[toomuchtodo]

All automakers receive the EV subsidies you mention, not just Tesla. If you want the subsidy, make EVs! If you don't, buy ZEV credits from those who do (many thanks California and the EU) when you don't meet your fleet emissions targets. Will the US government support Tesla if they fail in the same way GM did? Hardly, because the GM bailout was a jobs program.

My defense is hard problems have deadlines that will be blown passed, and it's not uncommon unless the problem is incredibly well scoped or you're just lazy and set the bar low by design (ie most automakers).

This is not to say Tesla and Musk don't have problems; they do, but credit should be provided where due.