

Investor's Corner
TSLA: Wall St acknowledges Tesla’s ability to produce nearly 1M cars in 2021
Seemingly against all odds, Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) has decided to pursue its goal of delivering half a million cars this year. This was despite the presence of a pandemic and an auto market that is weighed down at best. Yet despite these headwinds, signs from Tesla’s Fremont Factory and Gigafactory Shanghai suggest that the company’s 500,000-vehicle delivery goal may be feasible.
Tesla is determined to ramp its operations significantly over the years, especially as the company spreads its business to include cell production and its battery storage and solar division. With this in mind, Tesla’s goals for the coming year are extremely ambitious, with the company seemingly poised to deliver 1 million vehicles in 2021. This is an insane amount that essentially doubles what the company will deliver this year. This scenario is quite realistic for TSLA bulls, but for the company’s longtime bears, not so much.
Interestingly enough, it appears that some financial institutions are starting to take Tesla’s vehicle production capabilities more seriously. Just recently, Morningstar suggested that Tesla may very well be on track to deliver 950,000 electric cars in 2021 and about 1.6 million vehicles in 2022. This was according to analyst David Whiston, who cited the expansion of the company’s manufacturing capabilities.
“With new plants partially opening in Berlin, Texas, and the Model Y Shanghai plant all next year, we think 2021 deliveries of around 1 million units are not unrealistic,” Whiston wrote.
Whiston did not stop at 1.6 million vehicles per year. As noted in a Forbes Advisor report, the Morningstar analyst remarked that over the coming decade, Tesla could very well hit nearly 23 million cars sold. That’s an impressive number for a company as young as Tesla, and one which was struggling to produce 5,000 Model 3s per week just a few years ago.
Inasmuch as Morningstar’s estimates are optimistic, Tesla’s vehicle production ramp has actually been evident for some time now. This year alone, Tesla’s output is nearing half a million cars, and that’s with the company operating with pretty much one and a half vehicle production facilities. Today, only the Fremont Factory and Gigafactory Shanghai’s Phase 1 area are producing cars for Tesla.
Tesla’s vehicle factories are only bound to increase in number in the coming years. Giga Shanghai’s Phase 2 zone is complete and is expected to start producing the Model Y next year, and Gigafactory Berlin is expected to start Model Y production sometime next year as well. Even Gigafactory Texas, the site where the Tesla Cybertruck will be produced, seems to be on track to start operations in 2021. If Tesla can draw out half a million cars with one and a half factories, one could only imagine what the company could accomplish with Gigafactory Shanghai, Giga Berlin, and Gigafactory Texas fully ramped.
Disclaimer: I am long TSLA.
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.

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.
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.
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.

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.
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.
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.

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.
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.
-
News3 days ago
Tesla debuts hands-free Grok AI with update 2025.26: What you need to know
-
Elon Musk1 week ago
Elon Musk confirms Grok 4 launch on July 9 with livestream event
-
Elon Musk6 days ago
xAI launches Grok 4 with new $300/month SuperGrok Heavy subscription
-
News2 weeks ago
Tesla Model 3 ranks as the safest new car in Europe for 2025, per Euro NCAP tests
-
Elon Musk2 weeks ago
xAI’s Memphis data center receives air permit despite community criticism
-
News5 days ago
Tesla begins Robotaxi certification push in Arizona: report
-
Elon Musk2 weeks ago
Tesla reveals it is using AI to make factories more sustainable: here’s how
-
Elon Musk2 weeks ago
Tesla scrambles after Musk sidekick exit, CEO takes over sales