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

[SO16]

I am confused about this: "Tesla emailed her an invoice". Why would Tesla email their account number to a buyer? As part of the ordering process a buyer must create an account on Tesla's server, where eventually also the invoice with payment details is placed by Tesla for download + payment by the buyer.

Cant buyers still do an ACH right on the Tesla website? I believe that is what I did in 2016.

 

[Huskyf]

sure hope the volume stays consistent (10 million shares traded in the first 30 m

Tesla should probably switch to on-line invoices over a secure server. But this also requires that the purchaser's computer is free of things like keyboard logging virus's and whatnot. It's a big problem. Wherever there is a system to prevent fraud, there is a way around it. It's just a matter of how many hoops need to be jumped through.

For that problem activate double authentification and problem solve because you need another code not comming from your computer attackers loose

 

[cusetownusa]

I think that will be the case. The good news is Amazon delivery vans rack up big miles (and in the most populated areas) so it's probably the most efficient way to support Tesla's mission. The advantages of an EV are greatest in stop and go delivery service. Every motor route of the US Postal Service should be EV ASAP as well.

I Agree...same with school busses and Centro busses. Hate getting stuck behind a bus and breathing in the fumes at every stop.

 

[Johnny Ma]

I am confused about this: "Tesla emailed her an invoice". Why would Tesla email their account number to a buyer? As part of the ordering process a buyer must create an account on Tesla's server, where eventually also the invoice with payment details is placed by Tesla for download + payment by the buyer.

PS. I received access to (and still have) my Model 3 invoice as a PDF stored on Tesla's server under my account there.

I'm also confused about this. This is how my purchases have worked in the United States. ACH payment right through the website or send loan check (electronically or physically) to an address that comes from a PDF invoice on the Tesla website after logging in to your account.

 

[StarFoxisDown!]

I have to image this is MM's favorite commercial -

 

[jbcarioca]

I worry that Amazon will absorb almost all of Rivian's capacity to build electric delivery vans. Obviously E vans are great, but that means no "regular" EV pick up on the market.

Considering probable demand levels there should be plenty of profitable room for all comers, and major design and feature differences will probably end out expanding the market more.

There are a plethora of EV delivery vans in Europe already, nearly all of them small enough for urban deliveries. Then the soon-to-be-spun-off Mercedes Truck division also has some larger EV vans. For all of them plus busses of all varieties (not just Blue Bird, MarcoPolo and BYD) plus industrial trucks from mining to garbage there is vastly more demand than there is supply.

Bring them all on!! Quickly!!

 

[The Accountant]

I've just seen this on TV and I would not like to be in their shoes. This experience must be quite frustrating.

This segment states that so far this year (a little over 3 months), Australians have lost $3m to payment scams. $3m and this segment picks 2 Tesla examples not mentioning any other company.....hmmm...

 

[2daMoon]

My stock ticker is broke again. It seems to have issues moving.

Maybe it is time to go watch something more exciting, like paint drying.

 

[Chenkers]

I am confused about this: "Tesla emailed her an invoice". Why would Tesla email their account number to a buyer? As part of the ordering process a buyer must create an account on Tesla's server, where eventually also the invoice with payment details is placed by Tesla for download + payment by the buyer.

PS. I received access to (and still have) my Model 3 invoice as a PDF stored on Tesla's server under my account there.

Thats not how it works here with Tesla in Australia. I still have my email from Tesla with the pdf invoice attached. The invoice contained a bank account number unique to our account. We had to do a bank transfer electronically from our bank into that account with the full outstanding purchase balance.

That email could easily have been intercepted and the pdf changed to show a different account. Plus our banks don't check that the account name and number being transferred to match each other. We were aware of this being a potential issue nearly a couple of years ago so checked that the account number was correct before making the transfer. It would be great if Tesla Australia followed a system like it appears the US has, but alas.

 

[TheTalkingMule]

My stock ticker is broke again. It seems to have issues moving.

Maybe it is time to go watch something more exciting, like paint drying.

Put some orders in and walk away! Tomorrow should be very interesting.

 

[Jack6591]

I AM brand loyal to Tesla. If there ever is a better product from another manufacturer, however unlikely, I will still buy Tesla. Tesla created the BEV market. Tesla then raised the bar. Other manufacturers, when/if they come with a compelling product, will have done so only because of Tesla. For Tesla I am thankful and grateful. Tesla has my support from here on out. Yes, any EV repacing ICE is good, however for my family our vehicles will all be Tesla...and we are keeping our TSLA.

I am loyal to Tesla’s “Master Plan.” I advocate and do all within my power to advance remedies related to climate change. At every opportunity, I tell my story of prospering through investing in Tesla; doing well, while doing the right thing. Should this seem like bragging, it is a strong story to tell; a story I hope our grandchildren tell, while living in a healthy world.

