<story><title>Tesla’s Musk Says Model S Sold Out; Should Turn Profit in 2013</title><url>http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-10-28/tesla-s-musk-says-model-s-sold-out-should-turn-profit-in-2013.html</url></story><parent_chain></parent_chain><comment><author>pork</author><text>For those who doubted Tesla&apos;s ability to turn a profit, this is my anecdote. I used to be one of you. Selling an absurdly priced boutique sports car that can only run 250 miles did not seem like a viable business strategy. The battery packs had their issues. The range was terrible. The car was tiny and cramped, even smaller than some small sports cars.&lt;p&gt;And then I chanced upon a LivingSocial deal that let me drive a Roadster S for a day. For the record, I&apos;ve driven a handful of supercars and more than my share of regular sports cars. I have almost &lt;i&gt;never&lt;/i&gt; felt what I did in the Tesla (with the exception of the Gallardo), mainly because of the instant thrust available at any RPM. It was not like anything I ever felt before. As I drove, I felt inexplicably that this was the car of the future -- as a tech aficionado, I was finally driving a car that &lt;i&gt;felt&lt;/i&gt; like the future. The lack of an engine roar was strangely soothing (and I LOVE engine roars!). The pickup meant that I could smoke most Maseratis on the 0-60. The thrill of pressing down on the accelerator and feeling the thrust in your chest was unparalleled (again, with the exception of the Gallardo). As I drove past clubs in San Francisco with their Porsches and Bentleys outside, I felt above it all in my tiny all-electric sports car. &lt;i&gt;They&lt;/i&gt; were stupid flash-mongers; &lt;i&gt;I&lt;/i&gt; was one with my machine. There is something pure and beautiful about driving a Tesla Roadster, well beyond the gas-free aspect. This was the thoroughly impractical car that my inner child always wanted from the future.&lt;p&gt;It thrilled me to drive that car in a way that I cannot fully describe. I am an eminently rational man. I have children, and am not prone to being wild and reckless. But now, as a result of driving that beautiful machine, as soon as my GOOG stocks vest, I will be driving down to Menlo Park, CA with my checkbook in hand to drive out with a Roadster.&lt;p&gt;That, dear friends, is how Tesla will turn a profit, in the face of ridiculous product shortcomings like range. They enchant, and they delight, and because of that I will gladly open my pocketbook for Elon Musk.</text></comment>
<story><title>Tesla’s Musk Says Model S Sold Out; Should Turn Profit in 2013</title><url>http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-10-28/tesla-s-musk-says-model-s-sold-out-should-turn-profit-in-2013.html</url></story><parent_chain></parent_chain><comment><author>steve8918</author><text>I really hope that Tesla can actually become a profitable company, because it&apos;s time we had some real innovation in terms of car technology.  I&apos;m not a car buff or an environmental buff, but having a real zero-emissions car that will help get rid of our dependence on oil just makes sense.&lt;p&gt;However, can any experts educate me on the status of the Li-ion battery?  My understanding is that Li-ion batteries lose 30% of their capacity over 2-3 years.  So what does that mean for the range of the Tesla cars?  My Honda Accord lasted 11 years and 200k miles, it doesn&apos;t sound like Teslas have nearly the same durability and range.  Is this a ticking time bomb, or is there a solution to this?</text></comment>