Energy
Tesla’s value is based on a vision of a better tomorrow
On Monday, April 10, 2017, Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA) shares closed at $312.39, surpassing the stalwart General Motors Corporation (NYSE: GM) by market cap. This was a revolutionary day in the world of U.S. automakers, coming just a week after Tesla exceeded the century-old, reliable Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) in value.
Tesla lost $773 million last year. Traditional U.S. automakers are financially healthy and consistently sell the vehicles they manufacture. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has acknowledged on Twitter that the company was “absurdly overvalued if based on the past.” So, what is the “past” in the world of automakers, and why is Tesla, a company that sells millions of vehicles less than other major U.S. automakers, surging ahead?
The answer lies in Tesla’s ability to identify that — contrary to prevailing political discourse about the need for coal, oil and natural gas industries — more and more people are ready to make the switch to electric vehicles. And Tesla has built its company assets around that vision for a better, more sustainable world that no longer relies on fossil fuels for transportation and energy.
Tesla stock is not based on the past
A stock is a “concrete representation of partial ownership of a publicly traded company,” according to Motley Fool. A share in a stock represents the company’s big picture of revenue, earnings, cash flow, and shareholder’s equity, among other factors. Okay, Tesla’s Gigafactories outside Reno and in Buffalo have tangible book value with equipment, buildings, and land. But that’s not enough for the recent exceptional Tesla valuation. Tesla’s price-to-earning ratio, or how long a stock will take to pay back an investment, is quite uncertain.

New aerial shots of Tesla Gigagafactory 1 taken March, 2017
The company’s value seems to be hinged on a non-traditional investment perspective that Ford and GM are falling fast. It’s a result of a common fear that their vehicle sales have hit their peak, that their once-stellar levels of production and return will never again be achieved. Moreover, Tesla benefits from a historical growth rate of the company’s earnings.
In other words, Tesla stock has soared in the past three years, up nearly 40 percent this year alone. Tesla, as Musk noted on Twitter, is all about “risk adjusted future cash flows.”
Electricity is our friend, and Tesla knows it
Electric vehicles offer many positive benefits as we attempt to alleviate the effects of global warming. They produce fewer greenhouse gasses when powered by plants that don’t produce greenhouse gasses. Better yet, EVs can be powered by decentralized power sources like the Tesla Powerwall for residences or the Tesla Powerpack for business energy independence or as a companion to existing utility power generation. A cleaner electric grid can contribute other environmental advantages like decreased consumption of water and less depletion of natural resources like steel and copper materials.
Electric vehicles are shaking up long-established industries at a much faster rate than anyone anticipated. Electricity mixes in North America are increasingly moving away from fossil fuel reliance and onto hydro and other renewable energies. We’re using energy more wisely with electric vehicles. There’s a significant reduction in the CO2 equivalent emissions from swapping a fossil-fuel powered car for an EV. Transport emissions comprise a statistically significant portion of the emissions that have contributed to anthropogenic climate change.
The folks at Tesla have been aware of the benefits of electricity-based transportation since the company’s inception.
U.S. automakers lag behind in alternative energy technology applications
Instead of moving toward technological innovations that could revolutionize the U.S. auto industry, the Big Three automakers lobbied the new Trump administration to reduce Corporate Average Fuel Economy targets of 50 miles per gallon by 2025. The move sent a stark message to a consumer base that is ready for a safe, reliable, fossil-free transportation future. Allegiances with the Trump administration sent signals that U.S. automakers are not ready with the necessary R&D to provide energy efficiency, alternative power, or autonomous driving.
Meanwhile, every Tesla comes standard with adapters to plug into common household outlets. The company states that a Tesla owner can charge up to 52 miles of range per hour right from home by plugging in the Tesla “like a mobile phone.” Tesla supercharger stations are strategically placed to minimize stops during long distance travel. Conveniently located near restaurants, shopping centers, and WiFi hot spots, the company says that each station contains multiple Superchargers to help Tesla drivers get back on the road quickly.
As we wrote here at Teslarati after the U.S. presidential election in November, over the past 50 years, automobiles have been our freedom machines, a means of both transportation and personal identity expression. In the same way that Henry Ford matched a youthful and euphoric generation to the combustion-engine automobile, so, too, do automakers need to design strategic moves to shape the industry’s evolution. Electric vehicles are at the heart of that vision for tomorrow’s consumer domestic transportation.
Tesla stock is valued, not by traditional measures, but by a vision that appeals to a generation of individuals who believe we can achieve a sustainable world. And we hold to that belief by investing in a stock like Tesla, which gives us hope against extraordinary odds.
Elon Musk
Tesla named by U.S. Gov. in $4.3B battery deal for American-made cells
What began as an open secret in the energy industry was confirmed by the U.S. Department of the Interior on Monday: Tesla is the buyer behind LG Energy Solution’s blockbuster $4.3 billion battery supply agreement.
What began as an open secret in the energy industry is becoming more real after the U.S. Department of the Interior named Tesla as the stakeholder in the LG Energy Solution’s blockbuster $4.3 billion battery supply agreement.
Tesla and LG Energy Solution are expanding their partnership to build a LFP prismatic battery cell manufacturing facility in Lansing, Michigan, launching production in 2027. The announcement, made as part of the Indo-Pacific Energy Security Summit results, ends months of speculation.
