Investor's Corner
Elon Musk rallies Tesla community to help with Q3 2018 deliveries
It is difficult to deny that Tesla is a company with a dedicated following. Over the years, its electric cars and energy storage products, together with Elon Musk’s rockstar CEO status, allowed Tesla to become one of the most recognizable brands in the automotive industry. This has also allowed the company to garner a strong consumer base that is willing to pay it forward.
Tesla is facing what Elon Musk dubs as “delivery logistics hell” due to the sheer number of customer deliveries that need to be done before the end of Q3 2018. Tesla has stepped up to the challenge, reportedly conducting deliveries in its centers until 10 p.m. and adopting processes such as a 5-Minute Sign & Drive system to expedite the handover process. As the end of the third quarter nears, though, it has become evident that the company could use a helping hand.
A suggestion for a solution to help Tesla’s Q3 deliveries was suggested by IGN journalist and Ride the Lightning podcast host Ryan McAffrey on Twitter, who noted that he and a lot of Tesla owners would be willing to volunteer their time to help out with deliveries. While Tesla owners cannot help with the paperwork, they could help orient newcomers about the functions and features of their new electric car. Elon Musk loved the idea, stating that any help would be appreciated.
Wow, thanks for offering to help! The coming week is incredibly intense. If any current Tesla owners who’d like to help educate new owners could head to Tesla delivery centers during midday on Sat/Sun & morning/evening on weekdays, that would be super appreciated!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 22, 2018
All across the social media sphere, the Tesla community immediately came alive. In Twitter alone, several owners volunteered to help out, from those who have driven the company’s vehicles since the days of the original Roadster, to those who have just received their Model 3 recently. Influencers who command a strong following in social media, as well as members of dedicated Tesla clubs, announced that they would pitch in as well. Some even noted that they would be bringing food and drinks.
It is rare to see a car company command such a dedicated following, but considering Tesla’s place in the auto industry today, the strong brand loyalty exhibited by its consumer base is not very surprising. Over the years, Tesla has pretty much transformed itself into an entity that is more than a regular car company or an energy storage provider. In a way, Tesla has become a movement of sorts, a brand that symbolizes a few embers of optimism in a world that is growing more disillusioned by the day. It would be rather easy to criticize Elon Musk for being a leader that still shows a degree of naivette from time to time, but in the case of Tesla, his leadership is arguably one of the reasons why regular electric car owners are willing to spend their personal time to help out the company.
- Tesla Chief Designer recently made a Model 3 delivery very special. [Credit: Andre Mercier/Tesla Motors Club]
- Tesla Model 3 delivery to customers’ homes. [Credit: Devin Scott/Twitter]
Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen conducting Model 3 deliveries.
While aggressive critics of Tesla would be quick to state that the company commands a “cult” following, it’s not like its customers’ loyalty is misplaced. In the electric car market alone, it is starting to become evident that Tesla, a young carmaker that has only been around for 15 years, holds a significant lead in the EV market. Toni Sacconaghi of Bernstein, an analyst who quite literally incited Elon Musk’s frustration in an earnings call, recently pointed out that contrary to a persistent bear thesis, there is “no actual flood of competition coming” for Tesla’s vehicles, even from established legacy carmakers.
Tesla’s strength and its strong consumer loyalty are reflected in the company’s Net Promoter Score (NPS), which stands as among the highest in the auto industry. Last year alone, Tesla earned a 97 in its NPS, the highest score among automakers currently active in the US. As noted by ConsumerGauge in its analysis of Tesla’s rating back in 2017, the company’s industry-leading NPS seems to be influenced by the company’s radical approach to vehicles and the car buying experience, as well as Elon Musk’s bold, hands-on approach to the company.
Investor's Corner
Tesla enters new stability phase, firm upgrades and adjusts outlook
Dmitriy Pozdnyakov of Freedom Capital upgraded his outlook on Tesla shares from “Sell” to “Hold” on Wednesday, and increased the price target from $338 to $406.
Tesla is entering a new phase of stability in terms of vehicle deliveries, one firm wrote in a new note during the final week of October, backing its position with an upgrade and price target increase on the stock.
Dmitriy Pozdnyakov of Freedom Capital upgraded his outlook on Tesla shares from “Sell” to “Hold” on Wednesday, and increased the price target from $338 to $406.
While most firms are interested in highlighting Tesla’s future growth, which will be catalyzed mostly by the advent of self-driving vehicles, autonomy, and the company’s all-in mentality on AI and robotics, Pozdnyakov is solely focusing on vehicle deliveries.
The analyst wrote in a note to investors that he believes Tesla’s updated vehicle lineup, which includes its new affordable “Standard” trims of the Model 3 and Model Y, is going to stabilize the company’s delivery volumes and return the company to annual growth.
Tesla launches two new affordable models with ‘Standard’ Model 3, Y offerings
Tesla launched the new affordable Model 3 and Model Y “Standard” trims on October 7, which introduced two stripped-down, less premium versions of the all-electric sedan and crossover.
They are both priced at under $40,000, with the Model 3 at $37,990 and the Model Y at $39,990, and while these prices may not necessarily be what consumers were expecting, they are well under what Kelley Blue Book said was the average new car transaction price for September, which swelled above $50,000.
