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Tesla shares show resilience amid longtime TSLA bull’s more conservative outlook

Simon Alvarez

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Posted on April 18, 2019


Tesla stock (NASDAQ:TSLA) is proving quite resilient on Thursday morning, maintaining its gains despite the release of a more conservative outlook from one of the company’s most notable bulls. In a recent note, Baird analyst Ben Kallo, who has long held a bullish outlook on the company, adopted a more conservative price target and earnings per share estimate on Tesla.

In a note, Kallo lowered his price target for TSLA stock from $465 to $400, which is more conservative but still about 25% above FactSet’s average of $318 per share. The Baird analyst explained that Tesla’s lower-than-expected first-quarter deliveries proved insufficient to change the negative sentiments against the company today. “We were wrong. Disappointing first-quarter deliveries were not sufficient to improve what we believed was overly negative sentiment,” he wrote.

Apart from his more conservative $400 per share price target, Kallo also adjusted his earnings per share estimates for 2019 and 2020 to $1.82 and $6.92, respectively, from $3.67 and $12.15. These new estimates are closer to current Wall Street consensus. Yet, despite his more cautious stance in the near-term, Kallo maintained that his long-term expectations for Tesla remain optimistic. The Baird analyst noted that Tesla is still poised to be a “major disruptor,” though it might take some time before sentiments for the company improve.

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“We continue to view Tesla as a major disrupter and think new product introductions, production ramps, and further development of innovative technologies will drive growth. While we acknowledge it may take time for sentiment to improve, over time we think shares will move higher as the company executes on its growth strategy,” Kallo wrote.

Tesla stock has been weighed down by the results of its Q1 2019 vehicle delivery and production report, which saw electric car deliveries fall by around 30% compared to Q4 2018. Production in the first quarter was also around 12% lower than the previous quarter’s figures, with the company producing a total of 77,100 vehicles. These figures, together with continuing questions about the demand for the company’s electric cars, have resulted in a notable slide for TSLA stock this month.

Some of these reservations will hopefully be addressed this coming April 24, when Tesla is expected to hold its first-quarter earnings call. Elon Musk has proven conservative about Tesla’s chances in Q1, stating during the introduction of the Standard Model 3 that he does not expect the company to be profitable in the first quarter. “Given that there is a lot happening in Q1, and we are taking a lot of one time charges, there are a lot of challenges getting cars to China and Europe, we do not expect to be profitable. We do think that profitability in Q2 is likely,” Musk said.

As of writing, Tesla stock is trading (+0.62%) at $272.92 per share.

Disclosure: I have no ownership in shares of TSLA and have no plans to initiate any positions within 72 hours.

Tesla shares show resilience amid longtime TSLA bull’s more conservative outlook


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Tesla’s Impact Report gets nod of respect from corporate sustainability firm

Simon Alvarez

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Posted on April 18, 2019


Earlier this week, Tesla released its first Impact Report, outlining the effects of its operations on the environment and its respective communities. While around 80% of companies in the S&P 500 release similar reports to promote their corporate sustainability records, Tesla’s first effort was nonetheless enough to earn a nod of approval from a noted financial firm.

Trillium Asset Management, a firm that tracks corporate sustainability, stated that Tesla’s Impact Report went beyond superficial metrics. Allan Pearce, a shareholder advocate at Trillium, took particular notice of the company’s inclusion of its full greenhouse gas footprint, a metric that is rarely covered in first-time reports. “With any first report there’s always going to be room for improvement, though this is kind of a step above most first sustainability reports we see,” Pearce said.

Trillium currently oversees around $2.5 billion for socially-conscious investors. The financial firm had actually been calling for Tesla to release an environmental impact report since 2017, which was around the same time when reports and allegations emerged about high injury rates in the Fremont factory. Trillium submitted a shareholder proposal requesting for an impact report as recent as last December. Upon Tesla’s publication of the report, the firm promptly withdrew its shareholder proposal.

