CEO Of Netflix, Reed Hastings, attends the red carpet during the Netflix presentation party at the Invernadero del Palacio de Cristal de la Arganzuela on April 4, 2019 in Madrid, Spain.

Juan Naharro Gimenez | Getty Images

Here are the biggest calls on Wall Street on Tuesday:

UBS raised its price target on the stock on iPhone "optimism."

"Apple stock has outperformed the broader market in anticipation of a strong 5G upgrade cycle. Our Asia supply chain work supports four 2020 iPhone models. In aggregate, we see 65MM 5G units for 2020. We are more optimistic on 5G upgrade based on our latest smartphone survey data (22% citing 5G as a factor, though still lagging performance related factors)."

Atlantic Equities downgraded Apple and said it believed the 5G cycle was "fully priced in."

"The stock's recent run has been driven by growing optimism for the 5G iPhone cycle, ongoing strength of Services and Wearables and apparent robust iPhone 11 demand. However, we believe upside potential from the 5G cycle is now more than fully priced in, Services and Wearables are unlikely to be a source of material upside and iPhone 11 could still disappointment, leaving risks now skewed to the downside, in our view."

Read more about this call here.

See original here:

Tuesday's calls of the day: Apple, Tesla, Netflix, Five Below & more. - CNBC

Tesla is facing some opposition to its Gigafactory 4 plan in Germany where it needs to cut down a lot of trees to build the plant in a forest near Berlin.

Local residents are protesting at the Gigafactory 4 site over the deforestation plan.

Last year,CEO Elon Musk confirmed that Tesla is going to build Gigafactory 4 in the Berlin area.

The project will be sited on a 300-hectare plot of land next to the GVZ Berlin-Ost Freienbrink industrial park, which Tesla is trying to buy for 40 million.

Musk said that Tesla will build batteries, powertrains, and vehicles, starting with Model Y at Gigafactory 4 in Germany.

Over the last two months, the plan for the new factory has been gradually revealed through new construction plans and environmental assessments.

In order to build, Tesla is going to have to cut down a large number of trees. The section that needs to be deforested is shown in red below:

The company is expected to start the process soon and will be finished by the end of February.

Even thoughTesla committed to planting three times as many trees as it is going to cut down, it is a controversial process due to the complex nature of the ecosystem.

As we previously reported, one issue is that the forest is home to many animals, and one of them is an endangered species of bat that Tesla is going to have to move.

Now the opposition to the project due to the deforestation is growing.

Germanys RBB 24 is reporting that about 50 people gathered at the site to protest the project:

The demonstrators, wearing yellow safety vests based on the French yellow vest movement, criticized insufficient public participation and called for the preservation of the forest. There are also concerns that the drinking water supply may be at risk.

Members of the Frstenwald branch of the Nature Conservation Association (NABU) were part of the protest and they say that more are to follow.

NABU member Nadine Rothmaier, who was part of the protest, commented:

I think every citizen here has his own topic. For some, it is nature and the forest or people. The factory will also emit pollutants that pollute the region.

She didnt offer any reference to back up her claim that the new Tesla factory will emit pollutants.

In order to stay on schedule for the start of production in July 2021, Tesla will need to start construction in the next few months.

While I understand their concerns, I am sure that Tesla will have to go through all the appropriate processes to comply with the environmental requirements in the region.

I am all for that, but I think the factory will ultimately have a greater positive impact on the environment by accelerating the transition away from fossil-fuel-burning vehicles to electric vehicles.

NABU apparently has a reputation in Germany for trying to stop most major construction projects, including renewable energy projects, like solar and wind farms, which I think is shortsighted.

What do you think? Let us know in the comment section below.

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Tesla faces protest at Gigafactory 4 site over cutting down the forest - Electrek

After we published Andrew McMahons concerns about the Tesla All-Weather Kit, we left a question to answer with more evidence. It was this one: Can a fix be worse than the defect it aims to correct? We can now say for sure it can, as the video above reveals. It was made by MacMahon after he and James Watson, from the Wildcard Automotive Studio, decided to check the mudflaps. The result can be seen above.

42 Photos

We will let McMahon tell you what he found with his own words.

As you can see, McMahon was really disappointed to see how much dirt the mudflaps had collected from January 6 to January 12. In less than a week, it made the car look like if it had been on an off-road trail. He even compares that to a mudflap on a Volvo V60, which you can see below.

I live in downtown Toronto. Thats normal city driving, no country driving.

Unlike what we believed, Tesla does not offer the installation of the All-Weather Kit for free. It just gives it away. In case you want the company to put them in place, you have to pay for that.

The left side mudguard has a bigger gap than the one on the right side. I got them for free from Tesla and had to pay 29 bucks to install. The reason why I chose for Tesla to install them was that if anything went wrong with them, it would be Teslas responsibility.

To be more precise, McMahon paid C$29,66.

It would not be strange if this price included the cost of the mudflaps. Most owners may prefer the company to install them for the same reasons McMahon gave us.

One of the reasons for Teslas mudguards not to be so effective is that they use the current bores of the car to fix them. More effective mudflaps require new drillings, which may also pose a risk for rust. McMahon has made a picture comparing the Tesla solution and one with the aftermarket mudguards. On the left, you see the aftermarket solution. On the right, Tesla's.

Besides McMahons findings, we have also spoken to Yannick Lachance. He owns Valkyrie PPF Solutions. Chaim Edge kindly got in touch with us and let us know who the author was. Lachance also told us everything he could about Teslas solution for paint chipping. He even provided us the original video, unfortunately only in French.

Thank you for having written the article. I can tell you it was not a joke. I had no bad intentions in doing it. It was only to inform people of what is going on.

That was not the first Tesla with the All-Weather Kit Lachance dealt with.

The car belongs to a client that came to my shop for PPF. To do my work, I have to take out the mudguards, and it is always the same thing every time: bolts almost stripped off and mud. None of my clients want me to put it back after seeing that. It is a poisoned present, in my opinion. For those that want mudflaps, we install a different one.

This issue does not affect only the Tesla-sourced mudflaps.

I see this in all molded mudguards. This is why we install the rally model. The underskirt also accumulates a lot of dirt.

We asked Lachance what he thinks is causing this.

It's just a bad design, it doesn't block the hole in the inside fenders, and this allows for debris to fall straight down in the mudguard. There's a drain hole at the bottom, but it's not big enough to let debris out. It also rubs on the side rocker panel, which damages the paint and will eventually cause rust.

That is not the only problem with the free All-Weather Kit. If you still want to install it, get the short one.

If you add the longer version, like in the video, it harms ground clearance because it is so long and this makes debris flow at the back end of the rocker. That leads to stone chips.

