Earlier quoted context omitted.
Will they eventually reach a point where they can just run with the capital equipment they already have, and drop the CAPEX spending down?
Their goal is 10k cars/week, so perhaps then. There's also (reported today) $5B planned for the factory in China, expected to be raised largely in-country but with some American/international investment. And, of course, some capex is always necessary to replace depreciating stock and support new models (pickup, new roadster, and truck all planned).
Tesla Second Quarter 2018 Update
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Re: Tesla Second Quarter 2018 Update
#242Buying a car that's more than, say, $30,000 is such a laughably poor decision. Cars depreciate rapidly unlike real estate where you actually maintain some equity. If you're in your 20s and looking to pump your new RSU wealth into something, almost anything is a better choice than an expensive car.
Re: Tesla Second Quarter 2018 Update
#243Tesla only sold 104 Roadstars in 2011. Now they are on track to sell 250,000 Model S, X, and 3 combined in 2018. The scale of Tesla's accomplishment is truly under appreciated. It becomes even more impressive when you realize that this is an electric car, sold by Tesla owned stores, supported by over a thousand Superchargers. Amazing !!
The other thing that Tesla's naysayers still don't get is that A Tesla (any model) is the most fun street-legal car ever built Full stop, no caveats. American muscle cars from the 60s weren't this responsive. No German car is this responsive. You just have to drive one to understand.
Most fun? You must not have driven many cars. If you only enjoy quick acceleration - sure, but I prefer a gocart feel and a car nimble around the corners, and the only tesla that's remotely competitive in this area is the roadster, of which it sold very few. The Model S, while it has a very low center of gravity which makes it feel like a smaller/lighter car than it is in corners, is still a large boat if you compare it to cars that are considered to be "fun" and well-handling.
A lot more people would agree with the statement that an MX5/Miata is the most fun street-legal car ever built - because - well, it most likely is. :P