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This is not to say that Tesla’s environmental impact report is already perfect in its current state. Pearce noted that the electric car maker still has a lot of areas for improvement, such as a more in-depth analysis depicting how much greener Tesla’s electric cars are compared to vehicles equipped with an internal combustion engine. The shareholder advocate added that more discussions on Tesla’s concrete goals for the future would be appreciated by investors as well.

The results of Tesla’s first impact report revealed an encouraging picture of a young company that is working hard to achieve the very ambitious goal of accelerating the world’s transition to sustainable energy. The report covered several important points, including the amount of C02 saved by the company’s fleet of all-electric cars. With around 550,000 vehicles on the road since the days of the original Tesla Roadster, the company noted that its zero-emissions fleet has driven over 10 billion miles to date, helping prevent more than 4 million tons of C02 from polluting the environment,

Tesla also revealed that its Energy business, which is comprised of products like solar panels, the Solar Roof, the Powerwall 2, and the Powerpack, have generated a total of 13.25 TWh worth energy to date. This figure is far above the energy consumption of the company’s fleet of Model S, Model 3, and Model X, which have consumed a total of 5.26 TWh worth of energy to date.

Within its discussions on the recently released Impact Report, Tesla also revealed that it is working on its own unique battery recycling system that is estimated to result in significant savings in the future. “At Gigafactory 1, Tesla is developing a unique battery recycling system that will process both battery manufacturing scrap and end-of-life batteries. Through this system, the recovery of critical minerals such as lithium and cobalt will be maximized along with the recovery of all metals used in the battery cell, such as copper, aluminum and steel. All of these materials will be recovered in forms optimized for new battery material production,” Tesla wrote.

Tesla’s Impact Report gets nod of respect from corporate sustainability firm


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Tesla Roadster, Model S dubbed as future collectibles by classic car specialist firm

Simon Alvarez

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Posted on April 16, 2019


Noted collector car firm Hagerty Insurance Agency has stated that the original Tesla Roadster and the Tesla Model S are vehicles that have the potential to be collectibles in the future. Amidst the electric car revolution, the Roadster and Model S stand as among the most prolific examples of vehicles that are beautiful, innovative, and historically significant.

Hagerty, which specializes in providing insurance services for collector vehicles, noted that it is only a matter of time before alternative fuel vehicles start becoming collectible. John Wiley, a senior data analyst at Hagerty, noted that cars which represent an advancement in transportation are poised to be included in this list. This is especially true for vehicles that featured innovations and are timeless in terms of design.

“EVs and hybrids will absolutely be collectible in the future. In general, aspirational models like the Teslas will lead the way, and milestone cars that represented a key advancement in the technology, performance, or acceptance of the cars (again, like the Teslas) will also be well positioned,” Wiley said.

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The original Tesla Roadster is the very personification of these metrics. When it was released in 2008, the little electric sports car held the distinction of being the first mass-produced highway-legal electric vehicle that uses a lithium-ion battery. It was also the first electric car to achieve a range of over 200 miles per charge. Apart from its raw, insane acceleration, the Roadster’s Lotus Elise-based body was nothing short of stunning.

Leslie Kendall, the curator for the Petersen Automotive Museum, noted that the Roadster has the makings of a collectible vehicle. “Pioneering vehicles that have superlative engineering and performance tend to be collectible, and the Roadster is a sexy little coupe. It’s low-slung and blindingly fast and very fun to thrash, I’m told,” he said.

While the Roadster is noted for being a vehicle that showed that all-electric cars can be as desirable as the next Porsche or Audi, it was the Tesla Model S which really proved that electric vehicles are superior alternatives for conventional cars powered by the internal combustion engine. This was a point highlighted by Chelsea Sexton, an electric car advocate.

“The Roadster was the first EV that convinced people an EV could be sporty and fast. The Model S was the first ‘beautiful’ EV and large enough to appeal beyond the most niche of markets,” Sexton said.