In other words...

It's sad to see these beautiful cars get damaged by an upgrade part that is meant to fix issues. It will maybe make them worse in the short term. It's a green car, but it doesn't need to have plants growing in it.

17 Photos

It is worth to remember Tesla decided to give these All-Weather Kits away because there are many cases of Model 3 paint chipping all over the world, especially in countries with cold weather. Not by coincidence, these are the countries in which Tesla is offering the said kits.

Some think this is a problem related to salt on the roads. The problem is that many of these chipping cases happened in cars bought in the summer, soon after being delivered. So there has to be something else causing the issues. Lachance names two reasons.

The design of the car makes it prone to chipping.

That is something Guillaume Andr has already mentioned. The other reason is the same one the Finnish Chamber of Commerce gave a consumer in Finland: the paint is too soft.

I have been putting paint protection film on cars for 12 years. The paint is so fresh out of the plant and right away in the customer's hands that it's curing time is very short. The paint isn't worse than any other manufacturers. The fact that's is still soft when delivered doesn't help.For the paint defects, there's less of them now.

Lachance talks with quite some experience.

We do about ten Model 3 units every month. We are a PPF and paint shop but also like to give our Tesla customers the opportunity to have a one-stop-shop with tire change and accessories. We love the EV community and are prone to do only EVs.

Will Tesla redesign the mudflaps? Will it improve paint curing? Will it offer PPF as a standard item on the lower parts of the Model 3? Those last two solutions would probably be the only effective ways to avoid the chipping some Model 3 owners complain about. Or a new generation of the car, but we suspect it will not happen anytime soon.

Read the original:

Tesla All-Weather Kit: The Correction Is Worse Than The Defect - InsideEVs

Tesla Inc CEO Elon Musk attends an opening ceremony for Tesla China-made Model Y program in Shanghai, China January 7, 2020.

Aly Song | Reuters

Here are the biggest calls on Wall Street on Monday:

Deutsche Bank kept its hold rating on the stock and named the company as a catalyst call buy idea for the short-term. It also saidit thinks GE could post a better-than-expected fourth quarter in its next earnings report on January 29.

"However, we see the potential for GE to deliver a beat in 4Q19 and 2020e guidance that suggests upside to current consensus at the midpoint of the range. Despite GE's recent share price outperformance, we see the potential for a result consistent with our expectation to drive continued upward momentum in the stock price."

Evercore said in its downgrade of the stock that it sees a difficult first half of 2020 due to macro headwinds among other things.

"We are adjusting our rating on IBM to In Line from Outperform as we see macro headwinds combined with a difficult H1:20 setup that warrants incremental caution especially given the current net leverage. Though positively, we see IBM+ Red Hat being well positioned to enable the shift to Hybrid era for large enterprises."

More here:

Monday's analyst calls of the day: Tesla, Nvidia, Microsoft & more. - CNBC

CNBC's Jim Cramer has been hammering home the difference between meaningless and meaningful gains on the stock market and on Monday laid out a basket of companies that are rising for good reason.

"We don't want to be in a situation where stocks keep roaring on the same old, same old information, so it's a relief to see a bunch of winners rallying on genuine good news," the "Mad Money" host said.

Take Tesla, for example.

The electric-vehicle maker sprinted more than 9% higher on the day to close at an all-time high of $524.86, but there is real reason for the rally, Cramer said.

It's because of a report that said China is willing to extend electric-vehicle subsidies it may have phased out, Cramer explained.

"Elon Musk wants to produce 250,000 cars in China, and as long as the Communist Party keeps subsidizing them, I think Tesla could have some very, very big numbers," Cramer said.

While Lululemon Athletica didn't pop as significantly as Tesla, the clothing company rose more than 4% to $245.18 after it increased its quarterly sales and profit outlook.

Some investors had worried that Lululemon may have experienced the kind of weaker sales in its women's business that plagued Kohl's during the holiday season, Cramer said.

"I know Lulu's still pretty expensive, but if the earnings estimates are too low, that means the stock can go higher," he said.

Beyond Meat is another example of a company whose stock went higher for good reason, not just pure market momentum, Cramer said.

The maker of plant-based burger alternatives was up almost 20% to $114.34 per share, adding to its big run last week, following reports that McDonald's was expanding its Canadian trial to 52 stores total.

That kind of move, Cramer said, makes sense because "McDonald's is the largest fast food chain on Earth."

"If they ever decide to roll out Beyond Burgers in all of their locations, then this stock will be headed much, much higher," he said.

There are stocks rising on old information, however, which is something to be wary about, Cramer said.

He pointed to Salesforce, Adobe, Nvidia and Apple. All of the companies rose more than 1.5% on Monday, with Nvidia touching a 52-week intraday high of $252.99 before closing up 3.1%.

But their moves to the upside were largely based on information that had already been out there, such as Nvidia seeing a price target boost centered around optimism on artificial intelligence and ray tracing in video games.

That is "stuff I've talked about ... endlessly," Cramer said. "I love the stock, but holy cow, I wish it didn't have so much momentum."

Ahead of earnings season, which begins in earnest with big banks Tuesday, Cramer said he is fearful expectations may be too high around the market. The only exception, he said, is oil stocks.

"Still, at least some stocks are rallying on good news, not mere momentum," he said. "I just wish there were more of them."

Disclosure: Cramer's charitable trust owns shares of Kohl's, Apple, Salesforce.com and Nvidia.

Questions for Cramer?Call Cramer: 1-800-743-CNBC

Want to take a deep dive into Cramer's world? Hit him up!Mad Money Twitter - Jim Cramer Twitter - Facebook - Instagram

Questions, comments, suggestions for the "Mad Money" website? madcap@cnbc.com

Excerpt from:

Jim Cramer breaks down the rallies behind Tesla, Beyond Meat and Lululemon - CNBC

GOTHENBURG, SWEDEN - 2019/09/14: An American automotive and energy company that specialises in ... [+] electric car manufacturing Tesla logo seen in Gothenburg. (Photo by Karol Serewis/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Question: With Tesla stock up over 35% in the last month, many Trefis users asked: how likely is it that the rally will continue over the next week, next month or the next quarter?

Answer: Turns out, according to the Trefis Machine Learning Engine, if youre looking for an additional 10% gain at the back of this run, there is a chance of only about 18% that such a gain will materialize in a week while a 10% gain is about 38% likely over the next month. However, there is a roughly 20% chance of a 5% drop over the next month.

What about the possibility of a 10% drop in Teslas stock after such a run? You can test the answer and many other combinations on the Trefis AI Engine for Tesla Stock: Chances for Rebound after a Fall, or, the chance of a Dip after a Rise.

