Production issues are only one part of the Model 3 problem, however. The car doesn’t seem to be in as high demand as Chief Executive Elon Musk once promised investors. Analysts at Bernstein said in a research note last week that fewer than 30% of customers who have been invited to take delivery of the Model 3 have actually done so.
And Tesla can’t simply cut spending to solve its cash challenge if it hopes to ramp up production. The company has racked up about $10 billion in long- term debt and has $23 billion in total liabilities. To survive long term, Tesla needs to stop overpromising and to scale back its ambitions to goals it actually can achieve. Right now, though, it just needs more money.
That’s a killer, if customers are starting to lose interest, thst much debt along with only having enough runway for another year is death.
Realistically, what can they do other than go deeper into debt? Sell?
