Tesla's Waiting For What?!?

I just read an article about the upcoming Tesla Model S sedan. It looks awesome and as I was reading it I was excited about the possibilities, despite the initial cost still being kind of high (unless you were going to buy an expensive sedan anyway). Anyway, what got me was this:

He also indicated that Tesla believes that it is close to receiving $350 million in loans from the U.S. Department of Energy to build a plant in California that would manufacture the Model S.

Whiskey tango foxtrot? The Department of Energy? Why? If this product is so destined to make a mint (as its founders obviously think it will), and will change the landscape of American (and world) automobiles, then why aren't investors lining up to drop down the dough to get this thing started? Why does the government have to come in here and essentially create a market where, apparently, there isn't one desired?

You can't tell me that there aren't enough 'green' richies out there that wouldn't love to have everyone driving electric cars. Why can't they invest in this company?

I'm left to assume that either: 1)There in fact ISN'T a market for this car, 2)Their marketing plan isn't sound and has potential investors nervous, or 3)It's just easy to get government money for anything green, and they figure it's the path of least resistance.

This same type of scenario came up in the comments of my comment on government-supported basic research, and I still am subscribing to the Field of Dreams analogy. If you can sell it, they'll come with money. It's not that complicated.

Then again, maybe neither is getting money from the Dept. of Energy.