the previous one still vaporware at the time), I think they had a major management shakeup, all the while never having sold a single vehicle. Then they deliver a few cars and have an IPO. Uh-huh. I predict: Price of the stock will go up as everyone jumps on the "green" car movement, they never turn a profit, and the corporation dies painfully, with the corporate leaders retiring very wealthy.
Uh Tesla has quite a few roadsters. I see them cruzing around on my daily commute regularly.
Also they have turned a quarterly profit: http://money.cnn.com/2009/08/07/technology/tesla_profitability/?postversion=2009080716
Still I won't be plunking down my money at their IPO...
Otto_Maddox wrote: I am pretty sure the idea is to take the money while the getting is good, kind of like all the dot com companies a few years ago.
he's gonna pay off his divorce, and liquidate the company to Toyota and make off like a bandit.
brilliant.
Picture made me think of this: Tesla coil Mario Bros (youtube)
I don't know about overall profitability but I DO know the cars a blast to drive.
this is the only Tesla that matters:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2zwBRa0YhA
I'll take a Lotus with a pile of cash over a Lotus with a pile of batteries.
http://jalopnik.com/5575791/
tesla stock jumps 40.5% in first day on the market
madmallard wrote: ...I never did get the arrogant and full of themselves attitude Tesla has towards the rest of the car industry...
I understand where you're coming from, and I agree, but on the other hand I think about the "Tesla attitude" and, in my opinion, in this case it's a good thing. Wanting to do things completely differently than what everyone else has done is what needs to happen to shake up the car industry. Without companies like this to make radical decisions and do unorthodox things, there is stagnation.
Yes they shut down an office and fired people, very bad, but should they succeed it will create jobs in lots of different areas. Let's give them a chance and see what happens over the next year or so. They are due to start deliveries of the Model S in 2012, and I've seen a few of their roadster on the streets here in Chicago. I am optimistic.
Redhornet wrote:madmallard wrote: ...I never did get the arrogant and full of themselves attitude Tesla has towards the rest of the car industry...I understand where you're coming from, and I agree, but on the other hand I think about the "Tesla attitude" and, in my opinion, in this case it's a good thing. Wanting to do things completely differently than what everyone else has done is what needs to happen to shake up the car industry. Without companies like this to make radical decisions and do unorthodox things, there is stagnation.
The problem that I have with it is that they are overselling thier capabilities by a rather wide margin.
OEM's spend billions of dollars and up to 5 years to develop new vehicles for good reasons- so that when you get them, there are as few of problems as possible, and they can be made as consistently as possible.
If you look close, the process is shared by all OEM's- some details are changed, but all in all, we do the same things to keep the customer happy.
These guy come along and try to convince you that some of our process is unneeded, and that they have a better mousetrap. Sounds all well and good, but it misses a lot of points. And for anyone making major decisions based on what is missing- that's just nuts.
Again, while Tesla cars are out there, call me when they finally reach total production overall that equals one single day of F150.
Redhornet wrote:madmallard wrote: ...I never did get the arrogant and full of themselves attitude Tesla has towards the rest of the car industry...I understand where you're coming from, and I agree, but on the other hand I think about the "Tesla attitude" and, in my opinion, in this case it's a good thing. Wanting to do things completely differently than what everyone else has done is what needs to happen to shake up the car industry. Without companies like this to make radical decisions and do unorthodox things, there is stagnation.
The problem that I have with it is that they are overselling thier capabilities by a rather wide margin.
OEM's spend billions of dollars and up to 5 years to develop new vehicles for good reasons- so that when you get them, there are as few of problems as possible, and they can be made as consistently as possible.
If you look close, the process is shared by all OEM's- some details are changed, but all in all, we do the same things to keep the customer happy.
These guy come along and try to convince you that some of our process is unneeded, and that they have a better mousetrap. Sounds all well and good, but it misses a lot of points. And for anyone making major decisions based on what is missing- that's just nuts.
Again, while Tesla cars are out there, call me when they finally reach total production overall that equals one single day of F150.
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