One of the most bewildering criticisms of Tesla that I routinely see is that it can’t mass produce cars. A common variation of that is that Tesla can’t quickly ramp up production. I find both criticisms a bit absurd. They are based on limited thinking and a warped grading system. We’ve explained some of the reasons why in other pieces.
When companies report earnings, the financial news mentions how the company’s revenue and earnings per Share (EPS) performed against professional estimates. If a company beats both, the stock price will usually go higher. And if they miss both, the stock price will go the opposite way, lower. If either misses, financial analysts will ask management questions on the conference call to get a better idea of how the underlying business is doing.
Despite intense media scrutiny around Tesla’s Model 3 “production hell” ramp, and Elon Musk’s take-Tesla-private drama, Tesla now has the #1 best selling car in the US. You may think that was a typo, but read on.
All the Tesla news from this weekend. Tesla has begun updating the software that controls Model 3 emergency braking. Two fanbois set a Model 3 mileage record. And Model X sales soar in Shanghai after price cut.
How many electric vehicles will be sold in the US during 2016? Will Chevy Bolt EV sales grow rapidly following nationwide availability in the late summer? What about Toyota Prius Prime sales (if Toyota ever works out the dealership issues)? What will happen with the Tesla Model 3? Will it launch on time? Will mass production begin this year, or not truly until 2018?
Tesla just released its Quarter 3 2016 shareholder letter, providing a lot of good news with regard to the company’s performance. In addition to the letter revealing that Tesla has achieved its first quarterly net profit in more than 3 years, it also noted that the company achieved record vehicle production, delivery, and revenue figures during the quarter.
Tesla* gets a lot of love, but it also gets a lot of hate. People are very fond of highlighting that it has had a habit of missing timelines, but I think there’s a flip side of that coin that is at times directly related. The flip side is that … [continued]
Update: Elon just said seconds ago on the conference call that Tesla aims to become the best manufacturer in the world. Update: Elon just said that Tesla aims/expects to reach production of 2,000 cars a week by the end of quarter 2, with about 40% being Model X. He also noted that they … [continued]
Originally published on EV Obsession. As we all know, Tesla Model X production was delayed for years. I’ve seen strong arguments that was strategic (Model S demand was much higher than initially anticipated) more than forced, but very few people know what the actual story was. In any case, though, … [continued]
Originally published on EV Obsession. We should have 2–3 more stories coming tomorrow regarding Tesla’s* quarterly letter and conference call, which just wrapped up, but here’s one more to close out the night. All in all, Tesla’s reports on what happened in Q4 2015 and 2015 as a whole weren’t huge surprises. Much … [continued]
