Connect with us

Investor's Corner

Tesla Model 3 delivery event: Key points investors will be looking for

Published

on

With the Tesla Model 3 delivery event just days away, Tesla fans everywhere are gearing up for the final roll out of Tesla’s high volume, affordable EV.

Amid the excitement, however, Tesla shares have seen a mercurial run on the market in recent weeks. With many investors betting on Tesla’s future — and many more skeptical buyers shorting it — the Model 3 release will be nothing short of a rubber-meets-the-road moment for CEO Elon Musk and his grand automotive ideas.

Barring any major production or logistical mishaps, the production of the Model 3 is aiming to make a substantive impact on the automotive industry.

The Model 3 event is a defining moment for Musk, Tesla and investors alike. As the launch draws nearer, The Motley Fool introduced a few key features from the Model 3 that Tesla investors and fans need to be aware of.

The range of the Model 3 could put it in direct competition with the Chevy Bolt, which has a reported range of around 238 miles per charge from a 60 kWh battery.

Advertisement

In May, Tesla fans spotted a Model 3 with an estimated range of 310 miles. This model was likely equipped with a 75 kWh battery pack while a baseline Model 3 will achieve a minimum of 215 miles per single charge facilitated by a 60 kWh pack, according to inside sources.

In addition to vehicle range, another key point for investors is the Model 3’s access to the Supercharger network. Up until now, charging a Model S or Model X has been free at Supercharger locations. Tesla has announced, however, that all drivers will have to pay a fee cheaper than the cost of gasoline for charging after using over 400 kWh of energy from Superchargers.

Charging costs for the Model 3 remain a question mark ahead of the official roll out date.

Advertisement

Investors will also glean insight from Model 3’s Autopilot pricing model when it’s released. We already know that all Model 3 will be equipped with Autopilot 2.0 hardware as standard equipment, but what’s uncertain is how much customers will need to pay to activate Autopilot. Will Tesla offer “Enhanced Autopilot” as it currently does to Model S and Model X buyers, or will Model 3 only be available with Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving Capability“?

As Daniel Sparks of The Motley Fool points out, Model S and X customers can enable Enhanced Autopilot for $5,000 before delivery and $6,000 afterwards. Buyers have the option to add Tesla’s Full Self-Driving Capability for an additional $3,000 before or after delivery.

The biggest uncertainty that faces Tesla is its projected production ramp-up. Musk will hand over 30 Model 3s at the delivery event on Friday. From there, production will increase exponentially until roughly 10,000 vehicles are produced per week in 2018.

Recent Model 3 sightings have indicated that at least seven Model 3s have already been produced by Tesla.

In the final days leading up to Friday’s Model 3 delivery event, several factors remain important for investors. Production is expected to kick into a higher gear and Musk’s processes and logistics will be tested following the official Model 3 event. For investors, this will be the defining moment on whether Musk’s vision for a high volume, affordable electric car is possible.

Advertisement

The delivery event will also feature presentations from Musk on Tesla’s grand vision for a sustainable future. Teslarati will have live, behind-the-scenes coverage of the launch event. Follow us @Teslarati on Twitter for in-depth coverage of the event.

Advertisement
Comments

Investor's Corner

Tesla could save $2.5B by replacing 10% of staff with Optimus: Morgan Stanley

Jonas assigned each robot a net present value (NPV) of $200,000.

Published

on

Credit: Tesla Optimus/X

Tesla’s (NASDAQ:TSLA) near-term outlook may be clouded by political controversies and regulatory headwinds, but Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas sees a glimmer of opportunity for the electric vehicle maker. 

In a new note, the Morgan Stanley analyst estimated that Tesla could save $2.5 billion by replacing just 10% of its workforce with its Optimus robots, assigning each robot a net present value (NPV) of $200,000.

Morgan Stanley highlights Optimus’ savings potential

Jonas highlighted the potential savings on Tesla’s workforce of 125,665 employees in his note, suggesting that the utilization of Optimus robots could significantly reduce labor costs. The analyst’s note arrived shortly after Tesla reported Q2 2025 deliveries of 384,122 vehicles, which came close to Morgan Stanley’s estimate and slightly under the consensus of 385,086.

“Tesla has 125,665 employees worldwide (year-end 2024). On our calculations, a 10% substitution to humanoid at approximately ($200k NPV/humanoid) could be worth approximately $2.5bn,” Jonas wrote, as noted by Street Insider.

Jonas also issued some caution on Tesla Energy, whose battery storage deployments were flat year over year at 9.6 GWh. Morgan Stanley had expected Tesla Energy to post battery storage deployments of 14 GWh in the second quarter.

Advertisement

Musk’s political ambitions

The backdrop to Jonas’ note included Elon Musk’s involvement in U.S. politics. The Tesla CEO recently floated the idea of launching a new political party, following a poll on X that showed support for the idea. Though a widely circulated FEC filing was labeled false by Musk, the CEO does seem intent on establishing a third political party in the United States. 