Despite the rollout of these two new models, it is interesting to hear that a Wall Street firm would think that Tesla is going to return to more stable delivery figures and potentially enter a new growth phase.
Many Wall Street firms have been more focused on AI, Robotics, and Tesla’s self-driving project, which are the more prevalent things that will drive investor growth over the next few years.
Wedbush’s Dan Ives, for example, tends to focus on the company’s prowess in AI and self-driving. However, he did touch on vehicle deliveries in the coming years in a recent note.
Ives said in a note on October 2:
“While EV demand is expected to fall with the EV tax credit expiration, this was a great bounce-back quarter for TSLA to lay the groundwork for deliveries moving forward, but there is still work to do to gain further ground from a delivery perspective.”
Tesla has some things to figure out before it can truly consider guaranteed stability from a delivery standpoint. Initially, the next two quarters will be a crucial way to determine demand without the $7,500 EV tax credit. It will also begin to figure out if its new affordable models are attractive enough at their current price point to win over consumers.
Investor's Corner
Bank of America raises Tesla PT to $471, citing Robotaxi and Optimus potential
The firm also kept a Neutral rating on the electric vehicle maker, citing strong progress in autonomy and robotics.
Bank of America has raised its Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) price target by 38% to $471, up from $341 per share.
The firm also kept a Neutral rating on the electric vehicle maker, citing strong progress in autonomy and robotics.
Robotaxi and Optimus momentum
Bank of America analyst Federico Merendi noted that the firm’s price target increase reflects Tesla’s growing potential in its Robotaxi and Optimus programs, among other factors. BofA’s updated valuation is based on a sum-of-the-parts (SOTP) model extending through 2040, which shows the Robotaxi platform accounting for 45% of total value. The model also shows Tesla’s humanoid robot Optimus contributing 19%, and Full Self-Driving (FSD) and the Energy segment adding 17% and 6% respectively.
“Overall, we find that TSLA’s core automotive business represents around 12% of the total value while robotaxi is 45%, FSD is 17%, Energy Generation & Storage is around 6% and Optimus is 19%,” the Bank of America analyst noted.
Still a Neutral rating
Despite recognizing long-term potential in AI-driven verticals, Merendi’s team maintained a Neutral rating, suggesting that much of the optimism is already priced into Tesla’s valuation.
“Our PO revision is driven by a lower cost of equity capital, better Robotaxi progress, and a higher valuation for Optimus to account for the potential entrance into international markets,” the analyst stated.
Interestingly enough, Tesla’s core automotive business, which contributes the lion’s share of the company’s operations today, represents just 12% of total value in BofA’s model.
Elon Musk
Tesla analyst: ‘near zero chance’ Elon Musk’s $1T comp package is rejected
“There is a near-zero chance that $TSLA shareholders will vote down Elon’s new proposed comp plan at the Nov 6 shareholders’ meeting.”
A Tesla analyst says there is “zero chance” that CEO Elon Musk’s new compensation package is rejected, a testament to the loyalty and belief many shareholders and investors have in the frontman.
Tesla investors will vote on November 6 at the annual Shareholder Meeting to approve a new compensation package for Musk, revealed by the company’s Board of Directors earlier this month.
The package, if approved, would give Musk the opportunity to earn $1 trillion in stock, an ownership concentration of over 27 percent (a major request of Musk’s), and a solidified future at the company.
The Tesla Community on X, the social media platform Musk bought in 2023, is overwhelmingly in favor of the pay package, though a handful of skeptics remain.
Nevertheless, the big pulls of this vote are held by proxy firms and other large-scale investors. Two of them, Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) and Glass Lewis, said they would be voting against Musk’s proposed compensation plan.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s $1 trillion pay package hits first adversity from proxy firm
Today, the State Board of Administration of Florida (SBA) said it would vote in favor of Musk’s newly-proposed pay day, making it the first large-scale shareholder to announce it would support the CEO’s pay.
One analyst said that Musk’s payday is inevitable. Gary Black of the Future Fund said today there is a “near-zero chance” that shareholders will allow Musk’s pay package to be rejected:
“There is a near-zero chance that $TSLA shareholders will vote down Elon’s new proposed comp plan at the Nov 6 shareholders’ meeting.”
He added an alternative perspective from Wedbush’s Dan Ives, who said that he had a better chance of starting for the New York Yankees than the comp package not being approved.
There is a near zero chance that $TSLA shareholders will vote down Elon’s new proposed comp plan at the Nov 6 shareholders’ meeting. As Wedbush analyst Dan Ives (@divestech) colorfully put it in a Yahoo Finance interview on October 23rd: “I have a better chance of starting for…
— Gary Black (@garyblack00) October 27, 2025
Black’s the Future Fund sold its Tesla holdings earlier this year. He explained that the firm believed the company’s valuation was too disconnected from fundamentals, citing the P/E ratio of 188x and declining earnings estimates.
The firm maintained its $310 price target, and shares were trading at $356.90 that day.
Shares closed at $452.42 today.
The latest predictions from betting platform Kalshi have shown Musk’s comp package has a 94 percent chance of being approved:
— Kalshi (@Kalshi) October 20, 2025
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