Investor's Corner
LIVE BLOG: Tesla (TSLA) Q2 2021 earnings call summary
With its second-quarter results that include $11.958 billion in revenue and $1.1 billion of GAAP net income, Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) has all but proven that it could be a sustainable business. With Q2 2021 in the bag, after all, Tesla has now posted eight profitable quarters in a row, and that’s despite an ongoing chip shortage and supply chain issues.
As discussed in the company’s Q2 2021 Update Letter, Tesla achieved some milestones in the second quarter. Commissioning has started in some areas of Gigafactory Texas, and Giga Berlin is also moving forward. What’s more, Gigafactory Shanghai has also completed its transition as the company’s primary vehicle export hub. The development of 4680 cells has also moved forward. Even Tesla Energy hit some stride in Q2 2021, with battery storage deployments tripling year-over-year in the second quarter. The same was true for Solar Roof deployments.
The following are live updates from Tesla’s Q2 2021 earnings call. I will be updating this article in real-time, so please keep refreshing the page to view the latest updates on this story. The first entry starts at the bottom of the page.
15:40 PT: And that’s a wrap, everyone! I gotta admit, it’s kind of sad that this may one of Elon Musk’s last regular earnings call appearances. It does make sense, though, as Tesla is in a much better place now compared to before. We can never forget Elon’s most memorable earnings call moments, though. Those will live in Tesla history.
Anyway, thanks for staying with us for our Live Blog once more. Until the next time!
15:38 PT: Elon mentions a number of key tidbits about Tesla Energy. With enough cells, Tesla could hi an annualized production of 1 million Powerwall’s next year. Long-term, Musk also noted that Tesla and its suppliers would have to produce 1,000-2,000 GWh worth of batteries per year.
When asked about the company’s FSD subscription program, Musk highlighted that Tesla has to make the system work very well first. Until then, it would be difficult to forecast just how well FSD would do. “Once we have FSD fully deployed, then the value question will be clear,” Musk said.
15:30 PT: Pierre Ferragu News Street Research inquires about sourcing the company’s 4680 cells. Elon confirms that Tesla is working with its existing suppliers to produce 4680 cells for its vehicles. He also noted that Tesla’s iron-based vehicles will not use 4680 cylindrical cells, as predicted by some of the company’s more ardent bulls. Elon believes it would be ideal to do 1-3 cell formats, especially considering the massive backlog in demand for the company’s product lineup.
15:25 PT: Rod Lache of Wolfe Research asks about Tesla’s estimates for innovations such as rear castings and 4680 cells. Musk notes that making predictions is difficult. “You need a lot of crystal balls to predict exactly what it would be,” the CEO said. A follow-up question on the company’s advances in cell manufacturing technology was asked. Tesla notes that the company is making progress, but there are still challenges. Tesla notes that more than 90% of the processes have been proven, but things are still limited by the ones that have not been proven. The company, however, is happy with its dry electrode process.
15:20 PT: When asked about other services that Tesla could offer, Elon Musk noted that FSD would be the main service that the company would offer. The CEO did note that Tesla is the leader in electrification and autonomy. This is an accurate statement, regardless of the controversy that surrounds the company.
Investor questions begin. First up is Colin Rusch from Oppenheimer. He asks about the take rates for FSD. Musk notes that it’s not worth promising on this right now, as it’s not meaningful. Tesla is focused on making FSD widely available. The analyst asks about any developments with regulators and their understanding of FSD technology. Musk responds that Tesla does not see a fundamental inhibitor in this light.
Musk reiterates his previous point, noting that once autonomous driving systems are proven to be safer than human drivers, regulators would likely be more welcome. He also reiterates his previous example of elevators, which used to be manual but are now fully automated. The same thing will likely happen with autonomous driving.
15:15 PT: Last retail question for retail investors asked if Elon Musk would be open to interviews every so often on prolific TSLA bulls’ YouTube channels. “I would do it annually,” Musk said, seemingly after pondering the point. He also noted that over time, he would not be speaking in Tesla earnings calls anymore unless there’s something really important that he has to address. Elon would likely only speak during the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting.
15:12 PT: Elon notes that Tesla has a massive amount of equipment that will be coming for the mass production of 4680 cells. “Most likely, we’ll hit an annualized rate of 100 GWh per year by the end of next year,” Musk said.
