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Tesla Financial Results 2019 Q4

ir.tesla.com

331–340 of 346 posts

Re: Tesla Financial Results 2019 Q4

#331

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Other car manufacturers are missing what makes Tesla do so well. It's a lot of things, really. Range, performance, the hope of self-driving, the supercharging network (Which is much bigger than people think!), and of course, the fact that they look like normal cars. Most other EVs like the Leaf are either incredibly lacking in range and performance, or they're incredibly ugly like the BMW i3. Then you've got cars lik…

I went to a supermarket in the UK recently that had an electric car charging area, with space for around 8 cars. Guess what the maximum charging power was? 7 kW. Seven! What is the point of that?

You’ve got to realize electric cars are evolving fast, the affordable 200+ mile-range that charges in 30 minutes is Tesla’s 1-year old model 3. 7kW is what everyone who bought a Nissan Leaf 4-5 years ago expected and used. Also, the charger is probably 4-5 years old.

It’s a totally different mind-set and usage pattern. Gas-like refills vs just topping off for free. Older EVs with smaller batteries that you charge all around town, vs newer Tesla’s that you supercharge like a fill-up. But 7kW can still give you 30 miles of range in an hour of shopping, plenty to get home somewhere in the suburbs even if you happen to be low already.

Re: Tesla Financial Results 2019 Q4

#332
post #274

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Based on what? Its cheap, can pull lots of stuff fast, you can plug in power tools and it has lots of storage area.

It looks stupid, the trapezoidal side walls around the truck bed actually make it much less usable, and it looks stupid. The whole problem with eg the BMW i-Series or most other electric cars is that they are designed in a silly way that says, “look at me, I’m a weird electric car, I’m not a normal car at all, I’m willing to look like a total dork in order to virtue-signal about being eco-friendly”. Teslas just look…

Because you have active suspension you the bed can actually be lower then most trucks. Also overall usability seems like its clearly better on this truck compared to the competition you basically point out one single thing and ignore everything that goes the other direction.

And I think it looks cool, so that literally purely your opinion.

The design of the truck allows it to be produced for 40k and still have quite a bit of range. Those performance and price measures matter. Had they copied an F150 it would cost at least 50k and would not have as much range.

Tesla had to make conservative cars to establish themselves, but a revolutionary brands will not always just copy the competition, specially when trucks are on of the most uninspired markets where literally every vehicle is a copy of the other.

Re: Tesla Financial Results 2019 Q4

#333
post #332

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It looks stupid, the trapezoidal side walls around the truck bed actually make it much less usable, and it looks stupid. The whole problem with eg the BMW i-Series or most other electric cars is that they are designed in a silly way that says, “look at me, I’m a weird electric car, I’m not a normal car at all, I’m willing to look like a total dork in order to virtue-signal about being eco-friendly”. Teslas just look…

Because you have active suspension you the bed can actually be lower then most trucks. Also overall usability seems like its clearly better on this truck compared to the competition you basically point out one single thing and ignore everything that goes the other direction. And I think it looks cool, so that literally purely your opinion. The design of the truck allows it to be produced for 40k and still have quite…

Do you own a truck? What do you use it for and how would the Cybertruck provide an improvement?

I wouldn't characterize Tesla's other cars as "conservative" in the slightest. "Conservative" makes me think of Volvo or Lexus. The Model S is absolutely gorgeous and if any car aficionado saw it, he would say, "that is an absolutely gorgeous car". It literally looks like a better Lamborghini, Ferrari, or Porsche. The Cybertruck provokes reactions somewhere on a spectrum between "what the fuck is that?" and "hmm, that's interesting". Which is roughly the same design space that the Pontiac Aztek, Chrysler PT Cruiser, and BMW i-Series inhabit. It's not fertile ground.

