Tesla Makes A Surprising Amount Of Money Selling T-Shirts And Hats
The company now expects to deliver 21,000 cars in 2013, up from a previous goal of 20,000.
On a press call after the numbers were released, CEO Elon Musk revealed another, more surprising, source of revenue: the sale of Tesla gear.
"Our apparel sales are not bad," he said. Tesla makes millions of dollars selling t-shirts, hats, water bottles, and more, "without trying hard."
Those "millions" may be insignificant compared to what Tesla makes selling cars, but they illustrate something important: popular enthusiasm for the brand.
A lot of people love Tesla. A lot of people want to own a Model S.
Now the key for continued success is keeping production up and driving costs down, so fans can become owners.