

Investor's Corner
Tesla’s Europe Gigafactory in discussion with Germany, Netherlands: report
Tesla’s Europe Gigafactory might still be years away, but the upcoming facility has already begun attracting the interest of some European states. According to recent reports, authorities from Germany and the Netherlands have started initiating talks with the electric car maker to discuss the possibility of building the Europe Gigafactory in their respective countries.
The talks with Tesla are still reportedly in their early stages, and thus, are not formal agreements yet. Nevertheless, a Dutch official has stated that Tesla had discussed a plan to build the Gigafactory in the Netherlands, where the company currently has a facility that works on vehicles manufactured in the United States to prepare them for local markets.
In a statement to the Wall Street Journal, Ralph Schleimer, a state official from Rhineland Palatinate, Germany, noted that the state is doing what it can to assure Tesla that it is a viable location for the planned facility. Schleimer added that the state had already presented its proposals to Tesla, but any detailed negotiations have not begun yet.
“We have done everything possible to assure that Rhineland Palatinate is in the competition for the plant,” he said.
Establishing the Europe Gigafactory in Rhineland Palatinate makes strategic sense for the electric car and energy company, considering that the state houses the headquarters of Tesla Grohmann Automation, which manufactures robots used by the electric car maker in its production facilities. With Tesla Grohmann located in the same state, a Gigafactory in Rhineland Palatinate would likely get optimized and start operations quickly, as the facility’s robots could be delivered, tuned, and optimized easily.
Saarland, another German state, has also expressed its interest in Tesla’s Europe Gigafactory. According to Saarland economics minister Anke Rehlinger, they have approached Tesla about the possibility of building the massive facility in the state. They have also met with Tesla in early July.
“They are looking at us to see if we fit their needs, (but) formal negotiations haven’t begun,” Rehlinger said.
Tesla’s Europe Gigafactory would be the second major battery and electric car factory that the company would build outside the United States. Earlier this month, Tesla had announced its plans of building Gigafactory 3 in China, which would be capable of manufacturing both battery packs and electric cars. Once complete, Tesla’s China Gigafactory is expected to produce 500,000 electric vehicles per year. The vehicles that would be manufactured in China have not been formally announced by Tesla, though expectations are high that the facility would house the production of the Model Y and some of the Model 3.
The Europe Gigafactory was mentioned by Elon Musk in a tweet last June. During his brief social media announcement, Musk stated that Germany was the “leading choice” for Europe, adding that establishing the facility on the German-French border makes sense, as they are close to the Benelux countries. The idea of a Europe Gigafactory has been around for some time as well, as the facility was teased by Musk in late 2016, right after the company finished its acquisition of Grohmann Engineering.
Investor's Corner
Tesla gets $475 price target from Benchmark amid initial Robotaxi rollout
Tesla’s limited rollout of its Robotaxi service in Austin is already catching the eye of Wall Street.

Venture capital firm Benchmark recently reiterated its “Buy” rating and raised its price target on Tesla stock (NASDAQ: TSLA) from $350 to $475 per share, citing the company’s initial Robotaxi service deployment as a sign of future growth potential.
Benchmark analyst Mickey Legg praised the Robotaxi service pilot’s “controlled and safety-first approach,” adding that it could help Tesla earn the trust of regulators and the general public.
Confidence in camera-based autonomy
Legg reiterated Benchmark’s belief in Tesla’s vision-only approach to autonomous driving. “We are a believer in Tesla’s camera-focused approach that is not only cost effective but also scalable,” he noted.
The analyst contrasted Tesla’s simple setup with the more expensive hardware stacks used by competitors like Waymo, which use various sophisticated sensors that hike up costs, as noted in an Investing.com report. Compared to Tesla’s Model Y Robotaxis, Waymo’s self-driving cars are significantly more expensive.
He also pointed to upcoming Texas regulations set to take effect in September, suggesting they could help create a regulatory framework favorable to autonomous services in other cities.
“New regulations for autonomous vehicles are set to go into place on Sept. 1 in TX that we believe will further help win trust and pave the way for expansion to additional cities,” the analyst wrote.
Tesla as a robotics powerhouse
Beyond robotaxis, Legg sees Tesla evolving beyond its roots as an electric vehicle maker. He noted that Tesla’s humanoid robot, Optimus, could be a long-term growth driver alongside new vehicle programs and other future initiatives.
“In our view, the company is undergoing an evolution from a trailblazing vehicle OEM to a high-tech automation and robotics company with unmatched domestic manufacturing scale,” he wrote.
Benchmark noted that Tesla stock had rebounded over 50% from its April lows, driven in part by easing tariff concerns and growing momentum around autonomy. With its initial Robotaxi rollout now underway, the firm has returned to its previous $475 per share target and reaffirmed TSLA as a Benchmark Top Pick for 2025.
Elon Musk
Tesla blacklisted by Swedish pension fund AP7 as it sells entire stake
A Swedish pension fund is offloading its Tesla holdings for good.

