YOUR NEXT CAR WILL BE A VOLT:

Now, however, Tesla has posted $1.1 billion in profit, the majority of which came from selling electric vehicles. During the most recent quarter, it sold 201,500 of them, mostly the less expensive Model 3 and Model Y, which collectively sell more than all non-Tesla electric vehicles combined. In fact, only $354 million came from regulatory credits, the lowest amount in the last four quarters

That's actually a big deal. More than any other company, Tesla has set out to completely revolutionize an industry that's been around for more than 100 years. That's a pretty big lift. You expect that you're going to have to invest heavily to catch up. You probably expect that you won't make money for a while. 

You can argue all you want that Tesla's mission is about things other than making money, but Tesla is a business. That isn't to say it doesn't also exist for a cause, but ultimately that cause is meaningless if Tesla continues losing money. 

Just because it says its mission is to help convert the world to renewable energy sources, it still has to make money both because it has an obligation to its shareholders, but also because making cars is expensive. Contrary to popular belief, Elon Musk doesn't have a bottomless bucket of cash (or Bitcoin) sitting around to continue plowing into the cause. No business can sustain itself long enough to realize its mission without generating a profit.

But the trend line is moving in the right direction. In fact, Tesla's earnings this quarter were 10 times what they were a year ago. 

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