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Tesla Destination Charging to the Rescue in China

Published

10 years ago

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Another big week is on deck for Tesla, the automaker and energy company release its first quarter 2015 earnings this week and that could include updates on China developments. Coming into 2015, the automaker’s woes in China were very apparent, with the firing of Veronica Wu and other PR personnel.

150505chinacharge

The Tesla map show includes just destination charging in Asia, excluding supercharging infrastructure.

The conventional wisdom for the firings centered around the lack of a singular message about Tesla charging infrastructure in the mainland. In a short matter of time, Tesla is changing that perception as a look at a recent charging map shows an impressive number of destination chargers in Asia, above top. The picture, above, depicts just destination chargers.

Tesla has recently emphasized destination charging for Europe for the 2nd quarter of 2015, but now we know they were quite busy in Asia and China in the 1st quarter. Capital expenditures may be at an all-time high this quarter as the company tries to regain momentum in Asia.

Recently, Tesla has created China momentum:

  • Tesla says buyers in China’s Shenzhen can get special licenses: The city offers a limited number of license plates for new energy vehicles and Tesla was included in late March. The southern city borders Hong Kong and releases 20,000 licenses annually.
  • In late April, Wuhan Tricycle Automobile Co., Ltd placed an order for 90 Teslas that will give the company a total of 100 Model S electric cars in their fleet. The company has a total of 1,100 cabs on the road in Wuhan, a small China city.

However, the lack of charging narrative is still out there via a “hard-hitting” Forbes post about how ONE customer that sold his Model S due to the lack of charging infrastructure at his complex (home). The guy is a “sorta of a big deal” and his name is Fan Xiabo, an advertising entrepreneur in China.

According to Forbes, the building management at his home said no to a home charger and he eventually sold the Model S for a third of what it’s worth.

I’m thinking he might have looked into that tiny detail before buying a $118,000 car in China. As content marketing entrepreneur, myself, I looked into the charging issue before I made my Model S purchase. Maybe Forbes can do a story on me.

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Tesla has many substantial challenges in China. According to the Tesla forum, many upper-end car owners are chauffeured during the week and desire luxury treatment in the back seat. The first edition of Model S cars didn’t have executive rear seats, now that’s been an option since December 2014.

So will Musk and company be able to change the electric car charging narrative for China? See the map below that includes superchargers and destination chargers, you decide?

Map depicts installed superchargers and destination units.

Map depicts installed superchargers and destination units.

 

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"Grant Gerke wears his Model S on his sleeve and has been writing about Tesla for the last five years on numerous media sites. He has a bias towards plug-in vehicles and also writes about manufacturing software for Automation World magazine in Chicago. Find him at Teslarati

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Investor's Corner

Elon Musk praises Ray Dalio’s Bridgewater for accumulating TSLA stock

Published

3 weeks ago

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February 14, 2025

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Credit: Tesla Asia/X

A recent 13-F filing from legendary investor and billionaire Ray Dalio’s Bridgewater Associates has revealed that the hedge fund has added over $62 million worth of Tesla stock (NASDAQ:TSLA) to its portfolio.

Elon Musk has praised the billionaire’s investment in a post on X.

Bridgewater’s TSLA stake:

  • As per Bridgewater’s 13-F filing, it currently holds 153,589 shares of TSLA, which costs $62,025,382.
  • The firm added the TSLA shares in the fourth quarter.
  • Tesla shares gained momentum after its Q3 2024 earnings call, and it only gained more strength after the election of U.S. President Donald Trump.
  • At the end of 2024, Tesla shares were up 62%, as noted in a MarketWatch report.
  • Tesla stock is still up 88% over 12 months despite a steep drop over the past month.

