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Tesla posts big loss, cuts production of Models X and S to catch up on Model 3

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Re: Tesla posts big loss, cuts production of Models X and S to catch up on Model 3

#111

Since this came out as part of the Tesla earnings, here's my recap from their earnings release and call.... - Tesla will be late getting up to 5,000 units a week of Model 3. It will happen at the end of Q1 instead of the end of this year. The bottleneck is batteries. - Some lines are at only 500 cars a week. Namely the battery pack assembly, body shop welding and final vehicle assembly. - The $2.92 a share loss was m…

"key elements" of the battery module assembly had to be taken over and redesigned, Musk says. Tesla seems to be taking the opposite approach to Apple here. In my observation, Apple drives its suppliers extremely hard to achieve the quality it requires. Tesla, on the other hand, is too eager to bring any sundry part in house (e.g. car seats). Apple's approach appears to work in that it pushes suppliers to do what's ne…

The difference is that Apple has its supply chain and manufacturing processes down to an exact science and has for years. Tesla is clearly still learning how to put everything together in a profitable way.

Re: Tesla posts big loss, cuts production of Models X and S to catch up on Model 3

#112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"key elements" of the battery module assembly had to be taken over and redesigned, Musk says. Tesla seems to be taking the opposite approach to Apple here. In my observation, Apple drives its suppliers extremely hard to achieve the quality it requires. Tesla, on the other hand, is too eager to bring any sundry part in house (e.g. car seats). Apple's approach appears to work in that it pushes suppliers to do what's ne…

You could substitute Apple with Wal-Mart in your comment and every bit would be just as true. Sometimes forcing your supply chain to pinch every penny works out the best for your shareholders.. sometimes focusing on quality products pays off more in the long run. Time will tell.

You could substitute Apple with Wal-Mart in your comment and every bit would be just as true.

No, it wouldn't. The OP asserted that Apple holds their supply chain to rigorous quality standards. You're asserting that Walmart holds their supply chain to the lowest possible pricing.

Re: Tesla posts big loss, cuts production of Models X and S to catch up on Model 3

#113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The most worrying is the slowing production of models S and X, coupled with what I'd call a collapse in the gross margins of those products. Why is the margin declining so drastically?

They definitely seem to have hit a plateau in terms of demand which was declining before they started to slash prices in order to move inventory. The S/X and are old now and the car market requires new models to keep sales going. That combined with the approaching launches of other high end luxury electric cars does not bode well for future S/X sales. The negative press on autopilot and failure to deliver on autopilo…

Anecdotally the Tesla brand is at an iteresection of wealth and Silicon Valley elitism that is incredibly unappealing to people.

Maybe the market for electric cars is larger than the market for a tesla specifcally.

Re: Tesla posts big loss, cuts production of Models X and S to catch up on Model 3

#114
post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Assuming you're talking about the new Leaf which isn't yet available in the US ... * 50-100% greater range * Better acceleration and handling (and RWD/AWD) * Access to the Tesla Supercharger network enabling long-distance travel * Much better UX and constant improvements in OTA software updates. * Buying from a company that is all-in on electrifying and decarbonizing the world, and isn't just dipping in their toes fo…

The Leaf is even mostly aimed at fleet mileage scoring.

>The Leaf is even mostly aimed at fleet mileage scoring.

So it's your contention that 95% of HackerNews can see the future of EVs, but all the major manufacturers have and/or are going to miss it?

Shaky bull thesis, my friend.

Re: Tesla posts big loss, cuts production of Models X and S to catch up on Model 3

#115
post #57

SeekingAlpha predicted this a few weeks ago: https://seekingalpha.com/article/4114125-will-tesla-zero-mon... "Leading up to the end of September, we saw new-high Model 3 VIN numbers in the wild almost every other day, culminating in number 521. But since the beginning of October, nothing. I can’t find a single one above 521 with VIN picture evidence on any forum. It’s unlikely to end up this way, but the sole evidenc…

What does it mean to "outsell" something when that something is backordered into the foreseable future? Personally I will wait until Tesla goes bankrupt before I buy a bolt but I'm still betting that, despite Tesla's lack of ability to predict their own production capability timeline (uh hello, pretty much every tech company that ever existed), that I won't have to.

