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

[UkNorthampton]

Hmmm, I like autonomously hauling containers through tunnels as an application for Tesla.

* Could this application use battery chemistries unsuitable for other transportation applications?
In most cases and areas underground, temperatures are stable and relatively benign (there are exceptions ) so a narrower operating temperature range might be acceptable. The distances are probably mostly short and weight may be less of a factor, so the energy density requirements might be lower. Rapid acceleration and highish speeds might make power density the more desirable characteristic.

* Could it create an early entry point for the Tesla Network? It’d be a good way to encourage citizens and regulators to get warmed up to the idea of autonomy. Probably no or minimal regulatory approval needed — it is presumably a private way. Of course, the Boring Company could also run the vehicles.

* Tunnels are protected from the elements, so minimal protection is needed on the transporter. Perhaps just a skateboard as this suggests. This opens up lots of possibilities for utilizing volume for components (other than current rate limiting battery supplies) and possibly sharing lines while not taking up a lot of design cycles and logistics bandwidth.

All in all a nice application especially if other battery technology or capacity can be used.

Roads leading to container ports are often congested, built up old towns restricting options. Relatively short tunnels going to pick up points closer to major roads could help. Over time, simply extend.

 

[jerry33]

I don't think you realize how much money exactly AAPL has. Panasonic market cap is 33B. LG (which holds most of LG Chem) is 27B, a few miners for all the raw materials are all under a billion dollar.

Throwing money at a problem often makes the problem larger. No matter how much money you have, without the resources and technical knowhow it's just throwing money.

 

[Singuy]

Well, gona need some sort of currency on Mars so getting some experience would be good. And then I see it as a cautious positive since I now have a bit of a play in digital currency as a stock holder. Others probably see it differently.

Well at least Tesla didn't buy it at the top on Jan 21st. Btc popped 10% currently.

 

[lklundin]

...

As for Tesla, I struggle to see the relevance of a crypto-currency but that could just be yet another case of my lack of ability to see future developments that Elon Musk already have in mind.

Tesla's 10-K is out - so much for my prediction that Tesla would not adopt an existing crypto-currency...

"Thereafter, we invested an aggregate $1.50 billion in bitcoin under this policy and may acquire and hold digital assets from time to time or long-term. Moreover, we expect to begin accepting bitcoin as a form of payment for our products in the near future, subject to applicable laws and initially on a limited basis, which we may or may not liquidate upon receipt."

tsla-10k_20201231.htm

PS. A Tesla share holder (and thus also a holder of an S&P 500 tracking ETF) is now also indirectly owner of BTC - that will probably be a first for many...

 

[elasalle]

BTC should be a shareholder vote

 

[Nocturnal]

Almost everyone here thought I was crazy a few months back when I floated the idea that Tesla might do this.

 

[KMCC]

Tesla SP crashing in Europe because of CN sales numbers. Troy explains on Twitter that this is normal, like October last year.
Sales != production. Cars on ships from CN will be sold but aren’t counted yet. For those that like buying dips, the shares are on sale.

Opposite of crashing..

$872.50
+20.27 (+2.38%)

 

[Johan]

Whoah. 1,5 billion isn't exactly pocket change either. Or couch change as some on this forum call it. I hope they don't lose their passpharase and keep it in a secure wallet

Seriously though I support them accepting BTC as payment for goods and services. Not exactly sure how I feel about them investing in it, but with a lot of cash on hand maybe it's better than just having it sit in some low yield position? With purchases like that they can actually move the market on BTC and accepting it as a "real" currency certainly goes a long way in accelrating acceptance of BTC. Does anyone know if any other big company is accepting BTC yet??

 

[UkNorthampton]

If we totally rethink some aspects of freight there are opportunities for optimization.

For example - Supermarket deliveries come in large refrigerated Semi-Trailers as a mixed load. Some of that load is being refrigerated even though it doesn't need to be., We don't think about it, but that load was probably packed at the logistics warehouse and needs to ne unpacked.

