Without doubt this question bedevils all of us in one way or another. In my view without knowing internal data Would not have confidence in a specific opinion. As several people, including Elon and Zach, state often, Tesla has:
1. Global instant data in every location from Google search results (they do buy all Google data, I am sure) so have site visits, dwell time, location of inquiry, addresses sought, click behavior etc from everyone who has not prohibited such information. Theoretically every OEM could have all this too, but realistically only Tesla seems to be using that well. FWIW, Chinese and Japan domestic data have Baidu the primary source, which is similar but not identical. There are numerous limitations on such data sharing, not relevant at this level;
2. As stated by Elon in the Q1 2023 podcast, Tesla has global data on internal orders and sales as they happen. Without any doubt that instant data includes every keystroke that happens on Tesla sites around the world.
3. Certainly Tesla also buys data on social media interactions relevant to Tesla, obviously Twitter is one of those. Each part of that data is parsed for relevance; that is highly specialized work that demands both clever and extensive judgements. This is one reason Alphabet, Amazon, Baidu and Tesla are all deploying AI in search while not discussing it much. [FWIW, those techniques were first deployed in 1996 using a crude LISP expert system, right after year after IPv6]. In present terms these are 'amazingly predictive' of short term buyer behavior.
3. With all that data, combined with actual buyer data in (2) above it is not difficult to assess economy independent demand issues. Thus, Tesla's continuing confidence in purchasing intent is based on substantial evidence. Using only public data it is transparently obvious that they are not imagining that. For example take global brand value:
Keep in mind that Global Brand Value is the product of huge analytics that are themselves deeply biased in favor of the most easily sourced data, so Verizon, for example, benefits by enormously easy data, but no other auto or industrial ranking appear except Tesla.
Amazon was the most valuable brand in the world in 2023, worth nearly 300 billion dollars. The e-commerce giant overtook the place previously occupied by Apple.
www.statista.com
Notably, every single entity on the list EXCEPT TESLA blows shiploads of money on advertising. So, how can Tesla achieve that exalted status?
So, to the OP question about what we'd want to know, I say all of the above. Especially after the brand value data we also know without doubt that Tesla is perhaps the finest 21st century Marketer in existence. Thus it really takes massive hubris to suggest better ideas in this context.
At risk of exhibiting hubris I will offer suggestions. Candidly I am certain these are all happening now:
1. Expand geographic coverage as soon as possible. That can achieve nearly instant (i.e. within a calendar year) results by tapping parish potential markets right away. The closer the links to existing infrastructure the better. In rough order for the next two quarters open more Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Turkey and open new stores in Northern California, and across poorly covered parts of the US and Western Europe. NOTE: I'm recommended that they do what they're already doing. Duh!
2. Expand Supercharger access to non-Tesla especially in areas of wealth with little Tesla sales today, making sure to place more stores close by, and convenient access to Tesla drivers. Oops, Duh! again.
3. Do everything possible to encourage other OEM's try to compare themselves to Tesla, denigrate Tesla price competition, and otherwise complain. Duh! the third time!
4. Every chance there is any inventory that can be found anywhere near an inquiry, show available vehicles even if they'd ned to be positioned. OMG, Duh! #4
I might as well face it, I think they're doing a brilliant job, but maybe they ought to promote a bit more, so:
5.They should publicly say that profit margin on cars is less important than more sales so potential customers can begin to understand the direct sales model and contrast with every OEM dealer. Also understand that will really confuse institutional investors and foment glee among shorts while even retail fans who don't understand will panic. Duh! they did that this week!
After all my efforts to think of something better to do I do not have the data to make specific suggestions. Were that data available I am confident that local and regional differences can be optimally addressed. From this perspective I think they may well need improvement in local regional adaptation. Still, in some respects it may be they're already doing that too. I keep seeing things such as color choice beginning to appear in some sensitive markets, and some oddities such as choice of steering wheel vs yoke. Then there are numerous version differences to appeal to different types of buyers, and some specific variants cued to such classes as company car buyers (as
@NicoV points out they don't want cheap but tailored to allowances), fleet buyers (rental ones do want cheap, police want bare interior but quick) and so on. Duh! again. They're doing that in many markets but we mostly cannot see that, not least because apart from buyer publicity (e.g. Hertz) nobody really knows.
So there it is. I use lots of words to say, "Wow, every day is a new chapter for business school case studies".
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