With large carmakers now making their bet in electric transportation, the transition to electric vehicles is all but certain. Amidst these changes, it will not be too surprising if other vehicles in Tesla’s lineup become collectibles in the future as well. The Model X could make the list for its nearly over-the-top tech, while the Model 3 could be a collectible for being the car that brought EVs to the mass market. Provided that the Model Y becomes a successful vehicle, the SUV could make Hagerty’s list as well, as it is a vehicle that could deal a decisive blow against the internal combustion engine.

See Hagerty’s full list of potential collectible alternative fuel vehicles here.

Tesla Roadster, Model S dubbed as future collectibles by classic car specialist firm


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Tesla Model 3 becomes focal point of EV debate between VW and Toyota

Simon Alvarez

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Posted on April 17, 2019


The arrival and the succeeding disruption being brought upon by the Tesla Model 3 has been palpable, especially in the United States’ auto market. While the all-electric vehicle experienced some delays during its initial production, it was nonetheless successful enough to be hailed as the US’ best-selling luxury vehicle of 2018, selling a total of 145,846 units over the year.

This is something that has not gone unnoticed by veterans of the car industry. At a forum co-hosted by the National Automobile Dealers Association on Tuesday, Scott Keogh, the chief executive officer of Volkswagen AG’s US unit, noted that Tesla has all but proven that electric vehicles are here to stay. The exec noted that Volkswagen plans to release electric cars of its own, including a small, all-electric SUV that will be part of its $800 million investment in its Chattanooga, Tennessee plant.

Addressing Tesla’s rise from a niche electric car maker to a company that is now attempting to breach the mass market, Keogh stated that “we have not seen in the history of the auto business, a company going from zero to fourth place in luxury in a matter of a few years.” The exec added that Volkswagen’s research has indicated that electric vehicles are at the top of numerous consumers’ list for their future vehicles; thus, “even if it’s 10 percent of the market, we want to pursue it (electromobility).”

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The Volkswagen executive’s statement stands in stark contrast to the words of Toyota Motor Corp. executive vice president of sales Bob Carter. Addressing the attendees of the event roughly an hour after the Volkswagen executive, Carter argued against all-electric vehicles, stating that EV batteries are still far too expensive to be feasible. The executive stated that Toyota will eventually introduce an all-electric vehicle too, though he declined to give an estimated date for the vehicle’s release.

“On electrification, we see an opportunity in North America, but it’s much further down the road. The average vehicle today costs $34,000 and for many EVs, the battery costs $34,000. The economics are not there,” he said, later noting in an interview that “this is going to be a slow evolution in the U.S. market, unlike in China and Europe where there are government regulations hastening electrification. Nobody is selling electric vehicles at a profitable margin.”

It is quite ironic to see Volkswagen, a company whose reputation was tarnished by its high-profile dieselgate scandal, seeing the writing on the wall with regards to electric car adoption. Toyota, which pretty much started the green revolution with the release of the Prius over two decades ago, is showing what appears to be a stubborn tendency to deny electric vehicles as a whole. The Toyota executive’s comments about battery packs costing $34,000 alone is a notable example of this, since Tesla is currently selling variants of the Model 3 that cost only a few thousand dollars more than Carter’s battery pack cost estimate.

As for the Tesla Model 3, the vehicle is now disrupting other auto markets abroad. In Europe’s first quarter, car sales in the region dropped 3.7%, aggravated by issues such as a potential tariff war, the possible failure of Brexit, and the possibility of EU penalties if it can’t meet carbon dioxide emissions rules, to name a few. While companies like Fiat Chrysler Automobiles dived 12.7%, Tesla experienced a notable boost in the first quarter, thanks largely to the Model 3, which became Germany’s best-selling electric car just two months after it arrived in the country.

