Was it right for Tesla Motors to begin selling the first all-electric vehicle in the US?
Yes, I think it is perfectly reasonable and enterprising of Tesla Motors to make an electric car. Tesla Motors unveiled its Model S, an all-electric sedan it hails as the beginning of a generation of fossil-fuel-free cars and a profitable company. But before that happens, the company must find the money to build the vehicle. Tesla is pinning its hopes on Washington and a $450 million government loan. The company expects to hear from the Energy Department this year. “We are highly confident that Tesla will be selected, and it will occur this year,” said Elon Musk, the company’s chief executive, after displaying the car to customers, analysts and reporters in a gigantic hangar set up to look like a lounge at SpaceX, Mr. Musk’s rocket factory. His other venture is to build a spacecraft. Tesla, which was founded in 2003, was heralded as Silicon Valley’s solution to the nation’s energy problem. If a struggling Detroit could not make an electric vehicle, then a Silicon Valley start-up would.
