I felt much the same as you, until I drove a Tesla. At that moment my life was forever changed. I look at a parking lot of ICE vehicles and see nothing but horse and buggies that don't yet know that they are relics of the past. Traditional automobile companies will continue to build traditional cars and might even replace the propulsion system with an electric motor, but they will never make the jump to what Tesla has started. It is a sea change, a complete rethink of how to provide transportation to the masses and no amount of old knowledge will help. In fact, I think the longer that they have been entrenched in the old ways, the harder it will be to step out.
Sure, others will make electric vehicles (at least I hope they will), but it will probably be smaller, more focused companies. Companies such as Pagani or Elio Motors will have a much easier time making the switch. Again, it's not about replacing the ICE with an electric motor, it's a whole mindset.
Someone else in this thread mentioned cell phones before the iPhone as a good analogy and I agree. Look at where RIM and Nokia are compared to where there were in the early 2000's. They simply could not adapt to the new way of thinking about a cell phone. GM, Honda, Ford, Porsche, they are the RIM and Nokia of the car world; dead but they don't know it yet.
Pretty much all of the major car companies are making fully electric vehicles with ranges comparable to Tesla. (I know about Ford, GM, and Volvo.) However, a lot of the hype with electric vehicles is centered around Tesla right now, much like how the hype for hybrids was centered around the Prius. In my opinion, the Prius is one of the ugliest cars out there, and despite the fact that we have a lot of choices for hybrids now, the Prius is still one of the top sellers. I really hope the Model 3 does as well as the Prius has done, because (much like the Prius did) it will put market pressure in places that there previously was none.
Putting most of the current auto industry out of business by being way more awesome is "good" in the short term, but then comes the monopoly, which is never good for the customer.
And to the cell phone company argument, Look at LG, Samsung, and Motorola, all phone manufacturers that have been successful pre and post smartphone era.
Given the quality issues Tesla cars still have, I'm sure the current players will survive. Since they will lose a good bit of after-sale-revenue (less spare parts and maintenance needed), they will have to make up for this in some other way. Maybe.. sell supercharger hardware for home use (Tesla can't cover it all)? Yearly hardware upgrades perhaps, or entertainment? (Stream HBO on a big screen and decent sound system while driving home autonomously)
Sure, others will make electric vehicles (at least I hope they will), but it will probably be smaller, more focused companies. Companies such as Pagani or Elio Motors will have a much easier time making the switch. Again, it's not about replacing the ICE with an electric motor, it's a whole mindset.
Someone else in this thread mentioned cell phones before the iPhone as a good analogy and I agree. Look at where RIM and Nokia are compared to where there were in the early 2000's. They simply could not adapt to the new way of thinking about a cell phone. GM, Honda, Ford, Porsche, they are the RIM and Nokia of the car world; dead but they don't know it yet.