Tesla Model 3 becomes focal point of EV debate between VW and Toyota


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Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s views on Full Self-Driving safety get validated by TSLA bears

Simon Alvarez

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Posted on April 17, 2019


During Elon Musk’s appearance at MIT research scientist Lex Fridman’s podcast, the Tesla CEO stated that he believes the improvements in full self-driving technology will eventually make driver input detrimental to vehicle safety. Musk also stated that there will likely come a time when human input while driving will be as unnatural as manually operating an elevator to travel between the floors of a building.

Musk’s statements are arguably optimistic, especially since even industry leaders such as Waymo have not yet attained fully autonomous driving despite working on the technology for years. Waymo currently leads the pack in autonomous tech, but the full-self driving operations of the Google subsidiary remain confined in geofenced areas today. Other industry leaders such as GM Cruise are largely on the same page.

Tesla, for its part, has taken steps towards full self-driving, but unlike companies like Waymo and GM Cruise, the electric car maker’s strategy is focused on artificial intelligence and input from its vehicles’ cameras, a setup that Elon Musk likens to the way humans and animals navigate with their eyes. Tesla’s upcoming Autonomy Investor Day this April 22, 2019 is expected to showcase just how far the company has gone in its pursuit of autonomous driving technology using Elon Musk’s strategy.

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Tesla is a polarizing company, and it inspires dedicated supporters and passionate critics alike. Social media platforms such as Twitter host clashes between these groups on an everyday basis, and the frequently negative slant on Tesla’s coverage from mainstream media do little to help clear the air. Among Tesla’s critics, there are groups of individuals, some of which have taken a short position against the company (and hence are incentivized to drive down TSLA stock), have become more passionate as of late. With the date for Tesla’s Autonomy Investor Day approaching, a number of these Tesla skeptics have called for actions that will likely disrupt the electric car maker’s demonstrations on April 22.

Among these suggestions are braking in front of Tesla’s test vehicles, as well as intentionally swerving into the electric cars’ lane to ensure that the company’s demonstrations are authentic. These suggestions are incredibly dangerous, both for Tesla’s electric cars and their occupants, as well as the Tesla bears themselves. Intentionally swerving into the lane of another vehicle is never an advisable driving maneuver, and such actions on the road have resulted in numerous (and sometimes fatal) accidents in the past.

It is exactly these suggested behaviors that Elon Musk was talking about when he spoke with the MIT researcher about the future of driving. Full self-driving systems are built with safety in mind, and thus, there is a very little chance that autonomous vehicles will intentionally drive in a manner that is dangerous for itself and other cars on the road. The suggested “tests” from Tesla’s critics are easy to do if one is manually driving a car, but maneuvers like intentionally swerving into another lane will likely not be performed by a properly-designed and properly-calibrated full self-driving vehicle.

There is no doubt that full self-driving technology is still in its infancy today, but once the data is there and the neural nets have been trained, there is very little that can be argued against the safety and convenience of autonomous vehicles. Ironically, by aiming to disrupt the electric car maker’s upcoming autonomous driving demonstrations later this month, Tesla’s critics have ended up validating one of Elon Musk’s boldest points.

Watch Elon Musk discuss his points on autonomous driving technology in the video below.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s views on Full Self-Driving safety get validated by TSLA bears


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SpaceX preps second $500M fundraiser as Starlink & Starship make progress

Eric Ralph

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Posted on April 17, 2019


According to regulatory documents seen by Prime Unicorn Index, SpaceX finished a $500M funding round begun in December 2018 and kicked off a second campaign seeking an additional $500M earlier this month.

Altogether, SpaceX appears to be on track to secure $1 billion in fresh capital in the last six months alone, a trend that that may well continue as the company pushes forth into new and capital-intensive phases of Starlink and Starship development. In Boca Chica, a flood of SpaceX engineers and technicians have descended on the area to build the first full-scale steel prototypes of Starship and the major facilities needed to support the vehicles, all from scratch. Across the West Coast of the US, a separate SpaceX team has simultaneously transitioned from prototyping and developing satellites to building a factory to mass-produce them and may be less than six weeks away from launching the first operational batch of Starlink spacecraft.

