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Tesla’s top investor questions ahead of the Q1 2025 earnings call

Unsupervised FSD, Cybercab, and future models are just a few of the leading topics for the upcoming earnings call.

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Credit: Tesla Asia | X

The next Tesla earnings call is a week away, and many investors have already started voting on which questions they want answered during the meeting.

Shareholders can submit and vote on questions for the upcoming call using the Say Technologies platform and at the time of writing, the page already has a total of 2.59 million Tesla shares represented in the polls across a total of 6,390 participants. The Q1 2025 Tesla earnings call is set for next Tuesday, April 22 at 2:30 p.m. Pacific, and will be hosted live on X.

Currently, the top questions for the call include those about Tesla’s highly anticipated launch of Full Self-Driving (FSD) Unsupervised and the Cybercab, plans for more affordable models, the uncertain global economic climate, the Optimus robot, and more. Shareholders can continue submitting questions on the platform until Monday, April 21 at 1:00 p.m. Pacific.

Tesla reported delivering 336,681 vehicles and producing 362,215 in the first quarter of the year, and the company noted that it lost several weeks of production as it transitioned to building the new Model Y. The company also reported deploying 10.4 GWh of energy storage products, compared to just 4,053 MWh in the first quarter of last year.

Interestingly, Tesla shifted its wording of the earnings call in this year’s Q1 production and delivery report, instead referring to the upcoming meeting as a “Q1 Company Update.”

READ MORE ON Q1 2025: Global EV sales climbed 29% in March, powered by China and Europe

Top 15 questions for Tesla’s Q1 2025 earnings call, by shares represented

  1. When will FSD unsupervised be available for personal use on personally-owned cars? (2,000 votes, 1.2 million shares)
  2. Is Tesla still on track for releasing “more affordable models” this year? Or will you be focusing on simplified versions to enhance affordability, similar to the RWD Cybertruck? (2,000 votes, 890,700 shares)
  3. How is Tesla positioning itself to flexibly adapt to global economic risks in the form of tariffs, political biases, etc.? (1,400 votes, 640,600 shares)
  4. Did Tesla experience any meaningful changes in order inflow rate in Q1 relating to all of the rumors of “brand damage”? (728 votes, 562,000 shares)
  5. Does Tesla still have a battery supply constraint (noted on Q4 ER call) and how does this change w/tariffs? (606 votes, 491,400 shares)
  6. Robotaxi still on track for this year? (1,300 votes, 426,700 shares)
  7. Regarding the Tesla Optimus pilot line, could you confirm if it is currently operational? If so, what is the current production rate of Optimus bots per week? Additionally, how might the recent tariffs impact the scalability of this production line moving forward? (744 votes, 405,400 shares)
  8. Can you provide more details on the plans for HW3 upgrade path for FSD? (411 votes, 376,500 shares)
  9. What is the plan to achieve the Whitehouse stated goal of doubling deliveries in 2 years based on specific market segments and regional factory contributions? (398 votes, 364,900 shares)
  10. When do you expect Robotaxi to expand to all major US cities? (809 votes, 318,900 shares)
  11. What is the Tesla solution for megapack battery cell supply in the US relating to tariffs and when does it come on line in production volume? Did Tesla import sufficient supply of LFP until US LFP Is ready? (307 votes, 315,200 shares)
  12. Has Tesla received any formal interest or entered into discussions with other automakers about licensing FSD technology, and if so, can you share any progress or obstacles you’ve encountered in those conversations? (334 votes, 288,900 shares)
  13. How is the AI for Optimus progressing? (319 votes, 286,700 shares)
  14. When is Grok coming to Tesla vehicles? And will it be able to control anything in the car? (372 votes, 241,000 shares)
  15. When will Tesla Insurance be available in all 50 states. I’m from Idaho, and I’m surrounded by states where it is available, but it isn’t available in my state. (195 votes, 224,200 shares)

Tesla reveals its Q1 Supercharger voting winners, opens next round

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Zach is a renewable energy reporter who has been covering electric vehicles since 2020. He grew up in Fremont, California, and he currently lives in Colorado. His work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, KRON4 San Francisco, FOX31 Denver, InsideEVs, CleanTechnica, and many other publications. When he isn't covering Tesla or other EV companies, you can find him writing and performing music, drinking a good cup of coffee, or hanging out with his cats, Banks and Freddie. Reach out at zach@teslarati.com, find him on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send us tips at tips@teslarati.com.

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Tesla’s AI lead doubles down on FSD’s speed strategy, and owners are confused

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla’s AI lead Ashok Elluswamy doubled down on the company’s strategy regarding Full Self-Driving’s speed settings, and owners are definitely confused.

Earlier versions of Full Self-Driving allowed owners to set a max speed that the vehicle could travel while operating under the semi-autonomous driver assistance platform. This allowed more customization for the driver, giving them the ability to experience FSD’s robust performance with their own personal preferences.

Speed is massively important for obvious reasons — it’s not only a question of keeping the vehicle occupants comfortable by traveling at a safe speed, but it’s also something that could contribute to a ticket or infraction from law enforcement.

With the release of FSD v14 last year, Tesla removed the ability to set a max speed and instead opted for five Speed Profiles, ranging from “Sloth,” the most conservative, to “Mad Max,” the most aggressive and spirited. These profiles not only control speed, but also how frequently the vehicle will execute passes, perform lane changes, and other contributing factors.

The removal of the Max Speed setting was a major complaint amongst the Tesla community because it left owners scrambling for a way to experience suitable behaviors while traveling at an appropriate speed. Most felt the driving profiles would be a good indicator of the behaviors, while speed would still be left up to the discretion of the driver.

