electracity
Active Member
Elon doesn't want Tesla only sell 500k in 2020, I don't either. But 500k is only what one gigafactory can support. To go beyond 500k, there must be additional gigafactories built and running before 2020. So far, there's nothing indicating this, expect the wish of selling more than 500k.
It is obvious now that that Tesla can build quite a few cars with zero gigafactory. Considering the apparent lack of construction at the gigafactory, and Panasonic statement of "waiting for demand", no one seems to be in a particular rush to build cells in Nevada. Price/cost looks like the key metric this decade, not the issue of getting enough cells.
I suspect the true benefit of the gigafactory this decade will be for Tesla to claim a decent margin on the model 3 by moving battery cell costs into capital expenditures, and therefore lowering cost of good sold. Not a bad plan, really.
Is Panasonic's capital investment in the gigafactory showing up on Tesla's balance sheet? If not, Panasonic is not wholly "investing in Tesla". It's a joint venture that simply is not formed around a seperate corporation.