Below, we also discuss a few scenarios and answer common investor questions:

Question 1: Does a rise in Tesla stock become more likely after a drop?

Answer:

Consider two situations:

Case 1: Tesla stock drops by 5% or more in a week

Case 2: Tesla stock rises by 5% or more in a week

Is the chance of say a 5% rise in Tesla stock over the subsequent month after Case 1 or Case 2 occurs much higher for one versus the other?

Interestingly, for Tesla, the answer is not really. The chances of a 5% rise over the next month (21 trading days) is about 39% for Case 1, i.e. when Teslas stock has just suffered a loss, versus about 43% for Case 2.

Question 2: What about the other way around, does a drop in Tesla stock become more likely after a rise?

Answer:

Consider, once again, two cases:

Case 1: Tesla stock drops by 5% in a week

Case 2: Tesla stock rises by 5% in a week

The chance of a 5% drop after Case 1 is about 28%, versus about 29% for Case 2. For comparison, for the S&P 500 and for many other stocks, it turns out the chances of a 5% drop after Case 1 or Case 2 has occurred are also quite similar.

Question 3: Does patience pay?

Answer:

If you buy and hold Tesla stock, the expectation is over time the near term fluctuations will cancel out, and the long-term positive trend will favor you at least if the company is otherwise strong.

Overall, according to data and Trefis machine learning engines calculations, patience absolutely pays for most stocks!

For after a drop of 5% in Tesla stock over a week (5 trading days), while there is only about 26% chance the stock will gain 5% over the subsequent week, there is more than 53% chance this will happen in 3 months, and 54% chance itll gain 5% over a year (about 250 trading days).

The table below shows the trend for Tesla stock:

Trefis

Question 4: What about the possibility of a drop after a rise if you wait for a while?

Answer:

There are two opposing forces at work on Tesla stock here. First, is the general positive bias for Tesla stock (and for most other stocks) that pulls the stock upwards with time. Second, the basic chance of a drop, as a chance of any event happening, should simply increase with the passage of time.

After seeing a rise of 5% over 5 days, the chances of a 5% drop in Tesla stock are about 29% over the subsequent month of waiting (21 trading days) and this increases to 32% when the waiting period is a quarter (63 trading days).

The table below shows the trend for Tesla stock:

Whats behind Trefis? See How Its Powering New Collaboration and What-Ifs ForCFOs and Finance Teams|Product, R&D, and Marketing Teams More Trefis Data Like our charts? Exploreexample interactive dashboardsand create your own

Read the original:

Teslas Stock Is On The Run; Time To Take Profits? Ask The AI Engine - Forbes

The following is a transcript of the video.

Narrator: If you ask anyone what the future of cars looks like, they'll probably tell you it's electric and that Tesla is at the forefront of the movement. But what if I told you that there's another option that could be just as good or even better than battery-electric vehicles? What if you could power cars with the most abundant resource in the universe with water as the only byproduct? And they're more likely to disrupt the auto industry than battery-powered cars, like Teslas. Hydrogen fuel cells have been a technology of great promise as well as great skepticism. Elon Musk himself often mocks hydrogen fuel cell technology, going so far as to call them "fool cells" and "mind-bogglingly stupid." But major automakers still see promise.

First, let's define the terms. Battery electric vehicles, or BEVs, are the electric vehicles that most of us are familiar with today, like Teslas. They use a battery to store electricity and power the electric motor. A hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle, or FCEV, like Toyota's Mirai, combines hydrogen with oxygen to produce electricity, which then powers the electric motor that drives the car. Now, when it comes to why people don't buy battery-electric vehicles like Teslas, there are three main reasons: They take too long to recharge, they have a limited range before they need to be recharged, and they cost a lot more than your comparable gas-powered car. So, how do hydrogen cars stack up in these areas?

When it comes to recharging, hydrogen cars have battery-electrics beat. At a supercharging station, a Tesla can charge anywhere from 30% to 50% in 15 minutes, but you'll be at the charging station for over an hour for a full charge. Fuel-cell vehicles don't require charging at all. The hydrogen tank is refilled at a hydrogen station in less than five minutes, just like your typical gas station today. That's because FCEVs don't store electricity like a battery; they create it on demand to power the motor. When it comes to range, hydrogen-powered cars seem to come out on top again. Between the three fuel-cell vehicles on the road today, they have a range of 312, 360, and 380 miles. Most electric vehicles have a range under 250 miles. While some Tesla models offer a range of more than 300 miles, they often cost more than the average car buyer can afford.

Range and refueling times are so important that 78% of automotive executives believe fuel-cell vehicles will be the breakthrough for electric mobility. But that's not to say fuel-cell vehicles don't have challenges of their own. FCEVs need more competitive pricing. The suggested retail price for the fuel-cell vehicles available today is around $60,000, which is about $20,000 more than an entry-level BEV. That's because production size of these vehicles is incredibly low. With only a few thousand or few hundred being made every year, it's nearly impossible for prices to be competitive. But that could soon be changing. Automakers are looking to increase the production of their FCEVs. Toyota, in particular, has increased its production capabilities tenfold to eventually bring down the cost of its Mirai. The real challenge for hydrogen fuel cells is the lack of infrastructure. In the US, the majority of hydrogen stations are in California, with just over 40 available to fuel-cell owners. For FCEVs to become the breakthrough that automotive executives believe in, a vast network for hydrogen stations is vital. And automakers are slowly working to make it happen.

Jackie Birdsall: We do get to work together with the other automakers, as well as with, you know, here in California, the state of California and the industrial gas suppliers, or whomever the energy provider is, to be able to site hydrogen stations where it makes the most sense for all of the automakers' vehicles. And so that's to try to make sure that any investment that we make is best leveraged by all of the consumers from all of the automakers that currently offer fuel-cell vehicles.

Narrator: If and when fuel-cell vehicles scale, Tesla will have a tough challenge on their hands. They'll have to increase range while simultaneously decreasing recharging time and price. But Teslas, and any battery-electric vehicles, are limited because of the law of diminishing returns. Increasing the range requires a larger battery. A larger battery will add more weight to the car. After a certain point, the added weight no longer yields additional range. With FCEVs, it's just a numbers game. More hydrogen stations equal more cars, and more cars equal more affordable fuel-cell vehicles. Tesla has a lock on the zero-emissions market in America, controlling a whopping 60% of the EV market. But that's still only 2% of the entire US car market. And those numbers decrease when we talk about the global car market. The only thing really holding FCEVs back is infrastructure, and as hydrogen stations become more abundant, Tesla could lose the majority of the zero-emissions market. For a technology that's "mind-bogglingly stupid," it has serious potential to become a real competition for the very same customers that Tesla's aiming for. So, Elon might want to take notice.