Re: Tesla Financial Results 2019 Q4

#334
post #332

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It looks stupid, the trapezoidal side walls around the truck bed actually make it much less usable, and it looks stupid. The whole problem with eg the BMW i-Series or most other electric cars is that they are designed in a silly way that says, “look at me, I’m a weird electric car, I’m not a normal car at all, I’m willing to look like a total dork in order to virtue-signal about being eco-friendly”. Teslas just look…

Because you have active suspension you the bed can actually be lower then most trucks. Also overall usability seems like its clearly better on this truck compared to the competition you basically point out one single thing and ignore everything that goes the other direction. And I think it looks cool, so that literally purely your opinion. The design of the truck allows it to be produced for 40k and still have quite…

For usability, I looked to see what truck users on /r/Trucks had to say about it.[1][2] Here are some highlights, both positive and negative:

> It’s really damn cool aside from the roof coming to a point. I’m not sure I understand that design decision. However, onboard air compressor, 110v/220v accessory power, fast as shit, good ground clearance, integral bed cover and ramps, air ride suspension, and tough shell to boot... there is a lot to like here. I might just have to buy one in a couple years.

> Yeah because everyone wants a ‘bed’ you can’t load from the sides.

> I think [being able to load the truck bed from the sides] really only matters for people who use their trucks for actual work. This is obviously for people who want a truck for play and not work.

> ... he could have taken this seriously and actually made an impact. Now he’s proven the older anti EV crowd 100% correct that an electric truck isn’t a viable alternative.

> Clearly designed by someone who has literally never even used a truck once in their entire life.

> It's stupid tall bedsides ruin it for slide in campers too. If it wasn't for that the 3500lb payload and huge battery would make it great for a slide in.

> I'm surprised you all are not pouncing on the unibody. The other "truck" (Honda) that uses a unibody construction does not get much love.

> [People who like the Cybertruck design are] those who've never actually used a truck to haul items and/or trailers. Those who are in the ranching, mining, and other similar industries are laughing at this.

> Is the bed cover transparent? Seems like the rear window is only usable when the cover is retracted. I'm sorry. This is a truck for the Ridgeline crowd. No 8ft bed option. Only crew cab configuration. AWD, not 4WD. Can't tow a Gooseneck or 5th wheel, which you're gonna want when towing a 14K trailer. People will buy it. I won't.

> It’s a weird case of form over function. He was so focused on the blade runner vibe he forgot to make sure it was usable as a truck. Can’t even get to the front of the bed without opening the tailgate and getting inside.

> Trucks have a utilitarian purpose. There is a reason for their shapes. And if you look worldwide there are some differences, but also some commonalities. Like being able to access the frigging bed. That’s a massive failure here.

> There’s some things about truck design that are important to the function of being a truck. Like not having angled bed sides so you can fucking reach the first 1/2 of the bed without getting in it or being able to tow a 5th wheel.

> After looking at more pictures today I realized it doesn't even have a true 6.5' bed. It's much shorter than that, but angles in underneath the rear seats. Probably ok for hauling a few sheets of plywood, but putting in, say, furniture, would be harder.

> I set things in the bed over the bedside a lot. And climb in the sides. I’d have to awkwardly yeet shit over the side of that angled monstrosity

> This truck looks like an absolute nightmare to load and unload tbh. I actually even ditched my bed for a Bradford flatbed to make my truck easier to use. Rear/side visibility looks awful. Boasts a 14,000 towing capacity yet it looks like a nightmare to hook up to a trailer. I’d love to know how far this thing can tow 14,000lbs. Payload of “3,900lbs”. What does the truck itself weigh? Does Tesla understand GVWR or how to calculate payload or is it assuming it’s potential buyers do not? I guess I just don’t understand the whole concept and what exactly they’re going for. Seems like they’re trying to do too much. This has been the plague of these types of “crossovers” which is exactly what this is. El Camino, Ford Ranchero, Subaru Brat, Subaru Baja, Chevy Avalanche, Honda Ridgeline, the list goes on and on.

> Having a large locking cover would give me so much peace of mind when I'm parked with my tools in there. Having the thing build of stainless steel made me ask why hasn't trucks been main of stainless steel for years.