 

[Dutchie]

Sue him then

Nah, I am good. Just ventilated my frustration in the moment. As soon as I drive my MX I smile again.

 

[Mo City]

Elon might be too hopeful for some people, but he's putting himself out there for the world to see and not hiding behind some empty "coming soon" message. I'm sorry but solving autonomy is difficult and I believe he is telling us what is on his mind with the best information available to him at all times. Let the one who has never missed a deadline cast the first stone.

I also appreciate Elon's transparency. However, he should have realized a long time ago "best information available" at a given moment is a moving target. Especially with AP.

IMO, in order to manage expectations better, Elon should avoid giving specific timeframes for FSD releases.

 

[insaneoctane]

I also appreciate Elon's transparency. However, he should have realized a long time ago "best information available" at a given moment is a moving target. Especially with AP.

IMO, in order to manage expectations better, Elon should avoid giving specific timeframes for FSD releases.

I suspect Elon doesn’t factor in ALL the steps and time to release things to the general public. He’s likely been using the alpha build and knows it’s much better than the beta, so once he’s gotten the team to agree to “the button“, he tweets how it’s a few weeks away....only it’s not. They find a few bugs, run more regression testing, and very quickly what could have been a few weeks becomes a few more. I love his optimism, but as someone who bought FSD a long time ago, I would appreciate more conservative estimates...I’m already impatient and don’t appreciate being “teased”!

 

[Mo City]

Have Tesla Mobile Service coming to fix charge port issue next week. Parts covered by warranty.
Excited to experience the new approach
Park Car in driveway, that's it.

I had them come out recently to change the air filter in my Sep 2018 Model 3. Didn't even go outside. Just remotely unlocked it and the guy texted me 20 mins later when finished.

Couple of hours later, my wife asked when the Tesla guy was coming by. You should have seen the look on her face when I said he had already come and gone.

 

[ByeByeJohnny]

I love his optimism, but as someone who bought FSD a long time ago, I would appreciate more conservative estimates...I’m already impatient and don’t appreciate being “teased”!

I don't even have a car, nevermind FSD. And I'm impatient.

 

[mrbloons]

Hello All!

Thank you for this forum and specific thread! I have followed it closely for about a year now, and have gained a lot of insight from valuable viewpoints posted here.

I've followed Tesla closely since their early days, have worked in the automotive industry my whole life (15+ years working) and been a longtime car enthusiast, growing up in Lansing, MI, home to a very large General Motors presence. Went to school at Kettering University (formerly General Motors Institute) in Flint, MI and studied Engineering. I Have worked at numerous tier 1 suppliers to the automotive industry, working directly with and in the facilities of Tesla, General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, Toyota, VW, and Mazda. Have always been into cars, going to car shows, reading car magazines, websites, etc. Also have many friends and family members that work for and in the auto industry and have stakes in dealerships and repair shops.

My wife and I saved money in a savings account for years with the intention of eventually getting a nice car, with my mind mostly on Tesla, especially in recent years. I test drove a Model 3 in spring of 2019 and was sold, but my wife and I couldn't agree, she felt it was too small for our family (2 kids and 2 dogs). Also thought of a used S or X as a new one was out of our price range. We compromised on placing an order for a Model Y. When the time came we got our new Tesla Model Y long range AWD last spring. I was utterly blown away by how great the car was. The cars performance literally blows every other car I've owned or driven out of the water, and by no small margin. I was worried I'd have to drive slow to conserve range, but for all our normal trips this totally isn't necessary. Such a joy to drive and own this car. Have put over 15k miles on it already, taking numerous long road trips. It's so good that I could see myself replacing it with the exact same car in 5 or 10 years time. Really not much that needs to be improved for me, although I'm sure we'll see improvements. After owning and driving many different models from nearly every brand that is sold in the US, driving a Tesla is so refreshing.

Needless to say after a while neither me nor my wife wanted to drive our gas car any more, and she had the idea to trade it in for another Tesla, this time a Model 3. So now we have 2 Tesla's in our garage, solar panels on the roof, and will not be looking back. With our solar panels we were generating excess energy after powering our home and Model Y from mid Feb-Mar this year, which helped convince us another EV made sense. I can't imagine ever buying a gas car again.

I didn't invest in Tesla (or really any other stocks for that matter) until early last year. I'm thankful I bought when I did, and for every time I've ever bought the stock, as it's always turned out to be a good decision long term. I made the mistake of selling at various points, only to watch it rise significantly after doing so, with regret. I still have a very large stake, having moved most of my retirement savings from a 401k into Tesla after taking delivery of the Y last year and immediately falling in love with it. At this point I can't see myself selling a single share again for years, if anything will probably add to my position.

