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

[Krugerrand]

I told you that I'm old, now ancient events seem just like yesterday. As my spouse has said, "for you everything was five years ago".

Funny how that works, huh? In my head everything was ‘just the other day’, which typically ends up being over a decade ago.

The spouse and I will also describe people as; he’s an older guy. Then we’ll ask how old and the answer invariably is ‘our age’.

 

[unk45]

Leaving my rejoinder high and dry and meaningless? Ha! Gotcha back: go see.

Nah, you just remind me I'm so old I never learned how to type properly. In those ancient times we had "secretaries" and "administrative staff" who used primitive methods to translate words into readily transmittable formats.

So, despite your clever rejoinder, just remember people now don't even learn "longhand" so watch anybody anywhere under, say, 40 years of age and observe they do not know how to hold a pen. At least I can write without spelling and grammatical errors. Useless.

Anyway the modern world uses only videos, it seems, so any communication efficiency is gone. Not a problem with Generative AI. Isaac Asimov foresaw all this.

Tesla and Elon are nearing this, not to mention all the others.

 

[advocate8]

Executive that high up are often given the option to resign to save face rather than be fired.

Executives that high up also resign for what they regard as better situations. Could be either. No reason to jump to a conclusion. Regardless, it's not positive that he's going.

 

[Drax7]

Which would still help the mission, would it not?

I don't think he'd be a good fit at VW. Much like with Herbert Diess, they may still not ready to make the drastic changes needed.

Mercedes, maybe. Ford possible as able to make good use of his talents as well.

Let's hope whatever he does will continue to accelerate the transition.

There need to be more successful EV companies out there. Particularly in the US.

All this spinning gives me vertigo

 

[Huskyf]

Don't be afraid ALL automakers are in deep red more than 4% for Rivian that beat for the second time of a row the 52 week low like Lucid !

 

[InTheMiddle]

3-day settlement is for options, stock sales have two day settlement.

Apologies if the different terminology caused any confusion - "3-day settlement" and "T +2 (trading day plus two more days)" are synonymous, but perhaps "T +2" in some way better conveys that the day of the trade counts as one of the 3 days.

On May 28, 2024 the US will change from T+2 to T+1 for stocks.
Charles Schwab
Options are already T+1. Learning Center - Most Common Questions

IBKR is currently (if their page is still accurate) T+3 for stock and T+1 for options Settled Cash definition

Thanks @mongo . Yes, options are 2 day (or "T +1"), and the funds are available for withdrawal the very next day. Very much looking forward to next month's update r.e. stock trades to match options trades.

<Currently-unrealistic-thought experiment> It is sometimes interesting to contemplate them both being T +0, requiring full cash settlement end of each business day, or even potentially a 1-hour post-trade requirement, etc. Potential benefits and potential risks to going anything sub-day and requiring settlement during trading hours. For now, stocks matching options at 2 day "T +1" will be nice to have in place.

 

[replicant]

Don't be afraid ALL automakers are in deep red more than 4% for Rivian that beat for the second time of a row the 52 week low like Lucid !

When did we consider Tesla an automative company? Last I did, Tesla's market cap was 50 billions.

 

[unk45]

Layoffs are one thing. Resignations from top execs is a whole different one.

And we've been waiting for the "after-10K" talk for months now

https://twitter.com/x/status/1740775393580245232

I'm not so sure about that. Very talented people do experience burnout. Those who invent new things often are less enamored of perfecting those. Different skills, different orientation.
For example, I nearly panicked when JB Straubel left, which in the end he really did not do since he's back doing what he did best; act as a visionary for solar and battery sustainability.

 

[Mike Smith]

I wonder how many dozens of capable internal candidates Tesla has to replace Drew with. Whoever is chosen, when they leave ten years from now people will freak out the same way they are now.

 

[FreqFlyer]

You'd have to hope the following with Drew leaving.

1. 4680 is basically done and they are just copying the lines
2. FSD is now the only mission of the company and they are basically ready to go.
3. Megapack is a copy and paste to build more storage.

