(New York) Elon Musk will try Wednesday to silence doubts about Tesla as the group faces growing competition in the electric vehicle market, during a presentation to investors on Wednesday.
The entrepreneur had indicated in early February in a tweet that the event would be an opportunity to unveil the “third stage of his master plan”, or “the path towards a future where energy will be completely sustainable on Earth”.
The briefing, which is being held at a group factory in Austin, Texas, is scheduled to be streamed online at 4 p.m. EST.
“To the extent that it makes promises to the citizens of the whole Earth, and not just to investors, it has to be something important,” noted Jessica Caldwell, specialist in the automotive sector for Edmunds.
She expects eventual announcements on how Tesla can ramp up production and come up with a $25,000 electric car. Or to a new vehicle model, the last launched by the brand dating from 2020.
In any case, the multi-billionaire “has proven that you have to take your promises with a pinch of salt”, especially on the launch schedule for new vehicles, recalls Mme Caldwell. “He’s going to have to be a bit specific, at least about his short-term plans. »
Wedbush analyst Dan Ives hopes for details on the Cybertruck pick-up, the production of which is due to begin this summer, on the Semi trucks, the first copies of which were delivered at the end of 2022, on the 4680 battery developed by the group or on the strategy to lead to a vehicle sold between 25,000 and 30,000 dollars.
Any comments on the supply of raw materials such as lithium, on driving assistance systems, or on the state of demand, are also expected.
This new “master plan” “will lay the foundation for the next decade for Tesla as electric vehicles are about to land en masse around the world,” summarizes Mr. Ives.
Rebound on Wall Street
Tesla, which initiated the electric revolution and remained the world’s largest seller in this category in 2022, must indeed face growing competition.
Chinese groups like BYD are rapidly gaining momentum while many traditional manufacturers like General Motors, Volkswagen or Stellantis are launching their electric versions.
And some observers are wondering about Elon Musk’s ability to lead the group in this complicated period even though he currently seems more focused on Twitter, which he took over at the end of October.
Investors will look for what can justify the action still rising, said Adam Jonas, an analyst at Morgan Stanley, in a note.
After a big slump in 2022, the title of the manufacturer is indeed up around 67% since the start of the year, boosted by the drop in prices of its cars to attract customers and new rules. on US government grants.
Elon Musk has once again become the richest man in the world.
The multi-billionaire detailed the first phase of his master plan in 2006, explaining why Tesla was focusing on making a sports car before using the profits and technologies to build increasingly affordable vehicles.
Tesla’s cheapest car, Model 3, currently sells for $43,000 in the United States.
He presented the second stage of his plan ten years later, in 2016, revealing various ambitions, on solar panels, on autonomous driving, on the manufacture of a whole range of vehicles, including buses, and on carpooling.
It has indeed triggered a vast transition to electric vehicles and made Tesla the most expensive automaker on the stock market.
But several elements of the second stage remain behind, such as the current driver assistance systems offered by Tesla, far from full autonomy and the subject of several investigations by the American authorities.