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

[Tim S]

Fair point.

Fair, I write: not Good, and definitely not Excellent. To earn those accolades, I should think you would want to show:

1. Examples of car carriers catching on fire before the era of EV transport by same, and

2. A synopsis of carrier fires that have happened at and since that point, and which of them conclusively have been shown to be EV-generated.

But I have edited the original post to include your point, and given you the deserved nod.

The cause of the fire on the Fremantle Highway is still unknown.

This article includes several examples of car carrier fires that started in ICE vehicles...

A Brief Look Back at Recent Car Carrier Fires

The fire on the car carrier Fremantle Highway in the North Sea is just the latest in a long and ever-growing list of fires involving vehicles on roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) vessels....

gcaptain.com

 

[EfficientWatts]

The discussion wasn’t ever about Elon; you made it about him. Nice change of topic. Regardless, nowhere did I say, hint at, or imply that the same shouldn’t also apply to him.

Nice deflection you got there.

Elon came in because I was pointing out the obvious contradiction that some of you have with green vs him.

If you really had the same standard for him as you did with green you would have "cancelled" Elon long time ago.

But I digress. We're not going to agree here. Ignore green and others at your own risk. (To be clear that doesn't mean I think Tesla will not continue to grow but the risk for them has gone up, and not just because of competition, but specifically because of Elon's actions.)

 

[Thekiwi]

Wonder if the Tesla/SpaceX materials team can replicate some LK99 in a hurry - would be real interesting to see what they can do with it (assuming its legit)

 

[scaesare]

I don’t think anyone appreciates the difficulty in making that lift gate for the S, which was a LOW volume production vehicle. Years ago I explained the difficulty in making it. We’re into high volume production vehicles now. That lift gate won’t happen on any other Tesla vehicle. Ever. You can’t make a lift gate like that in high volume and achieve any semblance of efficiencies; low scrap yield, nil rework, cost reductions etc…

I wasn't aware there was any real challenge in making liftgate for the S. It seems rather straightforward, with similar such on many other cars.

What were the issues?

 

[Krugerrand]

Nice deflection you got there.

Elon came in because I was pointing out the obvious contradiction that some of you have with green vs him.

If you really had the same standard for him as you did with green you would have "cancelled" Elon long time ago.

But I digress. We're not going to agree here. Ignore green and others at your own risk. (To be clear that doesn't mean I think Tesla will not continue to grow but the risk for them has gone up, and not just because of competition, but specifically because of Elon's actions.)

A) I don’t ’cancel’ people. It’s childish terminology at best.

B) I specifically addressed that there was no suggestion, implication or otherwise of such a contradiction - by me and until everyone else states their position specifically, you’re making an a$$umption. But even if I (or others) have different standards for different people (which is actually quite normal and isn’t a bad thing) it’s not relevant to the discussion.

The discussion isn’t about comparing two people. It’s about one person and their very specific behavior. You determinedly cloud the issue and change the context of the discussion because you don’t agree with how some people view the topic person.

The topic of Elon’s actions have been discussed extensively in several threads over the last few years. The risks to Tesla have been discussed extensively for over a decade. We’re all still waiting for the sky to fall. Anyone still holding their breath deserves to pass out at this point.

 

[2daMoon]

Lars brings us a recap of the news of the week and his perspective on things EV.
GM and Ford details reveal their struggle and they get a Teslap.
Brian White contributes the Tesla factories monthly update.
and more...

 

[Snerruc]

I wasn't aware there was any real challenge in making liftgate for the S. It seems rather straightforward, with similar such on many other cars.

What were the issues?

I wasn't aware there was any real challenge in making liftgate for the S. It seems rather straightforward, with similar such on many other cars.

What were the issues?

Tesla was trying to make the safest car ever. Hatchbacks lack a rear bulkhead. This is problematic for veteran car companies. Tesla managed to make the safest car ever, according to the standards. It even broke at least one of the test machines. When Tesla made the Model 3, the only place to put the cross beam needed for hatch attachment was where the rear passengers heads would be. So, they raised the roof to make a hatchback and called it the Model Y. Yeah, they jacked the whole car up and called it a suv like the original Forester. Volvo did the same thing with one model about 10 years ago. Of course, none of this takes away from the Y being a great vehicle. It made it better.

 

[Hock1]

Lars brings us a recap of the news of the week and his perspective on things EV.
GM and Ford details reveal their struggle and they get a Teslap.
Brian White contributes the Tesla factories monthly update.
and more...

Farley and Barra are quickly realizing the near-impossible task ahead of them to compete in the EV world. My sincere hope is that the government does not throw a bunch of our money down the toilet by subsidizing their vain effort. No amount of money can save them. RIP.

 

[Knightshade]

Wonder if the Tesla/SpaceX materials team can replicate some LK99 in a hurry - would be real interesting to see what they can do with it (assuming its legit)

LK-99's synthesis is pretty easy- the problem is nobody, not since it was first claimed to have these properties in 2020 has anyone else been able to prove it does what they claim or replicate their results.

Now that it's in the news again some more teams are trying, and we should have their results within a few weeks to see if anything has magically changed in 3 years.

 

[AMN]

Farley and Barra are quickly realizing the near-impossible task ahead of them to compete in the EV world. My sincere hope is that the government does not throw a bunch of our money down the toilet by subsidizing their vain effort. No amount of money can save them. RIP.