> The bed has some L-Tracks and T-Slots in it too for easy tie downs, which was something I learned from a video I saw that someone did a test drive in

> Literally the only good truck feature is the integrated full width ramp in the tailgate.

> And you can lower the suspension in the back to make it easier! I would have killed for that the last few times i was loading heavy equipment into the back of my truck by myself. I had to make due with backing up to a hill and using a shitty steel ramp that would fall if i so much as looked at it wrong.

> Let's be honest, most people in suburbia/cities with trucks are just drugstore cowboys anyway. This truck will meet the needs of most consumers

> Good luck towing a 5th wheel with that thing

> If you need a truck, Cybertruck's already disqualified itself. Little clearance, no room for mods, unibody, no side access to the truck bed, likely range issues (once you add a load), and that's just the stuff we know about now. I can only imagine buying this if you buy a truck just so you can feel like you're driving a truck but never plan on using the truck features beyond occasional off-roading.

[1] https://old.reddit.com/r/Trucks/comments/dzvqhx/tesla_truck/ [2] https://old.reddit.com/r/Trucks/comments/e061ru/style_contra...

Re: Tesla Financial Results 2019 Q4

#335
post #231

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe. My bet is that they have been underinvesting in order to meet financial results, and that that will catch up to them. Looking at other financial statement history, this seems like a safe bet.

Our TSLA brokerage accounts thank you and your /r/RealTesla brethren for your sacrifice.

Please don't post unsubstantive and/or flamewar comments.

https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

Re: Tesla Financial Results 2019 Q4

#336
post #316

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Bears are down over 5B in mark to market losses. Sure, call that 1-0.

Tesla has lost -6.5 billion, so, yeah, I'd still stick with the Bears.

Please don't post unsubstantive and/or flamewar comments.

https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

Re: Tesla Financial Results 2019 Q4

#337
post #330
post #300

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can they? They had a loss of $800 million in 2019, and that’s with over $500 million in regulatory credit sales boosting that. The EV market still seems like it incinerates capital

They lost that money because they had to repay massive amount of debt early in the year. They did that successfully and once that debt was payed they were profitable. What matters is that they produce lots of cars and the cars have a better then expected profit margin, focusing on anything else is simply foolish.

No, that’s GAAP loss, so that doesn’t include any debt repayments. That’s what the business generated.

And they produced the most cars they ever did and still lost money for the tenth consecutive year, in a year where the expectations given from Wall Street and the company were to make money.

Re: Tesla Financial Results 2019 Q4

#338
post #230

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Again they produced 367k, not 500k, like they claimed they could. If they could produce 500k, why claim they could, and why didn’t they? And I would say Tesla’s revenue growth will start to flatline, yes, as the last two quarters have shown.

Their production capacity increased in every quarter. By the end of the year it was at a 500k per year rate. And it is continuing to go up rapidly, now that it has a new factory.

Did it? They only produced a small number more than they did per quarter at the end of last year. Why do we think they are production constrained?

Re: Tesla Financial Results 2019 Q4

#339
post #231

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe. My bet is that they have been underinvesting in order to meet financial results, and that that will catch up to them. Looking at other financial statement history, this seems like a safe bet.

It is really hard to say they are underinvesting when they just opened a new factory and have a new vehicle, the Y, that just started production.

It’s really hard to ever say a company is properly investing if their CapEx on their income statements exceeds their depreciation. Can you name other fast growing companies that is true for?

Re: Tesla Financial Results 2019 Q4

#340
post #339

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is really hard to say they are underinvesting when they just opened a new factory and have a new vehicle, the Y, that just started production.

It’s really hard to ever say a company is properly investing if their CapEx on their income statements exceeds their depreciation. Can you name other fast growing companies that is true for?

I don't understand enough about financials to understand what you are saying.

But more to the point, what exactly do you think Tesla should have been spending its money on that it didn't?

And let add to my original comment that Tesla also has the Semi going into production later this year, and recently brought out a greatly improved version of its solar roof, and is working like crazy on self-driving.

But back to my question: what should it have been spending its money on that it didn't?

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