15:10 PT: A question about the progress of the 4680 cells was asked. Musk noted that in limited volumes, the 4680 cells are reliable enough for vehicles already. It’s just a matter of overcoming challenges that are present when mass manufacturing the 4680 cells. “We will definitely make 4680 reliable enough for vehicles. There are a number of challenges when transitioning from small-scale production to large-scale production,” Musk said. The 4680 cells’ reliability has been validated, though, with cells having been tested for the *equivalent* of 1 million miles.
15:07 PT: A question about Tesla’s plan to open the Supercharger Network to other EVs was brought up. Elon Musk notes that the process would be simple and app-based for non-Tesla owners. He did state that there will be a time constraint. “The biggest constraint to Superchargers is time,” Musk said, adding that there are times when charging stations are packed and other times when they are empty. “Tesla will also be smarter in terms of how it charges for electricity,” Musk added, noting that Tesla will use time-based pricing for non-Tesla EVs.
Non-Tesla EVs would have to use a Supercharger adapter, which Musk jokes would be available on Supercharger Stations. “Our goal is to support the advent of sustainable energy. Our intention is not to create a walled garden that we can use to bludgeon our competitors,” Musk jested. It was also highlighted that opening the Supercharger Network to other EVs would result in the system to grow even faster than ever before.
15:02 PT: Musk noted that Tesla is looking to strengthen its raw material supply chain. He states that Tesla no longer uses cobalt in its LFP packs, and the company may even shift to iron-based cells in the future as opposed to nickel-based cells. “We expect to have zero cobalt in the future,” Musk said. The CEO added that all stationary energy storage like Powerwalls and Megapacks will use iron-based battery cells.
15:00 PT: The Tesla executive noted that the company plans to overshoot on cell for vehicles and routing cell output to Megapack and Powerwall if there is excess. And just like its present strategy, shortages in cells would likely result in a reduction in the production of the Powerwall and the Megapack.
14:58 PT: Say questions from retail investors begin. First question is about the Cybertruck production. The company noted that it would be looking to ramp Cybertruck production in Gigafactory Texas after the Model Y production starts in the TX-based facility.
Elon Musk highlights the complexity of producing vehicles, and how each EV is comprised of thousands of parts. He notes that Tesla is fastest in history for scaling large manufactured objects, comparable to the Model T. He also noted that the Cybertruck and the Semi’s volume production would be greatly affected by cell availability.
However, Tesla is expecting to see a big boost in cell availability next year. “Maybe not in January,” Musk said, but sometime in the coming year. Musk hints at Tesla having twice as many cells next year compared to 2021. This is impressive considering that this year is already record-breaking.
Seemingly avoiding his typical over-optimistic estimates, Musk emphasizes that these are just current predictions and his estimates could change depending on challenges or obstacles that might come up.
14:53 PT: Musk concludes with a statement about Full Self-Driving, and how he is confident that Tesla could achieve autonomous driving.
Tesla Chief Finance Officer Zachary Kirkhorn takes the floor, noting that the company’s financials even without credits improved substantially. He highlights Tesla’s decreasing ASP while maintaining margins for its vehicles, which was made possible by optimizing the company’s operations to a significant degree.
The CFO confirms that Tesla’s numbers for the year would be more notable in the third and fourth quarter. “Our 2021 volumes will skew for the second half of the year,” Kirkhorn said.
14:48 PT: Elon discusses the Model Y line in Giga Berlin, which would be different from the Model Ys produced thus far. He still maintains that Giga Berlin and Giga Texas could go live with Model Y production later this year.
“The Model Y line in Texas and Berlin will look mostly like the Model Ys we make, but there will be substantial differences. The Model Y in Berlin will have a cast rear body and cast front body. We’re going to structural packs,” Musk said. The CEO did state that Tesla has a backup plan with a non-structural pack and 2170 cells, but 4680 cells will definitely be used for scale production.
14:45 PT: Musk discusses how Tesla rolled out contingencies to handle the challenges brought about by the chip shortage. He credits Tesla’s team and the company’s suppliers for helping the company resolve the material shortages. The CEO also discusses the release of FSD subscriptions, which would likely have high take rates as the advanced driver-assist system becomes more mature.
Musk notes that he is in Giga Texas, and he congratulates the team building its factories. “There’s nothing a year ago, and there’s a mostly complete large factory a year later,” Musk said, lauding Giga Texas’ team.
14:40 PT: Martin Viecha takes the stage and opens with the basics. Elon and other executives are present for the earnings call. Elon starts his opening remarks. He highlights that Q2 2021 was a record quarter, in deliveries, production, and income. He also noted that electric vehicles are now at an inflection point, and that the market is now being more aware that EVs are the way forward.
