Connect with us

Investor's Corner

Tesla extends $1.1B warehouse loan agreements amid signs of strong Model 3 demand

[Credit: Teslalytics/Twitter]

Published

on

A Form 8-K recently filed by Tesla to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission has revealed that the company extended its $1.1 billion warehouse loan agreements with Deutsche Bank AG for another year. The revised terms outlined in Tesla’s Form 8-K state that the agreements’ borrowing availability has been extended from August 17, 2018, to August 16, 2019. The maturity date of the agreement was also extended from September 2019 to September 2020.  

Following is the text of Tesla’s recent Form 8-K submitted to the SEC.

Extension of Vehicle Lease Warehouse Agreements

On August 16, 2018, certain subsidiaries of Tesla, Inc. (“Tesla”) that are respectively parties to (i) an Amended and Restated Loan and Security Agreement (the “A&R 2016 Warehouse Agreement”) and (ii) a Loan and Security Agreement (the “2017 Warehouse Agreement,” and together with the A&R 2016 Warehouse Agreement, the “Warehouse Agreements”), each dated August 17, 2017, with Deutsche Bank AG, New York Branch as administrative agent and the other parties named therein, entered into an amendment to each of the Warehouse Agreements (together, the “Amendments”).

Among other changes, the Amendments extended the borrowing availability date under the Warehouse Agreements from August 17, 2018, to August 16, 2019, and extended the maturity date of the Warehouse Agreements from September 2019 to September 2020. The aggregate lender commitment, which is shared between the Warehouse Agreements, remains unchanged at $1.1 billion.

Advertisement

Warehouse loan agreements are utilized as tools to help finance inventory. Last October, Tesla raised the credit line at the German bank by $500 million to $1.1 billion, and during that time, the California-based electric car maker noted that it was planning an expansion of its in-house leasing program. That said, even with the recent extension of the warehouse agreement, the aggregate lender commitment of $1.1 billion remains unchanged.

Tesla’s recent 8-K Form could be accessed in full here.

Tesla’s recent 8-K filing comes as the demand for the Model 3 sedan showed encouraging signs after the vehicle was previewed in Australia for the first time. After sustaining the Model 3’s 5,000/week production rate during multiple weeks in July, Tesla announced earlier this month that it is bringing the electric car to Australia and New Zealand. Reservation holders residing in the two countries received invitations for viewings of the vehicle at Tesla’s stores in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Auckland.

The Model 3’s viewings in Australia proved to be successful. Posts uploaded of the event on Twitter revealed lines of people lining up to get a hands-on experience with the electric car. One of the Model 3 reservation holders, Andreas Stephens of Sydney, even noted in a statement to Drive that the electric car would be his first vehicle in 25 years.

“I’m not a car enthusiast as such; I never had a need to upgrade my car. When I bought my first car my dream was to have an electric car as my next car. But at the time, in the early 1990s, that seemed like a pretty unrealistic expectation. So I’m really excited that I’m now actually able to get an electric car. It’s fantastic, more than anything I’ve experienced in a car,” he said.

Advertisement

In the United States, Model 3 production appears to be hitting its stride. Apart from recently passing the 100,000-vehicle mark in its VIN registrations for the electric car, Tesla also appears to ba pacing towards an improved pace for the vehicle’s production. This was highlighted by George Galliers of Evercore ISI after an extensive tour of the Fremont factory, who noted that Tesla could hit as much as 8,000 Model 3 per week with very little capital expenditure.

“Tesla seems well on the way to achieving a steady weekly production rate of 5,000 to 6,000 units per week. We are incrementally positive on Tesla following our visit. We have confidence in their production. We did not see anything to suggest that Model 3 cannot reach 6k units per week and 7k to 8k with very little incremental capital expenditure. Focusing on the fundamentals and setting aside talk of privatization, we are incrementally positive on Tesla following our visit,” the analyst noted.

Advertisement

Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

Advertisement
Comments

Investor's Corner

Tesla Board member and Airbnb co-founder loads up on TSLA ahead of robotaxi launch

Tesla CEO Elon Musk gave a nod of appreciation for the Tesla Board member’s purchase.

Published

on

(Credit: Tesla)

Tesla Board member and Airbnb Co-Founder Joe Gebbia has loaded up on TSLA stock (NASDAQ:TSLA). The Board member’s purchase comes just over a month before Tesla is expected to launch an initial robotaxi service in Austin, Texas.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk gave a nod of appreciation for the Tesla Board member in a post on social media.

The TSLA Purchase

As could be seen in a Form 4 submitted to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Monday, Gebbia purchased about $1.02 million worth of TSLA stock. This was comprised of 4,000 TSLA shares at an average price of $256.308 per share.

Interestingly enough, Gebbia’s purchase represents the first time an insider has purchased TSLA stock in about five years. CEO Elon Musk, in response to a post on social media platform X about the Tesla Board member’s TSLA purchase, gave a nod of appreciation for Gebbia. “Joe rocks,” Musk wrote in his post on X.

Gebbia has served on Tesla’s Board as an independent director since 2022, and he is also a known friend of Elon Musk. He even joined the Trump Administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to help the government optimize its processes.

Advertisement

Just a Few Weeks Before Robotaxi

The timing of Gebbia’s TSLA stock purchase is quite interesting as the company is expected to launch a dedicated roboatxi service this June in Austin. A recent report from Insider, citing sources reportedly familiar with the matter, claimed that Tesla currently has 300 test operators driving robotaxis around Austin city streets. The publication’s sources also noted that Tesla has an internal deadline of June 1 for the robotaxi service’s rollout, but even a launch near the end of the month would be impressive.