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Giant rockets, giant funding

Both massive, perilous, and largely unprecedented ventures in their own right, Starship (formerly BFR) and Starlink also happen to be extremely capital-intensive, a more or less fundamental consequence of the stages of their development and expansion. Both spent many years in pure research and development phases, tinkering and experimenting with different ideas and technologies on the ground in an effort to conceptualize what exactly their final forms ought to be. This aspect of the BFR program has been extremely visible over the last three years as SpaceX and CEO Elon Musk’s goals underwent continuous semi-annual changes, often intentionally broadcasted to the public in livestreamed events.

After appearing to finally settle on the quasi-final form of BFR (renamed to Starship/Super Heavy), SpaceX has actually begun to build and test the first full-scale, integrated prototype of the spacecraft (Starhopper) and is simultaneously building what aims to be the first orbital Starship prototype. At the same time, its propulsion system of choice – known as Raptor – has entered into serial production back at SpaceX’s Hawthorne factory, while also supporting the first Starhopper hop test in early April and preparing to continue separate ground testing.

SpaceX’s first (left) and second (right) Starship prototypes, seen on April 8th. (NASASpaceflight – bocachicagal)

Thousands of satellites, billions of dollars

In February 2018, SpaceX successfully launched its first Starlink satellites, two prototypes meant to test a bevy of technologies the company was attempting to build (or at least utilize) for the first time. Despite hints and reports of some problems on orbit, SpaceX firmly holds that both satellites were extremely successful in their task of proving out new technologies like electric thrusters and phased-array antennas and are still safely operating today. Just four months after those prototypes launched, CEO Elon Musk took the extraordinary step of flying to Redmond, Washington to personally challenge a number of executives he believed were operating far too sluggishly. According to secondhand reports, many of them refused to expedite the program as Musk wanted them to, resulting in their immediate firings. The challenge that triggered the organizational upheaval: launch the first operational batch of Starlink satellites before the end of June 2019, twelve months away at the time.

Five months after Musk’s challenge, SpaceX submitted a request to the FCC to modify its original Starlink constellation license, halving the orbit of the first thousand or so satellites to 550 km (340 mi) and significantly simplifying the technology on the first several dozen to be launched. As a result of the strategic changes made, SpaceX is already planning to launch its first group of Starlink satellites as early as mid-May, with perhaps one or several additional launches on the books for 2019. To an extent, the first 75 Starlink satellites and their six ground stations will be a nearly full-fidelity second prototype. Instead of a minimalist development platform like Tintin A and B, the first 75 satellites should offer opportunities to actually test the operations of a large constellation of spacecraft while also demonstrating something close to the internet connectivity the full constellation is meant to offer.

One of the first two prototype Starlink satellites deploys from Falcon 9’s upper stage, February 2018. (SpaceX)

Development to production

That SpaceX is attempting to raise huge amounts of capital should come as no surprise. For almost any commercial venture on Earth that is attempting to introduce a real product from nothing, the process of going from concept, design, and testing to building a final product at scale is both extraordinarily difficult and extremely expensive. Tesla famously went through “manufacturing hell” to go from Model 3 prototypes to a mass-producible finished product, while countless other ventures don’t even make it that far (i.e. vaporware). By far the most challenging aspect of this transition is moving from a phase focused predominately on development to one focused predominately on production.

Due to an extremely unorthodox approach to building the first steel Starship and Super Heavy prototypes, quite literally choosing to do so outside and without shelter, the BFR program is probably less extreme for the time being. However, the transformation needed for Starlink to progress is intense, requiring the satellite team to essentially build a factory from scratch and begin mass-producing high-performance satellites as quickly as possible. The 75-satellite buffer should ease the pain a bit and offer a sort of trial run as SpaceX makes that major transition, but the fact remains that an unprecedented number (thousands) of satellites will need to be built and launched at an equally unprecedented pace and cost-per-unit.

