Even as one of Tesla’s electric cars orbited the Earth Wednesday, a day after lifting off on the world’s most powerful rocket, Internet, the Palo Alto company reminded investors yet again that its fortunes have yet to take off.Tesla reported losing $1.96 billion in 2017, almost three times its 2016 loss, as the company struggled to ramp up production of its mass-market Model 3 sedan. Tesla lost roughly as much money in the fourth quarter — about $675 million, or $4.