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IMO Tesla is unique in that it makes high end cars like; Mercedes, BMW, Audi and even Ferrari, but also increasingly mid-market cars and lower priced cars like Ford, Toyota and GM. Tesla can survive in a wide range of price points.
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I don't disagree with most of your post. However, it is a huge misconception to imply that Daimler (eg Mercedes-Benz), BMW and VAG (e.g. Audi) are mostly 'high end'. Daimler makes the Smart and the MB A-Class, both of which are distinctly not 'high end'. BMW has Mini and the 1-series. VAG has everything from the GOL (less than $10000 in Brazil) to Bugatti. That only is for cars and ignores everything else.
Simply, VAG and Daimler share parts and engineering through their entire range, with VAG even sharing engine parts between the tiny GOL and the Bugattis.
Tesla will soon have shared components from new Roadster to the Chinese and German smaller cars plus Semi and Cybertruck. With all of that will come significant scale economies and increasing model diversity. It is inevitable that once GF-3, GF-4 and GF-5 are up and running there will begin to be major iterations of existing models. Models S and X will have a while to wait perhaps but they will have new architecture to allow them to have cheaper and more flexible model enhancements as well as cheaper and better production processes.
I don't presume to speculate on timing, but the direction is both clear and inevitable.
With five years the Tesla automotive range will be inclusive of city cars to New Roadster plus several commercial vehicle variants. Were that not to be true why would there be design centers coming in China and Germany?
Just think of the implications of a growth rate in excess of 25% per annum.
Of course TE will have similar or higher growth rates with products and services quite different and broader than those of today.
Bluntly we are myopic if we fail to see the array of automotive products coming. FWIW, Tesla can make GOL to Bugatti competitors profitably, precisely because the most expensive basic components will be applicable at both extremes and everywhere in between. The chemistry will vary, so will motors...
