It’s here. It’s official. The Tesla Model 3 has arrived. In style. Elon Musk took the stage last week to introduce the world to the next wave of automotive disruption. This car is going to make waves. Make no mistake, Tesla has delivered something that will shake the auto industry to its core. ArsTechnica asked Musk about the reservation count and reports: “The CEO then went on to say the net reservation number was currently ‘over half a million.'”
Bad news may be on the horizon for Big Oil as electric cars gained traction this past week. Bloomberg reports that “France plans to end the sale of gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles by 2040” and “Volvo Car Group became the first major manufacturer to say it will start phasing out vehicles powered solely by fossil fuels.” Who’s poised to fill this gas-mobile void? “More than a dozen automakers are jostling to lead the U.S. electric-car race, but Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) sees a clear winner separating from the pack: Tesla Inc.”
Panasonic’s Shingo Okamoto explains, “Car roofs have the potential to become a new market for solar panels. We made history in the auto industry and in the solar industry with the sun powering mass-produced cars for the first time in the world.”
This week, Elon Musk received another accolade. He was recognized as one of the top CEOs in the world based on his insanely high 98% approval rating with jobs-website Glassdoor. What are his employees saying? “Insanely intense magic,” “challenging but highly rewarding,” and “a family like relationship.” Recognized for his work as CEO at SpaceX, Musk also (somehow) finds time to run Tesla [NASDAQ: TSLA] as well.
Renowned mutual fund manager and investment icon Ron Baron of Baron Capital is well-known for his conservative, long-term approach to stock picking. He’s been compared to Warren Buffett (both for his investing style and outstanding track record) and has said that Tesla “may be the most interesting” company he’s ever invested in over his 46 year career.
Will there come a day when your Tesla simply pays for itself? According to the Wall Street Journal, that day may be coming soon. “Thanks to ride sharing and the looming introduction of self-driving vehicles, the entire model of car ownership is being upended—and very soon may not look anything like it has for the past century. Drivers, for instance, may no longer be drivers, relying instead on hailing a driverless car on demand, and if they do decide to buy, they will likely share the vehicle—by renting it out to other people when it isn’t in use.”
SS Customs released official photos of a “Special Ops” project it’s doing in conjunction with Tesla. They’ve created an all-new camouflage Tesla Model S and unveiled it this Memorial Day.
When it comes to taking an all-electric summer road trip, nobody has you covered like Tesla. After all, Tesla recently announced that by the end of 2017, they’ll double their worldwide charging infrastructure to total more than 10,000 Superchargers and 15,000 Destination Charging connectors all around the globe. That said, what if there were no electric vehicle chargers available for your summer road trip — which electric car would actually take you the furthest?
Wall Street analyst George Galliers from Evercore ISI forecasts that “Tesla will do in three years what it took Porsche 10 years to do…”
On March 28th, Andrew Stevenson of Tesla’s Special Projects delivered a keynote speech titled, “Opportunities for Students in Building a Sustainable Energy Future,” during the Carnegie Mellon University’s Scott Institute for Energy Innovation 2017 Energy Week.