If we use Boring Co tunnels from the warehouse to the Supermarket, then freight can travel as individual pallets, with 1-2 pallets per skateboard. Freight can be automatically organized at the destination. No one needs to load / unload trucks.
During the day if stock runs low, it is possible to deliver just a pallet of the missing goods.

A lot of freight delivery can be automated 24x7 as needed. This more efficient "just in time" delivery service should mean the Supermarket can carry less stock in it's warehouse. For refrigerated food, that should mean it is fresher...

Every shopping area (town centre, mall, retail park, supermarket, restaurant areas) could have pallet-sized boring company tunnels - autonomous electric (from Tesla) - deliver final few metres overground or to pallet trucks. Don't need to be full size, and imagine the reduction in pollution/congestion from deliveries.

London Post Office Railway - Wikipedia

 

[canoemore]

Good news for the 0.00084141 BTC I bought on a whim in Square Cash...

 

[UncaNed]

No one wants to deal with Apple. Just ask Epic, the maker of Fortnite.

When scorned, you’d rather smash someone than work with them. That’s where Elon is at I bet.

If Apple wants to build five factories and a worldwide fast charging network, they have the money to do so.

Investors however will be leaving in droves.

Wish a kindly MOD would deal with moving this discussion to its own thread.

 

[StarFoxisDown!]

Almost everyone here thought I was crazy a few months back when I floated the idea that Tesla might do this.

Not a huge fan of it myself......but if they bought in Q4 they made a very nice return on it

 

[ben a]

Imagine the impact Tesla's purchase of $1.5B in BTC will have on Tesla's bottom line? BTC up 10% ($l50m profit) this am. Musk buying adds legitimacy to BTC thus boosting his investment immediately! Is Dogecoin next? What crazy times we are living in...

 

[willow_hiller]

CNBC reporting Tesla has 1.5B in Bitcoin.

Short Bloomberg article on the subject: Bloomberg - Are you a robot?

Adds that they think Tesla plans to accept BTC as payment.

 

[Singuy]

Tesla: our stock has became less volitale after S&P inclusion.

Tesla: hold my btc

 

[Pezpunk]

Not a huge fan of it myself......but if they bought in Q4 they made a very nice return on it

My reading is their company policy didn't allow it until January.

 

[Right_Said_Fred]

I like how Tesla is mingling with btc and then the next three paragraphs explains why btc sucks.

In a 10K report everything sucks, from warranty claims to falling foreign currencies, from upcoming competition to obsolete technology. A 10K lays out all possible risks, no matter how unlikely. So Bitcoin sucks too, because that’s what it’s supposed to do in a 10K. The board obviously thinks it doesn’t suck or they wouldn’t have made the decision.

 

[WarpedOne]

1.5B at X price means one TSLA at Y price means how much of a BTC?

Is 10 TSLA == 1 BTC?
42? 12345?

Any takes?

 

[Cobbler]

What if this move to BTC minimizes currency risks? Dollar/Euro/Renminbi/....?

Still find it hard to digest

 

[Nocturnal]

If anyone is FOMOing, GBTC is an easy way to gain exposure (and you can buy in a tax advantaged account). Coinbase or Cashapp are other good options. Paypal sells it also.

Not a huge fan of it myself......but if they bought in Q4 they made a very nice return on it

This amount of cash in it is fairly conservative IMO. It could wind up being a significant windfall to the bottom line. My expectation is that now that Tesla has given this amount of cover then other large companies will start doing the same. I'm always skeptical of "crazy" high price targets but people like Cathie think 500k a BTC is reasonable in a few years. That would net Tesla like 10 billion. Some estimates are far higher.

If inflation is a few percent now and interest rates are near zero, holding cash long term means you lose money constantly.

What if this move to BTC minimizes currency risks? Dollar/Euro/Renminbi/....?

Still find it hard to digest

Part inflation hedge, part speculative value play, part dipping their toes into Crypto in general which might become the backbone of the internet V3.