Maybe I'm just hung up on a definitional thing here. I was using "disruptive" in the sense of a market entrant picking up non-consumption and solving a problem

Maybe I'm just hung up on a definitional thing here. I was using "disruptive" in the sense of a market entrant picking up non-consumption and solving a problem that the incumbents are rationally unwilling to address. I don't see Tesla doing this. I see them as making a superior version of what is already for sale. My other mistake was in saying "electric car" and not "Tesla's electric cars". Thanks to all for the interesting discussion. PS: I still want one. PPS: I'm still pretty sure that trying to get to scale without a dealer network is what's going to break Tesla's back. Never underestimate the power of the local car dealer.