Instead, Tesla’s Speed Profiles determine both, and the constant tinkering of how they behave has been a major bottleneck and point of confusion for both owners and the company. From update to update, the Speed Profiles will change, sometimes more drastically than others. Some owners have complained that the “Standard” profile is too fast, while others have experienced “Mad Max” traveling below the speed limit:

These things change with each update, but the big complaint is that owners are on the hook for any tickets that come from FSD’s infractions; that’s the caveat of the suite being named FSD (Supervised). It ultimately means the driver is responsible, and the automaker has no liability when it comes to speeding tickets or general traffic infractions.

It is the driver’s responsibility to take over or adjust based on this.

Elluswamy essentially confirmed that there are no plans to bring back Max Speed control, because it is what he referred to as “an anti pattern.” He then echoed something that CEO Elon Musk has started to really push with FSD, and that’s the idea that Tesla is really honing in on the preferences of the driver.

Owners were confused by Tesla’s decision, stating that there must be a better way, especially considering disengagements for incorrect speeds are common:

From personal experience and using FSD for over 72 percent of my driving miles since v14 was released late last year, I make Speed Profile adjustments constantly. If FSD is traveling a tad too quickly, I will scale it back, and if it’s too conservative, I’ll make it more aggressive.

I don’t complain about making the Speed Profile changes too frequently, but it would certainly be nice to have it happen less frequently. There are far too many times I am concerned about getting a ticket, even in Standard mode.

The biggest issue for me, personally, which seems to be echoed throughout the community, is the fact that Tesla’s goal is to minimize disengagements. Many drivers are stating that speed is a major reason for disengagements.

However, Tesla is not willing to bring back this one level of input because it would technically be a regression.

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Whether it’s right or wrong in your opinion, it is what Tesla is going with, and it seems like it has pivoted quite a bit from its other strategies for minimizing interventions by pushing its AI to behave in a way that would fit the occupant’s personal preferences.

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Tesla qualifies for awesome new first-time EV buyer incentive in California

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White Tesla Model X rear bumper showing California license plate

Tesla is one of several automakers whose vehicles qualify for an awesome new first-time EV buyer incentive program in California.

The Golden State launched the MyFirstEV incentive program, which helps those buying an electric vehicle for the first time with a $3,500 incentive on new-inventory purchases of a Model 3 or Model Y.

The incentive requires an order on or after August 3, and delivery must be taken while the program is still being funded. California has set aside $135.5 million to help strengthen its SEV market and support automotive innovation.

Incentives are offered at the point of sale, and used EVs are also available for a partial incentive of $1,750. Half of the $3,500 and $1,750 incentive amounts are covered by California, with the other half being covered by participating OEMs.

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Additionally, rules apply for MSRP and how the vehicle will qualify for the incentive. Any vehicle from a non-California headquartered OEM must have an MSRP of $50,000 or less. Used vehicles must be priced at $25,000 or less and must be at least two model years older than the year of purchase.

The cars must also be purchased from manufacturers as certified pre-owned vehicles. Private dealerships are not eligible.

In total, California expects to incentivize over 73,000 ZEVs.

Participating Manufacturers

Fourteen total automakers are participating in California’s MyFirstEV program:

  • Chevrolet – Launching August 2026
  • Ford – Launching August 2026
  • Honda – Launching September 2026
  • Hyundai – Launching August 2026
  • Kia – Launching August 2026
  • Lexus – Launching September 2026
  • Lucid – Launching August 2026
  • Mitsubishi – Launching November 2026
  • Nissan – Coming Soon
  • Rivian – Coming Soon
  • Subaru – Launching September 2026
  • Tesla – Launching August 2026
  • Toyota – Launching September 2026
  • Volvo – Coming Soon

 

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Investor's Corner

SpaceX to report first-ever earnings today: here’s what to expect

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Credit: SpaceX

Elon Musk’s space exploration company, SpaceX (NASDAQ: SPCX), is set to report its earnings for the second quarter today in what will be its first-ever earnings call since going public in July.

SpaceX is trading down roughly 25 percent from its IPO. These early stock signals are usually a bit tumultuous, and considering this is the first company actively launching rockets that is available on the stock exchange, investors might have a tendency to be a bit skittish.

However, there are going to be some details that investors will hear for the first time today on the earnings call. Here’s what to look for:

Wall Street Expectations

Revenue is expected to fall somewhere around $6.8 billion, and will be heavily driven by Starlink, which is SpaceX’s widely popular satellite internet platform that has been adopted by numerous airlines, cruise ships, and other maritime operations. It is also available for consumers at home or in their cars.

Earnings Per Share (EPS) expectations fall at a net loss of $0.23 per share. Wall Street sees this as a total net loss of roughly $1.9 billion.

EBITDA is expected to come in between $2 billion and $2.1 billion.

What Investors Want to Know

Tesla uses the Say platform to help work with both retail and institutional investors to answer relevant and quality questions that address concerns or questions that they might have.

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However, SpaceX is doing things differently, as the company launched its own Investor Relations website where these questions are being fielded. Just like the Tesla questions, they seem to be less focused on the operational tasks and overall progress of the company, and more novelty.

Here are the top five:

  • Has the team thought about what possibilities there are with your mascot Asteroid? Whether it’s starting additional foundations for kids in its name, helping kids learn about space, etc. Kids are our future, and Asteroid would be a fun and easy way to help.
  • Baby Asteroid is already making a difference through charity around the world. Could SpaceX take it even further with programs that inspire kids to explore space?
  • SpaceX has some legendary vehicle names. Would you ever allow the public to name a Starship, even knowing there is a 99% chance it becomes Shipy McShipface?
  • When can we expect to see more footage of the Human Landing System?
  • Will Asteroid (your mascot) go to Mars?

SpaceX will report its earnings today, August 4, at 4:30 P.M. EDT.

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