Link:

Why hydrogen cars will be Tesla's biggest threat - Business Insider

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL January 14, 2020 Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include: Tesla, Inc. TSLA, Blue Bird Corp. BLBD, PACCAR Inc PCAR, AutoZone, Inc. AZO and Motorcar Parts of America, Inc. MPAA.

Here are highlights from Mondays Analyst Blog:

Tesla (TSLA) and Other Automotive Stocks to Zoom in 2020

Since the financial crisis a decade ago, U.S. vehicle sales have only gone up. Sales hit a record 17.6 million in 2016 after it had bottomed out at 10.4 million in 2009. But since then, sales have been near the 17-million mark, providing an unusual steady trend for an industry that is particularly cyclical in nature.

Industry experts, however, expect the auto industry to slow down a bit this year. Analysts now expect U.S. auto sales for the year to decline between 1% to 2%. Whats more, the auto industry in China, the worlds largest auto market, is expected to witness a 2% fall in vehicles sales this year, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM). By the way, stricter emission standards may hamper auto sales in the European Union region.

But despite the moribund sales prediction, completely neglecting auto stocks wont be the right thing to do. Especially if you look at Tesla, Inc.! Wall Street is currently loving the electric carmaker. It has now become the most valuable U.S. automaker in history and its market cap is almost double that of Ford and General Motors combined.

According to data from the Center for Research in Security Prices, Tesla now has a market value of $86 billion, which tops the previous record high of $76.1 billion for shares of Ford in 1999. Needless to say, the Italian car manufacturer Fiat Chrysler is a distant fourth, with a market value of around $22 billion.

But does Teslas meteoric rise raises doubt about its future price movement? Certainly not! Even though Tesla recently unveiled its much-awaited all-electric Cybertruck, the Model 3 designed for electric-powered performance has been a game changer. And with the company delivering 112,000 vehicles (mostly Model 3) in the fourth quarter of 2019, the company is poised to gain this year as well. The highly-anticipated launch of Model Y, a small crossover vehicle, will also boost the company this year.

Teslas orders, in the meantime, have been increasing steadily. Throughout last year, Teslas orders grew at an impressive rate. And since the federal credit for U.S.-based buyers of Tesla vehicles has been trimmed, orders will continue to rise this year. Additionally, demand for Model X and S has been increasing sequentially again. Tesla CFO Zach Kirkhorn confirmed that the company is increasing production on S and X lines in response to increasing demand.

Tesla, thus, possesses a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings has risen 46% over the past 60 days. The companys expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 79.7%, way more than the Automotive - Domestic industrys estimated rise of 7.8%. Tesla, in fact, has outperformed the broader industry over the past year (+43.0% vs +18.6%). You can seethe complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

But why just invest in Tesla? Investors should be a little more adventurous and increase their bets on other auto stocks poised to gain in the near term. In this process, you can double your returns. After all, the healthy U.S. economy, low gas prices, low interest rates and longer loan terms bode well for the auto industry this year. So, here are the obvious choices

Blue Bird Corp.designs, engineers, manufactures and sells school buses and related parts in the United States. The company currently has a Zacks Rank #2. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings has moved up 0.5% over the past 60 days. The company, which is part of the Automotive - Domestic industry, is expected to record earnings growth of 80% and 25.5% for the current quarter and year, respectively.

PACCAR Incdesigns, manufactures, and distributes light, medium, and heavy-duty commercial trucks in the United States. The company currently has a Zacks Rank #2. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings has climbed 0.1% over the past 60 days. The company, which is part of the Automotive - Domestic industry, is expected to see earnings growth of 9.8% in the current year.

Story continues

AutoZone, Inc. retails and distributes automotive replacement parts and accessories. The company currently has a Zacks Rank #2. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings has risen 1.1% over the past 60 days. The company, which is part of the Automotive - Retail and Wholesale - Parts industry, is expected to post earnings growth of 3.7% and 4.3% in the current quarter and year, respectively.

Motorcar Parts of America, Inc. manufactures, remanufactures, and distributes heavy-duty truck, industrial, marine, and agricultural application replacement parts. The company currently has a Zacks Rank #2. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings has moved 1.7% up over the past 90 days. The company, which is part of the Automotive - Replacement Parts industry, is expected to see earnings growth of 22.9% and 5.2% in the current quarter and year, respectively.

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The Zacks Analyst Blog Highlights: Tesla, Blue Bird, PACCAR, AutoZone and Motorcar Parts of America - Yahoo Finance

Tesla Inc. is as big as peak Ford Motor Co., with the Silicon Valley electric-car maker stock closing at a record on Wednesday.

Tesla TSLA, +2.49% shares rose 4.9% to end at a record $492.14 on Wednesday, the latest in a series of ever-climbing notches that stretch back to mid-December. The shares traded as high as $498.49.

Teslas market capitalization has zoomed above $88 billion, beating Fords at its valuation peak a market cap of $80.8 billion in 1999, the same year Teslas Chief Executive Elon Musk founded a couple of tech companies, including the one that would later become PayPal Holdings Inc. PYPL, -0.56% In todays dollars, Fords 1999 valuation would be the equivalent of about $124 billion.

Tesla has been the No. 1 U.S. auto maker in terms of market value off and on in the recent past, but it is the first time its market cap has topped Fords F, +0.54% at its highest valuation. Ford is currently valued at more than $36 billion, and General Motors Co. GM, +0.49% is valued at $50 billion.

Teslas stock rally got a boost last week when the company reported above-expectations fourth-quarter deliveries, its proxy for sales.

By Tuesday morning, Musk made meme-ready waves by pulling some dance moves while heralding a very exciting future for Tesla in China to the tune of More Than You Know by Axwell Ingrosso.

Tesla was showcasing the delivery of the first Model 3 sedans made at the companys plant in the Shanghai area.

Investors do not yet know the date of Teslas reporting fourth-quarter results, expected for late January or early February.

Analysts polled by FactSet expect the car maker to report an adjusted profit of $1.53 a share on sales of $6.9 billion. That would compare with fourth-quarter 2018 profit of $1.93 a share on sales of $7.2 billion.

On Tuesday, analyst Bill Selesky of Argus Research raised his price target on Tesla shares to $556, among the highest on Wall Street. Credit Suisse analysts also raised their price target on the stock this week, to $340 from $200.

Despite being under the current share price, the new price target gives Tesla credit in multiple ways, the analysts said. Even with all that Tesla stock appears rich, they said. The analysts, led by Dan Levy, kept the equivalent of a sell rating on the stock.

