Investor's Corner
Tesla’s competitors are realizing that making good electric cars is not so easy
For years, Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) critics have argued that the electric car maker is nothing special, incompetent even, to the point where any other company, veteran or newcomer, could easily beat the Silicon Valley-based carmaker in their own game. Fast forward to November 2019, and it is starting to become evident that perhaps Tesla is not so easy to overtake after all.
Take NIO, for example, a company that is perceived as “China’s Tesla” several times in the past. Aggressive and ambitious, NIO was supported by TSLA critics as a rival that has the potential to beat the American electric car maker at its own game. Yet, inasmuch as the greater part of 2019 was cruel to Tesla, so was it difficult for NIO.
Over the past few months, NIO was hit by a perfect storm including a reduction of government subsidies, trade war uncertainties, and what appears to be decreasing demand in its home country. This has resulted in NIO cutting over 2,000 jobs to optimize its operations. Its shares, which are publicly traded just like TSLA stock, have also plummeted.
One could argue that NIO is encountering difficulties since it is still a young company. But even veteran automakers are also running into issues with their respective EV programs. Take the Volkswagen Group’s Audi, for example. The Audi e-tron is a well-reviewed premium electric vehicle with a price that is comparable to the Model X, but it features over 100 miles less range from a battery that is nearly as big as the pack in Tesla’s SUV. Audi’s recall of half of all e-trons sold since the vehicle was launched due to a fire risk further highlights the difficulty of the EV market.
Even Jaguar with the award-winning I-PACE was no exception. The I-PACE is quite the darling of the motoring industry, having swept over 60 awards since its release. Yet, even the stunningly-designed vehicle is seeing its sales decline, and owners are reporting issues such as less-than-expected range. Similar to the Audi e-tron, the I-PACE was also hit by a recall last June due to issues with its regenerative braking system, which could increase the risk of collisions.
Among the veterans, Porsche appears to be the one that is doing the best. The Taycan is well-received by both the pro and anti-Tesla community, but even the track-capable monster from Stuttgart struggles with range and its price. The Taycan is every bit the monster that the sports car maker promised, but the vehicle’s range falls far below the 310 miles that were expected years before its release. Its price has also ballooned, with a well-equipped Taycan Turbo S setting buyers back far above the $200,000 range.
The difficulty of the electric car industry could not be highlighted better than Dyson, a British company that made its mark through its innovative, premium fans and vacuum cleaners. Dyson attempted to enter the EV market, but after spending $1.3 billion, the company decided to abandon its efforts, deeming the initiative as commercially unviable.
Seeing all these challenges, one can almost see why Tesla CEO Elon Musk has described Tesla as an exercise in insanity. A company with nothing but a prototype sports car and an ambition to take on the auto industry in pre-2008 recession America, after all, could only be described as either courageous or absolutely crazy. Yet, beyond all the trials and tribulations, Tesla remains standing, and it is now positioned to lead in the EV market.
It took a lot of close calls, brushes with potential death, and Elon Musk’s self-inflicted wounds, but it is starting to become evident that maybe, just maybe, Tesla’s long-term bet is finally paying off. In the emerging EV era, it would be difficult to catch a company that has its own rapid charging network, battery technology, a habit of constant software upgrades, and an ecosystem of vehicles and energy products that highlight a key goal — to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.
Investor's Corner
Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirms bullish view on Tesla after record Q3 deliveries
The firm reiterated its Overweight rating and $355 price target.
Cantor Fitzgerald is maintaining its bullish outlook on Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) following the company’s record-breaking third quarter of 2025.
The firm reiterated its Overweight rating and $355 price target, citing strong delivery results driven by a rush of consumer purchases ahead of the end of the federal tax credit on September 30.
On Tesla’s vehicle deliveries in Q3 2025
During the third quarter of 2025, Tesla delivered a total of 497,099 vehicles, significantly beating analyst expectations of 443,079 vehicles. As per Cantor Fitzgerald, this was likely affected by customers rushing at the end of Q3 to purchase an EV due to the end of the federal tax credit, as noted in an Investing.com report.
“On 10/2, TSLA pre-announced that it delivered 497,099 vehicles in 3Q25 (its highest quarterly delivery in company history), significantly above Company consensus of 443,079, and above 384,122 in 2Q25. This was due primarily to a ‘push forward effect’ from consumers who rushed to purchase or lease EVs ahead of the $7,500 EV tax credit expiring on 9/30,” the firm wrote in its note.
A bright spot in Tesla Energy
Cantor Fitzgerald also highlighted that while Tesla’s full-year production and deliveries would likely fall short of 2024’s 1.8 million total, Tesla’s energy storage business remains a bright spot in the company’s results.