Tesla shares have been blacklisted by the Swedish pension fund AP7, who said earlier today that it has “verified violations of labor rights in the United States” by the automaker.
The fund ended up selling its entire stake, which was worth around $1.36 billion when it liquidated its holdings in late May. Reuters first reported on AP7’s move.
Other pension and retirement funds have relinquished some of their Tesla holdings due to CEO Elon Musk’s involvement in politics, among other reasons, and although the company’s stock has been a great contributor to growth for many funds over the past decade, these managers are not willing to see past the CEO’s right to free speech.
However, AP7 says the move is related not to Musk’s involvement in government nor his political stances. Instead, the fund said it verified several labor rights violations in the U.S.:
“AP7 has decided to blacklist Tesla due to verified violations of labor rights in the United States. Despite several years of dialogue with Tesla, including shareholder proposals in collaboration with other investors, the company has not taken sufficient measures to address the issues.”
Tesla made up about 1 percent of the AP7 Equity Fund, according to a spokesperson. This equated to roughly 13 billion crowns, but the fund’s total assets were about 1,181 billion crowns at the end of May when the Tesla stake was sold off.
Tesla has had its share of labor lawsuits over the past few years, just as any large company deals with at some point or another. There have been claims of restrictions against labor union supporters, including one that Tesla was favored by judges, as they did not want pro-union clothing in the factory. Tesla argued that loose-fitting clothing presented a safety hazard, and the courts agreed.

(Photo: Tesla)
There have also been claims of racism at the Fremont Factory by a former elevator contractor named Owen Diaz. He was awarded a substantial sum of $137m. However, U.S. District Judge William Orrick ruled the $137 million award was excessive, reducing it to $15 million. Diaz rejected this sum.
Another jury awarded Diaz $3.2 million. Diaz’s legal team said this payout was inadequate. He and Tesla ultimately settled for an undisclosed amount.
AP7 did not list any of the current labor violations that it cited as its reason for
Investor's Corner
xAI targets $5 billion debt offering to fuel company goals
Elon Musk’s xAI is targeting a $5B debt raise, led by Morgan Stanley, to scale its artificial intelligence efforts.

xAI’s $5 billion debt offering, marketed by Morgan Stanley, underscores Elon Musk’s ambitious plans to expand the artificial intelligence venture. The xAI package comprises bonds and two loans, highlighting the company’s strategic push to fuel its artificial intelligence development.
Last week, Morgan Stanley began pitching a floating-rate term loan B at 97 cents on the dollar with a variable interest rate of 700 basis points over the SOFR benchmark, one source said. A second option offers a fixed-rate loan and bonds at 12%, with terms contingent on investor appetite. This “best efforts” transaction, where the debt size hinges on demand, reflects cautious lending in an uncertain economic climate.
According to Reuters sources, Morgan Stanley will not guarantee the issue volume or commit its own capital in the xAI deal, marking a shift from past commitments. The change in approach stems from lessons learned during Musk’s 2022 X acquisition when Morgan Stanley and six other banks held $13 billion in debt for over two years.
Morgan Stanley and the six other banks backing Musk’s X acquisition could only dispose of that debt earlier this year. They capitalized on X’s improved operating performance over the previous two quarters as traffic on the platform increased engagement around the U.S. presidential elections. This time, Morgan Stanley’s prudent strategy mitigates similar risks.
Beyond debt, xAI is in talks to raise $20 billion in equity, potentially valuing the company between $120 billion and $200 billion, sources said. In April, Musk hinted at a significant valuation adjustment for xAI, stating he was looking to put a “proper value” on xAI during an investor call.
As xAI pursues this $5 billion debt offering, its financial strategy positions it to lead the AI revolution, blending innovation with market opportunity.
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