“American-made cells will power Tesla’s Megapack 3 energy storage systems produced in Houston, creating a robust domestic battery supply chain.”, notes a press release on the U.S. Department of the Interior website.
Tesla has long utilized China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. (CATL), the world’s largest LFP battery maker, as one of its primary suppliers. That relationship made financial sense for years, considering that Chinese LFP cells were cheap, abundant, and reliable. But with escalated tariffs on Chinese imports and an increasingly growing Tesla Energy business that’s particularly reliant on LFP cells for products including its Megapack battery storage units designed for utilities and large-scale commercial projects.
The announcement of a deepened partnership between LG Energy Solution and Tesla has strategic logic for both parties. For Tesla, it secures a tariff-compliant, domestically produced battery supply for its fast-growing energy division. LGES, now producing LFP batteries in Michigan, becomes the only major supplier currently scaling U.S. production, outpacing rivals like Samsung SDI and SK On. LG Energy Solution’s Lansing plant, formerly known as Ultium Cells 3, was previously operated as a joint venture with General Motors. LGES acquired GM’s stake in May 2025 and now fully owns the site, with a production capacity of 50 GWh per year. LG Energy said the contract includes options to extend the supply period by up to seven years and boost volumes based on further consultations.
For the broader industry, the ripple effects are significant. This deal signals that domestic battery manufacturing can be financially viable and not just aspirational. Utilities, energy developers, and rival automakers will take note as American-made LFP supply becomes a competitive reality rather than a distant promise.
For consumers, the benefits will take time but are real. A more resilient, U.S.-based supply chain means fewer price shocks from trade disputes, more stable Megapack availability for the grid storage projects that reduce electricity costs, and long-term downward pressure on energy storage prices as domestic production scales.
Deliveries are set to begin in 2027 and run through mid-2030, and as grid storage demand accelerates, reliable, US-made battery supply is no longer a future ambition. It is becoming a core requirement of the country’s energy strategy.
Energy
Tesla Energy gains UK license to sell electricity to homes and businesses
The license was granted to Tesla Energy Ventures Ltd. by UK energy regulator Ofgem after a seven-month review process.
Tesla Energy has received a license to supply electricity in the United Kingdom, opening the door for the company to serve homes and businesses in the country.
The license was granted to Tesla Energy Ventures Ltd. by UK energy regulator Ofgem after a seven-month review process.
According to Ofgem, the license took effect at 6 p.m. local time on Wednesday and applies to Great Britain.
The approval allows Tesla’s energy business to sell electricity directly to customers in the region, as noted in a Bloomberg News report.
Tesla has already expanded similar services in the United States. In Texas, the company offers electricity plans that allow Tesla owners to charge their vehicles at a lower cost while also feeding excess electricity back into the grid.
Tesla already has a sizable presence in the UK market. According to price comparison website U-switch, there are more than 250,000 Tesla electric vehicles in the country and thousands of Tesla home energy storage systems.
Ofgem also noted that Tesla Motors Ltd., a separate entity incorporated in England and Wales, received an electricity generation license in June 2020.
The new UK license arrives as Tesla continues expanding its global energy business.
Last year, Tesla Energy retained the top position in the global battery energy storage system (BESS) integrator market for the second consecutive year. According to Wood Mackenzie’s latest rankings, Tesla held about 15% of global market share in 2024.
The company also maintained a dominant position in North America, where it captured roughly 39% market share in the region.
At the same time, competition in the energy storage sector is increasing. Chinese companies such as Sungrow have been expanding their presence globally, particularly in Europe.
Energy
Tesla Powerwall distribution expands in Australia
Inventory is expected to arrive in late February and official sales are expected to start mid-March 2026.
Supply Partners Group has secured a distribution agreement for the Tesla Powerwall in Australia, with inventory expected to arrive in late February and official sales beginning in mid-March 2026.
Under the new agreement, Supply Partners will distribute Tesla Powerwall units and related accessories across its national footprint, as noted in an ecogeneration report. The company said the addition strengthens its position as a distributor focused on premium, established brands.
“We are proud to officially welcome Tesla Powerwall into the Supply Partners portfolio,” Lliam Ricketts, Co-Founder and Director of Innovation at Supply Partners Group, stated.
“Tesla sets a high bar, and we’ve worked hard to earn the opportunity to represent a brand that customers actively ask for. This partnership reflects the strength of our logistics, technical services and customer experience, and it’s a win for installers who want premium options they can trust.”
Supply Partners noted that initial Tesla Powerwall stock will be warehoused locally before full commercial rollout in March. The distributor stated that the timing aligns with renewed growth momentum for the Powerwall, supported by competitive installer pricing, consumer rebates, and continued product and software updates.
“Powerwall is already a category-defining product, and what’s ahead makes it even more compelling,” Ricketts stated. “As pricing sharpens and capability expands, we see a clear runway for installers to confidently spec Powerwall for premium residential installs, backed by Supply Partners’ national distribution footprint and service model.”
Supply Partners noted that a joint go-to-market launch is planned, including Tesla-led training for its sales and technical teams to support installers during the home battery system’s domestic rollout.
