That's my take. Good for them for taking such a huge chance and seeing an opportunity to take a chance on technology that is just now becoming practical.
But...I can't see any reason why Toyota won't squash them like a bug in the low and medium end car biz once EV technology becomes a bit better and their adoption is more mainstream. It's a heckuva business to try to make a profit in in any case.
I am, really, only a casual observer, so can someone tell me if this means anyone can use their battery tech, and whatever else is important?
1. https://www.tesla.com/en_AU/blog/all-our-patent-are-belong-y...
The Hyundai Kona EV comes with 400Km (more than the base model 3) of range with a liquid cooled pack very similar in design to the model 3.
And it's 0-60 is < 1s slower despite being a front wheel drive CUV rather than a sporty, RWD sedan.
Yes I'm aware that Tesla has more tech in the Model S, X, and upcoming roadster but they can't laugh off other EV's like they did with the Leaf. Other manufacturers _are_ making progress and I hope Tesla keeps it together to lead the charge (pun intended).
As of January the Leaf was still the best selling electric car model in history.
edit: Source from February with data through 2018. If ~200,000 more Model 3s than Leafs have been delivered this year, then it is the new leader. https://qz.com/1552840/the-most-successful-ev-model-to-date-...
But technology wise Tesla is quite a bit ahead. The Leaf originally had abysmal range (better now) and doesn't have the pack longevity due to its passive cooled design. This also limits the amount of power it can produce/consume leading to lower regen efficiency, slower charging, and worse performance.
My comment above was trying to point out that the Kona is a good example of that gap being closed by yet another competitor on the EV scene.