[amluto]

Forget the factory. A skateboard, a scooter and a car are not similar enough for this to make much sense.

Tesla pulled off an MVP, the Roadster, that actually made sense: they built a drivetrain (which was their actual innovation) and sold inside someone else’s car. It was minimal: they focused on what would distinguish them (it was a fast EV!) but didn’t have much else going on; it was viable (one could drive it and have fun); and it was a product (one could actually buy it).

But it was a car, not a skateboard or a scooter. It demonstrated that they could build an electric car that was fun to drive and had respectable range. An electric scooter wouldn’t have done that, and might not have had much to distinguish Tesla from, say, Mission Motors. Scooters have been able to go large distances with small amounts of fuel for a long time.