[rgbrenner]

But now that they have some production volume, they have to be evaluated as a car company

I'm generally critical of Tesla.. but this isnt right in my experience. If the company's volume is growing rapidly, they are going to have higher expenses than a stable low growth competitor. Because as volume approaches the capacity of the equipment and staff, you must throw more people at it, reduce maintenance, buy more equipment, etc. And all of that costs money. Capital assets are being built for their future volume, which is going to be more expensive, since they would be overbuilding for their current volume (which can be a big problem if growth slows). And the growth also creates urgency, which reduces the company's leverage when negotiating prices.

Only once growth is under control can a company then turn its full attention to controlling costs.