I don’t follow things like initial public offerings very closely, but I was interested to learn that Tesla Motors had an IPO today. Had I known, I’d have considered taking a flier on it. The Tesla Roadster inspired automotive lust in me from the moment I laid eyes on it in its Westwood showroom, and its development of a four-door sedan seems like a great next step.
Frankly, I think it would behoove the company to look at making luxury cars, sacrificing the high performance of its Roadster for the heavier weight and greater comfort of something like a 7-series BMW while still appealing to the high end of the auto consumer market. But it looks like instead, they’re going to compete directly with the Chevy Volt.
In any event, I think this is a company that will do well in the future. It’s getting the funding it needs at the right time in its development. It’s not been profitable yet, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be. One day I can see Tesla growing to the point that it replaced Chrysler as the #3 American auto maker. Another opinion voiced about the subject was that it will be moderately profitable but always catering to a niche market; it will not have the mass-market appeal of, for instance, Chevrolet. Still another opinion is that electric cars are doomed in the high-end market; aside from a few novelty buyers, sports car buyers want to hear a rich, throaty “vroom-vroom” and feel the vibration of an engine and will never fully embrace a glorified golf cart.
