Tesla, TSLA & the Investment World: the Perpetual Investors' Roundtable

[mrmage]

He also doesn't seem to get that Tesla has publicly stated no other company will be able to run a "business" through their FSD. All Robotaxi services on a Tesla vehicle have to go through Tesla's Robotaxi network.

Uber can't rent these Model 3's from Hertz and then run a robotaxi service of their own. Tesla knows exactly what vehicles they're selling to Hertz, they can track them. They have complete control over the software usage of them. This is a non-issue.

Not to mention that Hertz has 12,000 rental locations throughout the world, that clean and refuel cars and provide customer support. Just the sort of low tech infrastructure to complement a high tech Robotaxi network. Lots of possibilities.

With Tesla holding the strings, not one scenario would be negative for Tesla.

 

[JRP3]

Tesla rejected by Swedish Hertz

https://twitter.com/x/status/1453359968866824193

 

[OrthoSurg]

So, my girlfriend wants me to sell half my TSLA shares since it is so high and "lock it in" by putting it into VOO instead. I told her that wouldn't be financially prudent, I even made up a quick spreadsheet showing her the projected outcomes of both plans, but she still thinks its a better plan to "lock it in".

I told her she can sell half of HER Tesla shares and do that if she wants to. Unfortunately she doesn't have any TSLA shares!

How many times did she tell you tou should have sold at $900 9 months ago when TSLA got back in the $600? Did she realize tou were right HODLing?

 

[SOULPEDL]

It seems that from GMs perspective it is the number of models you offer, not the number of cars actually produced which is the goal. Mary's strategy is more about creating the illusion that GM is visionary and keeping with the times.

Meanwhile, I suspect they are issuing mandatory Depends (adult diapers) to board meeting attendees.

Adding to the illusion, I believe gm tries to shift focus to their Ultium Motors, claiming large kW ratings to confuse with battery kW. Nothing is ever explained about the batteries even though that's always the headlines. So they have to say something to shareholders... who might assume that a powerful motors equates to Horsepower. Plus "motor" is more palatable to their customer base. It's all smoke and mirrors out in plain sight.

 

[OrthoSurg]

My wife is a big believer in buying as much of possible of good companies and holding until the company's growth is showing signs of slowing down (or there is an even better opportunity elsewhere) because she has seen how well it works with her own eyes. It's pretty rare to become fabulously wealthy by trading (and for everyone who does it, there are two people who lose it all). She knows the way you win at this game is to keep those itchy trigger fingers far, far from the sell button and to focus on how many shares are owned, not how much they are worth at any given moment. In other words, our investment philosophies are aligned about as perfectly as they could be. So I think you are mixing her up with someone else's significant other.

You are right I wanted to quote Mengy that you had quoted in your post! Good that you have a comprehensive significant other like I do!

 

[mekberg]

Tesla rejected by Swedish Hertz

https://twitter.com/x/status/1453359968866824193

That's a good way to open a door for your competitors.

 

[thesmokingman]

Tesla rejected by Swedish Hertz

https://twitter.com/x/status/1453359968866824193

Sucks to be them.

 

[jkirkwood001]

Presented to you for your morning guffaw.

GM can 'absolutely' catch Tesla in EV sales by 2025, says CEO Mary Barra — CNBC

GM CEO Mary Barra told CNBC the automaker can "absolutely" catch Tesla in U.S. EV sales by 2025 with its planned electric vehicles, including a Hummer pickup.

apple.news

We all like to laugh at the other OEMs, but serious question, if you were the CEO of one of the majors, what would you do? (assuming quitting the job is not an option).

As CEO of GM / Ford / Toyota / etc.:

• What exactly would you put your capital towards? (don't just say 'electrification'. Be specific - what would you design? what would you build? where? how quickly can you pivot?)
• What would you mothball? How quickly? (don't just say 'all my ICEs now' - it has to be sustainable)
• How would you finance it?
• How would you handle your dealerships?
• How would you attract the transformational talent?
• What would you communicate to
  
  • The public
  • Your employees
  • Your dealerships
  • The union
  • The government
  • The market / investors / your Board

Be creative. Survive. If Elon were transposed into a competing CEO's job, what would he do? Ah! Not so easy, is it? Don't ridicule unless you can do better. Earn all that 'wisdom' that sitting here idle with TSLA shares has made you.

I raise this because obvs Mary Barra's approach (don't let them see you sweat) is different than Herbert Diess' ("we are in a crisis of existential proportions!!"). Which is likely to be more successful?

(I accept that the answers may vary by OEM)

[Wow, for no particular reason, this is my 2nd Mike Myers GIF!]
[and don't get on me about helping the competition - if anybody listened to us here on TMC, they would have bought into our narrative WAY before now!]

 

[bkp_duke]

Over the years, Musk Inc. has thrived by vertically integrated operations. All the way from Musk's imagination to the end consumer. Hertz, Carvana, Uber, and Uber drivers are not end consumers. They are all middle men that five years from now will not provide a valuable service to Tesla or end consumers.

