Questions for 2015 Shareholder's Meeting

Does the 70D use the same cells as those currently in the 85, and will the X use the same cells as the 85?

Also, can I have a job? :biggrin:

Do you envision Tesla getting involved in the airplane industry at some point in the next 5-10 years with electric vertical take off and landing planes?

JRP3 said:

Does the 70D use the same cells as those currently in the 85, and will the X use the same cells as the 85?

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I think we know answer to these questions: No and NO.:biggrin:

I would also advise against asking this question - there is no way in the world Elon will answer it, because it will lead to serious deferment of all non-70D orders. Everybody will be waiting for 100D with EPA range of 315 miles and 0 to 60 in 3.9 sec and P100D with EPA range of 295 miles and 0 to 60 in 2.8 sec.

Obviously from past discussions I disagree with the expected answer, but you do raise a good point about the consequences of a "No" answer.

When Tesla tweets about worldwide gallons of fuel saved, is that just via Superchargers or total fleet mileage, regardless of charging source?

Will there be a capital raise within the next 12 months?

And can you sell me a P100D with the small front motor replaced with another large rear motor in Sycamore Brown with Saddle brown leather interior and staggered 20" Bronze wheels shod with 255/40 F and 295/35 R Michelin Pilot Supreme Sport tires?

Besides reduction in battery costs from Gigafactory volume production, how else does Tesla intend to reduce the base price of Model 3 to approximately 35k USD?

How soon after Model 3 goes on sale does Tesla intend to launch a crossover based on Model 3?

Have any other companies licensed Supercharging technology? This could help fill gaps in the network.

Profit margins on PowerPacks?

How many shifts for Gigafactory? Can we expect a Gigafactory 2.0 after the current Gigafactory goes online?

At what unit volume will Fremont/Lathrop facilities be maxed out in production capacity, making a full Eurozone or Asia factory likely?

Currency fluctuations have caused price changes recently in EU. Any plans to build overseas factories to mitigate exchange rate risks.

What level of vertical integration is Tesla aiming for (in context of big expansion at Lathrop)? How does this compare efficiency wise with traditional supply chain methods?

LTE upgrades when? Is restrictions to 3G speeds (HSPA, iPhone 4S-level connectivity) due to cost? What about letting owners upgrade to higher tier of data speed service?

Will Model 3 owners have to pay for LTE (I assume at some point Tesla won't want to
Pay for bandwidth of 100s of Ks of cars).

That's a lot… hopefully someone attending the meeting might find one or two worth asking.

With the initial Supercharger station unveiling event, Elon stated that solar canopies would be used to provide enough power from the sun to cover all the Supercharger electricity requirements. What is the latest plan for this?

Why are new cars still having 12V battery problems? And why is a car with 70+kwh of battery capacity able to be crippled by a 33 amp hour 12V battery failure?

It might be an idea, before asking questions, to imagine being on the receiving end of the same question.

If questions are too intrusive, the likely outcome is an evasion, ducking, and similar.

People that ask questions may not know when they are intrusive. To avoid that risk, it might be an idea to pose topics for discussions and ask for comments rather than framing the questions like they are some sort of interrogation or examination.

AlMc said:

I agree. Any question I ask will be to elicit information about future plans. I believe, if framed properly, you can get a good amount of valuable information for investors. 'Negative' questions will always put someone on the defensive and in a group setting, like this, are unlikely to get an enlightening response.

Auzie; I would greatly appreciate question suggestions from you that either I, or another TMCer/attendee might use.

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I would start asking about synergies of the two companies, TM and Space X, how do they transfer knowledge, how do they go about problem-solving, any other comment on these two businesses helping each other.

What are the main challenges in the business from Tesla team perspective - I am curious about that one;
What does Tesla team consider the major risk and what are they doing about it;
For Elon, what is the hardest issue for him to deal with, what are the difficulties for him now and in the future, and plans to tackle these challenges.

Then maybe a topic that interests shareholders - any comments on Tesla - Google - Apple partnership, synergies, etc.
If any partnership ever eventuates, how would that partnership look like, what would be the reasons for Tesla to consider partnering with anyone, what do they look for in a partner.
On a second thought, I can already hear the answer: if a partnership is more likely to promote electrification of transportation than Tesla is likely to do on its own, then I can see the writing on the wall for that one.

