Investor's Corner
Tesla seemingly registers batch of Left Hand Drive Model 3 VINs for EU region
Tesla appears to be laying the foundations for its upcoming international Model 3 push. Amidst the company’s ongoing initiative to produce the Model 3 at scale, Tesla has registered a batch of 1,481 new Model 3 VINs, 19 of which include references suggesting that the electric cars could be intended for the EU region.
The latest batch of Model 3 VINs filed by the company was posted by watchdog group @Model3VINs on Twitter. The group noted in a follow-up post that 19 of the new VINs are listed with a different code (“7”) for their “Restraint System.” The “7” code for the Restraint System has been used by Tesla in the past, particularly when denoting a Model S configured for the EU.
“The first 19 VINs (108730-108748) contain a new code (‘7’) in the 6th position, which represents the “Restraint System” for the vehicle. Although the code is not incl. in the decoder submitted to NHTSA, it appears to be used in Model S to denote an EU car.“
#Tesla registered 1,481 new #Model3 VINs. ~50% estimated to be dual motor. Highest VIN is 110210. https://t.co/jT70ob6Z7o
— Model 3 VINs (@Model3VINs) August 31, 2018
That said, the 19 Model 3 VINs with “7” listed in their Restraint System were still Left Hand Drive, suggesting that the release of the region’s highly-anticipated Right Hand Drive variants would likely still follow Elon Musk’s mid-2019 estimate. Among the EU-designated vehicles are Model 3 that are RWD and AWD. A list of the VINs with EU references provided to Clean Technica indicates that no Model 3 Performance (“4” in the 8th digit of the VIN) has been registered for the region yet.
Tesla appears to be preparing the Model 3 for an international release. Earlier this month, the electric car maker brought over the electric sedan to Australia and New Zealand to give reservation holders and potential customers a hands-on experience with the vehicle. The Model 3 unveiling events were quite successful, with some reservation holders from Australia traveling for hours just to see the electric car in person.
Following up on the success of its Australia and New Zealand event, Tesla also appears to be bringing the Model 3 to Hong Kong. This was revealed in an email sent to the Tesla community in the Asian nation, inviting them to a “Special Event.” A header in the invite for the Hong Kong event featured the outline of a vehicle that is unmistakably a Model 3.
This third quarter appears to be a breakthrough period for Tesla, which has struggled since July 2017 to mass produce the electric car. After missed deadlines and a series of manufacturing problems that comprised Elon Musk’s self-dubbed “production hell,” the company finally seems to have hit its stride this Q3. Since producing 5,000 Model 3 per week at the final week of June, the company has not let up in its efforts, with Elon Musk confirming during the Q2 2018 earnings call that the 5,000/week pace had been sustained during “multiple weeks” in July.
Tesla’s Model 3 production this August also shows encouraging signs. During the month, Tesla’s Model 3 VIN filings passed the 100,000-vehicle mark. Bloomberg‘s Model 3 production tracker, which has gotten more accurate over the past few months, also estimated that Tesla was able to manufacture 6,000 of the electric cars in one week. The company’s progress in the production of the Model 3 has become a point of confidence for Nomura Instinet analyst Romit Shah, who recently noted that Tesla could produce as many as 65,000-70,000 of the electric cars this third quarter.
Investor's Corner
Tesla wins $508 price target from Stifel as Robotaxi rollout gains speed
The firm cited meaningful progress in Tesla’s robotaxi roadmap, ongoing Full Self-Driving enhancements, and the company’s long-term growth initiatives.
Tesla received another round of bullish analyst updates this week, led by Stifel, raising its price target to $508 from $483 while reaffirming a “Buy” rating. The firm cited meaningful progress in Tesla’s robotaxi roadmap, ongoing Full Self-Driving enhancements, and the company’s long-term growth initiatives.
Robotaxi rollout, FSD updates, and new affordable cars
Stifel expects Tesla’s robotaxi fleet to expand into 8–10 major metropolitan areas by the end of 2025, including Austin, where early deployments without safety drivers are targeted before year-end. Additional markets under evaluation include Nevada, Florida, and Arizona, as noted in an Investing.com report. The firm also highlighted strong early performance for FSD Version 14, with upcoming releases adding new “reasoning capabilities” designed to improve complex decision-making using full 360-degree vision.
Tesla has also taken steps to offset the loss of U.S. EV tax credits by launching the Model Y Standard and Model 3 Standard at $39,990 and $36,990, Stifel noted. Both vehicles deliver more than 300 miles of range and are positioned to sustain demand despite shifting incentives. Stifel raised its EBITDA forecasts to $14.9 billion for 2025 and $19.5 billion for 2026, assigning partial valuation weightings to Tesla’s FSD, robotaxi, and Optimus initiatives.
TD Cowen also places an optimistic price target
TD Cowen reiterated its Buy rating with a $509 price target after a research tour of Giga Texas, citing production scale and operational execution as key strengths. The firm posted its optimistic price target following a recent Mobility Bus tour in Austin. The tour included a visit to Giga Texas, which offered fresh insights into the company’s operations and prospects.
