🚀 Tesla to Mars 🚀
-
@edwardp This is good news for EV drivers, and can only help with the transition to clean transport. Perhaps it explains why TSLA is up another 3% after market close on a good day of 4.58% growth. There are many good signs contributing to this rapid growth.
My own investment has grown by 50% in the last six weeks.
-
Most accidents do not make the news, unless it's serious. But when it involves a Tesla...
-
@edwardp If you are in a crash, you will be grateful to be in a Tesla.
-
@Pesala said in
Tesla to Mars
:
@edwardp If you are in a crash, you will be grateful to be in a Tesla.
That was the incident where the doctor was trying to kill his entire family.
I will grant you that it's incredible all four were extricated alive.
-
@edwardp The case is in court now. Dr Patel appears in court today, and a decision will be made based on the evidence presented, whether to charge him with attempted murder.
-
Made in America
This year, Tesla took all four top spots:
- Model Y
- Model 3
- Model X
- Model S
- Honda Passport
- Volkswagen ID.4
- Honda Odyssey
- Acura MDX
- Honda Ridgeline
- AcuraRDX
TSLA closed at $264.61 today, more than $100 up on two months ago. FSD v.11.4.4 has now been released to about 25% of eligible users, and the results are looking good.
Rumours of the Model 3 Refresh (Project Highland) continue, and 1.5 million who have pre-ordered the Cybertruck are getting excited. One has been sent to New Zealand for Winter testing, a sure sign that release is getting close.
-
Beware of the FUD
Dan O'Dowd, the CEO of Greenhills Software, who develop self-driving software, has been engaged in a long campaign to get Tesla FSD banned by NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). He persuaded an FSD Beta user to take him on a route that he had chosen, using the FSD Beta Software. Dan Claimed:
In my ride along with Ross Gerber, full Sellf-Driving ran a stop sign at 35mph. If Ross hadn't slammed on the brakes, FSD would have T-boned a car obeying the urles. FSD tried to kill us in an hour of city driving! Everyone should demand it be banned immediately. @NHTSAgov
In fact:
- The Stop Sign was preceded by a warning sign, indicating that there was a Stop sign ahead, currently concealed by a bend in the road.
- Ross Gerber was unfamiliar with the route and only applied the brakes, disengaging the software, because he feared that the software would not respond in time. Before Ross disengaged, the software displayed a message that the car was stopping for a stop sign.
- The Stop sign is 40ft before the stop line at the intersection. Ross braked and stopped before the stop line, but after the Stop sign.
- Neither the software, nor Ross Gerber ran the stop line, and would not have T-boned a car that was cutting the corner before its driver noticed the fast-approaching Tesla. Since the stop sign is 40ft before the stop line, any car will have to pass the stop sign to reach the intersection. The speed limit is 35mph
- Dan O'Down Promoted the tweet, so he was paying Twitter to show the video to more users.
- FSD Beta makes driving much safer. Banning it would be a retrograde step.
See the full video debunked by James Stephenson.
-
Q2 Results
Tesla produced 479,700 and delivered 486,140 vehicles in Q2 2023, another record, beating Wall Street expectations of about 447,000.
Getting Interesting
Period Shares Invested Sell Price Change Interest Nov-2020-2021 63 £10,271.15 £13,893.22 £3,622.07 35.26% Nov-2021-2022 39 £7,452.36 £8,600.56 £1,148.20 15.41% Nov-2022-2023 42 £5,751.31 £9,262.14 £3,510.83 61.04% After the outstanding Q2 results, the TSLA share price has risen to nearly $280 per share at market close on July 3rd. Medium term investments now show a useful rate of return. After deducting all transaction costs, the rate of return is more than enough to compensate for inflation, with several months left until November.
YouTubers who follow Tesla closely are predicting rapid growth this year when the Cybertruck goes on sale (expected in Q3).
-
Q2 Earnings Call
Wednesday 19th July after market close
- Record production and deliveries
- Record energy profits @ 18% gross margin
- Costs declined faster than prices
- 1st Cybertruck release candidates produced
- FSD Beta surpassed 300 million miles driven
- Discussions with major OEM about FSD licensing
- Dojo production started (Tesla's AI supercomputer)
- Texas 4680 battery production +80% quarter on quarter, cost of goods down 25%
- Next gen “Cybercell” 4680 battery will have 10% greater energy density
- Added more than 5,000 Super-charger stations
- $1 Billion free cash flow.