During the Q1 2025 earnings call, Elon Musk explained that the robotaxi service that would be launched in June will feature autonomous rides in Model Y units. He also noted that the robotaxi service would see an expansion to other cities by the end of 2025. “The Teslas that will be fully autonomous in June in Austin are probably Model Ys. So, that is currently on track to be able to do paid rides fully autonomously in Austin in June and then to be in many other cities in the US by the end of this year,” Musk stated. 

Continue Reading

Investor's Corner

Tesla hints at ‘Model 2’ & next-gen EV designs

Tesla’s Q1 2025 update confirms new models this year, with production tied to existing factory lines. Could it be time for the Model 2 debut?

Published

on

(Credit: Tesla)

During its Q1 2025 earnings call, Tesla executives hinted at the much-rumored “Model 2” and other next-gen EV designs.

Tesla slightly addressed whether or not it will be pushing forward with the debut of new models later this year in its latest earnings call. The company’s product development executive, Lars Moravy, shared some details about Tesla’s design process and the upcoming affordable models.

“We’re still planning to release models this year. As with all launches, we’re working through, like, the last minute issues that pop up. We’re knocking them down one by one. At this point, I would say that the ramp might be a little slower than we had hoped initially…But there’s nothing that’s blocking us from starting production within the next, within the timeline laid out in the opening remarks.

“And I will say it’s important to emphasize that, as we’ve said all along, the full utilization of our factories is the primary goal for these new products. And so the flexibility of what we can do within the form factor and, you know, the design of it is really limited to what we can do on our existing lines rather than building new ones. But we’ve been targeting the low cost of ownership. Monthly payment is the biggest differentiator for our vehicles, and that’s why we’re focused on bringing these new models with the, you know, the lowest price, to the market, within the constraints I just highlighted.”

Advertisement

 

In January, Tesla’s Chief Financial Officer Vaibhav Taneja teased several new product introductions for this year. There is at least one product that most Tesla supporters and investors are hoping to see: the company’s affordable vehicles, which have been dubbed by the EV community as the “Model 2” or “Model Q.”

Before Tesla’s Robotaxi event last year, many speculated that the company would also unveil its affordable next-gen vehicle. Gene Munster from Deepwater had expected Tesla to release a stripped-down version of the Model 3 as its affordable vehicle during the Robotaxi event. In the end, Tesla unveiled its Robotaxi vehicle and its Robovan design.

It’s been a while since the Robotaxi event, and Tesla has kept mum about its affordable vehicle. Considering its Q1 2025 performance, TSLA investors look forward to catalysts that could boost the stock.

The “Model 2” has been labeled a potential catalyst for Tesla. As such, TSLA investors and supporters have been itching for news about the new affordable vehicle. The main questions surrounding the “Model 2” revolve around its design and price. Based on Moravy’s statement, the “Model 2’s” design will heavily depend on Tesla’s current assembly lines and supply chain structures.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Elon Musk

Tesla regains Piper Sandler’s confidence with Robotaxi plans & Q1 Results

Piper Sandler says Tesla delivered the best-case scenario for bulls. $TSLA has catalysts ahead to silence the bears.

Published

on

tesla-model-y-delivery
(Credit: Tesla)

Tesla gained Piper Sandler analyst Alexander Potter’s confidence following its Q1 2025 earnings call. Piper Sandler reaffirmed its Overweight rating and $400 TSLA price target, signaling optimism for the company’s robotaxi and affordable vehicle launches expected this year. The firm’s stance reflects Tesla’s resilience amid market challenges.

Despite expectations of weak Q1 financials, Tesla’s stock edged up in after-hours trading, defying skepticism. Piper Sandler’s Alexander Potter noted that the results met the hopes of Tesla supporters, particularly as the company held firm on its timelines. Potter emphasized that anticipation for robotaxi details and new vehicle launches should keep critics at bay, supporting the $400 target.

“In our preview last week, we predicted that (at best) Q1 would be a non-event. With the stock trading up slightly in the after-hours session, it appears our best-case scenario has materialized. Considering generally weak Q1 financials, we think this is the best result that TSLA bulls could’ve reasonably hoped for.

“In our view, the most important Q1 takeaway is this: Tesla didn’t hedge expectations re: launching Robotaxis or lower-priced vehicles in 1H25. With <2 months until the end of June, investors can look forward to some interesting catalysts in the weeks ahead. In our view, this alone should be enough to keep the bears at bay, at least until we have a better idea re: the details of Tesla’s new products, as well as the scale/scope of the Robotaxi launch,” wrote Potter.

Advertisement

Wedbush Securities’ Dan Ives, a longtime TSLA bull, echoed Potter’s optimism for Tesla. Ives raised his price target for Tesla stock from $315 to $350 with a BUY rating. His Tesla upgrade came after Elon Musk’s announcement during the Q1 earnings call that he would reduce his involvement with DOGE, signaling a sharper focus on Tesla.

Tesla’s steady Q1 performance and unwavering commitment to its 2025 roadmap, including the Robotaxi launch and lower-priced models, bolster investor confidence. Piper Sandler’s analysis underscores Tesla’s ability to navigate a competitive electric vehicle market while advancing its technological edge. The upcoming Robotaxi launch and affordable vehicle introductions are pivotal, with analysts expecting these initiatives to drive stock value through 2025.

As Tesla prepares for these milestones, its stock movement reflects market trust in Musk’s vision. With Piper Sandler and Wedbush reaffirming bullish outlooks, Tesla’s strategic moves will remain under close scrutiny, positioning the company to capitalize on its innovation pipeline in a dynamic industry landscape.

Continue Reading

Trending