Tesla Third Quarter 2018 Update [pdf] • Hacker News Board

Re: Tesla Third Quarter 2018 Update [pdf]

#261

Post by jread » Thu, Oct 25, 2018, 1:50 AM UTC

crwalker wrote: post #40

andrewmunsell wrote: post #32

One massive advantage that I'm not sure most people realize quite yet is the Supercharger network. No manufacturer (other than Porsche talking about it recently) has actually built out chargers for their cars. Every other electric car has to rely on a broken, sparse, expensive charger network. Blink chargers and some ChargePoint chargers are expensive in many places ($2 an hour!), and Blink is notorious for having br…

How long do you think the current Supercharger network will be a large competitive advantage? I agree with Benedict Evan's point that electric charging will become a commodity: https://www.ben-evans.com/benedictevans/2018/8/29/tesla-soft...

I disagree - I've been driving EVs exclusively (Ford Focus Electric followed by Tesla MS) since 2013 in So Cal and can attest to how poor user experience is with 3rd party charge networks. First of all, there are 4+ distinct networks each requiring separate account/payment setup and RFIDs. They are often broken, fully used, overpriced or cumbersome to start. Most are L2 with 20-30A - charging at To the contrary, user experience at Tesla superchargers is great. There are enough of them, evenly distributed, that I never have range anxiety, they work, they are usually not over crowded (although getting busier), they are free or at cost, they are high powered, usually located near nice amenities, and they are simple - pull in, plug in and wait 15-45 minutes. I don't see anything on the horizon from other manufacturers that will even remotely approximate what Tesla offers today with supercharging. Partnership/expansion of for-profit networks will never get there.

Re: Tesla Third Quarter 2018 Update [pdf]

#262

Post by mohaine » Thu, Oct 25, 2018, 1:51 AM UTC

radiorental wrote: post #195

octorian wrote: post #155

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And how the heck does a charging station, at a car dealership in the middle of a city, actually help you when you're on a highway trying to actually drive between cities?

Two things First, I said they're not as accessible. Second, not all journeys are between cities. In fact...

But the journeys you need a quick charger for are.

For normal usage you charge at home.

Re: Tesla Third Quarter 2018 Update [pdf]

#263

Post by romwell » Thu, Oct 25, 2018, 1:53 AM UTC

philipkglass wrote: post #189

nightski wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If EV wins and they can no longer collect all that juicy tax revenue from gas - how are they going to afford to maintain infrastructure? They collect far more than 20bn in revenue from fuel taxes.

Check odometer readings as a requirement of renewing the vehicle's registration. Assess a fee as a function of vehicle weight per axle and distance traveled. Sure, at the state level there will be some missed edge cases (what if I am registered in Washington but do most of my driving in Idaho?), but it should be close enough. It's basically fair and way less invasive/expensive than GPS-based tracking for road use.

>what if I am registered in Washington but do most of my driving in Idaho?

Also it's likely to be evened out by someone who's registered in Idaho, but is driving in Washington. And in any case, the taxes can be adjusted to account for a fraction of cases like that.

This is also more fair than fuel taxes because low-efficiency vehicles aren't necessarily doing more road damage.

Re: Tesla Third Quarter 2018 Update [pdf]

#264

Post by toomuchtodo » Thu, Oct 25, 2018, 1:53 AM UTC

bohm wrote: post #256

mylons wrote: post #244

Earlier quoted context omitted.

we are basically living Dune until we're off petroleum from Saudi Arabia.

We are off petroleum from Saudi Arabia. The US now is a net petrol exporter thanks to fracking. We have the cheapest oil in the world.

Oil is fungible. We're on oil as long as Saudi Arabia is contributing oil to the global marketplace. Take their oil off the marketplace, watch the price skyrocket.

Re: Tesla Third Quarter 2018 Update [pdf]

#265

Post by 706f6f70 » Thu, Oct 25, 2018, 1:55 AM UTC

dragontamer wrote: post #139

dgritsko wrote: post #5

This is a really, really big deal. They've still got a long way to go (as I'm sure Musk would be the first person to admit), but turning a profit is no small feat and should be applauded as such.

I dunno. Its not yet a yearly profit. Its a quarterly profit (which is good for sure!!) but they're -$1.5 Billion from Q1 and Q2 so far. So they're likely going to be very negative on this year.

