Parks, you are correct...it
Parks, you are correct...it will cost billions. Tesla's initial estimate is $4 - $5 billion, and hopefully they can stick to that. It appears that they won't have trouble raising the funds, especially if Apple gets involved (which is looking more and more like a possibility). No doubt selecting the ideal location is one of their primary concerns, for the purpose of the energy generation as well as the materials moving in/out which you mention. Though it will be a massive project, I wouldn't be at all surprised if it's finished by 2017 as Tesla hopes. They usually deliver on their promises. And I definitely agree with the concern about waste bi-products, though with a single dedicated facility it should be easier for them to control the process from beginning to end (post-raw material production, of course). As for the price of the Model E, they hope to make it competitive with the BMW 3-series. Certainly not accessible to all, but then again Tesla is considered a luxury automaker. I'd like to see them cross into the $20,000 realm, but at the moment that doesn't seem realistic given the standard they have set.