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Tesla to raise $1B

ir.tesla.com

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Re: Tesla to raise $1B

#201

Post by amluto »

Cookingboy wrote: post #6

As an investor of Tesla who bought into Elon's vision I've been getting more and more nervous about how the company is actually run at this point. A modern car company is as much of a production and supply chain company as it's a product and tech company. I get the feeling that due to Tesla being cutting edge in the tech department it led to all the supply chain/production problems being treated as if they are speed…

I test-drove an AP2 car. After a disastrous ride in which it tried to hit two parked cars and a trashcan and wanted to drive off the road entirely, the sales person said, with a straight face, that it was great for stop and go traffic on 101. I'm a bit amazed they can currently sell cars.

Re: Tesla to raise $1B

#202

Post by robryan »

M_Grey wrote: post #91
frisco wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why not? And what makes you think Elon doesn't?

He's clearly a very smart man, which means that he understands the challenges which are known (cognitive decline from radiation, no material suitable for shielding, incomplete understanding of human microbiome, etc...) and the impossibility of his stated goal to establish a human colony on Mars anytime soon. He's positioned for LEO cargo, and in the longer-term (I suspect) for potentially surveying and mining asteroi…

Even if what you say is true and SpaceX never delivers on a Mars colony, the incremental steps they are taking towards it are going to be beneficial for future private companies and governments to build on.

Re: Tesla to raise $1B

#203

Post by NamTaf »

revelation wrote: post #12
Cookingboy wrote: post #6

As an investor of Tesla who bought into Elon's vision I've been getting more and more nervous about how the company is actually run at this point. A modern car company is as much of a production and supply chain company as it's a product and tech company. I get the feeling that due to Tesla being cutting edge in the tech department it led to all the supply chain/production problems being treated as if they are speed…

AP2 is truly dangerous. It's incomprehensible they would release something like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZ1XLqc5IUg I guess it's a good reality check for autonomous cars when you take away the LIDAR toys. One rather important point is that the car often doesn't realize it is screwing up, because quelle surprise, realizing you don't have a correctly detected lane can be just as difficult as detecting one…

I've railed on this for a while. I'm glad people are starting to find these edge cases, thank god in situations that don't end up with fatalities. Only when users see these issues will Telsa stop getting away with "beta testing" software that can literally kill you if it screws up.

Re: Tesla to raise $1B

#204

Post by olalonde »

ganonm wrote: post #28
Cookingboy wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well the market can be terribly wrong on many companies in the long run, both undervaluing great companies and overvaluing terrible companies. Tesla's vision is for the next 20 years, not the last 5. Historical performance is also not an indicator of future performance. Everyday I'm holding onto the shares is the same as if I made the decision to buy that many shares on that day. If anything the fantastic return woul…

> Everyday I'm holding onto the shares is the same as if I made the decision to buy that many shares on that day This is a great way to think about holding investments. I remember using this argument to try and convince a family member that they should sell what I considered to be a bad investment. I phrased it as 'If you were forced to sell your shares right now would you use the money from the sale to immediately b…

> This is a great way to think about holding investments.

Unless you believe in the efficient market hypothesis...

Re: Tesla to raise $1B

#206

Post by SEJeff »

Cookingboy wrote: post #128
M_Grey wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know the answer either. Obviously whoever can figure it out though, stands to make a killing either way. If you invested this money with the knowledge that it was a risk, that you could lose it all, then you should probably stick with that; nothing has really changed. If this was something you felt was a sure bet, or if circumstances have changed then maybe it's worth re-thinking your position.

"If you invested this money with the knowledge that it was a risk, that you could lose it all, then you should probably stick with that" Yes to all of those. Rationally I can no longer justify this investment to be honest, but I like the Koolaid they are selling too much :/

I think it would be genuinely difficult for Tesla to succeed as a company and not go belly up if the Model 3 ultimately is a failure. Even with the overwhelming success and potential for a trillion dollar market of Tesla Energy, I think a failure to execute well on the 3 will overleverage Tesla to the point of no return. I'm a true believer and think they need to stick this launch (and that means service centers, supply chain, super charger networks, etc) or they're simply done. My hope is that they succeed due to me buying the tale they're telling. More renewables + electric vehicles is better for everything and everyone. Also, all torque all the time is mind bendingly fun to drive.

Disclaimer: I'm long on both TSLA and Solar Bonds. Even if I lose it all, I'm willing to take that risk if it gives them a better chance of successfully executing their mission statement.

Re: Tesla to raise $1B

#207

Post by alphapapa »

grizzles wrote: post #82
kilroy123 wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm very curious how you were able to save the company millions of dollars.

It was an exercise in creative problem solving. I'd query the data to find out where on the line the most (costly x incidence) problems were occurring and then devise a solution. If a worker was scratching the paint every time he put his tool down the secure a fastener, we'd get a heavy rubber guard fabricated, change his man assignment and have him put down the guard before he did his little peice, or even better ch…

How did they gather comprehensive data like that? Seems like you'd need an employee to watch every employee, recording everything they did.

Re: Tesla to raise $1B

#208

Post by karpodiem »

tokipin wrote: post #193
bischofs wrote: post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Tesla doesnt make batteries they just package the cells, anyone can do this if the market demands it. Automotive companies are quite good at supply chains.

Packaging the cells is the hard/expensive part. Nevermind the battery management software. And the point of the Gigafactory is to compress the supply chains between raw materials and finished product. It's an all-in investment whose singular goal is to make battery packs cheaper. The only way other companies are going to match that efficiency is if 1) they make a similar investment or 2) Tesla/Panasonic screw up.

GM's partnership with LG Chem seems to match the market demand today more closely than Tesla'a expectations for tomorrow.

People are buying CUVs due to low gas prices. The electric buzz is already wearing off.

Re: Tesla to raise $1B

#209

Post by pcurve »

dilemma wrote: post #133

It's correct that if EVs take off, there is going to be a lot of new demand for batteries. It is also correct that as a car manufacturer, owning a battery producing company and selling to the rest of the industry, is a competitive advantage. It is not correct that building both of these companies from scratch, in parallel, is the way to do it. Focus on building cars an become the leader in that, then buy Panasonic or…

"It is also correct that as a car manufacturer, owning a battery producing company and selling to the rest of the industry, is a competitive advantage."

You really don't get rich off of building commoditized foundational parts like battery. Any competitive edge you have is going to be short lived.

Re: Tesla to raise $1B

#210

Post by pcurve »

bischofs wrote: post #104

Tesla looks like they will lose that cool new thing vibe soon, the novelty of an electric car will wear off - especially when porsche or benz come out with an electric sedan or coupe. These companies will offer a much more compelling product with the ownership value that people expect from a luxury car company. I have shopped a model S and besides the electric drivetrain it is not really that nice of a car compared t…

That's my feeling too. "I drive a Tesla" won't mean anything if it costs $35k and everybody has one, even if it were a nice car. And if Honda or Mazda offered fun to drive $35k electric car with same range, I'd probably get that over Tesla.
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