Elon on Solarcity and Tesla (national clean energy summit)

[Todd Burch]

Back to the idea of Tesla possibly buying back used batteries:

It's a great idea, but if that were going to be the case, it would've made more sense for Tesla to announce it early on. I know that if I could get $5K or $8K back by selling the battery after 10 years of use, I probably would've sprung for the MSP.

 

[ModelS1079]

This post began with Elon's talk at the NCE Summit - did anyone else find his 15 seconds of comments about Tesla heading to the Graveyard if it does not meet it's (very ambitious) goals over the next six months a bit disconcerting? He is the most optimistic CEO I have ever heard speak, if at times a little understated. Finalized my order and signed my papers today - three years 11 days after plunking down $5K to watch this company grow from a novelty to a heroic American story. It has been a really fun three years, but this is the most crape I have ever seen our Hero lay in any talk I have heard - go to 11min 45 seconds in the video. Comments welcome.
NCES 5.0 (Part 2) on National Clean Energy Summit 5.0

 

[VolkerP]

this statement was discussed in the Investor thread starting at post #2591.
Opinions are parted between
1) you should know your risks but not lose a word about it
and
2) you should know your risks but shut up in the public

pick your side - but I'm sure we won't find consensus on this :biggrin:

TSLA Investor Discussions - Page 260

 

[jerry33]

You'd have to be a pretty dumb bunny to not know there are significant risks to starting a car manufacturing company and that there will be a few critical times during startup. Saying so indicates you are aware of this.

 

[Todd Burch]

I wasn't the least bit concerned. The reviews and demand for Model S quell any fears I have.

 

[Grendal]

I wasn't the least bit concerned. The reviews and demand for Model S quell any fears I have.

I'm with Todd on this one. The reviews have been exceptional and uniformly positive. At this point I can almost say that I've never seen such a positive response to a car - any car. And we're now at 13,500 pre-orders which translates to over a billion dollars. The question is whether they can start getting these cars out to you customers. If it can be done then Elon will make it happen.

There is a moment in "Revenge of the Electric Car" where Elon walks into the warehouse where the Roadsters are held and there are 30 cars sitting there waiting to go out to customers. Tesla is at that same point again. Elon's response to seeing all those cars was to refocus his people on what their goal is - get the cars out. This comment reminds me of that moment. This graveyard statement should help refocus his people on their overall goal.

 

[ModelS1079]

There is a moment in "Revenge of the Electric Car" where Elon walks into the warehouse where the Roadsters are held and there are 30 cars sitting there waiting to go out to customers. Tesla is at that same point again. Elon's response to seeing all those cars was to refocus his people on what their goal is - get the cars out. This comment reminds me of that moment. This graveyard statement should help refocus his people on their overall goal.

I agree with this. He seems to be whipping the troops to get a move on, and maybe trying to reset expectations, perhaps if only to blow our expectations away yet again. Part of me thinks he said this to set up the Q3 earnings call - which, given the cars are pre-ordered, should be fairly high (even if only 250 cars are made by then, Tesla could have 7K orders in = $35 million revenue without direct costs). Still, I found it shocking - and maybe refreshing - that a CEO would just come out and essentially say, "if we don't perform now we're heading to the graveyard". I know we have all drank the (Signature Red) Kool Aid - Onwards.

 

[ModelS1079]

Reassurance comes in the nick of time

...Still, I found it shocking - and maybe refreshing - that a CEO would just come out and essentially say, "if we don't perform now we're heading to the graveyard". I know we have all drank the (Signature Red) Kool Aid - Onwards.

I doubt Mr Musk, and my purchase, and minutes later I read this, from today, and rest again in the splendor of future ownership:

Tesla Model S vs. the Competition: Test Drive - TheStreet

 

[Grendal]

I doubt Mr Musk, and my purchase, and minutes later I read this, from today, and rest again in the splendor of future ownership:

Tesla Model S vs. the Competition: Test Drive - TheStreet

And how can you not love and trust a company and a CEO that has their music go to 11? (In reference to your totally cool avatar)

 

[MURF]

As an Organizational Behavior expert & a Silicon Valley enthusiast, I'm not worried!

