Who Should Buy Tesla In 2014? GM, Ford Or Apple?

It's how Elon Musk operates. So GM buys Tesla. What do they get that they don't already have technologically? Literally NOTHING. GM is clearly clueless about brand management given their failures. Ford makes more sense in that Tesla could replace Lincoln as their premium brand and Lincoln could be what it is: the new Mercury. Apple would be stupid to buy Tesla given that it knows NOTHING about engineering and designing cars. If anyone should buy Tesla is Hyundai/Kia because it would give them a premium brand that they could in turn put Genesis as a brand next to in showrooms and make a huge leap in perception of Hyundai/Kia as a legitimate builder of premium cars. Toyota could buy them, make Prius a brand, but both brands in Scion dealers and kill Scion.

Ford buying Tesla and placing the Lincoln brand on it would definitely kill the Tesla mystique...in fact, any existing company buying Tesla would kill it based on name association alone.

Honestly, I hope that Tesla is not acquired and stands on its own. We need the independent competition.

I said NOTHING of the sort @leej "Ford buying Tesla and placing the Lincoln brand on it would definitely kill the Tesla mystique..." My point was the place Lincoln BELOW Tesla.

Tesla is a confidence scheme headed by Elon Musk. The steps are (1) create a product that is overhyped as something truly game changing, (2) sell cars rapidly, and then (3) bum the company off before durability, reliability issues kick in. Resale values of Teslas will be TERRIBLE. Five years from now, EVs will be that much better. The Tesla is like a computer rather than a car. Five years from now it will be horribly outdated whereas a conventional premium car will not. Also, once the rabid, early-adopter, greener-than-thou crowd is satiated with product, sales will TUMBLE.

Independently, Tesla is a threat to no automaker in any way. Acquired and made into a sustainable brand by the deep pockets of a big manufacturer, it has real potential.

Another great partner would be VWAG.

@Matt - You have no clue what you are talking about. Musk has no interest of selling Tesla any time soon. And GM doesn't have the money to afford them either.

Resale value of Tesla will be fine 5 years from now. Tesla Roadster after 5 years still has one of the highest resale values.

While improvements in computers is one way of looking at it, your also not factoring in the fact that lifecycles of PCs and computers are different. Cars have a cycle of 5 years is equivalent to a PC 1 year. So a 5 year old Tesla Model S will be like a 1 year old pc. That said, nobody buys luxury cars for their resale values.

Also, so you know. Musk guaranteed the resale value of the car out of his own pocket.

And most of the buyers who bought the Tesla Model S bought it for the performance, not because it is green. There is really no other car like it, once you drive a Tesla Model S, it is hard to go back to any other car.

Tesla is in it for the long haul.

@Weapon unfortunately I do. I'm in the industry and speak the truth. You on the other hand are a wannabe believer as if Tesla is a religion. You know nothing of the industry. I do.

I am involved in the auto industry at the dealer/manufacturer level. Musk likes to "build" something and sell it off for a quick profit. It's how he does business. Dealers are hesitant to get a Tesla franchise because the rumors of Musk selling Tesla in 2014 are rampant.

Tesla is a "religion" as it is an ideal that captures people's hopes and aspirations. This is what most folks that were shorting the stock and continue to bad-mouth Tesla have failed to understand.

@Matt - Your in the industry of Elon Musk? Seriously stop making up bull. You are just hating for no reason.

And I am in the industry of Market Research. So I know more than you think.

This is just a PR ploy by GM to remain relevant by publishing their name along side Tesla as much as they can. As I said, Musk is not going to sell and GM can't afford it.

If your in the industry you would also know that the resale value of Tesla cars is fairly good.

@Matt...sorry...I mis-read your point on the Lincoln brand. With your clarification, that step would be the final nail-head in the Lincoln coffin.

With the latest news on the confirmed lower price point for the Tesla model that will be based on the current S due to go on sale as a 2017 model, I sounds like Elon Musk will stick around for a while.