Tesla - Brand Perception/Opinions

[IS-SV]

I was expecting a bit more to be honest, if you remove the 7.500USD from the FSD software that’s being sold for years with so many delays, it ends up being quite average IMO.

Considering also the latest price cuts it’s below average.

When you compare it with TMC it’s even worse because a big portion of TMC comes from cars that are so much cheaper than a base TM3 (All of those Yaris, Aygo’s, emerging market Raize, etc…).

To add some clarity to my response earlier regarding Tesla margins:

As I said earlier "The take rate of FSD is very low (hence offered on subscription basis), so it's not yet a big deal from a margin standpoint.", which is true.

But the main reason that the margin impact-to-date is minimal is because the FSD revenue is mostly treated as "deferred revenue" so far. Therefore the revenue/cost/margin is mostly unrecognized revenue held on the balance sheet, because clearly FSD is not fully released. As FSD functionality is added, more of the FSD revenue will be recognized which will favorably impact margins at that time. Sorry if that's too much business-related stuff for this topic.

 

[CRSKTN]

take rate of FSD

Source on this?

 

[IS-SV]

Source on this?

That's for you to find (it's not hard for outsider to figure out based on the published financials).

As I said in post number #141:
But the main reason that the margin impact-to-date is minimal is because the FSD revenue is mostly treated as "deferred revenue" so far. Therefore the revenue/cost/margin is mostly unrecognized revenue held on the balance sheet, because clearly FSD is not fully released. As FSD functionality is added, more of the FSD revenue will be recognized which will favorably impact margins at that time. Sorry if that's too much business-related stuff for this topic. (and you can find that out too by yourself)

 

[CRSKTN]

As I said in post number #141:
But the main reason that the margin impact-to-date is minimal is because the FSD revenue is mostly treated as "deferred revenue" so far. Therefore the revenue/cost/margin is mostly unrecognized revenue held on the balance sheet, because clearly FSD is not fully released. As FSD functionality is added, more of the FSD revenue will be recognized which will favorably impact margins at that time. Sorry if that's too much business-related stuff for this topic. (and you can find that out too by yourself)

Their disclosure isnt great, and even then from experience given elon / the companys willingness to misrepresent reality, im not sure how much i trust their presentation of facts. Enron had audited financials too.

They recognized nearly 600mm of deferred revenue this year, nearly 400mm last, and expect to recognize another 650mm in 2023. Theyve got 2.5B+ of accounting fudge room. Hard to tell how much is fsd as again, limited disclosure, but thats not nothing for an early, very limited version of FSD being deployed. Within 2 years youre drawing a billion plus a year from deferred.

Id be curious to learn more about their treatment of costs.
Unless you know how they ringfence it all, theres a lot of room for creative accounting to make your margins look how you want. Especially when you have a CEO who appears to not have an issue distorting the truth and a team that wont or cant push back.

Theres a reason we dont just work off the companys financials as presented.

 

[IS-SV]

^ Yes, PWC knows very well what worst case risk looks like. Feel free to think Tesla is another Enron (contracts too complicated to audit the now defunct auditors said), it's your personal choice, lol.

 

[Och]

Hilarious

 

[Tragic Bronson]

Tesla Shareholders Aghast That Full Self Driving May Have Been Unsafe This Whole Time

A proposed class action lawsuit by Tesla investors seeks damages for the EV maker's "false and misleading statements" that concealed FSD's risks.

jalopnik.com

4th Gear: Toyota Executives Think Model Y Is a ‘Work of Art’​

If you want to know precisely how far behind Toyota is on the whole EV thing — and how hard it’s working now to catch up — you’ll want to give this story from Automotive News a read. Among other things, it informs us that when Toyota procured a Model Y for its engineers to analyze, they were absolutely blown away:

When engineers at Toyota recently conducted a teardown study of the Tesla Model Y, it did more than expose key technological secrets of the popular American-made, full-electric crossover.

It also tore away a moldering complacency at the Japanese automaker.

What laid underneath the Model Y’s sheet metal was a masterfully simplistic vehicle structure built with an advanced manufacturing prowess that would be the envy of any old-guard automaker.

“Taking the skin off the Model Y, it was truly a truly work of art,” said one Toyota executive who scrutinized the Tesla part by part. “It’s unbelievable.”

Further down, the story — which includes multiple anonymous interviews with Toyota personnel — adds that the automaker recently sent a team from Japan to the U.S. to survey the field of competitor EVs in California:

Engineers at technical centers in North America, Europe and China have been pitching their own visions and needs for the next-generation EV platform since early 2022. Toyoda assigned R&D legend Shigeki Terashi to kick off the EV reboot.

Terashi, 68, is an executive fellow and a former executive vice president who oversaw a wide range of operations, from powertrain and EV development to advanced R&D and supply chain issues.

Sato’s new NEV team, short for “next-generation EV,” traveled to North America from Japan for a three-week EV deep dive. After touring the Chicago Auto Show, they were set to benchmark and drive rival EVs at Toyota’s proving ground in Fowlerville, Mich., before heading to its regional headquarters in Plano, Texas, and then on to EV ground zero in California.

Toss in praises of Tesla’s “manufacturing philosophy” and a call from one nameless employee for a “new platform” for a “blank-sheet EV,” and I’m not sure whether to pity Toyota or just be happy that the alarm’s finally gone off and it’s awake now. Both, I guess.

New Toyota CEO, with eye on Tesla, plots next-gen EV platform push

Tesla Model Y is a ‘work of art,’ says Toyota after tearing it down

A Toyota executive admitted that the Tesla Model Y is a “work of art” after this team conducted a teardown...

electrek.co

 

[LS500-18]

This is (hopefully) good news for future Toyota EVs, let's hope they don't cheap out in manufacturing as badly as Tesla - no ADAS radar, no passenger lumbar, no parking sensors, no CarPlay, no ventilated seats, misaligned body gaps, etc.

