[enraged_camel]

>>I'm just suggesting that the general population doesn't have 50k to spend on something that only provides one very specific utility.

I doubt that. Take a look at this:

http://www.autospies.com/news/Study-Finds-Americans-Own-2-28...

The average American household owns 2.28 vehicles. The percentage of households that own three or more vehicles is a whopping 35 percent.

Furthermore, the most common pairing of vehicles in American households with two to four cars is a full-sized pickup truck and a standard, mid-range vehicle. The latter can basically be a Tesla.

[clarky07]

first, I have 2 cars with a combined value of less than 10k. that's a far cry from 50k on 1 car. second, no it can't. That's the one they use to do the traveling I'm talking about. They don't take the pickup on the road trip.

[enraged_camel]

Mid-range is typically around 250 miles, which the Tesla can do.

As for budget, sure, the Tesla is a bit on the expensive side, but it is not difficult to afford for middle-class families.

[jfb]

Of course, the model with the 85Kwh battery is significantly more than $50k.

[clarky07]

all the other mid range cars can do another 250 in 5 minutes.

[enraged_camel]

Irrelevant. The point is that if your destination is less than 250 miles away, then it doesn't matter whether the car charges in 5 minutes or 50.

[clarky07]

It's not irrelevant, as the whole point of this particular thread was the hypothesis that many people want to travel further than 250 miles.

[CapOpp]

"Many" does not mean most. Cars which need to drive more than 250 miles at a time are a niche market. The only reason there is a desire for that amount of range is because of the incredible inconvenience involved in stopping at a gas station multiple times per week.

[Arelius]

And the Tesla's value drops over time also. I don't know the exact set of cars you own, but I imagine that together they were likely worth more than 50K new.