So much for occupying the pole position. Tesla Motors (TSLA -1.11%) paid the price for helping pioneer the mass market for electric cars when higher costs forced the company to come $0.12 short of fourth quarter estimates. The stock promptly fell 10% on the news.

Is the selloff deserved? Can investors safely bet on Tesla for the long term? The Motley Fool's Alison Southwick asks Tim Beyers of Motley Fool Rule Breakers and Motley Fool Supernova for his perspective in the following video. Please watch, and then leave a comment to let us know what you think.