Additional analyst movements include Truist Securities maintaining its Hold rating following shareholder approval of Elon Musk’s compensation plan, viewing the vote as reducing leadership uncertainty.
@teslarati Tesla Full Self-Driving yields for pedestrians while human drivers do not…the future is here! #tesla #teslafsd #fullselfdriving ♬ 2 Little 2 Late – Levi & Mario
Investor's Corner
Tesla receives major institutional boost with Nomura’s rising stake
The move makes Tesla Nomura’s 10th-largest holding at about 1% of its entire portfolio.
Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) has gained fresh institutional support, with Nomura Asset Management expanding its position in the automaker.
Nomura boosted its Tesla holdings by 4.2%, adding 47,674 shares and bringing its total position to more than 1.17 million shares valued at roughly $373.6 million. The move makes Tesla Nomura’s 10th-largest holding at about 1% of its entire portfolio.
Institutional investors and TSLA
Nomura’s filing was released alongside several other fund updates. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its holdings by 11.8%, as noted in a MarketBeat report, and Revolve Wealth Partners lifted its TSLA position by 21.2%. Bison Wealth increased its Tesla stake by 52.2%, AMG National Trust Bank increased its position in shares of Tesla by 11.8%, and FAS Wealth Partners increased its TSLA holdings by 22.1%. About 66% of all outstanding Tesla shares are now owned by institutional investors.
The buying comes shortly after Tesla reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings, posting $0.50 per share compared with the $0.48 consensus. Revenue reached $28.10 billion, topping Wall Street’s $24.98 billion estimate. Despite the earnings beat, Tesla continues to trade at a steep premium relative to peers, with a market cap hovering around $1.34 trillion and a price-to-earnings ratio near 270.
Recent insider sales
Some Tesla insiders have sold stock as of late. CFO Vaibhav Taneja sold 2,606 shares in early September for just over $918,000, reducing his personal stake by about 21%. Director James R. Murdoch executed a far larger sale, offloading 120,000 shares for roughly $42 million and trimming his holdings by nearly 15%. Over the past three months, Tesla insiders have collectively sold 202,606 shares valued at approximately $75.6 million, as per SEC disclosures.
Tesla is currently entering its next phase of growth, and if it is successful, it could very well become the world’s most valuable company as a result. The company has several high-profile projects expected to be rolled out in the coming years, including Optimus, the humanoid robot, and the Cybercab, an autonomous two-seater with the potential to change the face of roads across the globe.
@teslarati Tesla Full Self-Driving yields for pedestrians while human drivers do not…the future is here! #tesla #teslafsd #fullselfdriving ♬ 2 Little 2 Late – Levi & Mario
Investor's Corner
Ron Baron states Tesla and SpaceX are lifetime investments
Baron, one of Tesla’s longest-standing bulls, reiterated that his personal stake in the company remains fully intact even as volatility pressures the broader market.
Billionaire investor Ron Baron says he isn’t touching a single share of his personal Tesla holdings despite the recent selloff in the tech sector. Baron, one of Tesla’s longest-standing bulls, reiterated that his personal stake in the company remains fully intact even as volatility pressures the broader market.
Baron doubles down on Tesla
Speaking on CNBC’s Squawk Box, Baron stated that he is largely unfazed by the market downturn, describing his approach during the selloff as simply “looking” for opportunities. He emphasized that Tesla remains the centerpiece of his long-term strategy, recalling that although Baron Funds once sold 30% of its Tesla position due to client pressure, he personally refused to trim any of his personal holdings.
“We sold 30% for clients. I did not sell personally a single share,” he said. Baron’s exposure highlighted this stance, stating that roughly 40% of his personal net worth is invested in Tesla alone. The legendary investor stated that he has already made about $8 billion from Tesla from an investment of $400 million when he started, and believes that figure could rise fivefold over the next decade as the company scales its technology, manufacturing, and autonomy roadmap.
A lifelong investment
Baron’s commitment extends beyond Tesla. He stated that he also holds about 25% of his personal wealth in SpaceX and another 35% in Baron mutual funds, creating a highly concentrated portfolio built around Elon Musk–led companies. During the interview, Baron revisited a decades-old promise he made to his fund’s board when he sought approval to invest in publicly traded companies.
“I told the board, ‘If you let me invest a certain amount of money, then I will promise that I won’t sell any of my stock. I will be the last person out of the stock,’” he said. “I will not sell a single share of my shares until my clients sold 100% of their shares. … And I don’t expect to sell in my lifetime Tesla or SpaceX.”
Watch Ron Baron’s CNBC interview below.
@teslarati :rotating_light: This is why you need to use off-peak rates at Tesla Superchargers! #tesla #evcharging #fyp ♬ Blue Moon – Muspace Lofi
Tesla Diner to transition to full-service restaurant as Chef heads for new venture
Tesla adds new surprising fee to Robotaxi program