Tesla shares have gained 47% in the past 12 months, compared with advances of 26% and 21% for the S&P 500 index SPX, -0.15% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average. DJIA, +0.11%

Link:

Teslas market cap is now bigger than Fords was at its peak - MarketWatch

Elon Musk, the busy chief executive of both electric car maker Tesla and space exploration group SpaceX, still finds time to troll on Twitterwith the bitcoin and cryptocurrency community a regular target.

Musk, who often generates headlines with his Twitter account by posting both memes and serious news about his businesses, has previously praised joke bitcoin-rival dogecoin and discussed the second most valuable cryptocurrency, ethereum, on the site.

Now, the bitcoin and cryptocurrency community, many of whom are still pondering bitcoin's latest roller-coaster, have been left scratching their heads after Musk tweeted "bitcoin is not my safe word," early on Friday morning.

Elon Musk made his fortune from payments company PayPal before setting up Tesla and SpaceX. Musk has ... [+] previously used micro-blogging platform Twitter to praise bitcoin and other major cryptocurrencies.

Bitcoin and cryptocurrency watchers follow the likes of Elon Musk and Twitter's Jack Dorsey closely, with many hopeful the next wave of bitcoin and crypto adoption will come on the back of uptake from Silicon Valley's biggest technology companies.

In December, Dorsey, who like Musk heads up two U.S.-listed companies, revealed he plans to spend time in Africa this year and wants to help develop bitcoin and crypto businesses there.

Musk has, however, indicated he won't be getting into cryptocurrency directly. Musk has calledbitcoins structure "quite brilliant," though at the same time poured cold water on suggestions Tesla could get into the bitcoin businesses.

Last year, Musksurprised the bitcoin and cryptocurrency community by saying that the meme-based dogecoin is his "fav" cryptocurrency, even ahead of original cryptocurrency bitcoin.

When Musk tweeted the word "ethereum" last year he quickly followed it up by tweeting "jk"thought to be an attempt at preventing Twitter from suspending his account, which has previously been locked after tweeting about cryptocurrencies due to bitcoin and cryptocurrency give-away scammers using his name and likeness.

The bitcoin price has struggled since hitting highs of around $14,000 in early July last year.

Meanwhile, shares in Tesla have soared this week, with its market value now topping the combined value of U.S. rivals Ford and General Motors and landing it the title of the highest-valued automaker of all time.

The sharp rise in Tesla's valuation, which has doubled since October, comes after it revealed a surprise third-quarter profit and delivered a record 367,500 cars in 2019.

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Teslas Elon Musk Teases Bitcoin Community With Tongue-In-Cheek Tweet - Forbes

Dubbed the Tesla Cyberquad on steroids, this electric off-roader goes 70 miles per hour, has a range of 60 miles and is powered by Nissan LEAF batteries. See it in action both on and off the road right here.

When Tesla debuted the Cybertruck, it rolled out the Cyberquad. Tesla CEO Elon Musk later confirmed that the Cyberquad would indeed be sold to the public. the Cyberquad is the inspiration behind this extreme 4-wheeler build.

This electric quad pumps out 32 kW (43 horsepower) of power and features LEAF batteries in a 72-volt, 60Ah, 450 amp setup.

Tesla didn't release any specs for its Cyberquad, but we're pretty sure that the electric quad featured here is just as capable as the Cyberquad will be, perhaps even more so.

In the video, you'll see the quad doing donuts with ease, flying through standing water, flinging mud, doing wheelies and even performing some smoky burnouts. It's clear to us that this is one killer electric machine.

Check it out and then let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Video description via Jalapi on YouTube:

This video demos the custom 32kW custom electric quad built by Daren Crigler. This quad is the first of it's kind boasting a whopping 32kW of fully electric power. With a top speed of 70mph and an average range of 60 miles per charge.

Build Specs:

- 2005 Yamaha YFZ 450 chassis

- ME1507 motor with RLS hall based sensor

- ASI 8000 controller from Electric Race Technologies

- 72v 60Ah 450a peak Nissan Leaf battery

- 32KW peak power

For more information about the build search "YFZ" in Facebook group: Electric Motorcycle Builds http://www.electricmotorcyclebuilds.com

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This Bonkers Electric Quad Is The Tesla Cyberquad On Steroids - InsideEVs

It's earnings season!

Jim Cramer is at the JPMorgan Healthcare Conference all week, so Jeff Marks, senior portfolio analyst with Action Alerts PLUS, is joining TheStreet's live show.

This morning, ahead of the opening bell, we got earnings from JPMorgan Chase(JPM) - Get Report, Wells Fargo(WFC) - Get Report and Citigroup(C) - Get Report.

JPMorgan reported earnings for the three months ending in December that came in at $2.57 per share, up 29.8% from the same period last year and well ahead of the Street consensus forecast of $2.35 per share. Group managed revenues, JPMorgan said, rose 9% to $29.2 billion, against topping analysts' forecasts of a $27.96 billion tally

And then Citigroup reported earnings of $4.98 billion, or $1.90 a share, in the fourth quarter, up from $4.31 billion, or $1.61 a share, from the same period last year. Analysts polled by FactSet had been expecting per-share earnings of $1.81 a share.

Finally, Wells Fargo reported earnings for that came in at 60 cents per share, including a 33 cents per share hit from litigation costs, a figure that fell shy of the Street consensus forecast of $1.12 per share. Group revenues also missed forecasts, falling 5.2% to $19.9 billion as net interest income fell 11.1% to $11.2 billion.

Tesla(TSLA) - Get Report is quickly heading towards $600 a share.

And, on Tuesday, Jefferies lifted its one-year price target on the electric vehicle company's stock price by 50% to $600 amid what it sees as a very favorable 2020 earnings outlook.

In a note to clients, Jefferies analyst Philippe Houchois said cashing in based on current valuation would be a mistake, given the company is likely to turn profitable this year - something many analysts including Jefferies weren't calling for even 12 months ago.

On Monday,Oppenheimer analysts boosted their price target to a Wall Street high of $612 a share and called for Tesla's inclusion in U.S. equity benchmarks.

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Tesla's on a Tear: Top Takeaways From the Bank Earnings, Tesla's Price Target Bumps - TheStreet

1. Tesla Scores a Win in China as Local Model 3 Gets Tax Exemption  Bloomberg
2. Tesla, Elon Musk have 'proven the skeptics wrong'  Fox Business
3. Tesla Stock Keeps Hitting Records. Analysts Are Still Cautious.  Barron's
4. Tesla had a wild 2019. Here's what the year looked like in pictures.  Business Insider
5. Tesla Full Self Driving Preview & Software Updates  CleanTechnica
6. View full coverage on Google News

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Tesla Scores a Win in China as Local Model 3 Gets Tax Exemption - Bloomberg

Tesla released a filing today confirming previous reports that it secured $1.6 billion in financing from Chinese banks in order to finance its growing operation in the worlds largest electric vehicle market.

