Tesla CEO Blasts Critic, Says Gov't Loan Is 99 Percent Sure and Deserved

Money well spent. (Wish they would finance consumer purchase of the Tesla with no money down too!)

Good interview. This is a good concept and company. Great explanation. Sarah. you should have been one of the Top Ten Internet Hotties . Just Sayin'

Is there really anything to say here? Some jerk-off shill for the horse and buggy industry is complaining about a loan for the future of automobiles for a company that is pushing the limits and trying to take this county and it's pathetic auto industry out of the dark ages? Please, dinosaurs, just go away and die already.

word. first time i'd want to buy an american desingned and manufactured car since the 70's! detroit is done. and tesla will make japan and germany run! (i like japanese and german cars, just saying, i'm excited here!)

Good comments, all. Ditto. Mr Musk, PLEASE bring Tesla Motors to HAWAII !!!

Rack!

Love Tesla! Love Detroit sinking rapidly into the swamp they themselves created. Love the future vision of not seeing 7 mpg pickup trucks anymore. Love seeing our boys come home from the middle east sands since we won't need to protect OPEC anymore.

Yes Tesla! I like the S. Too bad I can't afford it yet. But this should have been done years ago! Funny sidenote: GM made the EV only to prove to California's CARB committee that consumers wouldn't like electric cars. The EV was never sold, only leased, so that GM could "prove" that they didn't sell. However, almost all the leasees tried to renew their leases or buy them outright; GM refused. How is GM now? Hmmmmm.

Also, even though it costs over $50,000, there are no major maintenance costs (oil changes, antifreeze, belts, hoses, etc.), there are fewer parts to wear out (any electronics to be replaced are cheap and will get cheaper over time, and the engines are rated to last for over 100,000 running hours at full capacity), and its "fuel" is far cheaper and not prone to fluctuations in price. So, the actual costs (purchase and after-purchase costs) of the S and a regular, average-priced car are very close. Also, the S looks much better than anything GM or Chrysler has made in the past twenty years.

If this Tesla car venture was a "sure thing", private financing would be easy to get. What Elon Musk fails to realize is that building show cars and prototypes is relatively cheap and easy. Where most of these types of start-ups fail is in the transition period between development and full production. They fail due to inadequate cash flow during this period. To put a new drivetrain and chassis into production requires several billion. Toyota has sunk over $2 billion into development of the Prius. $200 million is nowhere near enough.

You're telling me that these guys can make the car of the future that will make billions of dollars and wipe out all of the other car companies, but no one wants to invest in it? And where are you going to get the electricity to charge the vehicle when we shut down all of the coal power plants, don't build any nuclear plants, shut down hydro-electric plants (for the fishes), don't build solar or wind power plants (because of the birds and animals) and electricity prises go through the roof because of cap and trade?

Tesla won't survive, ultra expensive sports cars are so 2007. 2009 is ultra cheap tiny TATA Nano cars. Tesla made the wrong bet and lost. To be begging for government handouts is sad. But sure, give them the money, better than the Dying 3. But make sure they give Fisker the same amount, and a host of other smaller EV builders too! Government picking winners and losers is the worst possible thing, talk about capitalism being dead, when the VC's of silicon valley need government help, our future is not bright.

Don't forget this is still a deperciating asset...At $50,0000 a clip who can afford it ? This is not "Any color you want so long as it is black"...more like show me the the money so long as it is green!

If this is such a good investment, why can't he float an IPO? (Suspected answer --- an IPO will be worth far more to HIM later in a healthier market. Better to get a loan from the taxpayers now, so he can hit the jackpot later.) What a vulture.

Man, you guys are stupid about getting a loan in this environment. Of course it's not a sure bet for Tesla to get their model up and running, but private investors or banks wouldn't give them the loan with a favorable interest rates, they would ask for a upward of 10%. And IPO for a company in a development stage? Do you even understand how it works? Most companies have to go through successful production and primary market before they can IPO. No one in the secondary stock market (which is the open stock market like NYSE or NASDAQ) will buy a stock which doesn't have a full production line yet. If they ipo, the best they can do is in the OTC/pinksheet market, which doesn't do any good since the money won't be enough (20-50m is nothing). Remember Apple or Microsoft? They had to sell well before they have an investment bank to be their underwriter. Stop talking about things you dont know.

To netnimblejack, Yeah, you are an idiot. Tesla won't be a type of Toyota or GM anytime soon, they will be more along BMW type. Plus that Nano car from Tata is good for the Indian and developing countries market, it won't survive in Europe or U.S. Americans and European don't need that cheap of a car without any feature. 15-30G car is fine for most americans, a car doesn't have to be $2000 cheap. People would just go buy a used car with real feature instead of buying a Nano car. Nano doesn't have AC, doesn't have airbag (good luck trying to pass the safety test to enter the american market). It's a dream car for many Indians, but don't take it too far like it will take over the world of automobile.

To netnimblejack, Yeah, you are an idiot. Tesla won't be a type of Toyota or GM anytime soon, they will be more along BMW type. Plus that Nano car from Tata is good for the Indian and developing countries market, it won't survive in Europe or U.S. Americans and European don't need that cheap of a car without any feature. 15-30G car is fine for most americans, a car doesn't have to be $2000 cheap. People would just go buy a used car with real feature instead of buying a Nano car. Nano doesn't have AC, doesn't have airbag (good luck trying to pass the safety test to enter the american market). It's a dream car for many Indians, but don't take it too far like it will take over the world of automobile.

i want to make a clear point here. the government should take a 50% EQUITY STAKE in tesla for that money. maybe more than 50%. i dont have a problem with the government investing in tesla. i have a problem with TESLA getting a free loan. who is making the deal for the gov? ddddddd

i want to make a clear point here. the government should take a 50% EQUITY STAKE in tesla for that money. maybe more than 50%. i dont have a problem with the government investing in tesla. i have a problem with TESLA getting a free loan. who is making the deal for the gov? ddddddd

... i want to make a clear point here. the government should take a 50% EQUITY STAKE in tesla for that money. maybe more than 50%. i dont have a problem with the government investing in tesla. i have a problem with TESLA getting a free loan. who is making the deal for the gov? ddddddd