14:38 PT: And we’re starting!
14:35 PT: A 5-minute delay is nothing to a Tesla veteran.
14:30 PT: And here we go. We’re at standby. 🙂 This is very on-character for Tesla.
14:25 PT: Every Tesla bull remembers, after all, those days when TSLA stock was the very picture of volatility. As someone who has watched Tesla over the years, I’m not really sure which one I prefer. The understated consistency of a mature EV maker or the drama and excitement of a disruptor trying to find its wings?
14:20 PT: Strangely enough, Tesla stock has only risen 2.28% despite the company beating Wall Street’s expectations. I wonder if TSLA shares would see a boost in the coming months once more, just like in previous years? Still, it almost feels strange seeing Tesla only move this much after an impressive earnings report.
14:15 PT: Good day, everyone, and welcome to another live blog of Tesla’s earnings call! It’s pretty amazing that just a couple of years ago, there were still big questions whether Tesla could be a sustainable business. Back then, thinking that Tesla would be profitable for a year straight already seemed like a longshot. And now we have eight consecutive profitable quarters. Anyway, we’re 15 minutes away from the Q2 2021 earnings call. Perhaps this will be a memorable one as well.
Don’t hesitate to contact us for news tips. Just send a message to tips@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.
Tesla has its answer to grow its automotive sales over the next few years, TD Cowen analyst Itay Michaeli says, but it just has to bring it to the U.S.
On Thursday, Michaeli reiterated his $490 price target and the ‘Buy’ rating he already held on Tesla stock (NASDAQ: TSLA). However, its automotive division has struggled to show sequential growth over the past few years, mostly due to its focus on AI and Full Self-Driving. Tesla already axed two of its lower-volume vehicles with the Model S and Model X earlier this year.
However, Tesla does not need to engineer an entire new vehicle to trigger an upward tick in sales; it just has to bring it from China to the U.S., Michaeli said.
He is talking about the Model Y L, a slightly larger version of the all-electric crossover that is already available in China. U.S. customers have been pleading with CEO Elon Musk to bring it to the country since its launch in Asia last year, but he’s not convinced of it because of the advent of self-driving and its importance in this particular market.
The problem is that Tesla owners have been requesting something larger that could fit a typical American family. The Model Y L is slightly larger than the standard Model Y, but some are concerned that it could still be too small to fit what most people might need.
Instead, they have asked for a full-size SUV from Tesla.
Tesla gives big hint that it will build Cyber SUV, smaller Cybertruck
Nevertheless, the Model Y L still presents a great opportunity for Tesla in the U.S., and Michaeli says that there is an additional sales opportunity of about 100,000 units, with demand potential falling somewhere between 60,000 and 135,000 units.
TD Cowen’s note to investors also analyzed that Tesla’s growth could come from a stock perspective as well, positively impacting the stock price, as it has been widely reliant on vehicle sales, even though Tesla has truly phased itself away from that being an important metric.
Tesla stands to gain greatly from the introduction of the Model Y L in the U.S., but only if Elon Musk sees it as a viable fit for the market. Families may need to see Tesla bring something larger to the U.S., or they might be forced to buy from another automaker that offers something that fits is needs for more interior space to haul around the kids.
Elon Musk
SpaceXAI just launched into your kitchen with their new app
SpaceXAI just powered its first consumer app and it predicts what you want to buy.
SpaceXAI just made its first move into consumer AI, and it involves your grocery cart. On June 3, 2026, Gopuff and SpaceXAI announced the launch of Go, a Grok-powered shopping assistant built directly into the Gopuff app that predicts what you need before you even start searching for it.
Gopuff is an instant delivery platform that operates more than 400 micro-fulfillment centers across the U.S., delivering everyday essentials, snacks, drinks, and household items in as little as 15 minutes. It is not a restaurant delivery app or a marketplace. It owns its inventory, controls its warehouses, and handles its own logistics, which means it has built one of the most detailed consumer behavior datasets in retail over its 13-year history.
Go combines SpaceXAI’s advanced reasoning, voice, and image generation models with Gopuff’s dataset of hundreds of millions of orders and real-time cultural signals from X to prepare a suggested cart the moment a customer opens the app. It learns each shopper’s habits and automatically builds a personalized cart based on time of day, location, order history, and real-time indicators. Returning customers can check out with a single tap.