I've looked at some of the EV competition, and I don't have much concern about Tesla's continued dominance. I do hope their EVs are successful and continue to displace ICE vehicles at a fast pace, which will only strengthen Tesla's acceptance as a mainstream vehicle. I've seen some Ford Mach E's on the road and they look nice, I went to a Ford dealer and saw one in person and it just didn't generate the excitement in me that I get from Tesla. I owned a "clean" diesel VW during their emissions scandal, and felt personally embarrassed by it, and can't really stomach even seriously considering their cars right now. I've owned hybrid cars from Toyota, Honda, and Ford, and while I've thought they were good vehicles at the time, the performance just didn't come anywhere close to what Tesla offers. More performance always came with the cost of higher fuel costs and toxic emissions. We can agree or disagree on climate change but cannot deny air pollution and the negative consequences on human health.

I've always wished the automotive industry had done more to shift towards EVs years ago, they've had plenty of botched opportunities to do so. It's so disheartening to tales hear of the GM EV1 and its untimely demise, and seemingly similar stories of the oil industries tight grip on the auto industry. There has been so much skepticism and denial about any real alternative, and still is a lot today even when Tesla has clearly demonstrated a working solution with virtually no compromise. Building vehicles that really leave nothing to be desired whatsoever. Literally the only regret I have is not buying a Tesla sooner.

I'd love to see all legacy OEMs switch to exclusively building EVs, and it seems like thats the way things are headed, but at this point its a race for second place, Tesla will easily hold top position for years. Elon Musk has done an amazing job of building this company, and even if he were gone today, the company he put in place and what they have on the market today will endure for a long time. The existing lineup already cements them as the Apple of cars, add in Cybertruck, Semi, Roadster and this is going to get crazy!

Sorry for the long winded post, if it belongs somewhere else on the forum feel free to move it. I felt I have a unique viewpoint, being so entrenched in the automotive world my whole life. I'll probably be driving in "chill" a bit more for a while now, watching the ticker less, and just enjoying life, soaking up the sun. Thanks and cheers to all!

 

[Krugerrand]

I AM brand loyal to Tesla. If there ever is a better product from another manufacturer, however unlikely, I will still buy Tesla. Tesla created the BEV market. Tesla then raised the bar. Other manufacturers, when/if they come with a compelling product, will have done so only because of Tesla. For Tesla I am thankful and grateful. Tesla has my support from here on out. Yes, any EV repacing ICE is good, however for my family our vehicles will all be Tesla...and we are keeping our TSLA.

I’m so brand loyal I’ve switched poisons from Coke to Pepsi products simply because Pepsi is getting the first order of Tesla semis. There are also no Adidas products allowed in this household because they made a stink over the original Model 3 symbol.

I was auto brand loyal prior to Tesla for a few decades. It took a big deal like Tesla for me to flip. It would take an equally big deal to flip me from Tesla. Yeah, I can’t even begin to fathom what it would need to be. Certainly bigger and badder than a few Bitcoin.

 

[Mo City]

FSD is not worth the same value to someone driving 10 miles commute and 100 miles commute.
if it is a $/mile driven, you will get more subscribers from short commuters who go for a road trip once in a while who would have not paid the full upfront FSD cost.

if it is a $299 monthly subscriptions, this would reflect the actual cost of total FSD spread on the average consumer car ownership, this would increase the number of people who drive a lot but can’t afford the upfront full FSD cost.
if it is a $99 monthly subscription, this will be unfair to the owners who purchased FSD upfront in the last year and would not cover the actual value of it. This would cause a mass adoption from everyone and might triple the actual number of cars with FSD. I don’t know if it would grow the revenues with more widespread adoption, that would be a market case to study.
An interesting option would be to offer different options that fit different consumers. $/mile driven to very low mileage car users, $99 monthly for 4 or less drives per month, $299 monthly for unlimited FSD Drives per month, $599 monthly for ride hailers sending their Tesla for robotaxis and making profit out of it. When you have an option for everyone, you have more subscribers, more revenues, widespread adoption and possibly increasing TSLA with higher profit margins.

Great post. Elon said last year buying FSD up front would be a better value than subscribing. Unless he completely throws that out the window, the idea of a low monthly subscription charge is not happening. It seems on this particular issue (and the notion of FSD portability), some are viewing it selfishly from a consumer standpoint instead of as an investor.

The idea of a monthly min ($200.00?)+ per mile rate might be a workaround. Or perhaps a min up to a certain mileage before the per mile rate kicks in.

 

[Todd Burch]

I have an alternate viewpoint on Elon's timeframes. I think it's possible that he gives these overoptimistic timeframes on purpose, to put pressure on his people to perform beyond reasonable expectations. After all, he does seem to elicit more out of his employees than anyone else I've ever seen. It may just be his way to keep the screws tight to ensure Tesla stays far ahead.