The share price fell about $30 from $290 at market close on Wednesday to $260 at market close on Friday 21st July. It is hard to understand why on the back of so much positive news, but it may be due to announcements about the closing of production lines for updating. They may be clearing out Model 3 inventory to make way for the redesigned Model 3 Highland with revamped Hardware 4.
For long-term investors, it is just another opportunity to buy at a lower price. A week later, on 28th July, the price was back up to $266.44.
13.45x Growth in Five Years
-
Range Anxiety
Due to the inferior design of other EVs, many would-be customers are still worried about their viability due to the difficulty of finding somewhere to charge, and/or the time that it adds to the journey.
TeslaAsia drove two Tesla Model 3 cars to Qomolangma Base Camp of Mount Everest in Tibet at 5,200m elevation. When the hotels were full, they slept in the car, using camp mode. Even ICE cars have difficulty getting to this destination.
For most commuters, 200 miles of range is adequate. If you plan on taking long road trips, live in a cold climate, or need to tow a boat, it is better to pay a bit more for a long range model.
-
Model 3 Highland
The long anticipated Model 3 Refresh, code-named “Highland,” was released on September 1st in China. There, orders for the Model 3 have increased almost tenfold. It is also available in Norway (Set Vivaldi to automatically translate Norwegian to your preferred language). It will not be coming to the UK, the US, or Canada for a while, as far as I know.
Key Improvements
- Available in China and EU from 1st September 2023
- About 5% more expensive
- 1 inch Longer, and 1 inch less high. 0.219 drag coefficient vs 0.225 for previous Model 3
- 1 cubic ft more storage space
- Two New Colours: Stealth Grey and Ultra Red - optional colours are now free, even the Ultra Red, which was previously a $3,000 option.
- No more stalks — controls on steering wheel, including horn on the centre
- New Headlight and Tail Lights, removed Fog Lights
- Stronger doors for better side impact protection
- Improved suspension
- New wheel rims and tyres
- Interior LED Ambient Lighting
- New 15.4 inch touch screen with smaller bezels, brighter and more responsive
- 8 inch video screen for rear seat passengers with two headphone sockets
- 17 loudspeakers instead of 14, improved microphones, and passenger-side too, for clearer phone calls
- All-round acoustic glass and sound absorbing fabrics for 30% less noise from the road
- Ventilated front seats and perforated rear seats
- Separate climate controls for driver and front seat passenger
- 65 watt USB C charging, and improved blue tooth and WiFi connectivity
- Test Drive with the Fully Charged Show (Reviewers all seem to be enthusiastic about the improvements).
In the first full day of trading since the announcement, TSLA has risen by 4.69%. Growth in the last five years is now 14.62x (1,462%).
The Cybertruck launch will be coming soon, which may prove even more dramatic, as it has over two million pre-orders. -
Irrational Fear of EVs
The burning of 15 Tesla vehicles in Germany was arson
A left-wing radical group has claimed responsibility for the arson of 15 Teslas in Frankfurt-Fechenheim.
The act took place on the occasion of the IAA in Munich and in protest against the Tesla company and entrepreneur Elon Musk, according to an unverified and anonymous statement on the Internet.
"The corporation represents like no other the ideology of green capitalism and the continuing global and colonial destruction." Presenting e-cars as a climate-friendly alternative is a "cynical lie" because of the origin of the components, the letter said.”
They should read the Tesla Impact Report 2022 to learn about the lifetime environment impact of battery electric vehicles compared to that of petrol and diesel vehicles. Burning EVs has a far greater impact than they will have in ten years of driving, while replacing 15 ICE vehicles performing the same function. Of course, if everyone cycled or took public transport, the impact would be less, but that is not a practical choice for most people.
-
The Cybertruck is Coming
Larry Ellison is the Chief Technical Officer and Co-founder of Oracle Software. Their software will be used in the Tesla Cybertruck Police car.