This post began with Elon's talk at the NCE Summit - did anyone else find his 15 seconds of comments about Tesla heading to the Graveyard if it does not meet it's (very ambitious) goals over the next six months a bit disconcerting? He is the most optimistic CEO I have ever heard speak, if at times a little understated. Finalized my order and signed my papers today - three years 11 days after plunking down $5K to watch this company grow from a novelty to a heroic American story. It has been a really fun three years, but this is the most crape I have ever seen our Hero lay in any talk I have heard - go to 11min 45 seconds in the video. Comments welcome.
NCES 5.0 (Part 2) on National Clean Energy Summit 5.0

Elon is an engineer. Everything he said about Tesla is true. Elon is a scientist. Tesla has issues to solve. These issues are on the forefront of his mind. He has hired the best team to support the vision for Tesla. Every day is a challenge. He has learned from his past and is putting his team on notice!!! Perform @ a high level or you will be replaced. Quality will not be lowered, so slowing the line down maybe necessary here or there as needed. It takes time to ramp up production!!! I have faith they are hiring the right people. Silicon Valley is about solving problems, finding solutions, & innovating based on real science. No BS. I LOVE THAT!!! PERFORM OR ELSE!!! As long as the corporate culture is employee friendly like at Google & other SV co's Tesla will be fine. Tesla is going to be a very valuable company one day in one form or another. Listen to all parts of the NCES & you will soon realize that the scale has tipped beyond the ability of big oil to stop!!! That is a HUGE game changer! The current Tesla battery configuration is literally the best on the market right now, but in 5 - 10 years it will be archaic. That's good news for the future of BEV vehicles. Remember, Elon started grad school @ Stanford to study energy storage solutions in the material science dept focused on battery & capacitor energy storage. Currently, energy conversion, transfer, & storage solutions along with energy production advances are occurring at a lightning rate in the test kitchens of businesses striving to solve real world issues. Remember Tesla is primarily a hard core technology company doing what it thinks is best for long term success in achieving it's goals. Tesla is doing things very differently from other auto manufacturers for very good reasons. It is an exciting time!!!

Big huge car companies / auto manufacturers like GM, Nissan, Toyota, Daimler, etc... could choose to compete on the same level as Tesla if they wanted to, but it's too early to do so in their cost benefit analysis. The Nissan Leaf is still the next best BEV (a distant 2nd) family car after the Tesla Model S. Personally I want an AWD Tesla Model X. I especially like Elon's directness in talking about science based solutions to real world issues.

Peace,
MURF

P.S. In the interest of full disclosure I am not a proponent of global warming.

 

[JRP3]

I doubt Mr Musk, and my purchase, and minutes later I read this, from today, and rest again in the splendor of future ownership:

Tesla Model S vs. the Competition: Test Drive - TheStreet

Wow, so many great quotes from that one!

the Tesla Model S is now the undisputed king of the automotive world.

the Tesla means that all other carmakers should be running scared. Competitors had better hope that prospective buyers don't get 30 or 60 minutes behind the wheel of a Tesla, because if they do, I can think of only very few people who wouldn't be lost to Tesla.

but also comparing it against other premium cars such as Rolls Royce Corniche, I came to this startling conclusion: The Tesla Model S is so superior that it seems that it's just a matter of time until all the other car companies will have to file bankruptcy.

 

[brianman]

MURF

Welcome to the forum!

 

[MURF]

Welcome to the forum!

Thank you sir! Been lurking for a long time, not a big poster on any forum due to time mgmt. I am long on TSLA stock in the interest of further disclosure.

 

[Brian H]

...
The batteries wouldn't go into the land fill, they would go into building out the solar grid battery infrastructure.

...

"Landfill" has always been just a BS talking point re LiIon batteries anyway. They're over 90% recycled; the lithium in particular retains full value. It isn't lost or transmuted into some other element or ....

 

[jerry33]

"Landfill" has always been just a BS talking point re LiIon batteries anyway. They're over 90% recycled; the lithium in particular retains full value. It isn't lost or transmuted into some other element or ....

+1. Actually automotive batteries of any kind are highly recyclable and probably have a higher percentage of actual recycling than just about anything else.

 

[Brian H]

And Scotty was the first human to ride in a SpaceX rocket!
(Well, posthumously...)

Along with 300+ others ...

 

[Brian H]

And speaking of "landfills", here's the end of (old and new) landfills:
plascoenergygroup.com

 

[JRP3]

"Landfill" has always been just a BS talking point re LiIon batteries anyway. They're over 90% recycled; the lithium in particular retains full value. It isn't lost or transmuted into some other element or ....

Part of the problem though is that lithium isn't that valuable so it may not be worth recycling, and it's not easy to separate. Not a big deal since there is so little lithium in a cell anyway, and it's cheap.