Ludicrous: The Unvarnished Story of Tesla Motors

With a unique blend of original reporting and deep analysis, journalist and auto industry analyst Edward Niedermeyer reveals the ugly reality hidden behind Tesla’s popular mythology and explains why Tesla is more likely to end up as a transitional figure in automotive history than the next industrial juggernaut. Tesla Motors and CEO Elon Musk have become household names, shaking up the staid auto industry by creating a set of innovative electric vehicles that have wowed the marketplace and defied conventional wisdom. The company’s market valuation now rivals that of long-established automakers, and, to many industry observers, Tesla is defining the future of the industry. But behind the hype, Tesla has some serious deficiencies that raise questions about its sky-high valuation, and even its ultimate survival. Tesla’s commitment to innovation has led it to reject the careful, zero-defects approach of other car manufacturers, even as it struggles to mass-produce cars reliably and with minimal defects. In Ludicrous: The Unvarnished Story of Tesla Motors (BenBella), Niedermeyer lays bare the disconnect between the popular perception of Tesla and the day-to-day realities of the company – and the cars it produces.