Investor's Corner
Tesla shares video of drifting Model 3 Performance during skidpad testing
Tesla has shared a video of the Model 3 Performance during skidpad testing. The short clip, which was uploaded by the Silicon Valley carmaker on Twitter, featured the high-performance variant of the compact electric car burning rubber and drifting around what appears to be a closed area of the company’s test track.
Skidpad tests usually involve accelerating a vehicle until the outermost tires begin slipping. Once this happens, the speed of the vehicle is recorded, and a car’s handling in terms of lateral gs can be derived. Tesla did not mention the skidpad numbers of the Model 3 Performance in its recent post, but vehicles’ figures in the tests are usually correlated with the overall handling of the car. Skid pad tests can be among the most productive evaluations for high-performance vehicles and yield invaluable feedback from experienced test drivers.
Model 3 Performance skidpad testing (🔈on!) pic.twitter.com/YEt8I5jewZ
— Tesla (@Tesla) July 6, 2018
The Model 3 Performance is the top-tier variant of Tesla’s mass-market compact electric car. The vehicle boasts two electric motors, a 0-60 mph time of 3.5 seconds, a top speed of 155 mph, as well as a range of 310 miles per charge. Initially announced with a price of $78,000 including all options such as white seats and premium paint except Autopilot, the vehicle’s sticker price was eventually lowered by Tesla to just $64,000 if fitted with standard seats, non-premium paint, and a top speed limited to 145 mph.
-->Among the options available for the vehicle is the $5,000 Performance Upgrade, which includes 20″ Performance Wheels, a Carbon Fiber Spoiler, Aluminum allow pedals, and a top speed boost to 155 mph. As we noted in a previous report, the Model 3 Performance will also feature a unique, underlined badge that reads “Dual Motor.”
The first Model 3 Performance Dual Motor rolls off the assembly line. [Credit: Elon Musk/Twitter]
Elon Musk initially announced that Tesla would probably start the production of the Model 3 Performance around July, when the company achieves a steady pace of producing 5,000 Model 3 per week. Midway through June, however, Elon Musk surprised the Tesla community by tweeting a picture of a red Model 3 Performance coming off GA4, a new assembly line set up in a sprung structure at the grounds of the Fremont factory. Musk did not state if the production of the Model 3 Performance had already started, but an image of the compact electric car’s seats that Musk later uploaded revealed that Tesla is already producing white seats for the vehicle.
If Tesla’s recently shared video is any indication, it appears that the testing for Model 3 Performance is well underway. Looking at the way the car moves in the short clip, it definitely seems like the vehicle could live up to Musk’s bold statement that the compact electric car would feature better handling than vehicles like the BMW M3 on the track.
Tesla is expected to offer the Model 3 Performance as test drive vehicles for the electric car. In a tweet last month, Elon Musk noted that test drives for the Model 3 Performance would likely start sometime in July.
Investor's Corner
Mizuho keeps Tesla (TSLA) “Outperform” rating but lowers price target
As per the Mizuho analyst, upcoming changes to EV incentives in the U.S. and China could affect Tesla’s unit growth more than previously expected.
Mizuho analyst Vijay Rakesh lowered Tesla’s (NASDAQ:TSLA) price target to $475 from $485, citing potential 2026 EV subsidy cuts in the U.S. and China that could pressure deliveries. The firm maintained its Outperform rating for the electric vehicle maker, however.
As per the Mizuho analyst, upcoming changes to EV incentives in the U.S. and China could affect Tesla’s unit growth more than previously expected. The U.S. accounted for roughly 37% of Tesla’s third-quarter 2025 sales, while China represented about 34%, making both markets highly sensitive to policy shifts. Potential 50% cuts to Chinese subsidies and reduced U.S. incentives affected the firm’s outlook.
With those pressures factored in, the firm now expects Tesla to deliver 1.75 million vehicles in 2026 and 2 million in 2027, slightly below consensus estimates of 1.82 million and 2.15 million, respectively. The analyst was cautiously optimistic, as near-term pressure from subsidies is there, but the company’s long-term tech roadmap remains very compelling.
Despite the revised target, Mizuho remained optimistic on Tesla’s long-term technology roadmap. The firm highlighted three major growth drivers into 2027: the broader adoption of Full Self-Driving V14, the expansion of Tesla’s Robotaxi service, and the commercialization of Optimus, the company’s humanoid robot.
