Elon Musk hopes to ramp Tesla Solar Roof production to ~1K/week by end of 2019

Simon Alvarez

By

Posted on July 30, 2019

The long-awaited production ramp of the Tesla Solar Roof might finally be at hand. In a recent update, Elon Musk noted on Twitter that Tesla is currently spooling up the special shingles’ production line as quickly as it can, which would hopefully allow the company to manufacture the Solar Roof at a rate of around ~1,000 per week by the end of 2019. 

Musk’s comments came as a response to Tesla owner-enthusiast and Ride the Lightning podcast host Ryan McCaffrey, who inquired about the Solar Roof’s rollout. Musk had previously mentioned that the Solar Roof’s release is taking longer than expected due to the long development cycle for the shingles. As such, customer installations of the Solar Roof have begun, but only in small quantities. 

An impending production ramp of the Solar Roof, even at a rate of around 1,000 per week, bodes well for the potentially revolutionary product. Tesla’s Solar Roofs, after all, stands as a critical component of Elon Musk’s Master Plan, Part Deux, which involves the creation of “stunning solar roofs with seamlessly integrated battery storage,” thereby helping customers attain power independence. 

During the Model Y unveiling event, Elon Musk mentioned that Tesla would be focusing on its energy products in 2019, even going so far as to state that 2019 will be the “Year of the Solar Roof and Powerwall.” Two quarters into the year, and this ramp is yet to come to fruition. 

Falling prey to a delayed rollout, the Solar Roof tiles have become a notable point commonly used by Tesla’s critics when speaking about the company’s alleged “broken” promises. A report was even published on Reuters last May stating that only around 21 Solar Roof installations have been completed as of the end of February 2019. Among the report’s sources was a former Tesla employee, who claimed that only a few other installations had been completed in the northeastern United States. 

Tesla, for its part, released a statement responding to the Reuters report. Addressing the news agency, a Tesla representative explained that “the number of solar roofs you cite in the story is low and unrepresentative as we are actively installing the Solar Roof in eight states currently.” With Elon Musk’s recent Twitter update seemingly suggesting that a Solar Roof ramp will soon be at hand, the number of installations across the United States will likely grow in the near future.

Elon Musk hopes to ramp Tesla Solar Roof production to ~1K/week by end of 2019

<!–

View Comments

–>

Source

TSLA critic and ‘Shark Tank’ judge Kevin O’Leary reverses course, buys Tesla stock

Simon Alvarez

By

Posted on July 29, 2019

Legendary Canadian businessman and longtime Shark Tank Judge Kevin O’Leary, who previously remarked that he dislikes Tesla stock (NASDAQ:TSLA), has changed his tune on the electric car maker’s shares. In an appearance on CNBC, O’Leary stated that he personally bought some Tesla shares recently, in light of the company’s capability to attract the best talent in the field. 

During his segment, the veteran Shark Tank judge related his observations after attending electric vehicle races. During these events, O’Leary stated that the engineers behind these incredibly fast, high-performance EVs would flock to Tesla staff in attendance for potential jobs in the company. Regardless of where these teams originated from, the engineers reportedly showed a notable interest in Tesla, and an equally noteworthy lack of interest in other automakers. 

“Colleges and universities around the world with an engineering department generally puts forward an electric Formula 1 car and engineering teams in their graduating years race these cars all over the world. I’ve been hanging out at the pits with these engineers, and I’ve learned something extraordinary. When you go to one of these races… when the race is over, the winning team — they come from anywhere on Earth — who do they want to talk to? 

“They want to talk to the Tesla hiring team there; the HR people hanging around at the pits. Every one of these engineers, the smoking hot kids that sit with their cars, the men and women that sleep with them for 24 hours a day; it’s an unusual culture I’ve never seen before. They all want to work at Tesla. Why? Because the teams are six to eight people. If they go to a legacy car company, they get drowned out in the back somewhere. These smart, young, men and women make a big difference as interns. I can’t believe the access to talent they have. That’s why I bought the stock,” O’Leary said. 