“Tesla also announced that it had deployed 12.5 GWh of energy storage products in 3Q25, its highest in company history vs. our estimate/Visible Alpha consensus of 11.5/10.9 GWh (and vs. ~6.9 GWh in 3Q24). Tesla’s Energy Storage has now deployed more products YTD than all of last year, which is encouraging. We expect Energy Storage revenue to surpass $12B this year, and to account for ~15% of total revenue,” the firm stated.
Tesla’s strong Q3 results have helped lift its market capitalization to $1.47 trillion as of writing. The company also teased a new product reveal on X set for October 7, which the firm stated could serve as another near-term catalyst.
Tesla stock (NASDAQ: TSLA) just got a weird price target boost from a notable bear just a day after it announced its strongest quarter in terms of vehicle deliveries and energy deployments.
JPMorgan raised its price target on Tesla shares from $115 to $150. It maintained its ‘Underweight’ rating on the stock.
Despite Tesla reporting 497,099 deliveries, about 12 percent above the 443,000 anticipated from the consensus, JPMorgan is still skeptical that the company can keep up its momentum, stating most of its Q3 strength came from leaning on the removal of the $7,500 EV tax credit, which expired on September 30.
Tesla hits record vehicle deliveries and energy deployments in Q3 2025
The firm said Tesla benefited from a “temporary stronger-than-expected industry-wide pull-forward” as the tax credit expired. It is no secret that consumers flocked to the company this past quarter to take advantage of the credit.
The bump will need to be solidified as the start of a continuing trend of strong vehicle deliveries, the firm said in a note to investors. Analysts said that one quarter of strength was “too soon to declare Tesla as having sustainably returned to growth in its core business.”
JPMorgan does not anticipate Tesla having strong showings with vehicle deliveries after Q4.
There are two distinct things that stick out with this note: the first is the lack of recognition of other parts of Tesla’s business, and the confusion that surrounds future quarters.
JPMorgan did not identify Tesla’s strength in autonomy, energy storage, or robotics, with autonomy and robotics being the main focuses of the company’s future. Tesla’s Full Self-Driving and Robotaxi efforts are incredibly relevant and drive more impact moving forward than vehicle deliveries.
Additionally, the confusion surrounding future delivery numbers in quarters past Q3 is evident.
Will Tesla thrive without the EV tax credit? Five reasons why they might
Tesla will receive some assistance from deliveries of vehicles that will reach customers in Q4, but will still qualify for the credit under the IRS’s revised rules. It will also likely introduce an affordable model this quarter, which should have a drastic impact on deliveries depending on pricing.
Tesla shares are trading at $422.40 at 2:35 p.m. on the East Coast.
Investor's Corner
Tesla Q3 deliveries expected to exceed 440k as Benchmark holds $475 target
Tesla stock ended the third quarter at $444.72 per share, giving the EV maker a market cap of $1.479 trillion at the end of Q3 2025.
Benchmark has reiterated its “Buy” rating and $475 price target on Tesla stock (NASDAQ: TSLA) as the company prepares to report its third-quarter vehicle deliveries in the coming days.
Tesla stock ended the third quarter at $444.72 per share, giving the EV maker a market cap of $1.479 trillion at the end of Q3 2025.
Benchmark’s estimates
Benchmark analyst Mickey Legg noted that he expects Tesla’s deliveries to hit around 442,000 vehicles this Q3, which is under the 448,000-unit consensus but still well above the 384,000 vehicles that the company reported in Q2 2025. According to the analyst, some optimistic estimates for Tesla’s Q3 deliveries are as high as mid-460,000s.
“Tesla is expected to report 3Q25 global production and deliveries on Thursday. We model 442,000 deliveries versus ~448,000 for FactSet consensus with some high-side calls in the mid-460,000s. A solid sequential uptick off 2Q25’s ~384,000, a measured setup into year-end given a choppy incentive/pricing backdrop,” the analyst wrote.
Benchmark is not the only firm that holds an optimistic outlook on Tesla’s Q3 results. Deutsche Bank raised its own delivery forecast to 461,500, while Piper Sandler lifted its price target to $500 following a visit to China to assess market conditions. Cantor Fitzgerald also reiterated an “Overweight” rating and $355 price target for TSLA stock.
Stock momentum meets competitive headwinds
Tesla’s anticipated Q3 results are boosted in part by the impending expiration of the federal EV tax credit in the United States, which analysts believe has encouraged buyers to finalize vehicle purchases sooner, as noted in an Investing.com report.
Tesla shares have surged nearly 30% in September, raising expectations for a strong delivery report. Benchmark warned, however, that some volatility may emerge in the coming quarter.
“With the stock up sharply into the print (roughly ~28-32% in September), its positioning raises the bar for an upside surprise to translate into further near-term strength; we also see risk of volatility if regional mix or ASPs underwhelm. We continue to anticipate policy-driven choppiness after 3Q as certain EV incentives/credits tighten or roll off in select markets, potentially creating 4Q demand air pockets and order-book lumpiness,” the analyst wrote.
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