Anyone else a Tesla investor?

[cbo111]

I may be way off, but it seems like Elon Musk is a large factor in the public's perception of the company valuation. What would happen to the company and stock price if something bad happened and he was no longer in charge of the Tesla?

 

[Zathras]

I may be way off, but it seems like Elon Musk is a large factor in the public's perception of the company valuation. What would happen to the company and stock price if something bad happened and he was no longer in charge of the Tesla?

Less and less each year.
Elon has got a lot of very good people around him. He has built, with help, a fantastic company which will survive without him.
That said, if Elon were to disappear, it would have a short term affect on the stock. Long term, it would continue growing.

 

[triangle]

Triangle - the motors are all AC. And their company logo (the T) is a part of this motor. With the motor being the most important part of the car the name fits.


It is not uncommon to name companies to honor people who has been important in inventing the technologies used. Ie. Goodyear is named after the inventor of the rubber making process used to make the tires: https://corporate.goodyear.com/en-US/about/history/charles-goodyear-story.html

Interesting. The Telsa logo is stylized enough that I did not recognize it as one of the poles/arms of the stator. Besides it obviously being the letter T, I was thinking it was attempting to show an impulse signal or the discharge from a Tesla coil. Something to say the car had captured lighting in a bottle...something commensurate with personality of the founder.

 

[kingkarmann]

Not invested in Tesla.
In 2016 I started busting GlobalX, an alternative energy ETF. It seems to me to make more sense as most cars will be hybrid or full electric in the near future.
It seems to be performing well.

 

[Camper87]

About 350 shares currently. Been buying and selling consistently over the past few years. At one time I had over 1000 shares (which would be 5000 today!). I think Tesla is getting to be a pretty safe bet in the long term so that’s why I’m keeping my shares.

 

[Born2Fish]

If you are an investor in Tesla I'm sure you've gotten the news already about the company joining the S and P 500 in December, 2020. News many have been waiting on. I am excited about the prospects and looking forward to the coming years as an investor in Tesla. Cheers!

I've been adding over the past couple of weeks as share price declined a little. They are up big on the SP500 news.

Sold my holdings in TSLA. ~30% gain in less than 2 weeks.

An exhilarating ride. I'll continue to hold TSLA by virtue of my SPY shares!!

 

[oneill225]

About 350 shares currently. Been buying and selling consistently over the past few years. At one time I had over 1000 shares (which would be 5000 today!). I think Tesla is getting to be a pretty safe bet in the long term so that’s why I’m keeping my shares.

I agree that Tesla is getting safer and safer as an investment. I own around 124 shares right now.

I think that most of the difference between Tesla buyers and those who think it is just an overvalued fad can be attributed to one's vision of the future auto market. I am convinced that EVs will destroy the market for ICE vehicles over the next several years. Tesla is the clear leader in this evolution.

Predictions for Tesla are a million cars in 2021. They will be opening new plants in Germany and Texas in 2021 and they are on the verge of producing Model Ys in China with a new plant co-located with the existing Model 3 plant. At this point, only VW seems to be close to competing with Tesla. The Tesla Semi is real (unlike Nikola) and it will also be on the market in 2021.

Ford's big EV effort, to date, is the Mach E. It costs about the same as the Model Y, but it is slower, has less range, and will not be close to Tesla's software tech. I do not see how anyone produces a better (mass market) EV than Tesla for at least two more years. By then, Tesla will be even better.

 

[Joe1954]

Testla investor !!

I invested 10K about 1.5 years ago...very happy. However, my son invested $7K about 7 years ago, and twice has since sold to keep the total below $100k

 

[slatoid]

Long since 2016

Started collecting 100-200 shares here and there as I’m concerned about climate change and like the company mission statement.
Then collected more when SpaceX success gave more confidence in Musk to execute an enterprise.
Then I drove a friends Model 3 in 2019 and went all in. Now, largely because of TSLA my portfolio’s in 8 digits! Haven’t sold a share yet, and waiting for Cybertruck, Semi, Energy and Robotaxis. Then you will see some real upward stock price skyrocketing.

 

[FIREarly]

If you are an investor in Tesla I'm sure you've gotten the news already about the company joining the S and P 500 in December, 2020. News many have been waiting on. I am excited about the prospects and looking forward to the coming years as an investor in Tesla. Cheers!

Thank you, your title question made me smile. I wish I had more invested in TSLA. Just sold the few shares of Starbucks I had to purchase a couple more TSLA.

 

[ERD50]

... Disrupting the world energy markets as in replacing coal and natural peaker plants with batteries and replacing old polluting car tech with electricity. A really good idea.