SpaceX already has a giant factory in Hawthorne, CA, but it remains packed to the brim with Falcon and Dragon production operations. (SpaceX)

The $500M raised since December 2018 will likely be a major help for SpaceX’s often-shoestrung development programs. The decision to open a second $500M funding round just months after the first also bodes well for demand, indicating that it shouldn’t be long before this newest round is itself completed. Meanwhile, Starlink’s first-launch milestone is rapidly approaching, while SpaceX’s South Texas team continue to make progress on the first orbital-class Starship prototype. Onward and upwards

Check out Teslarati’s newsletters for prompt updates, on-the-ground perspectives, and unique glimpses of SpaceX’s rocket launch and recovery processes

SpaceX preps second $500M fundraiser as Starlink & Starship make progress


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Tesla Model 3 ripped apart by rescue specialists in first responder training

Simon Alvarez

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Posted on April 17, 2019


A Tesla Model 3 was recently sacrificed to the Jaws of Life at the Fire Department Instructors Conference at Indianapolis. During the demonstration, rescue specialists showed the event’s attendees how to properly dismantle the all-electric car in the event of an accident. The aftermath of the Model 3’s encounter with the firefighters was a painful sight to behold, especially if one is a Tesla enthusiast.

The Model 3 used in the Jaws of Life demonstration was donated by Tesla, together with a Model S. A video of the event shared on YouTube showed Tesla Technical Ambassador for Emergency Response Mike McConnell encouraging the attendees of the event to watch the Model 3 get cut up. “It’s pretty awesome,” a lighthearted McConnell said, addressing the audience surrounding a booth where the Model 3 was about to be torn down.

(Photo: Lelapa/Reddit)
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The all-electric car was cut up by Jaws of Life rescue specialists in less than 15 minutes. Thanks in part to the Model 3’s straightforward design, the specialists were able to remove the front and rear doors of the all-electric sedan quickly. This bodes well for actual extrication involving the Model 3, as trained rescuers will likely not have a difficult time retrieving the vehicle’s passengers in the event of an accident.

Apart from the Model 3, Tesla also brought over a Model S to be torn down. Just like its smaller sibling, the large premium sedan was chopped and opened up by the rescue specialists. An announcement near the end of the Model 3 Jaws of Life demo hinted at a Model X also being brought to the event to be dismantled.

(Photo: Lelapa/Reddit)

The rescue specialists used cutters, spreaders, combi tools, and a ram in their demonstration on the Model 3. These tools are part of HURST’s eDraulic rescue equipment lineup, which are, similar to the Model 3, powered entirely by batteries. HURST’s devices were first patented back in 1961 as a safer, quicker alternative to power saws, which were used then to extricate passengers from vehicles. Due to their speed (circular saws could take up to an hour to take the roof off a car), HURST’s devices were noted for saving people from the jaws of death; hence, their eventual moniker as the “Jaws of Life.”

Tesla already has some of the safest vehicles on the road, with the Model S, Model X, and Model 3 garnering stellar safety ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Thanks to their all-electric design, Teslas have immense crumple zones front and back, allowing the vehicle to protect its passengers in a way that internal combustion engine cars cannot match. In the event that a serious accident does occur, it is somewhat reassuring to see that Tesla’s electric cars could be opened up by the Jaws of Life in a way that is quick and safe.

Watch HURST’s Jaws of Life demonstration on the Tesla Model 3 in the video below.

Tesla Model 3 ripped apart by rescue specialists in first responder training


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First look at Tesla’s upcoming Enhanced Summon updates in action

Simon Alvarez

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Posted on April 16, 2019


A series of tests involving a Model 3 whose owner is part of Tesla’s early access program has provided a preview of some upcoming features that are expected to be rolled out in the near future. Apart from some UI updates, the early access Model 3 was loaded with a number of yet-to-be-released Summon features, which will be part of the company’s Full Self-Driving suite.