Jonas cautioned that Musk’s political efforts could divert attention and resources from Tesla’s core operations, adding near-term pressure on TSLA stock. “We believe investors should be prepared for further devotion of resources (financial, time/attention) in the direction of Mr. Musk’s political priorities which may add further near-term pressure to TSLA shares,” Jonas stated.

Continue Reading

Investor's Corner

Two Tesla bulls share differing insights on Elon Musk, the Board, and politics

Two noted Tesla bulls have shared differing views on the recent activities of CEO Elon Musk and the company’s leadership.

Published

on

Credit: Tesla

Two noted Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) bulls have shared differing views on the recent activities of CEO Elon Musk and the company’s leadership.

While Wedbush analyst Dan Ives called on Tesla’s board to take concrete steps to ensure Musk remains focused on the EV maker, longtime Tesla supporter Cathie Wood of Ark Invest reaffirmed her confidence in the CEO and the company’s leadership.

Ives warns of distraction risk amid crucial growth phase

In a recent note, Ives stated that Tesla is at a critical point in its history, as the company is transitioning from an EV maker towards an entity that is more focused on autonomous driving and robotics. He then noted that the Board of Directors should “act now” and establish formal boundaries around Musk’s political activities, which could be a headwind on TSLA stock. 

Ives laid out a three-point plan that he believes could ensure that the electric vehicle maker is led with proper leadership until the end of the decade. First off, the analyst noted that a new “incentive-driven pay package for Musk as CEO that increases his ownership of Tesla up to ~25% voting power” is necessary. He also stated that the Board should establish clear guidelines for how much time Musk must devote to Tesla operations in order to receive his compensation, and a dedicated oversight committee must be formed to monitor the CEO’s political activities.

Ives, however, highlighted that Tesla should move forward with Musk at its helm. “We urge the Board to act now and move the Tesla story forward with Musk as CEO,” he wrote, reiterating its Outperform rating on Tesla stock and $500 per share price target.

Advertisement

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has responded to Ives’ suggestions with a brief comment on X. “Shut up, Dan,” Musk wrote.

Cathie Wood reiterates trust in Musk and Tesla board

Meanwhile, Ark Investment Management founder Cathie Wood expressed little concern over Musk’s latest controversies. In an interview with Bloomberg Television, Wood said, “We do trust the board and the board’s instincts here and we stay out of politics.” She also noted that Ark has navigated Musk-related headlines since it first invested in Tesla.

Wood also pointed to Musk’s recent move to oversee Tesla’s sales operations in the U.S. and Europe as evidence of his renewed focus in the electric vehicle maker. “When he puts his mind on something, he usually gets the job done,” she said. “So I think he’s much less distracted now than he was, let’s say, in the White House 24/7,” she said.

TSLA stock is down roughly 25% year-to-date but has gained about 19% over the past 12 months, as noted in a StocksTwits report.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Investor's Corner

Cantor Fitzgerald maintains Tesla (TSLA) ‘Overweight’ rating amid Q2 2025 deliveries

Cantor Fitzgerald is holding firm on its bullish stance for the electric vehicle maker.

Published

on

Credit: Tesla China

Cantor Fitzgerald is holding firm on its bullish stance for Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA), reiterating its “Overweight” rating and $355 price target amidst the company’s release of its Q2 2025 vehicle delivery and production report. 

Tesla delivered 384,122 vehicles in Q2 2025, falling below last year’s Q2 figure of 443,956 units. Despite softer demand in some countries in Europe and ongoing controversies surrounding CEO Elon Musk, the firm maintained its view that Tesla is a long-term growth story in the EV sector.

Tesla’s Q2 results

Among the 384,122 vehicles that Tesla delivered in the second quarter, 373,728 were Model 3 and Model Y. The remaining 10,394 units were attributed to the Model S, Model X, and Cybertruck. Production was largely flat year-over-year at 410,244 units.

In the energy division, Tesla deployed 9.6 GWh of energy storage in Q2, which was above last year’s 9.4 GWh. Overall, Tesla continues to hold a strong position with $95.7 billion in trailing twelve-month revenue and a 17.7% gross margin, as noted in a report from Investing.com.

Tesla’s stock is still volatile

Tesla’s market cap fell to $941 billion on Monday amid volatility that was likely caused in no small part by CEO Elon Musk’s political posts on X over the weekend. Musk has announced that he is forming the America Party to serve as a third option for voters in the United States, a decision that has earned the ire of U.S. President Donald Trump. 

Advertisement

Despite Musk’s controversial nature, some analysts remain bullish on TSLA stock. Apart from Cantor Fitzgerald, Canaccord Genuity also reiterated its “Buy” rating on Tesla shares, with the firm highlighting the company’s positive Q2 vehicle deliveries, which exceeded its expectations by 24,000 units. Cannacord also noted that Tesla remains strong in several markets despite its year-over-year decline in deliveries.

Continue Reading

Trending