As we discussed last week, reports from China were stating that Tesla had come to terms with several Chinese banks about financing worth more than 10 billion yuan ($1 billion USD).

Today, Tesla filed a statement with the SEC confirming their latest :

On December 18, 2019, a subsidiary of Tesla, Inc. (Tesla) entered into agreements with a syndicate of lenders in China for: a secured term loan facility of up to RMB 9.0 billion and an unsecured revolving loan facility of up to RMB 2.25 billion, in each case to be used in connection with our Gigafactory Shanghai. On December 20, 2019, proceeds from one of the new facilities were used to repay in full the subsidiarys drawn amounts on its existing bridge loan facility of up to RMB 3.5 billion, which was terminated as a result of the full repayment.

In short, Tesla used a part of the new loans to repay a previous loan and they plan to use the rest to expand Gigafactory 3 in Shanghai.

Tesla is already steadily producing and shipping made-in-China Model 3 vehicles out of Gigafactory 3, but the automaker is expected to invest in the production of more components locally and it should also start Model Y production at the factory next year.

Heres the SEC release in full:

Tesla Shanghai Fixed Asset Term Facility Agreement

On December 18, 2019, Tesla (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (Tesla Shanghai) entered into a Fixed Asset Syndication Loan Agreement and a Supplemental Agreement (together, the Fixed Asset Facility) with China Construction Bank Corporation, China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone Special Area Branch, Agricultural Bank of China Shanghai Changning Sub-branch, Shanghai Pudong Development Bank Co., Ltd., Shanghai Branch, and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Limited, China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone Special Area Branch, as lenders (the Lenders). Under the Fixed Asset Facility, Tesla Shanghai may for a period of three years draw funds from time to time on a secured term facility of up to a total of RMB 9.0 billion (or the equivalent amount drawn in U.S. dollars). The proceeds of such loans may be used only for expenditures related to the construction of and production at our Gigafactory Shanghai or to repay certain outstanding debt of Tesla Shanghai, including under its RMB 3.5 billion Syndication Loan Agreement, dated March 1, 2019, under which each Lender or its affiliate was also a lender (the Bridge Loan). The Fixed Asset Facility is secured by the land and buildings at Gigafactory Shanghai and is non-recourse to Tesla or its assets.

Outstanding borrowings pursuant to the Fixed Asset Facility accrue interest at a rate equal to: (i) for RMB-denominated loans, the market quoted interest rate published by the Peoples Bank of China minus 0.7625%, and (ii) for U.S. dollar-denominated loans, the sum of one-year LIBOR plus 1.3%. Starting on the third anniversary of the first borrowing, Tesla Shanghai must also repay principal amounts on a specified schedule, such that all outstanding loans will be repaid by the fifth anniversary of the first borrowing. Tesla Shanghai is subject to certain covenants, including a restriction on liens and other security interests on assets, other than specified exceptions, as well as certain customary covenants and events of default.

Tesla Shanghai Working Capital Revolving Facility Agreement

On December 18, 2019, Tesla Shanghai entered into a Syndication Revolving Loan Agreement (the Working Capital Facility) with the Lenders. Under the Working Capital Facility, Tesla Shanghaimay draw funds from time to time on an unsecured revolving facility of up to a total of RMB 2.25 billion (or the equivalent amount drawn in U.S. dollars). The proceeds of such loans may be used only for expenditures related to production at our Gigafactory Shanghai.The Working Capital Facility will terminate and all outstanding loans will mature on the first anniversary of the first borrowing under the loan, and the Working Capital Facility is non-recourse to Tesla or its assets.

Outstanding borrowings pursuant to the Working Capital Facility accrue interest at a rate equal to: (i) for RMB-denominated loans, the market quoted interest rate published by the Peoples Bank of China minus 0.425%, and (ii) for U.S. dollar-denominated loans, the sum of one-year LIBOR plus 0.8%. Tesla Shanghai is subject to certain covenants, including a restriction on liens and other security interests on inventory and accounts receivable, other than specified exceptions, as well as certain customary covenants and events of default.

Repayment of Tesla Shanghai Bridge Loan

On December 20, 2019, Tesla Shanghai used proceeds from the Fixed Asset Facility to repay in full all of the then-outstanding obligations under the Bridge Loan, which was then terminated.

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Tesla confirms it secured $1.6 billion in financing for Gigafactory Shanghai - Electrek

A view of electric cars owned by a local car-sharing company in Wuhan, China.

Feature China | Barcroft Images | Barcroft Media | Getty Images

BEIJING When an idea strikes a chord with national ambition in China, the result can be millions of dollars wasted and a handful of start-ups struggling to survive in a cooling economy.

In the last few years, venture capitalists rushed to pour billions of dollars into the emerging electric vehicle industry backed by the Chinese government.

So far, it's less clear how that bet has paid off. Take a look at the recent headlines:

These are some of the handful of survivors from Beijing's efforts over the last decade to accelerate the creation of China's own electric car.

Now, Chinese auto sales are in a slump, consumer subsidies for new energy vehicles are phasing out next year and economic growth is slowing.

Start-ups didn't expect the subsidies to last this long, said Rupert Mitchell, chief strategy officer at Chinese electric car company WM Motor, founded in 2015 by a former Volvo and Geely executive.

What was not in the business plans was that China would have its first fully blown automotive downturn in Chinese history," he told CNBC in late November.

Wan Gang was an engineer for Audi in Germany before he returned to China in the early 2000s. Within 10 years, he became China's minister of Science and Technology, despite not being a member of the Chinese Communist Party.

Wan convinced the central government to roll out a national strategy for developing new energy vehicles and battery technology. Beijing was eager to jump at an opportunity to become a global leader in an emerging technology, which conveniently tied into efforts to combat pollution.

As a result, the central government spent at least 33.4 billion yuan in subsidies between 2009 and 2015, according to the Ministry of Finance.

At the height of the subsidy-driven boom, the number of new energy vehicles sold in 2014 more than quadrupled from the year before, and multiplied by more than four times in 2015 to more than 330,000 vehicles, according to data from China Automotive Industry Association accessed through Wind Information.

In 2016, the Ministry of Finance said it found at least five companies cheated the system of over 1 billion yuan. That year, new energy vehicle sales grew just 53%, data showed.

High levels of subsidy misuse are not uncommon in China.

Between 2001 and 2011, about half of Chinese companies receiving direct grant subsidies for research and development were non-compliant, using the funds for other things such as private consumption and investments with higher returns. That's according to a forthcoming working paper from Philipp Boeing and Bettina Peters, both researchers at the ZEW Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research. The study did not cover consumer subsidies.

