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Tesla Destination Charging to the Rescue in China

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Another big week is on deck for Tesla, the automaker and energy company release its first quarter 2015 earnings this week and that could include updates on China developments. Coming into 2015, the automaker’s woes in China were very apparent, with the firing of Veronica Wu and other PR personnel.

150505chinacharge

The Tesla map show includes just destination charging in Asia, excluding supercharging infrastructure.

The conventional wisdom for the firings centered around the lack of a singular message about Tesla charging infrastructure in the mainland. In a short matter of time, Tesla is changing that perception as a look at a recent charging map shows an impressive number of destination chargers in Asia, above top. The picture, above, depicts just destination chargers.

Tesla has recently emphasized destination charging for Europe for the 2nd quarter of 2015, but now we know they were quite busy in Asia and China in the 1st quarter. Capital expenditures may be at an all-time high this quarter as the company tries to regain momentum in Asia.

Recently, Tesla has created China momentum:

  • Tesla says buyers in China’s Shenzhen can get special licenses: The city offers a limited number of license plates for new energy vehicles and Tesla was included in late March. The southern city borders Hong Kong and releases 20,000 licenses annually.
  • In late April, Wuhan Tricycle Automobile Co., Ltd placed an order for 90 Teslas that will give the company a total of 100 Model S electric cars in their fleet. The company has a total of 1,100 cabs on the road in Wuhan, a small China city.

However, the lack of charging narrative is still out there via a “hard-hitting” Forbes post about how ONE customer that sold his Model S due to the lack of charging infrastructure at his complex (home). The guy is a “sorta of a big deal” and his name is Fan Xiabo, an advertising entrepreneur in China.

According to Forbes, the building management at his home said no to a home charger and he eventually sold the Model S for a third of what it’s worth.

I’m thinking he might have looked into that tiny detail before buying a $118,000 car in China. As content marketing entrepreneur, myself, I looked into the charging issue before I made my Model S purchase. Maybe Forbes can do a story on me.

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Tesla has many substantial challenges in China. According to the Tesla forum, many upper-end car owners are chauffeured during the week and desire luxury treatment in the back seat. The first edition of Model S cars didn’t have executive rear seats, now that’s been an option since December 2014.

So will Musk and company be able to change the electric car charging narrative for China? See the map below that includes superchargers and destination chargers, you decide?

Map depicts installed superchargers and destination units.

Map depicts installed superchargers and destination units.

 

"Grant Gerke wears his Model S on his sleeve and has been writing about Tesla for the last five years on numerous media sites. He has a bias towards plug-in vehicles and also writes about manufacturing software for Automation World magazine in Chicago. Find him at Teslarati

Elon Musk

Tesla sits at a ‘crossroads,’ Wedbush says by listing six negatives

Wedbush is still bullish on Tesla, but says Elon Musk needs to make a choice between DOGE and the car company.

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Credit: Tesla

According to Wedbush, Tesla is sitting at a “crossroads” as it nears its Q1 2025 Earnings Call on Tuesday.

Although the company’s Earnings Calls have been primarily focused on the financials and accomplishments of the past quarter, Tesla is approaching this one differently.

Tesla has even said that this Earnings Call will feature a “company update,” and as most believe it will detail plans for future models and production timelines, others have different expectations and beliefs over what could be said.

Tesla still on track to release more affordable models in 1H25

Wedbush’s Dan Ives believes Tesla is at a crossroads and outlined his six biggest concerns for the company since CEO Elon Musk took on a role within the White House at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE):

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  1. Tesla has now unfortunately become a political symbol globally of the Trump Administration/DOGE
  2. Tesla’s stock has been crushed since Trump stepped back into the White House
  3. Brand damage to Musk/Tesla resulted in a terrible 1Q delivery number, with much lower 2025 deliveries on the horizon
  4. Protests and violence against Tesla dealerships/owners have erupted around the globe
  5. 25% auto tariffs have been enacted, delaying future lower-cost models for Tesla, even though Musk is vocally against the tariffs for obvious reasons
  6. Potentially 15%-20% permanent demand destruction for future Tesla buyers due to the brand damage Musk has created with DOGE

Ives has held onto the idea that Musk’s involvement has made Tesla synonymous with the Trump administration, but that only seems to be true for those who share ideologies that oppose what the White House is doing.

