

Investor's Corner
Tesla’s online-only sales model defended by used car dealer Carvana CEO
Tesla’s decision to adopt an online-only model to sell its electric cars was recently defended by Carvana CEO Ernie Garcia, who went on CNBC’s Squawk Alley to discuss the electric car maker’s new sales strategy. Garcia noted that while Tesla will face challenges resulting from the shift in its sales model, the company’s return policy will likely be a difference maker for some buyers.
“I think every business has its challenges, but they’ve done a pretty good job overall. I wouldn’t be betting against them. I think when you buy a new car, questions are different, but the return policy is enormously powerful like it is on the used side. A customer knows they can return it,” the CEO said.
Garcia added that he does not see Tesla’s move to an internet-based sales strategy as a threat to his business, since Carvana only deals with used cars. The CEO even pointed out that Tesla’s shift can actually be good for Carvana. “Tesla has an incredible megaphone,” he said.
Garcia’s views on Tesla is coming from a well-established position, as Carvana currently stands as one of the United States’ premier online used car dealers. Carvana sells, finances, and buys back used cars through its website, and its growth has been so impressive that the company ranked as 5th in Forbes‘s list of America’s Most Promising Companies in 2015. The online used car dealer even went public in April 2017.
Garcia’s views on Tesla is coming from a well-established position, as Carvana currently stands as one of the United States’ premier online used car dealers. Carvana sells, finances, and buys back used cars through its website. Its growth has been impressive over the years, with the company ranking as 5th in Forbes‘ list of America’s Most Promising Companies in 2015. The online used car dealer even went public in April 2017.
Tesla’s shift to an online-only sales model has proved to be a polarizing decision for the company. Tesla stock (NASDAQ:TSLA) has remained volatile since the change was announced last week, and some analysts from the Street have expressed their reservations about the new strategy. Among them was Barclays analyst Brian Johnson, who mocked Tesla by stating that the company’s adoption of an online-only model was its “un-iPhone” moment.
Other analysts were more optimistic. Toni Sacconaghi from Bernstein wrote in a research note that Tesla’s sales figures in 2018 seem to validate the company’s online-only sales strategy. “The move to direct sales is bold, though we are comforted that 70%+ of Tesla buyers in 2018 did *not* test drive prior to purchase,” Sacconaghi wrote.
Tesla’s online-only sales model is a way for the company to accelerate the rollout of the $35,000 Model 3, a vehicle that is considered as the company’s first true mass market car. Addressing the press during a call Thursday last week, Musk explained that the shift will result in a reduction of the company’s headcount, but it will be also offer a way to reduce the production costs of its vehicles by 5-6%. “We will be closing some stores, and there will be a reduction in headcount. Unfortunately, there’s no way around it. We’re sort of in a binary choice. Reduce headcount and sell the $35,000 car and have fewer people, or not provide a $35,000 car,” Musk said.
Watch Carvana CEO Ernie Garcia’s segment on CNBC’s Squawk Alley in the video below.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk’s new $29B Tesla stock award gets strange synopsis from governance firm
Did CGI not realize that Tesla Shareholders supported Musk being paid not once, but twice?

Elon Musk was recently awarded around $29 billion in Tesla stock as the company’s Board of Directors is attempting to get its CEO paid after his original pay package was denied twice by the Delaware Chancery Court.
But a new and strange synopsis from the Corporate Governance Institute (CGI) says the award is potentially a strength move to “endorse the will of a powerful CEO.” The problem is, in the same sentence, the firm said the new award brings up a “question of whether the board exists to steward a company in the interests of all stakeholders.”
The problem with their new analysis of Musk’s pay package is that shareholders voted twice on Musk’s original pay package of $56 billion. They voted to give Musk that sum on two separate occasions.
Musk’s original $56 billion pay package was approved by shareholders twice; once in 2018 and once again last year. Last year’s vote was in response to Delaware Chancery Court Kathaleen McCormick’s decision to revoke the “unfathomable sum” from Musk.
Shareholders still showed support for Musk getting paid. Tesla said in its new award to the CEO that this is a way to give him compensation for the first time in seven years.
CGI said in its note (via TipRanks):
“When a board builds its strategy around a single individual, it creates a concentration risk, not just operationally, but culturally and ethically. If that individual becomes a source of volatility, the company becomes fragile by design.”
What’s strange with this type of narrative is the fact that Tesla’s valuation has skyrocketed with Musk at the helm. Go back to 2020, and the stock is up over 200 percent. Since Musk’s $56 billion pay package was introduced in 2018, shares are up well over 1,000 percent.
Tesla engineer explains why Elon Musk deserves new pay package
Musk’s 2018 pay package was also not awarded to him without performance-based incentives. He was required to reach certain growth goals, all of which were accomplished through the launch of new vehicles and the advancements of its driver-assistance suites, like Autopilot and Full Self-Driving.
It is tough to agree with CGI’s perception of Musk’s new pay plan, especially as it is much less than what shareholders voted on twice. Musk deserves to be paid for his contributions to Tesla.
Investor's Corner
Tesla gets its best analysis from Morgan Stanley as ‘it’s all about to change’
He maintained its ‘Overweight’ rating and the $410 price target Morgan Stanley had on the stock.

