Elon Musk: Always A Douche

[Malthus]

Those are Canadian figures though.

Here's the first US sales figures I could find:

https://insideevs.com/july-2018-plug-in-electric-vehicle-sales-report-card/

Tesla crushes it, with the 3, S and X coming in 1st, 3rd and 4th respectively.  Prius Prime, which is not a pure EV, comes in 2nd, with the Volt coming in 5th.

Interesting. I wonder why the sales ranks are totally different in the US. 

[Zanza]

The reason for the different market pentration is that Tesla is ery focused on the US market for various reasons and does not even sell their Model 3 outside the US and Canada (Not sure they currently deliver the Model 3 to Canada as they only did so briefly for US tax reasons). The reason for their focus on the US market are manifold (logistics, dealer and charger infrastructure,  tax benefits, homologation etc.). That approach makes sense for a cash flow challenged company.

Their next quarterly result will be interesting regarding their gross margin on the Model 3. That will show if there is a path to sustained profitability for them. Which will also impact whether they can follow their plan for new models (Y, Pickup, Semi, Roadster) and plants and how much more capital they need to raise for those.

[Berkut]

https://twitter.com/LLinWood/status/1034761900100407296?s=19

I wish he would insult me publically. I could use the payout.

[Barrister]

https://twitter.com/LLinWood/status/1034761900100407296?s=19

I wish he would insult me publically. I could use the payout.

You know I thought he wouldn't have much of a leg to stand on since Musk apologized and retracted his statement, but going back... Musk only apologized.  He never said the comment was untrue.

[Barrister]

Those are Canadian figures though.

Here's the first US sales figures I could find:

https://insideevs.com/july-2018-plug-in-electric-vehicle-sales-report-card/

Tesla crushes it, with the 3, S and X coming in 1st, 3rd and 4th respectively.  Prius Prime, which is not a pure EV, comes in 2nd, with the Volt coming in 5th.

Interesting. I wonder why the sales ranks are totally different in the US.

If you look at the numbers the US figures look like an order of magnitude larger.

Wild-assed guess: EVs don't make as much sense in Canada due to greatly restricted battery life in cold weather?

[DGuller]

I can't help but feel that something is not quite right with the sanity of stock market valuations, when a company like Tesla is worth in the same neighborhood as VAG, Daimler, or Ford.  Or when Apple is worth more than all the automakers combined.

[Tonitrus]

Being that Apple is sitting on about $285 billion in cash, they're probably legit.

But yeah, as an oldie, valuations of tech companies with almost no real assets/infrastructure (e.g. Facebook), when compared to automakers or companies like Boeing/General Electric, does feel weird.

But then again, banks have been in that game for centuries.

[Admiral Yi]

@Zanza: I thought I read Teslas were big in Norway because of the mongo green subsidy.

@Beeb: Maybe lack of charging network?

[Tonitrus]

Also, it is my understanding that "EVs suck in cold" is somewhat of a myth, in that it isn't so much the cold nuking the battery, as it is that the EV has to use it's electricity to provide heat to both the car and the cabin (driver/passengers)...so you have more load on the system.  This should be mitigated by the car being kept "warm" when plugged in at night (like a car with a block heater).

That wouldn't help people who regularly park their car outside/don't have a garage....but the idea set-up for an EV owner would be to have a garage anyway.

Having looked at being in the EV market myself...the toughest part for EV owners seems like it would be city-dwellers without easy access to charging infrastructure (and older buildings with parking not having the set-up for their residents "at home")...especially access to fast charging.  Making, right now, the ideal residence for a single EV owner a small cottage/home with a garage.

[crazy canuck]

Charging at work is also a viable option.  The big bonus here in BC is that charging in lots is currently free as it is illegal to resell electricity.  But that doesn't stop the charging station companies from investing in getting their infrastructure into the prime locations for when it can be a revenue stream.

[Zanza]

@Zanza: I thought I read Teslas were big in Norway because of the mongo green subsidy.

Yes, but the Model 3 is not sold there yet. Tesla is very successful there due to huge tax incentives. But their competitors are doing well too, with Nissan Leaf and BMW i3 as pure electric cars outselling Teslas model X and S (which are in different segments though).
https://insideevs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/444.png

[grumbler]

Elon Musk is another "stable genius."

[The Minsky Moment]

I can't help but feel that something is not quite right with the sanity of stock market valuations, when a company like Tesla is worth in the same neighborhood as VAG, Daimler, or Ford.  Or when Apple is worth more than all the automakers combined.

VAG is mired in diesel related scandal, Daimler is caught in the crossfire of Trump's trade "policy", and Ford is Ford: destroying shareholder value for nearly a century.

[Eddie Teach]

Elon Musk is another "stable genius."

What makes you question his intellect?

[DGuller]

I can't help but feel that something is not quite right with the sanity of stock market valuations, when a company like Tesla is worth in the same neighborhood as VAG, Daimler, or Ford.  Or when Apple is worth more than all the automakers combined.

VAG is mired in diesel related scandal, Daimler is caught in the crossfire of Trump's trade "policy", and Ford is Ford: destroying shareholder value for nearly a century.

It's not like the market caps for any of those companies plummeted in the recent years.