Others are able to differentiate between the two, noting that Tesla is not a Trump organization, and vice versa.

Of course, there are negative sides to Musk splitting his time between the two and having ties to the President. Politically, it is hard to appease everyone.

Despite this, Wedbush’s Ives said the firm still remains bullish on Tesla:

“So why stay bullish? It’s a great question. We believe Tesla along with Nvidia are two of the most disruptive technology companies on the globe over the coming years. The unparalleled innovation, engineering scale, autonomous roadmap, and robotics future will unleash massive valuation upside over the coming years in our view. BUT….Musk needs to leave the government, take a major step back on DOGE, and get back to being CEO of Tesla full-time. Tesla is Musk and Musk is Tesla….and anyone that thinks the brand damage Musk has inflicted is not a real thing….spend some time speaking to car buyers in the US, Europe, and Asia…you will think differently after those discussions.”

Ives said that Musk needs to lay out the timing and rollout plans for the unsupervised Full Self-Driving and for the affordable vehicle platform, which was set for release in the first half of the year.

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Investor's Corner

Tesla “best positioned” for Trump tariffs among automakers: analyst

Ives has a price target of $315 per share for the electric vehicle maker.

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Credit: Tesla

Wedbush analyst Dan Ives recently shared his thoughts about Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) amidst the Trump administration’s tariffs. As per Ives, Tesla is best-positioned relative to its rivals when it comes to the ongoing tariff issue.

Ives has a price target of $315 per share for the electric vehicle maker.

Best Positioned

During an interview with Yahoo Finance, the segment’s hosts asked about his thoughts on Tesla, especially considering Musk’s work with the Trump administration. Musk has previously stated that the effects of tariffs on Tesla are significant due to parts that are imported from abroad.

“When it comes to the tariff issue, they are actually best positioned relative to the Detroit Big Three and others and obviously foreign automakers. Still impacted, Musk has talked about that, in terms of just auto parts,” Ives stated.

China and Musk

Ives also stated that ultimately, a big factor for Tesla in the coming months may be the Chinese market’s reactions to its tariff war. He also noted that the next few quarters will be pivotal for Tesla considering the brand damage that Elon Musk has incited due to his politics and work with the Trump administration.

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“When it comes to Tesla, I think the worry is where does retaliatory look like in China, in terms of buying domestic. I think that’s something that’s a play. And they have a pivotal six months head, in terms of what everything we see in Austin, autonomous, and the buildout. 

“But the brand issues that Musk self-inflicted is dealing with in terms of demand destruction in Europe and the US. And that’s why this is a key few quarters ahead for Tesla and also for Musk to make, in my opinion, the right decision to take a step back from the administration,” Ives noted.

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Investor's Corner

Tesla negativity “priced into the stock at its current levels:” CFRA analyst

The CFRA analyst has given Tesla a price target of $360 per share.

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Credit: Tesla China

In recent comments to the Schwab Network, CFRA analyst Garrett Nelson stated that a lot of the “negative sentiment towards Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) is priced into the stock at its current levels.”

The CFRA analyst has given Tesla a price target of $360 per share.

Q1 A Low Point in Sales

The CFRA analyst stated that Tesla’s auto sales likely bottomed last quarter, as noted in an Insider Monkey report. This was, Nelson noted, due to Q1 typically being the “weakest quarter for automakers.” He also highlighted that all four of Tesla’s vehicle factories across the globe were idled in the first quarter.

While Nelson highlighted the company’s changeover to the new Model Y as a factor in Q1, he also acknowledged the effects of CEO Elon Musk’s politics. The analyst noted that while Tesla lost customers due to Musk’s political opinions, the electric vehicle maker has also gained some new customers in the process.

CFRA’s Optimistic Stance

Nelson also highlighted that Tesla’s battery storage business has been growing steadily over the years, ending its second-best quarter in Q1 2025. The analyst noted that Tesla Energy has higher margins than the company’s electric vehicle business, and Tesla itself has a very strong balance sheet.

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The CFRA analyst also predicted that Tesla could gain market share in the United States because it has less exposure to the Trump administration’s tariffs. Teslas are the most American-made vehicles in the country, so the Trump tariffs’ effects on the company will likely be less notable compared to other automakers that produce their cars abroad.

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