2025-06-01 1. **Lotus (vehicle body/chassis)**: - Provided chassis and body manufacturing - Had experience with lightweight, high-performance sports cars - Already understood the luxury sports car market segment - Had engineering expertise in performance vehicle design - Was closest to Tesla's target customer requirements 2. **Xcellent (battery assembly)**: - Was a BBQ grill manufacturer transitioning to high-tech - Had no experience with automotive or high-performance applications - Required extensive training and support from Tesla engineers - Had aluminum forming capabilities but limited technological sophistication - Represented a significant capability gap that needed bridging 3. **Chroma (Power Electronics Module)**: - Was a test equipment manufacturer - Had some relevant electronics expertise - Had built an electric scooter previously - But was low-volume, high-margin business model - Not familiar with automotive manufacturing requirements