Tesla Motors' Standing in the Automotive Industry?

[tdelta1000]

Has the automotive community accepted Tesla Motors as a full fledged auto manufacture or is TM still being considered a niche manufacture that will produce low volume models?

 

[Larry Chanin]

I'd guess that Carlos Ghosn thinks that Tesla is a niche manufacturer based on his general remarks.

"We Don't Want to Be a Niche Car Maker"

Now, on zero emission, we are leaders and we want to be seen as a leader in mass-market zero emission and that's why we are the only group that has invested massively into battery capacity, into electric car assembly capacity.

I want to have this product in the showroom of Renault and the showroom of Nissan as soon as possible because if not, then we are going to be a very niche car manufacturer, we are going to appear as just an expensive car and we don't want to have this starting in India.

Larry

 

[Kevin Sharpe]

Everyone I've talked to in the industry see's Tesla as Niche... indeed, if you attend enough car events you will see that for yourself :smile:

 

[richkae]

There are ~40 companies/groups on this list: Automotive industry - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Porsche doesn't even make it because they don't make enough vehicles.

Tesla is aspiring to niche. Less than 1000 sportscars per year is boutique. 20000 expensive luxury vehicles per year is niche.
However they are more important than many other automakers because they are the technology leader in EVs.
If Bluestar gets them above 100,000 vehicles per year - then they will move beyond niche.

 

[tdelta1000]

gentleman I too agree that TM is Boutique manufacturer that will make it to Niche status and then onward.

 

[VolkerP]

And Tesla will have to pull together its exit from niche producer amazingly fast, or the existing mass-market producer will occupy the spot planned for bluestar.

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

Talk about niche; made the 'front page' of the BBC News website:

BBC News - Abu Dhabi sells stake in Tesla electric car firm

 

[tdelta1000]

Talk about niche; made the 'front page' of the BBC News website:

BBC News - Abu Dhabi sells stake in Tesla electric car firm

The sale of the shares was based on profit. I think Tesla will garner more industry credit when the Model S has been on the road for six months or better.

 

[MarkR]

Mainstream car companies have independently owned dealers who promote the brand and make most of their money on servicing the cars. Tesla has snubbed their nose at that distribution model, but wouldn't likely have been well accepted anyway, because EVs required relatively little service (oh gawd, we hope). Kind of a paradox, Tesla wants a degree of acceptance from the automotive community, but creates a car designed to turn the industry on it's head. Can't have it both ways, not yet anyway!

 

[Larry Chanin]

Mainstream car companies have independently owned dealers who promote the brand and make most of their money on servicing the cars. Tesla has snubbed their nose at that distribution model, but wouldn't likely have been well accepted anyway, because EVs required relatively little service (oh gawd, we hope). Kind of a paradox, Tesla wants a degree of acceptance from the automotive community, but creates a car designed to turn the industry on it's head. Can't have it both ways, not yet anyway!

Hi Mark,

Elon's objective is to demonstrate to the public that an electric car can be compelling with high performance, and by doing so also demonstrate to other car companies that electric cars can be highly profitable. As you mention, he wisely choose to retain the sales and service component in-house, but he doesn't care what distribution model others use in the adoption of EVs. Yes, he can have it both ways. If he can show that 30% margins are possible with an electric car company you can be sure other car companies will follow regardless of how Tesla chooses to sell their cars.

Larry

 

[tdelta1000]

Way to hit the mark Larry.

 

[vfx]

follow the money

 

[tdelta1000]

Recent news reports postings on this forum have shown that Tesla Motors is becoming a more household name within the industry.