The Future of Tesla Motors - Feature on Electric vehicle maker Tesla - Motor Trend
For the moment, the Silicon Valley startup, Tesla Motors, is happy just to finally be getting its low-volume, two-seat roadster into production. But longer-term, the electric vehicle manufacturer sees a time when it will be challenging the likes of General Motors and Toyota as the industry makes a dramatic push into "electrification."
"The viability of an electric vehicle is finally here," said Darryl Siry, Tesla's new marketing director, during an interview in a back corner of one of the exhibition halls at this year's Paris motor show. The question is whether Tesla itself is viable.
Can a small company like Tesla survive a clash with the titans? Siry insisted it can, if it stays focused on its strength, which is in powertrain development. Industry observers believe he may be right. Despite their big budgets, the traditional automakers are, for the most part, starting from scratch. And often, they're being forced to turn to outside suppliers for expertise in a technology they know little about -- but which is at Tesla's heart.There have been rumors that the company would like to position itself as a takeover target. "Anybody has his price," Siry acknowledged, though he quickly cautioned that this isn't Tesla's goal. "Our focus," he added, "is on being an independent company." But, he concluded, the irony is that the better a job Tesla does at improving its business plan, the more attractive a purchase it becomes.
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Originally Posted by graham
