Chevy Volt a Failure - GM to Layoff 1,300

BTW, this has been getting lost.

Exclusive: Tesla to close a dozen solar facilities in nine states -...

I won't do he long post. If you really care, go back on this thread and read what I was saying when he used Tesla's stock price (and ability to still borrow at the time) to bail out Solar City (which could no longer borrow).

 

Zero Hedge did something on the tent a few days ago. Someone caught some cell phone video. It looked like a whirlwind of. ... inactivity. Even if it is producing any cars, everything about what is coming out seems so amateurish, and at the least, you'd have to guess massive quality control issues.

Covert Recordings Of Tesla's New Model 3 Facility Reveal Something Unexpected

Musk is so far in over his head, and this time I don't think he can get out of it by waving something shiny and hyping it. He essentially created a scenario where he has to pump out 5,000 of those cars per week by the end of the quarter. What is silly about the exercise, is that even if he meets that goal, it is essentially meaningless, because they lose money on every car sold (the more they sell, the more they lose), and regardless, there is some evidence that demand is sinking like a rock -- the number of Model 3 reservations has rolled over, although it is difficult to know just how much (you have to do it forensically) because of Musk's bullshit.

 

Hmmm

https://www.streetinsider.com/Analy...Could+be+Overstated+-+Bernstein/14333721.html

Tony Sacconaghi is as solid an equity analyst are you are going to find. "Overstated" is one of those words that goes hand in hand with Elon Musk. ... and the SEC.

Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) shares are on watch after Bernstein analyst Toni Sacconaghi looks at if the company's automotive margins are being overstated.

Sacconaghi said they struggle to find evidence as to why COGS of Services and Maintenance have increased exponentially, with no commensurate increase in revenue. While the company said the increase is due to a build-out in services infrastructure, they have a hard time corroborating this with their numbers.

Speculating on what is happening, the analsyt suggests COGs, historically booked in the Automotive Segment, are now being booked in the 'Services and Others'. If this is the case then TSLA's Automotive segment gross margins may be overstated.

"Our analysis indicates that if a majority of these new costs incurred by Services were instead allocated to Autos, that would suggest reported Autos gross margins may be overstated by ~150-300 bps," the analsyt added. "Importantly, we note that we are not questioning Tesla's overall reported gross margins but rather the reported split between Automotive vs. Services & Other."

 

I didn't see anyone link to this. It's pretty rough. Really worth the read. I suspect it gives more of a picture of what Elon Musk is like than some of the more fawning coverage he has gotten for years.

Elon Musk Is The Donald Trump Of Silicon Valley

 

The Future of Tesla Hinges on This Gigantic Tent

The money quote at the end:

“It’s preposterous,” Bernstein’s Warburton said. “I don’t think anyone’s seen anything like this outside of the military trying to service vehicles in a war zone. I pity any customer taking delivery of one of these cars. The quality will be shocking.”