2017 Will Be the Year Tesla Reigns Supreme--Or Finally Flops

In its first 13 years of its existence, Tesla Motors made some of the world's biggest, best-known companies look stuffy as it charged electric cars with sex appeal, built a zealous fanbase, set records for performance and quality, and even made its cars drive themselves--all the while dodging bankruptcy and even flirting with illegality to keep up its frenetic pace. Not bad, but this is just the beginning. CEO Elon Musk has long promised to change the world, with an affordable electric car for the masses, one that happens to drive itself--and to make a profit doing it. That's the key to transforming Tesla from a niche player into the company Musk says it can be, one making a palpable, positive impact on people's lives and the planet they share, while keeping shareholders happy. And 2017 is the year Tesla has to pull it off, or lose its dominant position and risk being left behind as one more daring automotive startup that just could't hang.