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Tesla critic Jim Cramer turns into full-on bull: ‘TSLA has all the ingredients of a winner’
Tesla has a new convert as tough critic Jim Cramer of CNBC’s Mad Money turns from an agnostic skeptic to an outright bull on the electric carmaker’s stock (NASDAQ:TSLA). The Mad Money host declared that he is now a true believer in Tesla, which he classifies as a battleground stock.
“All my career I have been fascinated by companies with vociferous bulls and ferocious bears, if only because they can be so entertaining,” Cramer said.
For the uninitiated, battleground stocks are those that attract strong, polarizing opinions from different sides. “First, they are cultish, meaning that there are people who love the product, not the earnings and the product transcends simple analysis. You can’t put a price to earnings ratio on cool, on but you might buy cool and therefore want to buy the stock. That had been my stance for years on Tesla,” said Cramer.
Cramer shared a story of how his wife and daughter helped convinced him to believe in Tesla. About three months ago, his daughter drove a Model 3 from Oregon to San Francisco. Within 100 miles of the 600-mile trip, he was surprised to get a call from his daughter, who was raving about how it was nice being behind the wheel of the electric vehicle. His daughter told him to “buy one.”
On another occasion, Cramer was with his wife and they tried a Model X following an endorsement from another couple. He confessed that he adored the Falcon Wing doors and the quality of the drive. Cramer’s wife also convinced him to buy Tesla’s Solar Roof. The unveiling of the Tesla Cybertruck also caught the attention of Cramer. While he labeled the press conference as close to a disaster following the vehicle’s failed “Armor Glass” demo, the demand following the unveiling of the all-electric pickup truck stunned the TV personality.
The second issue, according to Cramer, about battleground stocks is their financials. “The really Verdun-like slugfests tend to have terrible balance sheets, ones that can’t be fixed by simple operating earnings and instead need genuine manna from heaven to cure themselves of the concerns,” Cramer said.
However, he consulted one of the most skeptical CFOs in the world, who said this about Tesla. “The company could raise two billion dollars in a heartbeat,” he said. Cramer took note of how even TSLA bears recognize that Tesla may have a breakout as soon as next year.
Lastly, the former hedge fund manager considered how battleground stocks tend to have charismatic leaders.
The Mad Money host weighed in how Tesla CEO Elon Musk fascinates him. “He’s a walking charisma machine, alternately entertaining and fun-loving and critical to the point of scathing, like someone else I know, yours truly. Sometimes I think he gives me a run for my money as the most sincerely insincere man in North America, other times he’s just a worldwide true believer,” he said.
Cramer dislikes Musk for tweeting like crazy and how the Tesla CEO taunted analysts, though he stated that he has since tempered down his stance. “All of that ended though when he agreed as part of some weirdo SEC ruling to stop the incendiary tweeting and, on the last conference call he revealed his true rigor without the sardonic quips. That made me realize that he will have no problem negotiating with either the Chinese government for his Gigafactory built in record time or the coming gargantuan German factory for that matter,” Cramer noted.
To end, the Mad Money host summarized his points, “So, cult product? Check. Balance sheet? Check. Leader? Check. If you’re going to invest in a battleground stock, TSLA has all the ingredients of a winner.”
As Cramer announced his conversion to a TSLA believer, others have corroborated his analysis. ARK Invest founder and CEO Catherine Wood foresees Tesla stock to at least double by 2024. “We have our ‘bear price,’ five-year target as $700. That would be if they lost two-thirds of market shares and had no autonomous vehicles,” she said in an interview.
Last month, Canadian businessman and Shark Tank judge Kevin O’Leary, who has also been critical of Tesla stock, also changed his stance and invested in the electric car maker after seeing a potential path to profitability.
TSLA stock has also been showing some strength following the positive reports from China hinting that the deliveries of Made-in-China Model 3 units are imminent. Interest in the Tesla Cybertruck has also remained strong weeks after its unveiling.
On Wednesday, Tesla shares closed at $352.70, gaining 1.11%.
Here’s the full video of the Mad Money segment where host Jim Cramer explained how he became a true believer in Tesla:
Disclosure: I have no ownership in shares of TSLA and have no plans to initiate any positions within 72 hours.
News
Tesla Model 3 wins Edmunds’ Best EV of 2026 award
The publication rated the Model 3 at an 8.1 out of 10, and with its most recent upgrades and changes, Edmunds says, “This is the best Model 3 yet.”
The Tesla Model 3 has won Edmunds‘ Top Rated Electric Car of 2026 award, beating out several other highly-rated and exceptional EV offerings from various manufacturers.
This is the second consecutive year the Model 3 beat out other cars like the Model Y, Audi A6 Sportback E-tron, and the BMW i5.
The car, which is Tesla’s second-best-selling vehicle behind the popular Model Y crossover, has been in the company’s lineup for nearly a decade. It offers essentially everything consumers could want from an EV, including range, a quality interior, performance, and Tesla’s Full Self-Driving suite, which is one of the best in the world.