While a CNBC host promptly commented that the Shark Tank judge’s reason for finally supporting TSLA stock was “random,” it should be noted that O’Leary’s about-face with the electric car maker’s shares is most likely a calculated decision. O’Leary, after all, does not give his support to a stock lightly. Just last year, for example, the investor admitted that he loves his Tesla Model X (which he purchased at the behest of his wife) and he considers Elon Musk a genius, but he hates TSLA stock. With this in mind, his change of tone with regards to the company’s shares bodes well for Tesla. 

Tesla shares are somewhat on familiar, volatile territory following the release of its second-quarter report and earnings call. While the company ended Q2 2019 with a record $5 billion in cash, Tesla also showed a net loss of $408 million, translating to a loss of $2.31 per share, notably lower than Wall Street’s estimates. Commenting on the steep drop, longtime TSLA bull Ban Kallo of Baird argued that the market appears to be overreacting to Tesla’s Q2 results. 

“Just back to the cash flow they generated during the quarter, there’s a couple of hundred million dollars, so this idea that they don’t make money is completely wrong, and the headline needs to change. There’s $5 billion in the balance sheet. They’re not going out of business. You have other OEMs that have really hard problems and restructuring problems. And it’s not Tesla; it’s XYZ German manufacturers,” he said. 

As of writing, Tesla stock is trading at +0.43% at $229.01 per share.

Disclosure: I have no ownership in shares of TSLA and have no plans to initiate any positions within 72 hours.

TSLA critic and ‘Shark Tank’ judge Kevin O’Leary reverses course, buys Tesla stock

<!–

View Comments

–>

Source

Tesla Model 3 brushes off hit-and-run from Ford F-350, identifies culprit with dashcam footage

Simon Alvarez

By

Posted on July 28, 2019

A Tesla Model 3 owner was recently involved in a harrowing hit-and-run incident with a Ford F-350. While the driver of the massive truck drove away from the scene of the crash, recordings from the Model 3’s built-in dashcam helped ensure that the incident will have a justified resolution.

The roads were mostly empty when Tesla owner and r/TeslaMotors subreddit member u/thinkharderest and his wife were driving in Clearwater, FL at 3:47 a.m. last week. The couple expected the drive to be calm and uneventful, especially considering the time. Unfortunately for the couple, something unpleasant was waiting for them in the form of a Ford F-350 being driven by what appeared to be a drunk driver. 

As could be seen in videos from the Model 3’s built-in dashcam, the Ford F-350 was traveling at high speed, and it didn’t take long before it cut in front of the electric sedan. The maneuver caused the truck to smash into the front fender of the Model 3, and the electric car spun out as a result. The truck driver continued driving, almost as if its driver did not notice that he crashed into another vehicle. 

Fortunately for the Model 3, the roads were empty when the incident happened, allowing it to escape any more damages than it could have received had there been other vehicles on the road. True to its stellar 5-Star Safety Rating from the NHTSA and the Euro NCAP, the Model 3 weathered the crash impressively, protecting both its passengers. 

Members of the Tesla community commenting on the dashcam videos have noted that the driver of the pickup truck might have been attempting to brake check the Model 3. Others pointed out that the black smoke coming out of the vehicle seems to suggest that the Ford F-350 driver might have been attempting to roll coal on the electric car.  

Thanks to some clever sleuthing using the footage from the Model 3’s built-in dashcam, the Tesla owner was able to identify the vehicle that struck him as a 2006 Ford F-350 Super Duty pickup truck with South Carolina plates. With this information in hand, the electric car’s insurance company was quickly able to contact the insurance provider of the pickup truck driver. Needless to say, the pickup truck driver was declared to be at fault.  

Tesla’s built-in dashcam feature has helped drivers find some resolution, and at some instances, even justice, after unfortunate incidents on the road. In a rather similar incident, a Tesla Model X owner driving with his son on a casual 4th of July drive encountered a reckless Ford F-150 driver, who proceeded to cut and crash into the all-electric SUV. Thanks to the dashcam video from the Model X, the driver of the Ford F-150 was promptly identified, and later arrested. 

Watch the harrowing hit-and-run involving a Tesla Model 3 and a Ford F-350 in the video below. 

Tesla Model 3 brushes off hit-and-run from Ford F-350, identifies culprit with dashcam footage

<!–

View Comments

–>

Source