Comments welcome.

When not making prolific contributions to my own blog, I regularly visit a few sites dedicated to automotive news and commentary.  Lately, I have taken a specific interest in Tesla Motors.  As with my friends at Local Motors, Tesla is not only about the end product but is also taking a different approach to the manufacture and sale of new cars that happen to be electric. But judging from the tone of some of the articles I've read, as well as the comments sections, my excitement isn't shared.  I'm wondering if the general public doesn't want an alternative.  Are we still afraid of the electric car?  Are we uncertain about buying a car the way we buy a computer, especially if they use the same batteries?

But really, why all the harsh negativity?  Like anyone else who follows automotive news, I am quite aware of Tesla's well publicized financial situation, and perhaps too aware of everything CEO Elon Musk is doing these days.  I am also equally aware of the royal mess that our beloved Big Three are still digging their way out of.  So why is everyone so surprised that a small start up company like Tesla hasn't turned a profit yet? No, the Tesla Roadster isn't an affordable electric car for everyman, and the end of the ICE isn't any nearer, but that's not the point of that car.  Read Tesla's business model.  It's on their website.  Their goal is to use this halo car to make a name and cover development costs so that the next model will be less expensive and can subsequently do the same thing for an even less expensive model for the mass market.  In tooling up to build the next models, they have spent a lot of money, but what did we expect?  Did anyone really think they could just build a new car in their garage and turn out enough to make a profit?  Where are the people like me who want to see Tesla succeed?  Surely there are those of us out here who can speak up even if we can't afford to buy a Tesla Roadster to show our support.

So it's obvious that I'm a big Tesla fan and supporter.  But while I'm very excited at the possibilities presented by Tesla, I'm not saying that everything is all rosy, and obviously there are some big issues that will need to be worked out.  Mr. Musk strikes me as a very smart man with a good idea, and I hope that the people surrounding him and running his company can make that idea work.  To that end, I find the recent addition of George Blankenship to Tesla's roster to be an exciting development.  His background, specifically with Apple, is going to be a key component to creating a new car buying experience.  Imagine walking into an Apple store to buy a car instead of your local dealership.  I may be oversimplifying a bit, but this is the general direction of what Tesla is trying to do.  If Tesla can follow through with this approach and stay afloat long enough to get the Model S on the road in reasonable numbers, I think they will follow the road paved by Henry Ford and Ferdinand Porsche, not Preston Tucker and Malcom Bricklin.