Batteries do not replace coal plants. Batteries store (and later deliver) electricity, they do not produce it. Fossil fuel plants produce electricity.

You could replace some peaker plants with batteries (you need a lot of batteries! Do the math.). But remember those batteries need to be filled first - often from fossil fuel plants. And since there are some round-trip losses, it takes even more electrical generation to compensate for that loss, so even more fossil fuel if that is the source.

Yes, the batteries can also store energy from wind/solar to make those more useful, but let's not forget that batteries don't do the producing. And since there are some round-trip losses, it takes even more renewable electrical generation to compensate for that loss.

-ERD50

 

[triangle]

Whether one thinks electric vehicles will replace hybrids & ICE vehicles in 2 years or 20 years, I do not see how $TSLA merits such a premium today. There is almost no switching cost for the consumer who decides to trade in their old vehicle. Making initial price as well as safety and operating cost of primary concern. With so much competition the margins will get squeezed. Though I don't know if they have a big technical lead with batteries or not.

A few days ago Zerohedge posted a graphic from Bloomberg showing how the market cap of Tesla was nearly half all other global automakers combined. Telsa at ~500 billion vs all the rest at ~1200 billion.

 

[oneill225]

Whether one thinks electric vehicles will replace hybrids & ICE vehicles in 2 years or 20 years, I do not see how $TSLA merits such a premium today. There is almost no switching cost for the consumer who decides to trade in their old vehicle. Making initial price as well as safety and operating cost of primary concern. With so much competition the margins will get squeezed. Though I don't know if they have a big technical lead with batteries or not.

A few days ago Zerohedge posted a graphic from Bloomberg showing how the market cap of Tesla was nearly half all other global automakers combined. Telsa at ~500 billion vs all the rest at ~1200 billion.

I understand your point and I acknowledge that TSLA is not for low risk investors. That being said, Tesla is more than just another car maker. They are the clear leader (by a period of years) in the new, large emerging market for EVs. Tesla is also a leader in battery tech and self-driving software. How much is it worth to be the first maker of an autonomous car that could replace Uber drivers?

I will likely be buying a Tesla next year (Model Y). I am not doing it to save Mother Earth or to look cool. I am buying it because it is a superior car over ICE; faster, cheaper and more functional.

I would compare the transition from ICE to EV to the transition from tube televisions to large flat screens. Initially just for the rich, but once the prices came down no one wanted tube televisions anymore and that market collapsed within a couple of years (although my dad still has one in his basement). We are close to that moment for EVs. When it happens, Tesla will likely be the top recipient of those profits.

 

[MRG]

I understand your point and I acknowledge that TSLA is not for low risk investors. That being said, Tesla is more than just another car maker. They are the clear leader (by a period of years) in the new, large emerging market for EVs. Tesla is also a leader in battery tech and self-driving software. How much is it worth to be the first maker of an autonomous car that could replace Uber drivers?

I will likely be buying a Tesla next year (Model Y). I am not doing it to save Mother Earth or to look cool. I am buying it because it is a superior car over ICE; faster, cheaper and more functional.

I would compare the transition from ICE to EV to the transition from tube televisions to large flat screens. Initially just for the rich, but once the prices came down no one wanted tube televisions anymore and that market collapsed within a couple of years (although my dad still has one in his basement). We are close to that moment for EVs. When it happens, Tesla will likely be the top recipient of those profits.

+1
Enjoy your Y! I bought one at the end of June and love it. I wasn't looking to buy an EV, I had a list of requirements and a Tesla was the only vehicle that satisfied them.

 

[FIREarly]

I understand your point and I acknowledge that TSLA is not for low risk investors. That being said, Tesla is more than just another car maker. They are the clear leader (by a period of years) in the new, large emerging market for EVs. Tesla is also a leader in battery tech and self-driving software. How much is it worth to be the first maker of an autonomous car that could replace Uber drivers?

I will likely be buying a Tesla next year (Model Y). I am not doing it to save Mother Earth or to look cool. I am buying it because it is a superior car over ICE; faster, cheaper and more functional.

I would compare the transition from ICE to EV to the transition from tube televisions to large flat screens. Initially just for the rich, but once the prices came down no one wanted tube televisions anymore and that market collapsed within a couple of years (although my dad still has one in his basement). We are close to that moment for EVs. When it happens, Tesla will likely be the top recipient of those profits.

+1
Enjoy your Y! I bought one at the end of June and love it. I wasn't looking to buy an EV, I had a list of requirements and a Tesla was the only vehicle that satisfied them.