 

[Och]

Tesla Shareholders Aghast That Full Self Driving May Have Been Unsafe This Whole Time

A proposed class action lawsuit by Tesla investors seeks damages for the EV maker's "false and misleading statements" that concealed FSD's risks.

jalopnik.com

 

[LS500-18]

TESLA SHAREHOLDERS AGHAST THAT FULL SELF DRIVING MAY HAVE BEEN UNSAFE THIS WHOLE TIME

No sh1t, sherlock.

For the record, I bought FSD in 2018. I came to realize what a full-on obvious scam it was. It looks super cool on the screen, the visualizations, but in reality it's not what Elon said it was or would be.

 

[Motor]

 

[Sulu]

Man Unknowingly Unlocks And Drives Off In Someone Else's Tesla

A Model 3 owner who was in a hurry unlocked the wrong Tesla using his Tesla App and drove it around Vancouver, Canada, until the rightful owner contacted him.

insideevs.com

Man Unknowingly Unlocks And Drives Off In Someone Else's Tesla​

The Model 3 owner mistook another Tesla for his own and was able to unlock it with the Tesla App on his smartphone and drive it.​

I don't understand how a driver is able to use his smartphone app to unlock and open the door of a car that is not his. Sounds like a super-easy way to steal a Tesla.

Rajesh Randev unintentionally managed to unlock someone else's Tesla and drive off in it, using the Tesla app on his own phone. The man thought he was getting into his car – which was the same make and color and parked side by side – but he actually drove someone else's Tesla.

Randev said he opened the door with his app, got in, and drove off. A while later, he started to realize something was not right as the car he was driving had a cracked windshield. Upon calling his wife and learning that she didn't know about the crack either, he started to get suspicious, especially when he noticed that the charger was not where he usually kept it.

 

[CRSKTN]

Crazy if true

 

[Och]

Man Unknowingly Unlocks And Drives Off In Someone Else's Tesla

A Model 3 owner who was in a hurry unlocked the wrong Tesla using his Tesla App and drove it around Vancouver, Canada, until the rightful owner contacted him.

insideevs.com

Man Unknowingly Unlocks And Drives Off In Someone Else's Tesla​

The Model 3 owner mistook another Tesla for his own and was able to unlock it with the Tesla App on his smartphone and drive it.​

I don't understand how a driver is able to use his smartphone app to unlock and open the door of a car that is not his. Sounds like a super-easy way to steal a Tesla.

Thats what happens when they outsource software programming jobs, lol.

 

[CRSKTN]

Probably management prioritizing "it just works" over security best practices.

I cant imagine how this happens in tbe backend.

 

[Sulu]

Crazy if true

I don't think it was a false story.

Thats what happens when they outsource software programming jobs, lol.

My understanding is that Tesla does not outsource software development; they do it all in-house.

Elon Musk is known to be obsessive when it comes to not relying on outside suppliers.

Probably management prioritizing "it just works" over security best practices.

I cant imagine how this happens in tbe backend.

This could be an outcome of doing it all in-house; they do not have the knowledge and cannot rely on the expertise of companies that specialise in automotive software, including safety and security.

 

[mikeavelli]

These numbers are insane

Tesla grabs early lead for 2023 U.S. luxury crown, January registrations show

Tesla had nearly 50,000 U.S. registrations in January, for a huge lead over No. 2 luxury brand BMW. Tesla benefited from price cuts and EV incentives to register more vehicles than Mercedes-Benz and Lexus combined.

www.autonews.com

 

[CRSKTN]

These numbers are insane

Tesla grabs early lead for 2023 U.S. luxury crown, January registrations show

Tesla had nearly 50,000 U.S. registrations in January, for a huge lead over No. 2 luxury brand BMW. Tesla benefited from price cuts and EV incentives to register more vehicles than Mercedes-Benz and Lexus combined.

www.autonews.com

Not when you consider where they had to take pricing.

Theyre way too low volume for this many concessions on their pricing and issues scaling.

 

[LS500-18]

Now just might be the absolute worst time to buy a Tesla. They took away parking sensors front and back, they took away radar from the front bumper that helped prevent phantom braking (it basically slams on the brakes at highway speed), they refuse to fix rattles on your car if you didn't report it in the first 100 miles of ownership, taking away parking sensors means many features no longer work like auto park, summon, they discount their vehicles to move them off the lot when inventory piles up (guess what just like regular dealerships).

Tesla keeps cheaping out on the actual vehicles to make more profit, they do not have a very good "balance" with those two things. They are definitely looking out for their shareholders vs actual owners.

 

[spwolf]

Man Unknowingly Unlocks And Drives Off In Someone Else's Tesla

A Model 3 owner who was in a hurry unlocked the wrong Tesla using his Tesla App and drove it around Vancouver, Canada, until the rightful owner contacted him.

insideevs.com

Man Unknowingly Unlocks And Drives Off In Someone Else's Tesla​

The Model 3 owner mistook another Tesla for his own and was able to unlock it with the Tesla App on his smartphone and drive it.​

I don't understand how a driver is able to use his smartphone app to unlock and open the door of a car that is not his. Sounds like a super-easy way to steal a Tesla.

it is not possible.

What is possible is that driver of that car left his key card in car and did not lock it.

You usually dont unlock it with app, you approach the card with cell phone, via bluetooth it is registered to your car and it then opens when you press the handle. You do not touch your app, it just works.