The Tesla Model 3 has won Edmunds Top EV of 2026:
“The Tesla Model 3 might be the best value electric car you can buy, combining an Edmunds Rating of 8.1 out of 10, a starting price of $43,880, and an Edmunds-tested range of 338 miles. This is the best Model 3 yet. It is… pic.twitter.com/ARFh24nnDX
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) February 18, 2026
The publication rated the Model 3 at an 8.1 out of 10, and with its most recent upgrades and changes, Edmunds says, “This is the best Model 3 yet.”
In its Top Rated EVs piece on its website, it said about the Model 3:
“The Tesla Model 3 might be the best value electric car you can buy, combining an Edmunds Rating of 8.1 out of 10, a starting price of $43,880, and an Edmunds-tested range of 338 miles. This is the best Model 3 yet. It is impressively well-rounded thanks to improved build quality, ride comfort, and a compelling combination of efficiency, performance, and value.”
Additionally, Jonathan Elfalan, Edmunds’ Director of Vehicle Testing, said:
“The Model 3 offers just about the perfect combination of everything — speed, range, comfort, space, tech, accessibility, and convenience. It’s a no-brainer if you want a sensible EV.”
The Model 3 is the perfect balance of performance and practicality. With the numerous advantages that an EV offers, the Model 3 also comes in at an affordable $36,990 for its Rear-Wheel Drive trim level.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk’s xAI celebrates nearly 3,000 headcount at Memphis site
The update came in a post from the xAI Memphis account on social media platform X.
xAI has announced that it now employs nearly 3,000 people in Memphis, marking more than two years of local presence in the city amid the company’s supercomputing efforts.
The update came in a post from the xAI Memphis account on social media platform X.
In a post on X, xAI’s Memphis branch stated it has been part of the community for over two years and now employs “almost 3,000 locally to help power Grok.” The post was accompanied by a photo of the xAI Memphis team posing for a rather fun selfie.
“xAI is proud to be a member of the Memphis community for over two years. We now employ almost 3,000 locally to help power @Grok. From electricians to engineers, cooks to construction — we’re grateful for everyone on our team!” the xAI Memphis’ official X account wrote.
xAI’s Memphis facilities are home to Grok’s foundational supercomputing infrastructure, including Colossus, a large-scale AI training cluster designed to support the company’s advanced models. The site, located in South Memphis, was announced in 2024 as the home of one of the world’s largest AI compute facilities.
The first phase of Colossus was built out in record time, reaching its initial 100,000 GPU operational status in just 122 days. Industry experts such as Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang noted that this was significantly faster than the typical 2-to-4-year timeline for similar projects.
xAI chose Memphis for its supercomputing operations because of the city’s central location, skilled workforce, and existing industrial infrastructure, as per the company’s statements about its commitment to the region. The initiative aims to create hundreds of permanent jobs, partner with local businesses, and contribute to economic and educational efforts across the area.
Colossus is intended to support a full training pipeline for Grok and future models, with xAI planning to scale the site to millions of GPUs.
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Ford embraces Tesla-style gigacastings and Cybertruck’s 48V architecture
Ford Motor Company’s next-generation electric vehicles will adopt technologies that were first commercialized by the Tesla Cybertruck.
Ford Motor Company’s next-generation electric vehicles will adopt technologies that were first commercialized by the Tesla Cybertruck, such as the brutalist all-electric pickup’s 48-volt electrical architecture and its gigacastings.
The shift is expected to start with a roughly $30,000 small electric pickup that is expected to be released in 2027, which is part of Ford’s $5 billion investment in its new Universal EV platform, as noted in a CNBC report.
Ford confirmed that its upcoming EV platform will move away from the traditional 12-volt system long used across the auto industry. Instead, it will implement a 48-volt electrical architecture that draws power directly from the vehicle’s high-voltage battery.
Tesla was the first automaker to bring a 48-volt system to U.S. consumers with the Cybertruck in 2023. The architecture reduces wiring bulk, lowers weight, and improves electrical efficiency. It also allows power to be stepped down to 12 volts through new electronic control units when needed.
Alan Clarke, Ford’s executive director of advanced EV development and a former Tesla engineer, called 48-volt systems “the future of automotive” due to their lower costs and smaller wiring requirements. Ford stated that the wiring harness in its new pickup will be more than 4,000 feet shorter and 22 pounds lighter than that of its first-generation electric SUV.
Apart from the Cybertruck’s 48-volt architecture, Ford is also embracing Tesla-style gigacastings for its next-generation EVs. Ford stated that its upcoming electric vehicle will use just two major structural front and rear castings, compared with 146 comparable components in the current gas-powered Maverick.
Ford CEO Jim Farley has described the effort as a “bet” and a “Model T moment” for the company, arguing that system-level innovation is necessary to lower costs and compete globally. “At Ford, we took on the challenge many others have stopped doing. We’re taking the fight to our competition, including the Chinese,” Farley previously stated.
Tesla Model 3 wins Edmunds’ Best EV of 2026 award
Elon Musk’s xAI celebrates nearly 3,000 headcount at Memphis site
