So basically, they invented a hovercar when it drives on the Southfield freeway? Because that thing is (or at least was, last time I saw it) nothing but potholes.

This is what I picked up... got the last one the store had here...

This is what I picked up... got the last one the store had here...

+1 for bringing up the Prisoner’s Dilemma - a very basic principle that most people don’t have a clue about.

It’s also the clear problem with claims from supporters of “right to work” laws who state that unions will be just fine if they show their value to workers - because no matter what they do, there is no incentive…

Yikes. I just picked up a 600A jumpstarter with 12v outlet, usb port, and air compressor for $15. Yeah, it might not be the greatest device, but the only negative reviews were based on it not being able to jumpstart a vehicle several times without recharging. Not a real concern to me.

Yikes. I just picked up a 600A jumpstarter with 12v outlet, usb port, and air compressor for $15. Yeah, it might not…

I’m aware of the convergence of prices - however, they normally don’t converge that quickly. That normally happens when the cars approach the $3-4k value range.

Holy depreciation, batman... When I purchased a relative’s 2006 Fusion, its fair market value was almost this high (quite a few less miles, but still). If you can get a BMW into the same price range as a similar age Ford, that BMW is taking an absolute beating on resale.

You’re grossly overstating the fraction of their expenses that go toward new model development rather than support of existing models.

No, because those are the curves for cars. The truck curves are lower. In addition, these mpg ratings are NOT what you see on the sticker. They’re based on old test methods that have been modified twice in ways that reduce the sticker mpg, though the mpg that counts for CAFE is still calculated the old way.

To…

Those $1000 deposits cannot be counted as profits. That will give them cash, but with an equal offsetting liability. Net, no profit.

I agree.

However, there is a problem with the market - I know a few people who drive cheaper EVs right now who refused to even consider a Volt, instead buying a Leaf or a Focus EV, etc. Their reasoning was that they didn’t drive much and wanted to make sure that they used no gas. Now keep in mind, their normal daily…

“But they will make so much money on the Model 3"

Yet that’s exactly what people said on the Model S and X and here we are...

Except that’s not entirely true. A common practice is to take a patent developed in the US and transfer the ownership to the overseas subsidiary. That subsidiary can then charge license rights, including back to the holding firm. What you’ve effectively done then is an accounting trick to shift profits to your…

Not so fast. If Tesla gets anywhere near their sales targets in the time before the Model 3 hits the market, they will have no federal tax credits available for the Model 3. And for most of the country, it will still be $27,500 and up even if they do have the federal tax credit left.

And that assumes Tesla hits their…

I gave up on figuring out immediate reactions on Wall Street years ago - in the mid 90s, Ford had a string of some ridiculous number of quarters where they beat the consensus estimates for earnings each quarter. Yet every time, the share price would drop. One time, I actually heard an “analyst” say “well, they beat…

But what is Tesla’s competitive advantage in battery tech? They’ve given up patent rights, and their batteries really weren’t that advanced anyway. Their one advantage was to have been on cost, but you can buy a battery from GM today for the Volt that costs less per kWh than Tesla claims they’ll get to with the…

And Tesla will not likely meet their expected production date - they’ve never come close before, why should they start now?

“Experts were surprised by the strength of Tesla’s earnings report”

Ummm.. NO. The expectations were for a non-GAAP profit of 13 cents per share. They LOST 87 cents per share on a non-GAAP basis and far, far more when using GAAP like every other company. This was not a strong earnings report by any stretch.

“Tesla expects to ship 80,000 to 90,00 Model S and Model X cars in 2016, beating forecasts that the company would only ship about 76,000 vehicles.”

Except they’ve failed to meet targets in the past. The odds of this being true aren’t great.

I think we can call that a swing and a big freakin’ miss -

-$0.87 per share using non-GAAP.

$320 million loss using GAAP.

$229 million less in cash and cash equivalents at the end of the quarter.

Dates for positive cash flow and profitability pushed back.

The point is pretty simple - the old Michigan truck plant was a fixed system designed to produce only one product - the Navigator and the Expedition. You couldn’t “flip a switch” and have Explorers come off the same line. You had to go in and completely replace all major tooling with new systems designed for that new…