We are expecting an announcement soon about the Cybertruck Delivery Event in Texas, probably next month. Many vehicles have been seen on the roads being tested. Here are some key points from the Order Page for the Cybertruck.
- Cybertruck is built with an exterior shell made for ultimate durability and passenger protection. Starting with a nearly impenetrable exoskeleton, every component is designed for superior strength and endurance, from Ultra-Hard 30X Cold-Rolled stainless-steel structural skin to Tesla armor glass.
- With up to 3,500 pounds of payload capacity and adjustable air suspension, Cybertruck is the most powerful tool we have ever built, engineered with 100 cubic feet of exterior, lockable storage — including a magic tonneau cover that is strong enough to stand on.
- With the ability to pull near infinite mass and a towing capability of over 14,000 pounds, Cybertruck can perform in almost any extreme situation with ease.
- Raise and lower suspension four inches in either direction for easy access to Cybertruck or the vault, while self-leveling capabilities adapt to any occasion and assist with every job.
- From rugged to refined, Cybertruck is completely adaptable for your needs. Prepare for every experience with a versatile utilitarian design — including on-board power and compressed air.
- Now entering a new class of strength, speed and versatility—only possible with an all-electric design. The powerful drivetrain and low center of gravity provides extraordinary traction control and torque—enabling acceleration from 0-60 mph in as little as 2.9 seconds and up to 500 miles of range.
Will the Ford F150 lightning be able to compete when Ford are losing money on every sale, and the UAW are demanding massive pay increases for the assembly line workers?
Meanwhile, Tesla is planning to triple their workforce at the Austin Gigafactory from 20,000 currently, to 60,000 to prepare for the Cybertruck production ramp. At the end of 2022, there were 12,300 employees. They already have over 2 million pre-orders for the Cybertruck.
-
Q3 2023 Conference Call
The share price has fallen about $30 since the close of trading on Wednesday. One could have bought more shares at a 12% discount today. Growth is still 1,223% over the last five years.
- The Model 3 update can now be ordered in Europe and the UK. The price is a few thousand pounds less than the old model, but it has many improvements, including better sound-proofing, enhanced audio system, and a more comfortable ride. The range and efficiency have improved due to a lower drag coefficient, but the top speed is now only 125 mph due to the softer tyres. Review.
- The first deliveries of the Cybertruck will take place at the Austin Gigafactory on November 30th when a Cybertruck Event will take place.
- The Cybertruck is bullet-proof. They unloaded a magazine of a Tommy Gun into the doors, but no bullets penetrated to the cabin.
-
Barrons AI
Barrons market watch blame the EV stock falling on Tesla’s “price-war.” They regularly publish nonsense like this.
FYI: the Nasdaq fell today by 1.76% and, as usual, TSLA fell by more: 3.14%. The reasons for price fluctuations are many and complex, but it is basically supply and demand, as in any market. Fears about the war in the middle-east may be one factor. Wall Street analysts predict price targets only one year ahead. If the TSLA price goes up or down a bit, they adjust their targets to match.
The price drops for Tesla vehicles are adjusted in line with expected delivery times to balance their inventory, while keeping the factories running at full speed.Buyers are paying much more for car loans, so a cheaper sticker price keeps the monthly repayments about the same. Tesla are on a long-term mission to make their cars more affordable. The new, and much improved, Model 3 is now cheaper than the previous version. They have fewer parts, and the cost to make them has reduced by about 8% — Tesla are in such a strong financial position that they can pass these cost savings on to consumers.
There are still no pricing or specifications for the Cybertruck, which will begin deliveries on November 30th at the Cyber event at the Austin Gigafactory. The rumours are they will be significantly higher than the announced prices four years ago, perhaps more than inline with inflation. It has improved greatly since the first prototype was shown. It now has rear-wheel steering, a powered tonneau cover, and suspension adjustable by 14 inches.
BP just order $100 million worth of Tesla Supercharger stands for their gas stations in the US. Tesla Megapacks are bringing in more revenue. There are no negative signs for the business, but the stock price falls anyway.
TSLA shares are currently available at the lowest price since May 2023. Nobody knows what will happen tomorrow, or next month. In spite of recent price drops, TSLA is still 933% of what it was five years ago ($22.06).