Tesla Energy - plans for building and expanding new Tesla Energy business, any plans for building future GF, possible partners, locations/geographies.
It does not make sense to ship batteries around the globe. Comments on plans, timing, partners, location (China?) for the first GF outside of US, anywhere else.
Comments on battery developments progress.

The increasing portion of revenue comes from outside of US. Comments on possible plans to mitigate currency fluctuations risk.

Tesla team will come prepared and will say only what they wish to say, imo asking questions will not elicit more information than what they are willing or able to give. Posing a discussion topic rather than asking granular questions at least gives them the opportunity to provide more elaborate answers, with some background

Have fun there:smile:

When will I be able to get a replica Volvo P1800 chassis on a model 3 skateboard (with supercharge capability)

I would like to ask the price and timing of the Roadster replacement pack. That will give us a clear view into potential battery price drops and assurance that the Model S packs will likely be upgraded in the future. The costs of batteries is still one of the most common questions I get when I take the Roadster to car shows to spread the good news of a cleaner EV future.

Auzie said:

Tesla team will come prepared and will say only what they wish to say, imo asking questions will not elicit more information than what they are willing or able to give. Posing a discussion topic rather than asking granular questions at least gives them the opportunity to provide more elaborate answers, with some background

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And provide the least useful information. Speculative answers about general plans that are likely to change anyway won't provide much more insight beyond what they've already told us. Question time is limited, and IMO past question sessions have been dominated by irrelevant questions or questions which most of us already know the answers. The team should be able to answer direct, granular questions with direct, granular answers. Certainly it's beneficial to form questions in a non threatening manner, but they should be direct, specific, and to the point. The details of how SpaceX and Tesla interact are irrelevant, how Tesla handles the 12V battery problem going forward, with the Model 3 for example, is highly relevant, since the consequences will be multiplied many times over.

JRP3 said:

And provide the least useful information. Speculative answers about general plans that are likely to change anyway won't provide much more insight beyond what they've already told us. Question time is limited, and IMO past question sessions have been dominated by irrelevant questions or questions which most of us already know the answers. The team should be able to answer direct, granular questions with direct, granular answers. Certainly it's beneficial to form questions in a non threatening manner, but they should be direct, specific, and to the point. The details of how SpaceX and Tesla interact are irrelevant, how Tesla handles the 12V battery problem going forward, with the Model 3 for example, is highly relevant, since the consequences will be multiplied many times over.

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But asking 'Why are new cars having 12v battery problems?' sounds a bit accusatory to my ear. Better wording to get to what (I think) you're saying might be, 'Considering that some new cars continue to have 12v battery problems, what changes do you see occurring within a more mature Tesla that would keep similar problems from recurring, once discovered?'. Because I really don't want to hear the specifics of the 12V problem. I do want to hear how they're going to get better as a company.

dhrivnak said:

That will give us a clear view into potential battery price drops and assurance that the Model S packs will likely be upgraded in the future.

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Roadster upgrade pricing would be good to know, but Musk has already committed to upgraded S packs in the future.

Elon Musk:

Should mention that a battery pack upgrade for the Model S is not coming soon but it obviously *will* happen long-term.

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http://insideevs.com/confirmed-tesla-model-s-will-get-range-boosting-battery-upgrade-says-elon-musk/

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bonnie said:

But asking 'Why are new cars having 12v battery problems?' sounds a bit accusatory to my ear. Better wording to get to what (I think) you're saying might be, 'Considering that some new cars continue to have 12v battery problems, what changes do you see occurring within a more mature Tesla that would keep similar problems from recurring, once discovered?'. Because I really don't want to hear the specifics of the 12V problem. I do want to hear how they're going to get better as a company.

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As I said it could be worded to be less confrontational, but again, I don't care about general PR blather about how they will address potential future problems, I'd like to hear how they intend to handle this specific issue which has been ongoing from day one. This is a technical problem with a technical solution. It's just like the gearbox shim and lube issues, which were directly discussed by Elon in a technical manner. It's a severe design flaw IMO and frankly I expect better of Tesla.