Agreed. Tesla's model 3 will either "make or break" the company. This would be their "triple axel, Triple toe" moment. Their "one shot, one kill" moment.
There are a few things Tesla is known. First it was for making electric cars. However, now a lot of other companies are making electric cars. Tesla is also known for creating autonomous driving vehicles. However, more and more companies are getting into that field and some are even exceeding Telsa in execution.
Tesla, as of right now, is only the king of one thing. The leader in selling high end, niche electric cars. That's it. They are also known for losing money. They don't have the suppy chain working. They don't have the manufacturing process hammered out. They are a young company that makes mistakes, and will continue to make mistakes. However, enough buyers and stock holders excuse tesla because Tesla is a "green company" and Tesla wants to "make the world a better place to live." Great... but, as the competition heats up. There will be other companies that make electric cars that will "save the planet"... Other companies that will make autonomous vehicles that will save people from getting into accidents.
Tesla's advantages are slowly being eroded away. Think about it. A person can buy a Chevy bolt, right now for $36k and it can go 238 miles. This is with out a gigafactory... This is without the misaligned body panels.. the prone to error gull wing doors..this is without the supplier issues.... this is without the "waiting for my vehicle for 6 months because parts are not available so now I'm driving a pinto".....
Just think of a world where Toyota, Honda, etc. "get with the program". They are slowing realizing the threat of Tesla. They never really took Tesla seriously. And to some extent, they really don't now. Individually, IIRC these companies make more cars in a single week, than Tesla makes in a year. From their prospective, Tesla is laughable... But no matter how laughable, they are slowly, and in a lackadaisy fashion trying to counter act this threat. I'm sure they see themselves as a old grizzled prized fighter who is still the world champion, and Tesla as the young, no name upstart that wants a chance at the title.
Model 3 has to be a grand slam, or it's back to being a niche player for Tesla. They need the model 3 to be stellar. This is the first car that will introduce Tesla as just not a niche player, but a viable alternative to the big car companies. If it sucks, that is what the public will know Tesla for.