For the following case "tesla motors: charging into the future? " 1. what is key strategic issure facing the company? 2. what is strategic recommendation that addresses the key strategic issure? 3. what is the implementation plan detailing the actions the company should take? tesla motors since its inception in 2003, tesla motors has made sig- nificant breakthroughs in the electric vehicle (ev) mar- ket with its proprietary power-train technology. its first roadster model provided a driving experience that was on par with a traditional gas engine and was the precur- sor for considerable success in the automobile market over the last few years. however, as the production of the most recent roadster model winds down, tesla is faced with a challenging situation that might determine the future direction of the company and ultimately its survival.1 in july 2012, tesla released its ev family sedan, the model s, priced at the upper range of the luxury vehicle market.2 this sedan represents tesla’s first foray into the family segment of the automobile market, provid- ing a significant opportunity for company growth. tesla currently takes only limited orders for the vehicles and expects the production capacity to be built up over the next few years. this model is intended to serve as a good introduction of tesla’s ev capabilities to the public and allay concerns about performance and reliability of evs before its model x crossover is introduced into the mar- ket.3 the model x will not be ready for delivery until 2014, but it will be the first mid-sized vehicle produced by tesla. between these two vehicles, tesla has an impres- sive product pipeline lineup that has the potential to appeal to middle-class consumers and to expand tesla’s current consumer base comprising high-net worth early adopters. however, tesla is not the only manufacturer looking to develop evs. most automobile manufacturers have developed or are in the process of developing their own evs—the chevy volt being the most well known. custom page toyota is developing an all-electric version of its rav4 as part of a contract with tesla.4 currently, tesla’s vehi- cles have greater range and offer better performance, but these major automakers represent a significant threat to the viability of tesla. tesla is thus confronted with two issues: how to move forward and in which direction? tesla could main- tain its status as a niche manufacturer of high-quality, high-performance evs, or it could seek to leverage its first mover advantage and therefore gain market share with expanded, affordable access to evs in the greater automobile market.