Against all odds Tesla is still in business -- here's why (TSLA)

Reuters/Mike Blake • The auto industry has a history of quickly eliminating competitive threats. • Tesla still isn't perceived as a threat, although it's widely admired. • Automakers remain happy to let Tesla take on all the electric-car risk. Elon Musk is so charismatic and Tesla is so cool that it's easy to overlook how unlikely the automaker'ssuccess is. After a brush with bankruptcy in 2008, the company has thrived, minting a $60-billion market capitalization (surpassing all three of t...