“We are lowering TSLA Ests/PT to $475 with Potential BEV headwinds in 2026E. We believe into 2026E, US (~37% of TSLA 3Q25 sales) EV subsidy cuts and China (34% of TSLA 3Q25 sales) potential 50% EV subsidy cuts could be a headwind to EV deliveries.
-->“We are now estimating TSLA deliveries for 2026/27E at 1.75M/2.00M (slightly below cons. 1.82M/2.15M). We see some LT drivers with FSD v14 adoption for autonomous, robotaxi launches, and humanoid robots into 2027 driving strength,” the analyst noted.
Tesla stock (NASDAQ: TSLA) has landed an elusive “must own” status from Wall Street firm Melius, according to a new note released early this week.
Analyst Rob Wertheimer said Tesla will lead the charge in world-changing tech, given the company’s focus on self-driving, autonomy, and Robotaxi. In a note to investors, Wertheimer said “the world is about to change, dramatically,” because of the advent of self-driving cars.
He looks at the industry and sees many potential players, but the firm says there will only be one true winner:
“Our point is not that Tesla is at risk, it’s that everybody else is.”
The major argument is that autonomy is nearing a tipping point where years of chipping away at the software and data needed to develop a sound, safe, and effective form of autonomous driving technology turn into an avalanche of progress.
Wertheimer believes autonomy is a $7 trillion sector,” and in the coming years, investors will see “hundreds of billions in value shift to Tesla.”
A lot of the major growth has to do with the all-too-common “butts in seats” strategy, as Wertheimer believes that only a fraction of people in the United States have ridden in a self-driving car. In Tesla’s regard, only “tens of thousands” have tried Tesla’s latest Full Self-Driving (Supervised) version, which is v14.
Tesla Full Self-Driving v14.2 – Full Review, the Good and the Bad
When it reaches a widespread rollout and more people are able to experience Tesla Full Self-Driving v14, he believes “it will shock most people.”
Citing things like Tesla’s massive data pool from its vehicles, as well as its shift to end-to-end neural nets in 2021 and 2022, as well as the upcoming AI5 chip, which will be put into a handful of vehicles next year, but will reach a wider rollout in 2027, Melius believes many investors are not aware of the pace of advancement in self-driving.
Tesla’s lead in its self-driving efforts is expanding, Wertheimer says. The company is making strategic choices on everything from hardware to software, manufacturing, and overall vehicle design. He says Tesla has left legacy automakers struggling to keep pace as they still rely on outdated architectures and fragmented supplier systems.
Tesla shares are up over 6 percent at 10:40 a.m. on the East Coast, trading at around $416.
Investor's Corner
Tesla analyst maintains $500 PT, says FSD drives better than humans now
The team also met with Tesla leaders for more than an hour to discuss autonomy, chip development, and upcoming deployment plans.
Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) received fresh support from Piper Sandler this week after analysts toured the Fremont Factory and tested the company’s latest Full Self-Driving software. The firm reaffirmed its $500 price target, stating that FSD V14 delivered a notably smooth robotaxi demonstration and may already perform at levels comparable to, if not better than, average human drivers.
The team also met with Tesla leaders for more than an hour to discuss autonomy, chip development, and upcoming deployment plans.
Analysts highlight autonomy progress
During more than 75 minutes of focused discussions, analysts reportedly focused on FSD v14’s updates. Piper Sandler’s team pointed to meaningful strides in perception, object handling, and overall ride smoothness during the robotaxi demo.
The visit also included discussions on updates to Tesla’s in-house chip initiatives, its Optimus program, and the growth of the company’s battery storage business. Analysts noted that Tesla continues refining cost structures and capital expenditure expectations, which are key elements in future margin recovery, as noted in a Yahoo Finance report.
Analyst Alexander Potter noted that “we think FSD is a truly impressive product that is (probably) already better at driving than the average American.” This conclusion was strengthened by what he described as a “flawless robotaxi ride to the hotel.”
-->Street targets diverge on TSLA
While Piper Sandler stands by its $500 target, it is not the highest estimate on the Street. Wedbush, for one, has a $600 per share price target for TSLA stock.
Other institutions have also weighed in on TSLA stock as of late. HSBC reiterated a Reduce rating with a $131 target, citing a gap between earnings fundamentals and the company’s market value. By contrast, TD Cowen maintained a Buy rating and a $509 target, pointing to strong autonomous driving demonstrations in Austin and the pace of software-driven improvements.
Stifel analysts also lifted their price target for Tesla to $508 per share over the company’s ongoing robotaxi and FSD programs.
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