Immediately noticeable from the early access Model 3 were updates to its UI. The vehicle on the left side of the center display was larger and more detailed, and it featured some cool animation when the vehicle is shifting from Drive to Park. The vehicle’s avatar on the screen also zooms out noticeably when the electric sedan is traveling on a multi-lane road. These updates are quite minor, but they do make the Model 3’s UI more interactive.

(Credit: Like Tesla/YouTube)
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The early access Model 3 also featured some new Summon features, including the capability to avoid unexpected obstacles like pedestrians while it was being summoned. To test this, Kim, the YouTube channel’s host, opted to stand in the path of the electric sedan. The Model 3 promptly stopped as it detected the Like Tesla host, before performing several maneuvers in an attempt to drive around its unexpected obstacle. The Model 3 eventually reached the point where it was being summoned, but it took a considerable amount of time due to the vehicle’s very deliberate movements.

This became prominent in a parking lot test of the Enhanced Summon feature, which required the Model 3 to navigate through a crowded parking lot that’s complete with numerous vehicles moving about. Just like the previous test, the electric sedan was successfully summoned, though it took some time once more because of its limited speed despite the vehicle being within a 150 ft. radius from its operator.

(Credit: Like Tesla/YouTube)

It should be noted that the Summon capabilities showcased in the video are still a work in progress, and are still being tested with members of Tesla’s early access program. This is evident in the Model 3’s steering wheel movements while it was being summoned. Unlike an experienced driver that holds the steering wheel steadily while driving, Enhanced Summon continually performed adjustments to the vehicle’s steering in a manner akin to a neophyte driver. Nevertheless, it is almost certain that these features will be refined as the feature gets released.

Tesla’s Enhanced Summon, together with the company’s Navigate on Autopilot with unconfirmed lane changes, is part of the company’s Full Self-Driving suite. These Full Self-Driving features, as well as a number of unreleased capabilities for Autopilot and FSD, are set to be announced and demonstrated in the upcoming Autonomy Investor Day on April 22. Tesla will discuss its roadmap for its full self-driving features in the event, and provide investors with a deep dive into the company’s FSD strategy.

The Autonomy Investor Day will include updates from several of Tesla’s key executives that are actively involved in the development of autonomous software and hardware, including CEO Elon Musk, VP of Engineering Stuart Bowers, VP of Hardware Engineering Pete Bannon, and Sr. Director of AI Andrej Karpathy. Test rides in vehicles loaded with unreleased versions of Autopilot and Full Self-Driving will be offered as well.

Watch Like Tesla‘s demo of some of Tesla’s upcoming Summon updates in the video below.

First look at Tesla’s upcoming Enhanced Summon updates in action


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Tesla’s Elon Musk reportedly spoke with Polish PM about electromobility adoption

Simon Alvarez

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Posted on April 16, 2019


In a recent statement, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki admitted that he had spoken to Elon Musk about initiatives that could push electromobility further. While it took some time for the conversation to be arranged, the Prime Minister noted that he was able to speak with the Tesla CEO directly.

“Indeed, I talked to Mr. Elon Musk, which is one of the leading figures of electromobility. We need to wait a few months to be with Elon Musk from this conversation, but this conversation has actually taken place,” he said (quote is translated from energetyka24, a Polish news site).

Mr. Morawiecki is expected to visit the United States this week. While addressing the publication, the Prime Minister noted that he will be meeting with a number of investors and entrepreneurs to discuss the idea of investing in Poland. “First of all, there are meetings with investors, with Wall Street in New York, but also with the American media and, above all, those entrepreneurs who want to invest in Poland. We want to attract American capital for modern investments because it translates into high-wage jobs,” he said.