Michigan is an important swing state for winning US presidency. Barra and Farley know they WILL get that money from either party if bankruptcy is on the table.

 

[betstarship]

Lithium mining is definitely off the races, 2024 is going to be wild!

Essential IR Insights Newsletter - June 2023

Welcome to the Essential IR Insights newsletter, a monthly communication from S&P Global Market Intelligence for the IR community.

www.spglobal.com

Massive Liontown lithium mine on track for 2024 opening

Liontown Resources says its Kathleen Valley Lithium Project in Western Australia remains on track to begin production in mid-2024.

au.finance.yahoo.com

 

[Big Time]

Speaking ok LK-99, perhaps Tesla/Neuralink will begin synthesizing MK-Ultra. Then I can get back to my roots! It was fun turning into a tree. I laughed my branches off.

 

[Electroman]

I think people sometimes think that cars all over the world are the same as cars in their country. Not so.
You have a hard time selling pickup trucks in the UK. You have a hard time selling cars that are not hatchbacks in the UK. You have a real hard time selling wide vehicles of any sort to people who live in old cities in western Europe. You will have one hell of a job selling anything too large anywhere in Japan.
Similarly, you wont find it easy selling a mini or a smart car in Texas.

Ultimately, if its to remain a global brand, selling 20m a year, Tesla will have to adapt its design to each locale. Different weather, different geography, different laws, different priorities and expectations really matter.

Right now, Teslas still feel like they are designed in California or Texas. Too big, too wide, and totally unprepared for bad weather. When I got my 2015 model S the fact it had no rear wiper confused the hell out of me. My 2022 model Y constantly says 'parking assist degraded' or 'cameras blocked'.

I look forward to the small tesla van, and the small urban model 2. Both would sell like crazy in Europe.

+1

As I am traveling around cities in India now, I am astounded at the number of EVs I see on city roads. EVs are easily identifiable with a green plate.

And more than half of them are Tata Nexon EV. And I took one out for a spin. Very well built and drives like a contemporary Leaf. Comes with two ranges 180 Kms and 300 Kms (from my memory). Too puny range for US, but MORE than enough for Indian city white collar commuters.

Most of the cars are mostly used for local city travel, and long distance travel by personal cars is a rarity. Fast chargers almost non existent. And there is a hunger to switch to EVs. Tesla could do very well if they get one for $20k with 150 mile range and one for $25k with 200 mile range, and of course blanket the highways with their splendid Superchargers.

Nissan missed a good opportunity with their Leaf.

 

[SarahsDad]

Years ago, someone posted a hilarious "product review" (apparently a riff on a similar books vs ebooks review) here on TMC on "ICE cars for EV drivers"
I can't find it now, but it included gems like "so how much will it cost to install a fuel pump at my house?"

(Sorry for tangential OT, but EV acceptance is part of Tesla's mission and a factor in Tesla's success)

I posted this many years ago and it was way ahead of it’s time - it was satire back then but much much closer to the truth now!

Reading this reminds me of this classic piece from Tesla Club Sweden:

Test drive of a petrol car - Tesla Club Sweden

My favorite part - describing dealerships as "Independent Car Repair Shops".

Well worth a read if you haven't seen this.

 

[Thumper]

Scientific American not yet convinced of LK-99. Let's all recall room temperature fusion.

Viral New Superconductivity Claims Leave Many Scientists Skeptical

Researchers say they have discovered a new room-temperature ambient-pressure superconductor, but many scientists are unconvinced

www.scientificamerican.com

The authors wrote that their discovery “will be a brand-new historical event that opens a new era for humankind.” But their experiment has yet to be properly scrutinized by the scientific community, and the quest for breakthrough superconductors has a long history of big claims that end up falling flat.

 

[Buckminster]

Threads of the day:
V2G in a robotaxi world
Russia/Ukraine conflict Peace talk - TSLA up tomorrow?
Investor Engineering Discussions Superconductor chat

 

[unk45]

It never, ever was I. I do, however, plead Guilt By Omission: I did not step in - and this is now quite a few years ago - to overrule the non-Mods who were using their superstitions to browbeat others, and eventually an innocent (?) Mod seemed to have thought it was a Mod directive.

"The superstition has expanded
To comprise all of us, all of us. "
out of context, from A.K. Ad-Deen

​

 

[AudubonB]

Michigan is an important swing state for winning US presidency. Barra and Farley know they WILL get that money from either party if bankruptcy is on the table.

Bankruptcy should by all means be on the table. Although I don’t condone it, I’ll not protest a bailout….BUT: GM management got off far too lightly the last time this occurred. GM's Barra, Ford's Farley and other executives even can keep their jobs. Not so their golden, silver or brass parachutes, their outsized salaries and perks, plus clawbacks extending back for quite a few years. They must NOT get to enjoy the fruits of their misdeeds/lack of actions.

 

[Skryll]

LK-99's synthesis is pretty easy- the problem is nobody, not since it was first claimed to have these properties in 2020 has anyone else been able to prove it does what they claim or replicate their results.

Now that it's in the news again some more teams are trying, and we should have their results within a few weeks to see if anything has magically changed in 3 years.

Well this time we have aliens.

 

[Snerruc]

I was just bye Blue Oval City For the first time in a while. They sure haven’t been told about a change in plans here. The scale is far bigger than giga Texas. Several huge buildings nearing completion, one monster about 3/4 the way done. Here Ford appears to be working faster than Tesla speed.