Because if those are true then the company makes its shift to transportation as a service with a minor side of car sales and continues to build Optimus....tack on megapack and you have the next 10 years figured out. Maybe he sees his work as done and the effort required at Tesla is beyond what he wants to do. I'm sure he's in the 100's of millions in options or stock.

If some or none of these are true, it tells me that Elon has basically decreed that they are solely focused on FSD and next gen car and Drew doesn't see it. You combine that with production layoffs I think they are fine with the 1.5M+ premium cars, SUV's and trucks per year, with the intent to automate most of the Robotaxi.

If what you state is true, then Tesla has gotten bored of competing or realized what the other automakers already know. The marketplace is harsh, and demanding. The marketplace demands something new frequently. Tesla is betting on "new" software to keep the masses entertained, the competition is betting on "new" hardware.

 

[SOULPEDL]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1779776719572148408

And the rumor turns real...

Hey, anyone buying today? (Just asking for a friend)

 

[Krugerrand]

I want to give people the benefit of the doubt but sometimes I get the feeling your sole purpose here is to pick fights.

Anyway, if your question is serious - Tesla is a disappointment for shareholders lately and the quickly declining growth needs to be addressed somehow, either by cutting costs (as today) or by a clearly communicated plan on how to increase revenues.

Newsflash: Tesla is always a disappointment to investors who can’t see beyond the end of their noses.

If you don’t know what the Tesla plan is, if you can’t figure out why regular layoffs are important to the vitality of a business, if you don’t know that no single person is responsible for a company’s success, if you can’t recognize the significance of aggressive cost reductions, aggressive efficiencies seeking, aggressive business protection against unknowns and things a company can’t control like macro economics, pandemics, wars etc… then you own shares in the wrong company. Straight up.

I’ve been an investor for 12 years. My only disappointment is that Tesla can’t go even faster than they are.

 

[Mike Smith]

Hey, anyone buying today?

Not me - saving 10% on payroll costs is terrible news.

 

[Knightshade]

Are they screwed on in any other Tesla vehicle?

Other vehicles have an entirely different pedal design.
CT is here, accelerator is its own assembly-

Parts Catalog

epc.tesla.com

Compared to say Model S here-where both are attached to a single pedal assembly-

Parts Catalog

epc.tesla.com

Though simply the fact the stop-ship is only on CT also tells us something is done differently there than on other vehicles.

 

[Stretch2727]

Looks like no plans for now.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1779873262669037847

 

[Krugerrand]

Other vehicles have an entirely different pedal design.
CT is here, accelerator is its own assembly-

The cover came off the pedal in the ‘OMG it’s just the worse thing ever to happen on the planet TikTok. I have the same type of cover on my 3. It’s also not screwed on.

Regardless. It’s not a big deal. It’ll get fixed and then everyone can stop clutching their pearls.

 

[2daMoon]

All this spinning gives me vertigo

There IS a mission. We agree on that, right?

Elon has said from day one that Tesla cannot do it alone. He has also made many attempts to help other companies accelerate the transition. Do you believe this is not true?

When people immersed in the Tesla environment leave to do work elsewhere they will spread what they take with them from working at one of the most incredible companies that has ever existed.

Even someone as pompous as Rawlinson managed to leave Tesla and start an EV car company, he just didn't have enough knowledge to complete the puzzle.

J.B. did great, kick-started the recycling side of the equation, and has now come back to serve on Tesla's board.

It seems highly unlikely that any key person leaving Tesla with knowledge and experience will be a detriment to Tesla, Tesla's mission, or the disruptive transition as a whole.

So, you can spin your fears, and I will spin the positives. Somewhere in the middle will be the outcome.

 

[Mike Smith]

Looks like no plans for now.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1779873262669037847

So there it is - he has young kids he wants to spend more time with. What a shocking development.

 

[GhostSkater]

Updated to a discussion from a while ago

They still have a lot of equipment to be installed sitting on a field, who knows what is there, another Cybertruck line, Robotaxi/Compact, something else

https://twitter.com/x/status/1779880959724126507

 

[SO16]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1779887553367126525