Tesla analyst equates Cybertruck discounts to need for smaller, cheaper pickup

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A Tesla analyst believes the company is discounting the Cybertruck because consumers are thirsting for a smaller, more affordable all-electric pickup from the company.

The note, which came from Global Equities Research analyst Trip Chowdhry, comes just a day after Tesla listed several Cybertrucks on its Inventory website, which has drawn mixed reactions from investors and fans.

Some believe the move was a sign Tesla was having trouble moving Cybertruck as demand levels seem to be in question. It was the best-selling EV pickup in the United States for 2024 and the fifth-best-selling EV overall for the year.

Chowdhry believes the move to discount these trucks is exactly that: a demand issue.

He thinks that Tesla should develop a different Cybertruck version, one that would be smaller and more compact and would cost significantly less.

The size should be reduced by 20 percent, Chowdhry suggests, which could help Tesla enable a price point between $40,000 and $60,000 for the Cybertruck. This would be close to where it was priced at the unveiling event in 2019, as it ranged from $39,990 for the Single Motor to $69,990 for the Tri-Motor.

Prices increased substantially between the unveiling and the first deliveries.

Chowdhry also believes that Cybertruck incentives will not spur demand, potentially because many people who are buying the pickup at its price of either $79,990 or $99,990 won’t qualify for the incentives anyway.

Cybertruck demand is certainly a topic that many might have questions about, and while it did sell strongly last year and rank highly, there are certainly some issues with the massive pre-order log that Tesla once claimed to have and the inventory.

If the pre-order log was over one million vehicles long, Tesla should have no inventory of the Cybertruck, even if half of those buyers decided to hold off because of the massive uptick in pricing.

Musk once said Tesla Cybertruck demand was “so far off the hook, you can’t even see the hook.” Last year, just under 39,000 Cybertrucks were sold, a far cry from the 1.9 million units that a crowd-sourced reservation tracker claimed.

Pricing is probably the biggest reason for having inventory on these pickups, but it might not hurt for Tesla to potentially encourage the idea of having something more compact as Ford has done. It would not be the worst thing in the world to have different options in the lineup, although it would increase manufacturing complexity.

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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.

Tesla analyst equates Cybertruck discounts to need for smaller, cheaper pickup





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Musk’s pay package was ‘a problem’ for huge pension fund that sold entire Tesla stake

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Elon Musk’s potential $56 billion pay package was the reason Europe’s largest pension fund sold its entire Tesla $TSLA stake recently, as the firm sold all of its $585 million worth of shares.

A spokesperson for Stichting Pensioenfonds ABP said to Bloomberg that “We had a problem” with Musk’s pay package, which is still in limbo after it was ruled to be unreasonable by Delaware Chancery Court Judge Kathaleen McCormick.

The massive $56 billion was voted in by Tesla shareholders on two separate occasions, once in 2018 and another last year. The second vote for the pay package to be given to Musk followed an initial ruling from Judge McCormick that invalidated the $56 billion.

Stichting Pensioenfonds ABP was one shareholder that voted against Musk’s pay package.

A Dutch newspaper known as Het Financieele Dagblad first reported the story but also listed Tesla’s working conditions as a reason to sell its stake in Tesla.

The timing of the sale is interesting, to say the least. Judge McCormick denied the pay package once again in December, and Tesla appealed the ruling. It is hard to see what will change the Judge’s mind at this point, especially as she has already ruled against it twice.

Some believe Musk will still get the pay package one way or another. Wedbush’s Dan Ives wrote to investors in December:

“We continue to believe Tesla and Musk will fight this tooth and nail all the way to the Supreme Court in Delaware and then potentially to the Federal system as this remains a frustrating headache for Tesla, Musk, and its shareholders. We also believe this case could be the catalyst for more public companies to leave the state of Delaware for their corporation status as the legal precedents set in this Tesla/ Musk case is very eye opening to public Boards around the country and go against shareholders vote in a dangerous precedent in our view.”

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.

Musk’s pay package was ‘a problem’ for huge pension fund that sold entire Tesla stake





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Tesla China to pause new Model Y lines for upgrades: report

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Tesla China is reportedly halting parts of its Model Y production lines in Giga Shanghai in the coming weeks. 

The halt would reportedly allow Tesla to optimize Gigafactory Shanghai for the mass production of the new Model Y “Juniper.”

Driving the news: 

  • Citing sources reportedly familiar with the matter, Bloomberg News claimed that Giga Shanghai’s Model Y line will be closed from January 22 to February 14. This covers the Chinese New Year holiday.
  • The alleged updates to Giga Shanghai will reportedly allow Tesla China to increase the production of the revamped all-electric crossover.
  • Giga Shanghai’s Model 3 line will reportedly halt its production as well, though its pause is expected to cover January 26 to February 3.
  • Tesla China has not confirmed Bloomberg News‘ claims as of writing.

Why it matters:

  • As per the publication, it is not unusual for carmakers in China to pause production during the Chinese New Year holiday. 
  • This year, China’s Spring Festival period starts on January 29. Beijing expects 9 billion domestic cross-regional trips during this year’s holiday period.
  • Upgrading Giga Shanghai’s Model Y line would be beneficial for Tesla China considering the reported interest for the updated vehicle following its launch. 
  • Industry insiders have claimed that Tesla China appears to have seen about 50,000 orders for the new Model Y “Juniper” during its launch day.

Between the lines: 

  • The Model Y’s update is the first significant change in five years, and it is expected to further improve consumers’ interest in the vehicle.
  • Despite being largely unchanged for five years, the Tesla Model Y proved to be a best-seller, becoming the world’s best-selling vehicle by volume in 2023 and China’s best-selling car in 2024.
  • With a new design, the Model Y could attract even more consumers than before.

What’s next: 

  • Deliveries of the new Model Y are expected to start in March, with the price set at 263,500 yuan ($35,900).
  • Markets that are supplied by Giga Shanghai, such as the Philippines, are expected to receive the updated Model Y around April.

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

Tesla China to pause new Model Y lines for upgrades: report





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