Rather than searching for specific items, users can describe a situation like a game-day party or the desire for a healthy breakfast and Go will assemble a cart automatically. It can also predict when shoppers are running low on items like coffee or paper towels and have them packed and delivered in under 15 minutes. Grok voice integration lets users talk to the app in plain conversational language and check out completely hands-free.
Gopuff co-founder and co-CEO Yakir Gola said: “Today, we believe the greatest friction left in commerce is not delivery or instantaneous access to the essentials customers need. It’s the moment before: the thinking, the deciding, the remembering. We’re combining Gopuff’s demand intelligence with xAI’s frontier reasoning to create an everyday shopping experience that feels like a true extension of you.”
Why SpaceX just made a $60 billion bet on AI coding ahead of historic IPO
The timing carries context beyond the product launch. SpaceXAI was formed after SpaceX completed an all-stock merger with Elon Musk’s xAI earlier this year, folding one of the most advanced AI labs in the world into the same corporate structure as the company preparing what could be the largest IPO in history. SpaceXAI is dipping into consumer-focused AI just as it prepares for its public debut, and while Musk has openly discussed building an everything app, this launch uses Grok to power another company’s product rather than launching a standalone consumer platform. Every consumer-facing deployment of Grok ahead of the IPO roadshow adds tangible evidence that SpaceXAI is not just an infrastructure play but a direct competitor in the AI application layer where OpenAI and Google are already fighting for dominance.
Elon Musk
SpaceX’s amended S-1 is sparking a major Tesla merger conversation
A single line in SpaceX’s amended S-1 just sent Tesla stock down 5% in one day.
A single line buried in SpaceX’s amended S-1 filing is doing more to move Tesla’s stock price than anything Tesla itself has announced in months. The clause, disclosed as SpaceX prepares for what could be the largest IPO in Wall Street history, states that the company “may issue a significant amount of equity in connection with future transactions.” While this may be seen as boilerplate language in S-1 filings, the historical ties between SpaceX and Tesla, and with Elon Musk reportedly discussing a possible merger with close colleagues, investors are interpreting it as something closer to a signal.
The concern among institutional investors like Gary Black, managing director of The Future Fund, pointed directly to the amended filing on X, saying it “strongly suggests more SPCX equity will be issued,” which could potentially be used to acquire Tesla. He estimated such a deal could be 28% dilutive to Tesla shareholders since SpaceX would likely command a significantly higher valuation multiple. Black added that institutional investors he knows hate the idea of a combination because they prefer pure plays over conglomerates, which he said “nearly always gravitate to the lowest common multiple.”
The Tesla and SpaceX merger everyone is talking about is quietly building
The bull case runs the math differently. Tesla influencer and retail shareholder advocate AleXandra Merz pushed back on what she called a widespread misunderstanding of how merger-of-equals deals actually work. Rather than simply splitting the difference between two market caps, a merger exchange ratio is negotiated based on relative fair market values, meaning the lower valued company typically sees its stock reprice upward toward the deal value.
Under her model, SpaceX enters at a $2.5 trillion valuation and Tesla at $1.6 trillion, producing a combined entity worth $4.1 trillion split evenly between both shareholder groups. That implies Tesla’s side of the deal would be valued at $2.05 trillion, a gain of roughly $450 billion from its current market cap. She cited Dow-DuPont and CBS-Viacom as historical examples of how markets reprice both companies toward the announced exchange ratio after a deal is unveiled.
What does a Merger of Equals mean to Elon’s compensation packages?
Well, it changes everything.
Enjoy https://t.co/uekCldyITw pic.twitter.com/kolq1C9qTu
— AleXandra Merz 🇺🇲 (@TeslaBoomerMama) June 1, 2026
The SpaceX S-1 amendments also revealed just how much financial infrastructure already binds the two companies together. As Teslarati has reported, SpaceX purchased $697 million in Tesla Megapacks, $131 million in Cybertrucks, and the two companies have shared supply chain resources, and semiconductor fabrication plans since well before any merger conversation became public. A retail poll by Tesla influencer Sawyer Merritt is finding that 36% of respondents do not plan to buy SpaceX shares at IPO and 15.3% saying their decision depends on the valuation.
Do you plan on buying @SpaceX stock at its IPO?
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) June 1, 2026
Whether the merger happens or not, the amended filing is seemingly moving markets and sharpened a debate that is no longer theoretical. SpaceX is weeks away from trading publicly, and Tesla shareholders are now watching every word of every filing for clues about what Musk plans to do next.
Tesla has its answer to auto growth, it just has to bring it to the U.S.: analyst
Tesla Hardware 3 owners could be made whole this month