-
CyberTruck Event
Held on 30th November 2023.
Cybertruck Production Line
Do not expect to see many trucks produced this year. This is a new way of building vehicles. The target is to ramp up to 200K trucks a year. There is a huge backlog of orders. Order PageKey Points
- Rear-wheel steering, steer by wire (ratio dependent on speed), smaller turning circle than a Model S.
- Bullet-proof exoskeleton
- Bi-directional charging. Power your home during power cuts with up to 11.5 KW
- 48 Volt low voltage circuit
- HEPA Filter
- CyberBeast = 845hp, 320m range, 0-60 = 2.6sec (with rollout), 130mph top speed, 11,000lbs towing, $96,390 estimate (due in 2024)
- Clear winner in Truck Pull Test (318ft vs 263ft for the closest rival, the Ford F-350 diesel truck)
- All-wheel drive = 600hp, 340m range, 0-60 = 4.1sec, 112mph top speed, 11,000lbs towing capacity, $68,890 estimate (due in 2024)
- Rear-wheel drive 250m range, 0-60 = 6.5sec, $49,890 estimate (due in 2025)
- Pricing includes $7,500 tax credit and fuel savings over 3 years
- Reserve order with a $250 deposit
- Delivered about a dozen Cybertrucks to their owners
-
2.2 Million Pre-orders
- The Cybertruck now allegedly has 2.2 million pre-orders, with 10,000 new orders per day since the first deliveries on 30th November. Source
- On the last day of trading for 2023, $TSLA stock price was $248.48, 202% up on this time last year, and 1137% up on this time five years ago. Not quite going to Mars yet. Maybe next year.
- FSD v 12.1 Beta has gone out to 50,000 Tesla Employees. Version 12 uses end-to end neural-networks.
- 100 Semi-trucks have been made
- The compact Tesla is expected to go into production next year.
- The updated Model 3 will come to the US
- The Model Y is already the best-selling vehicle of any kind worldwide for 2023.
-
FSD 12.1.2
Is this the start of the Robotaxi revolution? Whole Mars Catalog has been Beta testing FSD for years, and released this Thirty-minute video of version 12.1.2 Driving around San Francisco.
Version 12 is the first version to use end-to-end neural nets. 300,000 lines of code were removed since FSD version 11, so neural nets now make the decisions based on video input from millions of miles of real-world driving. Don't fall asleep at the wheel if you are a $TSLA investor. Shares are at the lowest prices (~$210) in the last three months. Anything can happen in the short-term due to world events, but Tesla continues to execute on production, world-wide sales, innovation, and on energy storage.
-
FSD v12.3.1
The software is already in use by a number of selected testers. The software is so good now that it is almost ready for wide release (IMO).
Ensuring that all new customers will get to see it in action. If they bought a new Tesla using a referral link, they will get 3 months free subscription (worth $600).
This should be a watershed moment that greatly increases the number of users making use of the software.
With thousands more users, this will greatly accelerate the learning process so that it improves exponentially.
The $TSLA share price continues to fall. At market close today (25/3/2024) it was $172.63. Meanwhile, Cybertruck production is increasing and construction has begun on a new Megapack Gigafactory in Shanghai, which will eventually produce 10,000 Megapacks per year.
Updates are rolling out fast. The latest version released on 31/3/2024 is 12.3.3.
-
False Report from Reuters
After a false report from Reuters on 5/4/2024 that the Compact Tesla was being cancelled, $TSLA stock fell from $170 to $161 in half an hour, until Elon Musk said that Reuters is lying (again).
Warning to Investors
False rumours like this are typically spread by short-sellers who can make big profits from the rapid changes in the stock price that such rumours often cause.
Do not panic if the price drops. Do your own investigation into the rumour, and keep your focus on the long term.
5th April 2024: After the false rumours about the Compact Car being cancelled, Elon Musk announced the unveiling of the Robotaxi on August 8th. The compact car and the Robotaxi are different products, but will presumably share the same platform. It seems likely to me that the date of the reveal was announced early to counteract the false report by Reuters.
$TSLA closed at $164.90, but after hours is already back up to about $172.