Tesla, TSLA & the Investment World: the Perpetual Investors' Roundtable

[Zaxxon]

When I decided to stop eating meat, I quit cold turkey.
It wasn't as hard as everyone says it is.

Well sure, if you only gave up cold turkey. Cold turkey is not very delicious.

I'm here all week. Try the veal quinoa.

 

[MarcusMaximus]

.

Twitter's preaching to the quire. Press events reach lots of different folks for little cost. More demand = good.

Odds on a Twitter announcement not being covered by anyone?

Actually, I take that back. After today, I shouldn’t underestimate what the press will neglect to cover.

 

[Tenable]

If anyone feels so inclined. I just cancelled my Consumer Reports membership and requested a prorated refund. I told them to notate it was a result of their downgrade of the Tesla Model 3.

 

[Krugerrand]

I agree with what you're saying fundamentally. I think where we diverge is on our perception of his public cajoling of a regulatory body that can adversely affect the company and investors.

In for an ounce, in for a pound.

 

[AlMc]

So hard to keep up with this thread. Sorry if a duplicate thought: I have seen rumor that the Elephant image relates to Tusk. Could the announcement be confirmation of EU GF? The EU President's last name is 'Tusk'

<you know you spend too much time on the internet when you quote your own posts>

To add to my 'TUSK' thought. How about the EU GF becomes a joint venture with MB as well....making those MB. Sprinter vans...and more

 

[Antares Nebula]

Apple to lay off 190 people from project Titan.
Apple to lay off 190 in self-driving car division

That's it! Apple - Tesla collaboration or (god forbid) buyout.

Okay jokes aside, this (Apple cutting personnel at Project Titan) is good news for Tesla. I'll tell everyone here point blank that Tesla has zero competition, or more accurately, they have no competitive peers. I lose zero sleep over iPace, etron, btron, or whatever. But if Apple comes out with a car, or Google starts selling cars to consumers, then I will start to worry. Reason being:

EV is just one dimension of the new modern car. Autonomous and Software Layer (Smart Car) are the other two. It will need to have extensive software integration and most definitely a corresponding smartphone app. It is part of the so-called modern trend of "software eating the world" (e.g., software ate the cell phone). GM (and perhaps other OEMs) are now starting to recognize this fact.

Unfortunately, the competitive high mark is Silicon Valley level software scale and sophistication (a la Tesla, Apple, Google, FB, Microsoft, etc.). I doubt Detroit (or Germany) can match this. So yeah, the legacy automakers have a big problem. It is going to be interesting to see how they address this issue.

This is also part of the reason the Tesla competition thesis is flawed. Current and announced EVs only compete on the EV dimension (and inferiorly so). It will take an Apple, Google, or even Samsung (ala Google Android partnership), or something along those lines to provide true competition. Or the legacy automakers have to partner up with big software companies.

So there is no real competition for Tesla yet, but there eventually will be (just like Samsung to Apple; and not Nokia and Blackberry tweaking their old platforms, which is what the legacy automakers are doing now). We'll know when we see it. That will be when things get real interesting! In the meantime though, Tesla will dominate the market.

 

[AlMc]

And then, as some have pointed out, there is Buffett: Berkshire Hathaway is now generating tens of billions of dollars in cash every year, and Buffett likes to deploy this cash using what he calls an "elephant gun." Put simply, the cash elephant gun is simply a slug of cash used to buy the biggest and most attractive investment opportunities at the right moment. And when it comes down to it, waiting until it is the right moment to pounce is what Buffett is best known for – without his elephant gun it's unlikely he would have been so successful over the years.

 

[Beltsbear]

Announcement could be sharing charging infrastructure :
Mercedes-Benz EQC spotted mysteriously charging at Tesla destination charger

This is done with a well known adapter.

 

[Curt Renz]

LeBeau appeared to be speaking for himself. The anchors appeared to be reading material written by their producer and displayed on a teleprompter. I worked in that business and did things both ways, but more often in the manner of LeBeau.

Here's an example from 1994 of me speaking for myself, while the other two anchors are reading a teleprompter. The show begins at the 1:40 minute mark.