+1+1
Enjoy your Tesla Model S, 3, X, or Y. I am enjoying the rise in price of TSLA stocks enough to not get the car just yet. Tesla makes beautiful cars and I do believe they are going to play a major role in helping our ecosystem over time.

Other companies will join the "race" but it might be difficult to keep up with Tesla, the front-runner. Someone just told me that an ICE company (USA brand) is making a conversion kit to make some of their ICE vehicles EV. No research done on this yet but it is another interesting concept to reduce ICE vehicles.

Tesla is in a great place similar to:
Google is to searching the internet
Xerox is to copying
Q-tip is to cotton swabs
Red Cross is to blood donations (hint hint)
Tesla is to EVs

PS When writing this post TSLA is +1.26%

 

[Fermion]

Tesla is in a great place similar to:
Google is to searching the internet
Xerox is to copying
Q-tip is to cotton swabs
Red Cross is to blood donations (hint hint)
Tesla is to EVs

PS When writing this post TSLA is +1.26%

Kodak is to cameras
Nokia is to phones

 

[oneill225]

Kodak is to cameras
Nokia is to phones

Yes. Early investors in Kodak and Nokia would have made a ton of money over many years.

 

[Fermion]

Yes. Early investors in Kodak and Nokia would have made a ton of money over many years.

I guess depends on what is considered early. Nokia started going downhill in 2008 or so. Apple and Android ate their lunch. There was still a large amount of the phone market available so it was not lack of a market.

 

[NW-Bound]

Kodak is to cameras
Nokia is to phones

Speaking of cameras, the smartphone camera really knocks out the market for pocket cameras. Surely, serious photographers still pay big bucks for the expensive fancy DSLRs but I don't see that these have high volumes.

Out of curiosity, I just checked and saw that Pentax, Nikon, Canon, Olympus, Leica are still around. They probably will keep on trudging along for a while.

We are now back to EV discussion...

 

[oneill225]

I guess depends on what is considered early. Nokia started going downhill in 2008 or so. Apple and Android ate their lunch. There was still a large amount of the phone market available so it was not lack of a market.

We are still in the early stages of TSLA. If you are comparing Tesla to Nokia, who is the "Apple" that will eat their lunch?

 

[FIREarly]

We are still in the early stages of TSLA. If you are comparing Tesla to Nokia, who is the "Apple" that will eat their lunch?

TSLA looks like it will be around and in a great position for multiple years to come. If we knew who the "Apple" was that is going to eat their lunch we would be mega-millionaires! Tesla owner is tied with Bill Gates for 2nd wealthiest man... next stop Jeff Bezos!

Wait for it...
Tesla cars driving around on Mars!!
(Tesla owners on Mars need to learn from Matt Damon in The Martian how to create their own food... )

 

[Fermion]

Look, it may be Tesla but all I am saying is it could be someone else who takes a big chunk of the auto market. Prius sold extremely well, it could be that Toyota comes out with a really solid, dependable and cheap EV that takes off. It doesn't have to steal very much of the EV market for Tesla to be in trouble...Tesla is priced as if no other auto makers exist.

 

[MRG]

Look, it may be Tesla but all I am saying is it could be someone else who takes a big chunk of the auto market. Prius sold extremely well, it could be that Toyota comes out with a really solid, dependable and cheap EV that takes off. It doesn't have to steal very much of the EV market for Tesla to be in trouble...Tesla is priced as if no other auto makers exist.

There's a lot more to Tesla than cars.

No other automaker has a 20k, and growing, supercharger network. Being able to rapidly recharge is a huge advantage. Despite other EV manufacturers nobody else is doing upgrades to their autos over the air besides Tesla. I received a recent extension to the vehicles range via a software update. Folks who purchased full self driving are getting upgrades to the newest software that's pretty incredible.

 

[FIREarly]

There's a lot more to Tesla than cars.

No other automaker has a 20k, and growing, supercharger network. Being able to rapidly recharge is a huge advantage. Despite other EV manufacturers nobody else is doing upgrades to their autos over the air besides Tesla. I received a recent extension to the vehicles range via a software update. Folks who purchased full self driving are getting upgrades to the newest software that's pretty incredible.

The fact that Tesla provides free over the air updates to all of its cars is amazing! I do not own a Tesla yet and my Elantra still uses the same GPS maps from 2013. It's hit or miss.

Tesla providing updates to improve "used" cars is a big bonus to owners.

 

[Fermion]

Well, at least one thing should come out of all of this. If the world is wealthy enough to switch over to EV, then all of our stocks should do well, not just Tesla. Holding the index funds should be a winner if Tesla is cheap right now at half a trillion plus because it means there is a lot more consumer spending ahead of us in the coming decade.