Swapping tires isn’t really a big money maker for the dealership though. Belle tire does it for free (if you buy tires through them.)
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Tesla, TSLA & the Investment World: the Perpetual Investors' Roundtable
- Thread starter AudubonB
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Swapping tires isn’t really a big money maker for the dealership though. Belle tire does it for free (if you buy tires through them.)
EVNow
Well-Known Member
General awareness of Tesla is still low. Atleast in UK.
https://cdn-autotraderplc.azureedge.net/media/1590/auto-trader-market-report-march-2019.pdf
See page 11.
What brands do consumers trust to deliver the future?
a. See this as an innovative brand
Tesla not mentioned among 24 names.
b. Trust this brand to develop an electric car
Tesla 17/25.
c. Trust this brand to develop autonomous driving features
Tesla not mentioned among 24 names.
d. Trust this brand to develop a fully autonomous car
Tesla not mentioned among 24 names.
ps : I wonder whether Tesla was not among the names offered for a, c & d. Even that shows how much Tesla is not being considered even by professional pollsters.
ps : I wonder whether Tesla was not among the names offered for a, c & d. Even that shows how much Tesla is not being considered even by professional pollsters.
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And from my time as a coder - we will prioritize and enjoy creating new functionality above doing bug fixing. So unless the project has a strong project leader bugs will simply not be fixed.
I'm hoping that changes when we see Model 3s around here. I remember when I first got my Renault ZOE (when they were still rare here), I had a lot of interest in it. Obviously people know Renault as a brand here, but the car itself generated a lot of interest. I'm sure the Model 3 will as well, and by extension Tesla. I think there are quite a few people here who "know" Tesla as a brand but think the cars are super-expensive things like Bugattis or Bentleys. The Model 3 should change that perception.
I can try to channel what pickup owners in the Houston area like. I only ever owned a very utilitarian one (Explorer Sport Trac), but I don’t think that’s the mainstream. The following does NOT describe “working” trucks.
1) Looks good, but not weird. This is the one that worries me. Musk’s “Blade Runner” comments are scary.
2) Price. People (young people) pay an insane price for their pickups. 50-60K stock is not uncommon.
3) Modification. Raise ‘em. People around here use flooding as an excuse, but we love raised pickups.
4) Hauling. Yeah, but not much. Some plywood from Home Depot or furniture to college.
5) Noise. A silent pickup is a problem.
6) Acceleration. Good, but may not make up for the lack of noise.
7) Camping/adventure. Maybe. The Rivian concept with the slide-out battery-powered inductive stove top is brilliant. Tesla needs to come up with something similar/better.
Unfortunately, I think the true working/off-road truck will be a very hard sell. That’s unfortunate, because the traction of an EV off-road truck would be amazing.
JRP3
Hyperactive Member
I noticed in the podcast that Elon said the teaser pickup image that flashed on the screen during the Y event was of the front end, which ends a lot of speculation. I thought it was the rear end, so weirdmobile confirmed 
Yeah the Munro estimate (edit: also the German report from DaveT so that's two sources which is more comforting) is interesting because that certainly is an appealing number and unlike what is actually being printed on the income statement currently. Resolving the discrepancy, particularly by someone literally asking Tesla what the heck is going on here, would go a long way. They've been asked and their answers always sound hard-earned and incremental. The actual inferred COGS hasn't declined much in the last 3 quarters (maybe $1k-$2k or so), and mostly can be explained by ASP mix shift downward (smaller batteries etc) as well as warranty cost reserve reductions. So it has the character of flatlining at ~38k$ rather than having the slope one would hope for to get down to 28k$-30k$. On a cash basis it's a different story of course.
But it's quite obvious to me that it is this exact problem (high COGS on the 3) that is behind the 50% haircut in the stock price. If cost was 30k$ rather than 38k$, i.e shifted up 8k$ per unit, then obviously profitability is no longer an issue and Tesla could even sell fewer cars and be fine. As it is they have an organic non-GHG margin of 15% and a declining ASP and future loss of tax credit and little evidence of rapid cost improvement. It's perfectly understandable to me why the market is wringing its hands. The investment hypothesis has been pushed out quite a distance and thus more risk. And both you and I and probably the market are skeptical about robotaxi timing.
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I agree and I have yet to see even the shape of a valid counterargument. Elon has mentioned that they might do it in the future but it will be entertaining and informational rather than 'deceptive'. I wonder if he believes that Tesla earns points in customer reputation by the fact that they DON'T advertise. I bet he does because in that case it isn't strictly a dollar efficiency situation and he might think that a little advertising loses all of that credibility and can only be overcome by a lot of advertising (which may not be currently affordable). If he believes that I disagree with him at any rate.
Pras
Member
My rendering of Tesla pick up truck : teslamotorsI noticed in the podcast that Elon said the teaser pickup image that flashed on the screen during the Y event was of the front end, which ends a lot of speculation. I thought it was the rear end, so weirdmobile confirmed
Krugerrand
Meow
Since we were just informed of the average age of Tesla owners, it seems Tesla has done just fine selling to that demographic.
RFernatt
Solar/EV Owner/Enthusiast
If we're going weird, futuristic sci fi, we could repurpose the look of the APC from Aliens:
Seriously, though, I think this is unwise. In the podcast, Elon talked about the designers building something they would personally "love." This can work out great when you are familiar with a product to the extent that what you love will translate to a large group of buyers (see Model S and 3). I don't know that what Tesla designers would love in a pickup will translate well to the mass market, US anyway (could be a hit in Japan other than size). Rivian's headlights are polarizing, but the rest of it is very familiar. In a relatively conservative market like trucks, trying to make an EV truck is hard enough without it being a stylistic weirdmobile. It might be a Gen 1 Leaf repeat - early adopters and green leaning folks want it, but doesn't span the gulf to the mass market due to styling/design. Truck people certainly have an image they are trying to convey - see jacked up, off-road macho trucks and the reception of the Ram design aping a big rig look. IMHO, of course, and would be happy to be wrong.
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Skepticism from Wall Street in regards to future production/delivery numbers. If you tell Wall Street you're going to do 90k to 100k deliveries in Q2, Tesla should come through on those numbers or the share price will be stuck here.
As an example, Elon said in today's ride the lightning podcast that they will have one part of the body stamped for the MY that is the equivalent of 70 parts in the M3 - just through better design. That number sounds almost unbelievable to me and could only drop manufacturing cost significantly.
Krugerrand
Meow
Share price = apple
Brand = orange
FYI, Model 3 owner and share owner for over 7 years.
Krugerrand
Meow
Awareness is not the same as brand perception. You can’t perceive that which you are generally unaware/ignorant of.
EVNow
Well-Known Member
We don't have all the details and breakdown - so we can't really tell.
Either way - it hurts future sales.
Krugerrand
Meow
You’ll see. I’ve always owned pickups for a variety of utility reasons; 1/2 & 3/4 ton.
A lot of vroom, vroom people have come to appreciate Teslas, particularly when they are getting their behinds handed to them on the street and track.
When the various pickup groups are being out towed, outhauled, outworked, outfunned, outperformed by a Tesla truck that has a futurist look to it, they’ll come around. There will be plenty of after market stuffs to dress it up for those who have to make up for other shortcomings. It’ll be fine.
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