The research did indicate that misuse of funds declined with time and that the actual effectiveness in Chinese government policy in spurring research and development, if monitored, increased and non-compliance was wiped out, Boeing said in an interview.

But he noted there is little impact on productivity in the long term, which is a core problem for China's economy.

Some young companies that rode on China's electric vehicle boom, however, are still confident in growth.

XPeng aims to reach breakeven in about two years, with the expectation the company is able to put about 150,000 vehicles on the road, Brian Gu, president and vice chairman of XPeng, said in an interview in late November. That's about 10 times what the company has sold since it began deliveries last December for its first commercially available vehicle.

WM Motor's Mitchell expects the company can break-even in the next 12 months, as the start-up puts greater effort into consumer marketing. The company is in the process of raising $1 billion, which he said would "fully finance" the automaker until a public offering.

Other companies are just starting to bring new electric vehicles to the market.

Aiways, a Shanghai-based start-up that touts its certification to sell to the European Union, announced in December it will begin deliveries of its U5 SUV. Guangzhou-based GAC Nio a joint venture between the traditional automaker and the start-up is set to reveal its first all-electric SUV under the Hycan brand on Friday.

Nio wasn't available for comment ahead of the company's annual product launch event on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the first "Made in China" Teslas are set to hit the market early next year at a lower price that vies with Nio.

"Looking at the last 10 years of Chinese government subsidies, we think their effect is more positive than negative," said He Hui, senior researcher on China's new energy policy at The International Council on Clean Transportation.

"We can't say our new energy vehicles are number one," she said. "But our batteries are."

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China races to build its own Tesla as economy slows and subsidies dry up - CNBC

Photo by Justin Sullivan

Ive been saying this for a long time, and Ill say it again: the vast majority of analysts were not only overly simplistic in their assessment of Tesla, but completely wrong. On Christmas Eve, the companys share price passed $420, precisely the value at which, in August of last year, Elon Musk said he was considering taking his company out of a market that obviously had trouble understanding it, and that he had secured financing to do so at precisely $420 per share, in a tweet that cost him $20 million personally, along with another $20 million for his company.

For some time now, Ive been discussing Teslas valuation with fellow academics who specialize in finance and strategy: irresponsible skeptics trying to convince their students that the company is overvalued, that its price is the result of some kind of collective hallucination, and that Elon Musk is little more than a charlatan who has amazingly managed to fool a lot of the people for a lot of the time. For a company founded in 2003 and that went public in 2010, things arent looking too bad at all. At what point, to borrow Matthew Henrys famous question, will the deaf hear, the blind see, and the skeptics understand that we are talking about a different kind of company, one that can only be assessed on its quest to change the world we live in?

Tesla is todays true automotive trendsetter. Its exclusive commitment to developing electric cars, instead of irresponsible hybrids, has forced the industry to speed up its plans to dispense with internal combustion engines as soon as possible. The interior of more and more cars even look like the Model 3, no longer stuffed with useless clocks and buttons like the cockpit of a jet, but opting instead for a large central display and a completely redefined interface. And far from being an expensive, exclusive or a minority design icon, it turns out that the Model 3 is selling like hot cakes around the world as the company strives to build new factories in China or Germany.

When Tesla launches a new model, such as its Cybertruck, the industry comes to an abrupt halt, and for a while, there is talk of nothing else: controversy and argument while almost 200,000 people slap down a deposit to reserve one, even though no specific delivery date has been set. In short, Tesla launches revolutionary products that change the rules of the game, and all those who initially ridiculed the company fall over themselves to copy them.

In addition to redefining electric cars, the company continues to pioneer ways to recharge them at home with clean energy, while solving South Australias generating problems with batteries in record time, and above all, is able to generate unwavering customer loyalty of the kind that comes not just from knowing youve bought a great product that improves over time, but because youre taking part in a project that will change the world.

What is a company capable of turning entire industries upside down and ultimately changing the world worth? According to the markets on Tuesday, $420 per share, making it worth $75 billion, greater than traditional carmakers such as Ford or GM. But in practice, Tesla is worth more, much more. Understanding this comes down to really wanting to hear and to see. And that means accepting the evidence and that one was wrong, which in turn requires a certain level of intelligence that still seems to be sadly lacking in many quarters.

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Tesla: Theres None So Blind As Those Who Will Not See - Forbes

Say what you will about Tesla, but the company is remarkably laser-focused on constant iteration, not to mention an impressive obsession with improving the overall user experience. To this end, Tesla a few days ago started rolling out a new software update chock full of interface improvements and new features that should leave Tesla owners across the board quite thrilled.

The latest update, which is 2019.40.50 for those keeping track at home, includes some nifty new features, including improved driver visualization, enhanced voice commands, and even something it calls Camp Mode.

The improved driver visualization is arguably the most interesting of the bunch, but well tackle Camp Mode first. In short, Camp Mode, as the name implies, is designed for individuals who need to spend the night in their car.

Your car can now maintain airflow, temperature, interior lighting, as well as play music, and power devices when Camp Mode is enabled, Teslas release notes indicate.

The software update also makes it easier for drivers to access text messages without taking their eyes off of the road.

You can now read and respond to text messages using your right scroll wheel button, Tesla notes. When a new message is received, press the right scroll wheel button to have your text message read out loud and press again to respond by speaking out loud.

The update also delivers enhanced voice commands which, among other things, will allow drivers to adjust media controls, send text messages, tweak the temperature, shift the side view mirrors, and even search for nearby charging stations. Users can also use voice commands to open the glove box, though Im not sure how practical that actually is. Ultimately, though, these enhanced voice commands should help keep drivers glued to the road and make the driving experience that much safer.

As for the new driving visualization improvements, the software will now include helpful objects on the display, including upcoming garbage cans, stoplights, stop signs and select road markings.

As far as Tesla software updates are concerned, this one is rather big and you can check out a full rundown of all the new features via the video below. The driver visualization portion of the video starts at about the 7-minute mark.

Image Source: Ena/AP/REX/Shutterstock

Excerpt from:

A look at all of the awesome new features Tesla crammed into its last software update of 2019 - BGR

CEO Elon Musk wasnt kidding about Tesla releasing an important holiday software update. The automaker started pushing the update today, and its a massive one, with new voice commands, text message reading, and new Autopilot visualizations.

Last week, the CEO announced that Tesla is working on a holiday update that would include a Full Self-Driving sneak preview, new video games, and a few more things.

Those few more things are actually important features that many Tesla owners have been waiting for.

Tesla started pushing a new 2019.40.50 update to a select few owners ahead of an expected push to the wider fleet.