Agree. A lot of the numbers seem suspicious as well, mostly in the expense around salaries. Time will tell if these are sustainable.

Re: Tesla Third Quarter 2018 Update [pdf]

#266

Post by nickik » Thu, Oct 25, 2018, 1:57 AM UTC

paulpauper wrote: post #172

Amazing how quickly things can change with Tesla. Just a month ago the sky seemed to be falling, with constant negative press news about the SEC, concerns over Elon Musk's mental health, Tesla losing money, and so on. Had someone shorted Tesla just a week ago based on the media's pessimism, they would be down 20%. of course, Tesla could face problems, but this was a really solid earning report that dispels a lot of t…

The press, helped by Elon, started to ignore production when it really started to do well. Funny how that happens.

Would have been interesting what would have happened if Elon hadn't fucked up.

Re: Tesla Third Quarter 2018 Update [pdf]

#267

Post by qubax » Thu, Oct 25, 2018, 2:05 AM UTC

paulpauper wrote: post #172

Amazing how quickly things can change with Tesla. Just a month ago the sky seemed to be falling, with constant negative press news about the SEC, concerns over Elon Musk's mental health, Tesla losing money, and so on. Had someone shorted Tesla just a week ago based on the media's pessimism, they would be down 20%. of course, Tesla could face problems, but this was a really solid earning report that dispels a lot of t…

It's the neverending battle between the short side and longs when it comes to TSLA. Whenever there is some negative news, the shorts just spam social media. The same with the longs.

Re: Tesla Third Quarter 2018 Update [pdf]

#268

Post by nickik » Thu, Oct 25, 2018, 2:05 AM UTC

kllrnohj wrote: post #175

nikofeyn wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

when i visited china, it was filled with electric cars from multiple manufacturers, and the fit and finish was just as good if not better than tesla. i don't view tesla as beyond anyone. when other car manufacturers enter the market, tesla might have a hard time keeping up because other manufacturers know how to build cars and not just an okay car with an electric motor.

> and the fit and finish was just as good if not better than tesla Tesla has the worst fit & finish in the industry. It always comes up with every tear down & deep review of a Tesla car. Tesla's powertrain is largely the only thing they are good at, and has so far been the thing other car manufacturers have struggled to match.

That's just non-sense. If you look at the teardown you will see that Tesla has great electronics (and cheap), best in class battery packs, a fantastic design, great suspension, software integration, innovative air condition, good charging speed and autopilot that is better then most competition.

Really the only thing they are not great at is some part of the interior (and not the important console part at the front) and that they have a somewhat cumbersome heavy body.

Re: Tesla Third Quarter 2018 Update [pdf]

#269

Post by nickik » Thu, Oct 25, 2018, 2:11 AM UTC

gamblor956 wrote: post #193

shroom wrote: post #59

Great news but I have to ask. Maybe someone here can share their view/opinion about the market and what’s going on. Musk can’t tweet about going private. So a major short seller sue him and Tesla. Stock ”crash” during two months. Short seller completly turn around and now long the stock which rises A DAY before this report? Eyebrows should be raised so high everyone go bald. Where Will this end with SEC? And How is t…

The problem wasn't that Musk can't tweet about going private. The problem was that he made a false claim about planning to go private in a direct and bald-faced attempt to manipulate the stock to the detriment of short-sellers. As a CEO in charge of the company, he doesn't get to lie to the public, his shareholders, or putative shareholders, about what he plans to do. He doesn't have to tell them everything--but he a…

He got into trouble for a misleading or false statement and that was about the price, not about going private. He did not get in trouble for market manipulation or anything to do with short-sellers. That's just an interpretation some people have claimed.

Re: Tesla Third Quarter 2018 Update [pdf]

#270

Post by empath75 » Thu, Oct 25, 2018, 2:11 AM UTC

Dumblydorr wrote: post #227

gamblor956 wrote: post #193

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem wasn't that Musk can't tweet about going private. The problem was that he made a false claim about planning to go private in a direct and bald-faced attempt to manipulate the stock to the detriment of short-sellers. As a CEO in charge of the company, he doesn't get to lie to the public, his shareholders, or putative shareholders, about what he plans to do. He doesn't have to tell them everything--but he a…

Can you explain why he is not allowed to? I don’t understand the justification behind the regulations / laws here

You can't lie to investors, that's securities fraud. He's lucky he wasn't facing criminal charges.