CO2CLEAN
Olivier Willemsen
Belangrijkste punten van de Q2 earnings call:
- July orders for the Model S and X were up 15% in July, slapping at rumors of falling demand.
- Musk hopes to have substantial portion of the batteries for that 100 MW/129 MWh energy storage system in South Australia shipped down under in time for the International Astronautical Congress taking place in Adelaide at the end of September.
- Tesla now employs 33,000 people.
- Gigafactory 2 in Buffalo, New York will be a “powerhouse of output,” while planning for Gigafactories 3,4,5, and 6 is underway, with announcements coming by the end of the year. Expect to see one Europe as well as China, though no significant expenditure yet.
- Musk claims 80% of journalists who test drove the Model 3 said they would buy the car (Note to self: ask for raise), while 15% more would consider it.
- The forecasted 25% margin on Model 3 would only happen a few months after reaching the 5,000-a-week level, but it would 100% for sure happen in 2018.
- Despite their appearance in the press, solid state batteries are unlikely to appear in a production vehicle any time soon. He does have hope for a battery breakthrough of a specific type (which, he wouldn’t say), but it won’t be ready for prime time any time soon.
- Unlikely to do another equity raise, have sufficient cash flow now, as well as untapped room on lines of credit.
- There is some cross collaboration with SpaceX, most recently with an aluminum casting situation.
- Tesla has tested batteries that can charge in 15 minutes, but the trade off is cost and energy density. Expect improvements, but company is sticking with low-cost, high-energy density strategy.
- The LA to NY autonomous road trip is still set for the end of this year, though Musk admits he may end up with egg on his face.
