Tesla Motors is the most interesting company I have ever studied. Not only are its products well designed, but so is the company.

The executive team all have one thing very interesting in common. They have all been with start ups that have grown blazingly fast and have personally thrived in those conditions along with the company. It cannot be coincidental that they all share that similar kind of experience. Obviously, having senior executives with that in their background was a tactical decision.

Having the right people for the job is of utmost importance at the stage Tesla is in. That is why They stole, Arnnon Geshuri, Goole's chief of HR, to fill that position at Tesla. Mr. Geshuri is world renown for his recruiting and hiring acumen. He joined the electric-vehicle company in November 2009, when the company's head count was about 600. As of January 2014 and since they have grown to over 6000 having hired the very best people they could find. This is a distinct difference between Tesla and others, as only the best people will do.

On the engineering front, JB Strauble is Co-founder and CTO. He leads an excellent team of cross discipline engineers who work extremely hard to continuously improve current product and create the new.

If one looks at the company with the eye of Ben Graham, things may not look so good. For they do burn cash at a tremendous rate, as Tesla is putting everything into growth as fast as they possibly can. So the typical valuation model does not apply. Further, it is not like other autos. They do live on the financial edge and probably will for some time.

Having said that, Tesla has more going for it than meets the eye. Regarding finances, there are many extremely well-to-do people who are friends of Elon Musk and the company. When the company was on the edge earlier in its history Elon dumped his last nickel into it or as they say, he went ALL IN. His leadership encouraged his friends to come and join him and things have worked out. Further, those same people stand ready to help again if necessary.

Further, because of how well the team has executed in the company's short life, they have won the respect and admiration of the industry and its critics. This has only helped to sharpen the resolve of Elon, the company and his friends. They know that Tesla can do what it must to become a leading manufacturer of automobiles. Which a question of when, not if.

If one compares Tesla's history to that of Porche AG you will see parallels like, one model made extremely well for a number of years. Both sell the same thing, “The Experience” of the car versus the car itself. Both are fanatical about craftsmanship and quality and are also ardent practitioners of Kaizen. The two also like to be very close to the customer. Therefore, Porsche AG, more than any other manufacturer, is the company to compare with Tesla, for they have much in common.

But, the almost unanimous accolades of the automotive press came much sooner in Tesla's history than Porche's. Further, it wasn't until recently that Porche achieved the milestone of manufacturing over 100,000 units per year. That was the year prior to the controversial merger with Volkswagon in 2012 when they reported making about 123,000 units, if memory serves me right. Consequently, it took Porsche 64 years to crack 100,000 units per year. Elon Musk has predicted that Tesla will produce more than 100,000 cars per year by the end of 2015. That’s 12 years after the company was founded.

Here is a recent (2014) quote from Musk about production capacity:

"...Conservatively 2,500 units a week. At a lower cost point. We should be able to do that in parrallel (Model S + Model X). Another really big upgrade is the Paint Shop. There are a few cases where advanced CapEx spending makes sense even though it's gonna pay off in two to three years. But it's such a big improvement that you kinda wanna do it, even at a high discount rate. "

So, here we have a conservative prediction of : 2,500 X 52 = 130,000. Now we have a number to help us compare the histories of Porche AG with that of Tesla, over 100,000 units per year: Tesla, 12 years, Porsche, 64.

Then there is this, from owners of the car:

"I have a corvette (convertible) as well and after 1 1/2 yrs with my Model S, I am now selling the vette. Never thought that would happen.”

and,

"Well, life was great, I had a 2014 Model S85 coming for my wife, I would drive it whenever we are together, just wonderful I thought.

I was loving my Corvette Grand Sport with 6 speed manual, and I was going to get the GREAT new C7 Stingray. Wow, I would have 2 wonderful cars, so happy.

So now ... I do not enjoy driving the Vette anymore and the new Stingray is history. I will be ordering a a 2015 S85 to go with my wife's S85, no more ICE for me.

and,

I too call it a life-changer! My life changed 1 DEC 2013 when I test drove the P85. That is the day when I knew I was going to own a Tesla. That P85 blew me away! I got the MS60 after researching, and finding out that Tesla understates the performance figures on the 60. I also decided to set my budget at 80K. My previous car cost 40K, and I was a bit nervous about how much I should invest in a car. I've driven all 3 models, the S60, S85, and P85. Between 0-40mph, you can't tell a difference. But after 40mph, the 85s pull harder. The MS60 is plenty quick, though. And more than enough for my needs. I consider it a "Great First Tesla" to own. I do foresee that in about 5 years, I'll be getting an 85!

Further…
From a Harvard MBA who is a former management consultant at McKinsey & Co:
Tesla Model S Cost of Ownership vs. Honda Odyssey

Last but not least…
Free electricity?
Future Teslas Could Come "Energy Included" - TESLARATI.com