In the release notes, Tesla announced some phone improvements, including the ability to read and send message texts through Teslas voice command, which is something that Tesla has been lacking and owners have been asking for over the last years since Tesla doesnt have Apple Carplay or Android Auto.

Tesla wrote in the notes:

You can now read and respond to text messages using your right scroll wheel button. When a new message is received press the right scroll wheel button to have your text message read out loud and press again to respond by speaking out loud. You will also be able to view messages as they come in via the Cards section of the touchscreen.

To view messages that have been received while your phone is connected via Bluuetooth, tap the Application Launcher > Call > Messages. You can read and reply to a message by tapping an entry in the Messages list. To enable this feature, tap the Bluetooth icon on the top of the display, and enable Sync Messages. Once enabled you can also choose to play a chime whenever a new text message is received by enabling Chime on New Message.

The automaker also added the ability to see favorite phone contacts on your cars phone app.

In order for text message reading to work, Tesla notes that you need your notifications to be enabled on your phone. The company also says that it doesnt work with group texts.

With the new text reading, Tesla is also revamping its voice commands:

Voice commands have been rebuilt to understand natural language. For this initial release, we focused on commands that minimize having to touch the screen so you can keep your eyes on the road.

The company lists some examples in the release notes:

Tesla also added new Driving Visualization Improvements:

The driving visualization can now display additional objects that include stop lights, stop signs and select road markings. The stop signs and stop light visualizations are not a substitute for an attentive driver and will not stop the car. To see those additional objects in your driving visualization, tap Controls > Autopilot > Full Self Driving Visualization Preview.

It looks like its what Musk was referring to as the FSD sneak preview.

The automaker has started pushing the update to the fleet, but as usual, keep in mind that it can take days to weeks before it reaches the entire fleet.

Also, Musk said that the FSD sneak preview will only work on cars with the latest FSD computer, which means cars that we were produced since April of this year or that received the retrofit.

Here are a few more things in Teslas 2019.40.50 holiday update:

Its a bit disappointing as an FSD sneak preview.

We already knew that the new driving visualizations were coming since Tesla added stop signs and trafficlight 3D renders to its software earlier this month.

However, it kind of make sense when you think about it.

As I have been saying for a while, I see the driving visualization as some kind of confidence builder for Autopilot and eventually Teslas self-driving system.

Now that it is able to see and display traffic lights and stop signs, it will give us a sense of how it can handle intersections, which is an important step toward Teslas effort to deploy a full self-driving system.

If you get the update and have a HW3 car, please reach out (fred@9to5mac.com) with pictures or videos and your impressions. I am curious to see how accurate it is.

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Tesla releases massive new update with text message reading, Autopilot, and more - Electrek

Tesla Chairman and CEO Elon Musk unveils the new 'Semi' electric Truck to buyers and journalists on ... [+] November 16, 2017 in Hawthorne, California, near Los Angeles. (Photo credit VERONIQUE DUPONT/AFP/Getty Images)

Teslas (NASDAQ: TSLA) all-electric Semi truck, which was unveiled in 2017, could go into limited production as soon as the end of next year. The Semi, which is priced starting at $150k for the 300 mile model and $180k for the 500-mile model, will cater to the Class 8 segment of the trucking market. Class 8 trucks are Heavy trucks with a weight limit of over 33k pounds. While it remains unclear if the trucking industry will take to Teslas offering, considering the range flexibility and payload capacity of diesel trucks, Tesla does have an interesting value proposition, especially in terms of lower running costs. We estimate that the vehicle could bring in revenues of as much as $2 billion for Tesla by 2025. For perspective, the company is expected to post revenues of around $24 billion in 2019. Below, we provide an overview of the U.S. trucking market and size up the potential revenues of Teslas new offering.

View our interactive dashboard analysis on Sizing Up The Potential Of Teslas Semi Truck

Overview Of The Class 8 Truck Market In The U.S.

Trefis

The Pros & Cons Of Teslas Semi Truck

Energy costs for the Tesla Semi will be less than half that of Diesel trucks, although there are concerns about payload and range

Sizing Up The Revenue Potential of The Tesla Semi

For more details and charts on the Revenue Potential of the Semi, view our dashboard analysis.

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Teslas Semi Truck Could Bring In $2 Billion In Revenues By 2025 - Forbes

Teslas new holiday software update is full of goodies for Tesla owners, but it also has another theme: Its all about keeping your eyes on the road and your hands on the steering wheel.

When you install Teslas new update, the automaker calls it unwrapping present since CEO Elon Musk refers to it as a holiday update.

Its a festive update with two new video games and the TRAX music studio app, but it is also a serious update.

One could even argue that it is a great safety update.

Several of the new features that Tesla is introducing should result in owners having to spend less time interacting with the touchscreen or their phones and more time watching the road.

The most obvious one is the text message reading feature, which was lacking in Tesla vehicles, despite being popular in new cars today.

Now Tesla vehicles are able to read and write text messages through its voice command system:

You can now read and respond to text messages using your right scroll wheel button. When a new message is received press the right scroll wheel button to have your text message read out loud and press again to respond by speaking out loud. You will also be able to view messages as they come in via the Cards section of the touchscreen.

Tesla also revamped its voice command system to work better with a natural way of speaking instead of dry commands.

In general, voice commands are a great way to interact with the car while keeping your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road, but Tesla said that they specifically focused on commands to get people to not have to touch the screen:

For this initial release, we focused on commands that minimize having to touch the screen so you can keep your eyes on the road.

Navigation, media, seat controls, and climate controls can all be controlled through voice command without having to touch the screen.

With the new update, Tesla is also introducing a Voice Keyboard:

You can now use dictation to input text in your car. Simply, tap the microphone icon on the keyboard to input text via voice control.

This is also going to result in minimizing screen interaction.

Finally, you dont even have to touch the screen to save a TeslaCam recording anymore.

You can set it up to activate when honking:

Dashcam can now automatically save clips whenever you honk your car horn to enable tap Controls > Safety & Security > Save Clips on Honk.

Of course, this is not a complete replacement of using the screen to save TeslaCam footage since you shouldnt honk unless you have to, but it will save a few clicks from some people.

Elon has been talking about making everything inside Tesla vehicles controllable via voice commands.

This looks like the first major update toward that goal, and consequently, the update should help people keep their hands on the steering wheel and their eyes on the road.

It should help with the overall safety of Tesla vehicles although some people argue that any interaction with the cars systems, even if through voice command, is a distraction.

Thats true, but people will do what people do. Its nice to at least have the option to go through voice commands if you want, and if feels safer and more convenient for you.

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Teslas new update is all about keeping eyes on the road & hands on the wheel - Electrek