Tesla has gotten perhaps its best analysis from Morgan Stanley in quite some time, as the Wall Street firm claims that “it’s all about to change.”
That phrase could be used for both the company’s status and the world in general.
Analyst Adam Jonas said in a new note on Thursday to investors that Tesla could be one of the major winners in terms of the global transition from what it is now to what it will be.
He describes the global shift that will occur over the next few years:
“Have you interacted with a robot today? Have you even seen a robot today? No? Well, take a mental picture because it’s all about to change. When we meet someone who has never been in a Waymo or a Tesla Cybercab (which is most people), we frequently see a wince and a response such as ‘I’m not sure I’d feel comfortable getting in a car without a driver.’ We imagine going back in time to 1903 and asking people if they’d feel comfortable in an airplane.'”
The same technological revolutions that have occurred over the past 150 years will continue to occur again and again. We are on the verge of another, Jonas believes, as companies like Tesla are working on artificial intelligence tech, which includes changing the way we look at things like transportation and labor.
Jonas includes an interesting tidbit in his note about how humanoid robots could change wages, and how it could work into the advantage of Tesla, especially as it is developing its own Optimus robot:
“We estimate 1 humanoid robot at $5/hour can do the work of 2 humans at $25/hour, generating an NPV of approximately $200k/humanoid. 1 robot shaped car can potentially drive down cost/mile of a ride share vehicle to <$0.20 mile (1/10th human-driven ride-share).”
Jonas sees Tesla as a key player in how AI will impact things like manufacturing and various automotive industries, and he believes there is long-term potential for AI, robomobility, and even autonomous eVTOL platforms.
Tesla stock: Morgan Stanley says eVTOL is calling Elon Musk for new chapter
He maintained its ‘Overweight’ rating and the $410 price target Morgan Stanley had on the stock.
Elon Musk
Tesla stock gets crazy prediction from CEO Elon Musk
Musk says this is what it would take to be a millionaire from a Tesla investment right now.

Tesla stock (NASDAQ: TSLA) got a crazy prediction from CEO Elon Musk recently, as the future of the company seems to be moving more toward AI, autonomy, and robotics, and away from automotive, which is what it has traditionally been recognized as.
Over the past few years, as Tesla has prioritized its Full Self-Driving suite, its rollout of a dedicated Robotaxi program, and the development of the Optimus bot, the company has gained a new reputation from analysts.
It was always looked at as a stock with tremendous potential by many Wall Street firms, some more than others.
The most bullish analysts, like Cathie Wood of ARK Invest, believe the company will eventually reach a multi-trillion-dollar valuation and a share price of over $2,000. Her $2,600 price target does not include any contributions of Optimus. Instead, it leans on Full Self-Driving and Robotaxi.
Based on where the company is now, there are a lot of potential catalysts. The Robotaxi expansion, as well as affordable vehicles, its prowess in AI and Robotics, and its powerful energy division are all arguments for investment.
One X user said that a $150,000 investment in Tesla right now would likely make you a millionaire. Musk said he thinks that sentiment is “probably correct.”
I think this is probably correct
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 5, 2025
He’s echoed this belief in recent earnings calls, including the one for Q2, which happened in July:
“I do think if Tesla continues to execute well with vehicle autonomy and humanoid robot autonomy, it will be the most valuable company in the world. A lot of execution between here and there. It doesn’t just happen. Provided we execute very well, I think Tesla has a shot at being the most valuable company in the world. Obviously, I am extremely optimistic about the future of the company.”
Tesla is trading at $316.50 at the time of writing, and has a market cap of just under $1 trillion.
-
Elon Musk6 days ago
Elon Musk teases crazy new Tesla FSD model: here’s when it’s coming
-
Elon Musk3 days ago
Elon Musk confirms Tesla AI6 chip is Project Dojo’s successor
-
News3 days ago
Tesla Model Y L reportedly entered mass production in Giga Shanghai
-
Elon Musk4 days ago
Tesla CEO Elon Musk details massive FSD update set for September release
-
News2 weeks ago
Elon Musk highlights Tesla Model Y’s most underrated feature
-
News2 weeks ago
Tesla takes first step in sunsetting Model S and X with drastic move
-
Cybertruck3 days ago
Tesla’s new upgrade makes the Cybertruck extra-terrestrial
-
Lifestyle2 weeks ago
Tesla brings perhaps the coolest interior feature to cars in latest update