A vote of confidence: 

  • Bridgewater Associates is one of the largest hedge funds in the world, so the firm’s stake in TSLA could be interpreted as a vote of confidence in the electric vehicle maker.
  • Elon Musk has praised the firm’s investment. In a post on X, Musk noted that Bridgewater’s investment was a “smart move.”
  • Elon Musk has been quite consistent on his idea that Tesla could eventually become the world’s most valuable company. He emphasized this point during the Q4 2024 earnings call.
  • “I see a path. I’m not saying it’s an easy path but I see a path of Tesla being the most valuable company in the world by far. Not even close. There is a path where Tesla is worth more than the next top five companies combined,” Musk said.

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

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Investor's Corner

Tesla (TSLA) gets $475 price target and “Buy” rating from Benchmark

Published

4 weeks ago

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February 12, 2025

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla shares (NASDAQ:TSLA) have received a “Buy” rating and a $475 per share price target from Benchmark.

Benchmark’s price target is based on 68.2 times its 2028 earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA), as noted in a Morningstar report.

Tesla rating:

  • In a note to clients, Benchmark analyst Mickey Legg noted that Tesla has outlined a path towards more growth through several of its initiatives.
  • These include Tesla’s work in autonomous driving systems, robotics, and energy generation.
  • The company could also make more headway into the electric vehicle segment.
  • “The company has outlined a path for growth with a more affordable vehicle scheduled for 1H25, unsupervised full self-driving as a paid service this June in Austin, TX, and Optimus robot production ramp through 2026 and beyond,” the analyst stated.

More potential:

  • While he sees potential in Tesla, the Benchmark analyst noted that his current model only incorporates vehicle growth. 
  • Thus, there could be “significant potential upside” if the company’s autonomous vehicle program and Optimus are scaled.
  • “Tesla’s market leadership, near-term catalysts, strong management, and diversified business justify the stock’s market premium,” Legg noted.

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

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Tesla is ‘better-positioned’ as a company and as a stock as tariff situation escalates

Published

1 month ago

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February 3, 2025

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The Cybertruck-towed Model Y ad at Hayden Planetarium. Credit: Tesla North America | X

Tesla is “better-positioned” as a company and as a stock as the tariff situation between the United States, Mexico, and Canada continues to escalate as President Donald Trump announced sanctions against those countries.

Analysts at Piper Sandler are unconcerned regarding Tesla’s position as a high-level stock holding as the tariff drama continues to unfold. This is mostly due to its reputation as a vehicle manufacturer in the domestic market, especially as it holds a distinct advantage of having some of the most American-made vehicles in the country.

Analysts at the firm, led by Alexander Potter, said Tesla is “one of the most defensive stocks” in the automotive sector as the tariff situation continues.

The defensive play comes from the nature of the stock, which should not be too impacted from a U.S. standpoint because of its focus on building vehicles and sourcing parts from manufacturers and companies based in the United States. Tesla has held the distinct title of having several of the most American-made cars, based on annual studies from Cars.com.

Its most recent study, released in June 2024, showed that the Model Y, Model S, and Model X are three of the top ten vehicles with the most U.S.-based manufacturing.

Tesla captures three spots in Cars.com’s American-Made Index, only U.S. manufacturer in list

The year prior, Tesla swept the top four spots of the study.

Piper Sandler analysts highlighted this point in a new note on Monday morning amidst increasing tension between the U.S. and Canada, as Mexico has already started to work with the Trump Administration on a solution:

“Tesla assembles five vehicles in the U.S., and all five rank among the most American-made cars.”

However, with that being said, there is certainly the potential for things to get tougher. The analysts believe that Tesla, while potentially impacted, will be in a better position than most companies because of their domestic position:

“If nothing changes in the next few days, tariffs will almost certainly deal a crippling blow to automotive supply chains in North America. [There is a possibility that] Trump capitulates in some way (perhaps he’ll delay implementation, in an effort to save face).”

There is no evidence that Tesla will be completely bulletproof when it comes to these potential impacts. However, it is definitely better insulated than other companies.

Need accessories for your Tesla? Check out the Teslarati Marketplace:

Please email me with questions and comments at joey@teslarati.com. I’d love to chat! You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.

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