Join The Community  Elon wants to pay back DOE early... I'd
rather they invest in more SuperChargers.  Why pay early. Invest
in the company now at it's early growth stage with every penny
instead. Get better communication to buyers on delivery. Install
SuperChargers earlier. Keep a few bucks in your back pocket for
when the world wakes up and realizes that this is the car they
want. Fast growth hurts cash-flow just as much as anything can.
I think there is an incentive to pay off early so tesla doesn't
have to issues millions of dollars of warrants to the government
by the end of the loan repayment schedule...  Like any loan, the
faster you pay it back the lower the total cost of repayment.
The supercharger are important, but I would pay back the DOE as
fast as possible. Besides the financial gain, there is a
political and marketing gain too. The money the save will
certainly get reinvested in building supercharger, R&D, service
centers, etc.  Yep, get the DOE out of your hair and all those
complainers who a