Tesla is entering into an environment that constrains how it operates. If Tesla gives a dollar to the Hertzes of the world, politically speaking it is difficult to stop giving dollars to the Hertzes on a regular basis. And then Tesla has to do special things for the Hertzes because Tesla is not allowed to compete with the Hertzes.

The sensible thing to do is just to not give dollars to the Hertzes of the world in the first place. Problem solved.

It's free advertising you numb nuts. What don't you understand about that?

 

[Artful Dodger]

Cost basis $42/shr for 6m shares. Bought in 2014 & probably holding for another 10 years.

Wot, @Sofie? You Go, Girl!

Cheers!

 

[Todd Burch]

TSLA looking solid today, girls and boys.
Solid company, solid stock, solid future.

 

[Sofie]

@Sofie
switch to “dollar cost averaging/rage buy”
DCA/RB where you transfer money to brokerage, are allowed small margin interest like i do, being on fixed income retired (futures so bright, gotta wear shades)

Lol! I just use cash but my plan is to keep all this ready in waiting in fidelity for the next little pullback .

 

[StarFoxisDown!]

Adding to the illusion, I believe gm tries to shift focus to their Ultium Motors, claiming large kW ratings to confuse with battery kW. Nothing is ever explained about the batteries even though that's always the headlines. So they have to say something to shareholders... who might assume that a powerful motors equates to Horsepower. Plus "motor" is more palatable to their customer base. It's all smoke and mirrors out in plain sight.

Which is why I say 2023 is going to be when the curtains get pulled back on all the empty promises being made by legacy auto. By then, it will be clear that they don't have the battery supply, their battery "breakthroughs are nothing", and their profitability per vehicle and operational is still atrocious.

Also....that most consumers don't even want their vehicles even if they could produce them at scale.

2023-2025 will also mark the great transition from ICE to EV and we'll be able to watch in real time as legacy auto crumbles under their mountain of stranded assets.

 

[15Peter20]

Adding to the illusion, I believe gm tries to shift focus to their Ultium Motors, claiming large kW ratings to confuse with battery kW. Nothing is ever explained about the batteries even though that's always the headlines. So they have to say something to shareholders... who might assume that a powerful motors equates to Horsepower. Plus "motor" is more palatable to their customer base. It's all smoke and mirrors out in plain sight.

Just realised I've never actually heard any actual specs for Ultium batteries, so I went hunting on the GM website. Still nothing meaningful, just technobabble, for e.g.:

.

They are, however, still proud of this, from the same press release:

 

[Rarity]

I'm in the other camp.

FSD App makes Tesla more attractive to companies like Hertz and Uber because it increases their potential profits.

Tesla simultaneously reaps increased profits the more Hertz and Uber utilize the app.

Tesla doesn't "sell" the software, they sell a subscription to use the software, thus generating recurring revenue from each car using it.

Why do Hertz and Uber need to be a preferred part of this ecosystem versus ordinary consumers? That's my central criticism. It will be hard to kick them out or to minimize their influence in the future.

It's as if Travis Kalanick's offer is being revisited and a different choice is being made.

 

[2daMoon]

Why do Hertz and Uber need to be a preferred part of this ecosystem versus ordinary consumers? That's my central criticism. It will be hard to kick them out or to minimize their influence in the future.

It's as if Travis Kalanick's offer is being revisited and a different choice is being made.

Why do you believe that Hertz and Uber aren't ordinary customers?

The advantage for Tesla is greater exposure of their cars to the general public. These ordinary customers, who pay the same as everyone else for Tesla's products, are unique in how they will provide an order of magnitude greater exposure of the brand to people who may not ever have done so on their own.

Because these people who are customers of Hertz and Uber needed a rental or a ride, and landed their butts in a Tesla, they now also have quantifiable Tesla experience upon which to form an opinion.

This is Bullish_A_F.

 

[thesmokingman]

Adding to the illusion, I believe gm tries to shift focus to their Ultium Motors, claiming large kW ratings to confuse with battery kW. Nothing is ever explained about the batteries even though that's always the headlines. So they have to say something to shareholders... who might assume that a powerful motors equates to Horsepower. Plus "motor" is more palatable to their customer base. It's all smoke and mirrors out in plain sight.

I concur. The legacy auto are so full of it. They're in full marketing mode with nothing to show, full of recalls, yet they will beat Tesla....




Sometime in the future!

 

[Rarity]

It's free advertising you numb nuts. What don't you understand about that?

Advertising is not needed. I thought that was clear?

 

[thesmokingman]

Just realised I've never actually heard any actual specs for Ultium batteries, so I went hunting on the GM website. Still nothing meaningful, just technobabble, for e.g.:
View attachment 726318.

They are, however, still proud of this, from the same press release:

View attachment 726317

Who could not see that Nikola was full of it? That speaks volumes about their CEO in a way.

 

[Rarity]

Why do you believe that Hertz and Uber aren't ordinary customers?

Because they are being allocated production in a preferential manner.