Preorders are a liability.

Re: Tesla posts big loss, cuts production of Models X and S to catch up on Model 3

#116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How about compared to the Bolt, though? The Bolt seems dramatically more competitive than the Leaf. 200hp, comparable range, and cheaper than the model 3. I think people getting fed up with the wait and switching to Bolts en-masse is a possible scenario. Imagine if Chevy made an ad targeting exactly that scenario.... (You can thank me later Chevy ad execs)

The Bolt is a sort of unsexy compact hatchback so I can see it being unappealing to some groups of people even though from all accounts it's a fantastic product that matches the Model 3 in quality. Tesla should be concerned if GM expands their market by taking their Bolt technology and rapidly expanding into vehicle lines that appeal to other groups, such as a Bolt crossover or sexy Bolt hot hatch. Personally the Bol…

Give me a bolt coupe and I'm sold in a heartbeat.

Or this thing: https://www.wired.com/story/crazy-cute-concept-cars-from-the...

Re: Tesla posts big loss, cuts production of Models X and S to catch up on Model 3

#117
post #106

On the side note - good time to buy Tesla Stock

Only around a 10% drop from the start of trading today. Some nice opportunities short term but I don't see that changing anyone's longer term outlook. At $300, the stock is still either a great value given the company's potential or terribly overvalued

Re: Tesla posts big loss, cuts production of Models X and S to catch up on Model 3

#118

Since this came out as part of the Tesla earnings, here's my recap from their earnings release and call.... - Tesla will be late getting up to 5,000 units a week of Model 3. It will happen at the end of Q1 instead of the end of this year. The bottleneck is batteries. - Some lines are at only 500 cars a week. Namely the battery pack assembly, body shop welding and final vehicle assembly. - The $2.92 a share loss was m…

"key elements" of the battery module assembly had to be taken over and redesigned, Musk says. Tesla seems to be taking the opposite approach to Apple here. In my observation, Apple drives its suppliers extremely hard to achieve the quality it requires. Tesla, on the other hand, is too eager to bring any sundry part in house (e.g. car seats). Apple's approach appears to work in that it pushes suppliers to do what's ne…

Apple does have a great deal more leverage over their suppliers though, just by virtue of their size. It may not be the most efficient thing for Tesla to bring so much stuff in house, but it may be their only option if they don't want to left at the whims of their suppliers.

Re: Tesla posts big loss, cuts production of Models X and S to catch up on Model 3

#119

Since this came out as part of the Tesla earnings, here's my recap from their earnings release and call.... - Tesla will be late getting up to 5,000 units a week of Model 3. It will happen at the end of Q1 instead of the end of this year. The bottleneck is batteries. - Some lines are at only 500 cars a week. Namely the battery pack assembly, body shop welding and final vehicle assembly. - The $2.92 a share loss was m…

"key elements" of the battery module assembly had to be taken over and redesigned, Musk says. Tesla seems to be taking the opposite approach to Apple here. In my observation, Apple drives its suppliers extremely hard to achieve the quality it requires. Tesla, on the other hand, is too eager to bring any sundry part in house (e.g. car seats). Apple's approach appears to work in that it pushes suppliers to do what's ne…

Wendover Productions recently did a Youtube episode on Elon Musk that was citing doing things in-house as a way to keep costs low. Seemed a bit counter-intuitive, but they had some interesting numbers.

Re: Tesla posts big loss, cuts production of Models X and S to catch up on Model 3

#120

SeekingAlpha predicted this a few weeks ago: https://seekingalpha.com/article/4114125-will-tesla-zero-mon... "Leading up to the end of September, we saw new-high Model 3 VIN numbers in the wild almost every other day, culminating in number 521. But since the beginning of October, nothing. I can’t find a single one above 521 with VIN picture evidence on any forum. It’s unlikely to end up this way, but the sole evidenc…

Huh. A friend told me a week or two ago that he saw 3 truckloads full of Model 3s going up 101. Who knows, maybe he actually saw model S or X.
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