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It remains to be seen exactly how Tesla and Poland could cooperate towards a shared goal. Nevertheless, Poland is already deeply committed to electromobility, with the government planning and introducing a number of electric vehicle-friendly regulations for consumers. Among these are subsidies for EVs, state energy companies investing in the buildout of electric car charging infrastructure, and laws encouraging new buildings to have designated parking spots where EVs could be charged, to name a few.

Poland is also among the countries which are looking to be the site for Tesla’s Europe Gigafactory, which Elon Musk has mentioned in the past. Musk discussed Gigafactory 4 (a tentative name for the upcoming facility) back in July 2018, stating that Germany is the leading choice for the Europe-based factory. Poland, for its part, has noted that its initiatives such as its Strategy for Responsible Development and organizations such as the Polish Development Fund will support Tesla if the company builds Gigafactory 4 in the country, as noted in defence24. Some reports later emerged which hinted that Tesla and Poland were in talks, but the reports remained unconfirmed.

Amid Tesla’s continued ramp of its activities, the company will need more Gigafactories to meet the demand for its vehicles and energy storage products. Today, every vehicle Tesla delivers to Europe is manufactured in Fremont, CA. But with a Gigafactory in Europe building vehicles in the same manner that Gigafactory 3 will be manufacturing the Model 3 and Model Y in China, Tesla’s expansion across the globe could become a lot smoother and far less painful.

Tesla’s Elon Musk reportedly spoke with Polish PM about electromobility adoption


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Tesla Model 3 debuts at Shanghai Auto Show, Model Y heading to upcoming US show

Simon Alvarez

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Posted on April 16, 2019


Tesla has made its presence known in the 2019 Shanghai Auto Show, showcasing its existing electric car lineup to the event’s attendees. For the event, Tesla displayed a Model S, Model X, two Model 3, and a Supercharger.

Tesla’s booth was fairly small and simple compared to the booths of other car manufacturers like China-based NIO, but the electric car maker attracted a notable number of people nonetheless. Tesla appears to have brought over a Performance and non-Performance Model 3 to the event, as hinted at by the presence of China-exclusive Power Sports Wheels on one vehicle and 19″ Sport Wheels on another.

(Photo: Christian Prenzler/Teslarati)
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One thing that is noticeably absent on Tesla’s booth at the Shanghai Auto Show is the recently-unveiled Model Y SUV, which was showcased in the United States last month. A Tesla spokesperson explained the absence of the Model Y at the Shanghai Auto Show, stating that the upcoming all-electric vehicle will instead be shown at an upcoming event in the United States this month.

The Model Y is a key component of Tesla’s strategy for the Chinese market, considering that the vehicle caters to an incredibly popular segment in the country. So important is the Model Y that affordable versions of the vehicle will actually be built on Gigafactory 3 alongside the Model 3, Tesla’s other mass-market vehicle. With affordable versions of the Model 3 and Model Y saturating China, Tesla might finally be able to tap into the country’s very lucrative and consistently growing electric car market.

(Photo: Christian Prenzler/Teslarati)

Elon Musk has noted that the Model Y shares around 75% of its components with the Model 3, and this is incredibly evident in the exterior appearance of the two vehicles. The Model Y is essentially a Model 3 that’s around 10% larger, which allows the vehicle to have third-row seats and more than ample headroom for tall passengers. The vehicle is also equipped with what could only be described as Tesla’s best glass roof to date.

Tesla’s presence in the 2019 Shanghai Auto Show might be pretty understated considering its simple booth and its Model Y-less display, but these details belie the company’s upcoming presence in the country’s auto market. Gigafactory 3 is currently being built in an incredibly rapid manner, with the project’s Phase 1 buildout entering the roof paving stage just three months after Tesla held a groundbreaking ceremony for the facility. Shanghai officials expect the initial buildout of a general assembly building to be completed by May, and by the end of the year, Tesla expects to begin manufacturing the Model 3 on the Shanghai-based site.

Tesla Model 3 debuts at Shanghai Auto Show, Model Y heading to upcoming US show


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