In an unusually candid lecture by a Ford Chief Engineer (they lead teams consisting of thousands of engineers), we were asked a question: what has society gotten in return for the untold billions of dollars showered on the car industry for the last century? The answer given – almost NOTHING! A hundred years ago, a car consisted of a gasoline-powered engine that got about thirty miles per gallon, four air-filled tires, a steering wheel and start and stop pedals. Today’s cars are almost identical. Where did all the money go?

Finally, a company has come out of nowhere and done what every auto executive of the last three generations would say was impossible.

Tesla spent investor money to solve the underlying problems with radical solutions that worked. Concentrating weight in the floor (the batteries) yields unprecedented handling. Getting rid of the gas engine improves safety by a factor of ten. Careful engineering for safety has created the safest car ever put on the road.

Tesla is totally awesome, and the greatest new company in America. I just hope they can succeed against the entrenched economic forces that are determined destroy them.