 

[ZsoZso]

Anyone else notice that our friendly fleet of care bears have gone silent again today after taking over this place yesterday? Almost as if they are somehow coordinated in their posting habits.

Do you seriously think the Short Bears can afford to pay multiple astroturfers to troll TMC ?
Nah, it just a lonely soul in a basement posting on multiple accounts with a pathetic payment plan like $0.02 per post + $0.001 per dislike and some other bonus for each reply...

 

[StarFoxisDown!]

I continue to believe that Apple's(Tim Cook's) ego and their desire for control over everything is the only thing standing in the way from them partnering with Tesla. The synergies between the two companies is so obvious. Simply put, Apple says they want to be seen as a software company. Time to put your money where your mouth is Tim

……...if it ever happened, oh boy that would be the mother of all squeezes.

 

[wipster]

When I decided to stop eating meat, I quit cold turkey.
It wasn't as hard as everyone says it is.

What about hot turkey sammiches? Dude, I would miss them...

 

[Zaxxon]

Do you seriously think the Short Bears can afford to pay multiple astroturfers to troll TMC ?
Nah, it just a lonely soul in a basement posting on multiple accounts with a pathetic payment plan like $0.02 per post + $0.001 per dislike and some other bonus for each reply...

Speaking of... (In case any FUD-fighters are bored.)

 

[SpaceCash]

Just checking in, guys. Life has been extremely hectic but is stabilizing somewhat. I'm working in West Hollywood and of course Teslas are abundant out here. F the SEC and the Shorty Air Force. Long live Elon Tusk!

 

[Krugerrand]

My guess would be that they are going to move the parts production out of Fremont to this new building to make room to expand vehicle production space. Maybe enough room for a Model Y development line?

Ah, no way. The cost and time associated with dismantling press lines and moving them an hour down the road and then reassembling them, moving all the dies and then having to re setup the dies and the end of arm tooling and the racking and having to build stock of all parts FIRST for the time frame (there’d be no room for that), it would literally be 100,000s of body panels....

Not a chance.

 

[Dwdnjck]

I am hoping for an announcement of a "F**K YOU SEC" Easter egg.

So, you think he is taking Tesla private too?

 

[BornToFly]

No, not on brink of war. The low level war that has been on going for 40 years - just gets a little hot once in a while.

Of course the upcoming election makes it complicated.

In any case, Indian luxury market is too small for it to be a worthwhile big announcement.

India is going Yuge into renewable energy. They are going to need Tons of battery storage. Could explain the "Tusk"
Surprisingly, article on CNBC.
Tesla can do a world of good if Elon Musk seizes the coming boom in India energy storage. Here's why

 

[Stretch2727]

Warren Buffett To Buy More Stocks In 2019, Seeks 'Elephant-Sized' Acquisition | Investor's Business Daily

WARREN BUFFETT: We're hunting for an 'elephant-sized acquisition' (BRK.B) | Markets Insider

Although I would be surprised if this were it this lines up best with Elon Tusk and the Elephant. Tesla (Elon) is the elephant sized acquisition. Now what could be the price......... $420.

Whatever it is it has to be some play on an Elephant.

 

[Krugerrand]

Are these tweets coding the announcement or are they just random, good mood Elon tweets?

And as I think about it more, the announcement should be somewhat major, otherwise all this huffing and puffing by Musk is going to look weak on hindsight.

By his own words, he uses Twitter to express himself.

 

[Cherry Wine]

And then, as some have pointed out, there is Buffett: Berkshire Hathaway is now generating tens of billions of dollars in cash every year, and Buffett likes to deploy this cash using what he calls an "elephant gun." Put simply, the cash elephant gun is simply a slug of cash used to buy the biggest and most attractive investment opportunities at the right moment. And when it comes down to it, waiting until it is the right moment to pounce is what Buffett is best known for – without his elephant gun it's unlikely he would have been so successful over the years.

Would a large stake purchase by BH merit an announcement? If so, that's the kind of news that feels right to me with regard to this type of announcement. I'm firmly in the camp that it is not a Y / pickup reveal.

I also don't recall seeing the start of semi production thrown around as a potential announcement (possible I may have missed / glossed over it). Any thoughts on whether that could be the news?