? Tesla Q4 2021 Earnings Call Audio Webcast Stream - Listen Here @ 5:30 Eastern / 2:30 Pacific

[CyberGus]

Elon’s stated goal of Optimus is to reduce costs and increase value by mass producing a general purpose robot.

It is the same theory with rocket engines. Making many smaller engines is more cost-effective than one big one.

As production volume increases, the product cost decreases toward the value of the raw materials, and the manufacturing cost per unit approaches zero.

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[Crissa]

Or, you put clothes in the laundry area and when you come back it's all cleaned and folded.

I have a robot that washes and dries my clothes... which reminds me, I need to replace the brain and do an overhaul of the blower 'cause its fuzzy logic brain futzed out after 15 years in operation.

It doesn't need to be world-class. Just putting away the dishes would be fine. Or carrying buckets.

-Crissa

 

[Throwcomputer]

Elon’s stated goal of Optimus is to reduce costs and increase value by mass producing a general purpose robot.

It is the same theory with rocket engines. Making many smaller engines is more cost-effective than one big one.

As production volume increases, the product cost decreases toward the value of the raw materials, and the manufacturing cost per unit approaches zero.

And space x is a separate company from Tesla. So should this Optimus be from both space x and Tesla. Sure they will share end products, but they don't share financial books or staff in the design and production of those separate end products for a reason.

It's contradictory to state that your company is overloaded at the current time, needing to focus on scale of existing products over developing new ideas, and then also state that the same company is devoting more attention, focus and resources on a bipedal semi autonomous robot which is in it's infancy as a new idea, and so drastically different hardware as it relates to an end product for that company.

 

[Crissa]

Tesla is an automation company. They're automating, cars, now energy, and soon heating and cooling, and eventually, everything.

-Crissa

 

[uff_da]

Another 1.5 years realistically...yeah time to get a model y performance...any idea how to get the new one with 4680 battery if I'm in CA? Wonder if they would allow customer pickup in Austin and not charge me destination. That would be awesome!

Well there is this Product Roadmap Update coming that should explain the 4680 MY plan and ..... Oh ah, no they mentioned zero about that.... So salty right now.

 

[CyberShy]

I was pretty disappointed with the call vs. the rumors that preceded it.

1. Product roadmap: none
2. CT news: none
3. 25k Tesla: not working on one and no discussion about any plans to.
   

It was a quarterly revenue announcement and that was it. It was a great quarter, but other than GigaTexas and GigaBerlin opening soon, we got very little info.

 

[Tinker71]

We sort of did it to ourselves. We fell in love with a radical truck at a very competitive price point. Collectively we want that truck at the price advertised with a whole bunch of add ons.
Then Covid hit and everything got Fd up. Normal people are paying $65,000 for a car that cost them $45,000. No rational CEO would take resources away from that line to another with 10% margin at best.

Elon you have my permission to make the Plaid Quad for $120,000 until there are no other buyers. Then build for us minions. Rich early adopters usually pave the way. It is the way.

This reminds me of a construction adage. You want quick, cheap, and quality but you can only have 2 of those options.

 

[Macgreiner]

It was all uncharacteristically low energy.

 

[Bill906]

I am not sold that removing humans involvement in maintaining and working to add value to society is a good thing. I think a huge amount of psychological and emotional problems in this world are from lack of purpose and a sense of pride in the part we play in society. Just wait until robots are doing everything for us and socialism has taken over to take care of people because they don’t need to add value anymore but still need to be valued. Not a world I want to live in. I am certain it would be better for society to get rid of a lot of our technology and work side by side with our hands more.

Guessing you are not a Star Trek fan.

 

[CT fan]

I was completely disappointed with yesterday's call, for a lot of reasons. First let me preface with, I really want this vehicle to be a success. I have reserved one of these CT's near it's introduction. I wanted to try the EV and Tesla became my first "go to". I saw the announcement, made by Tesla, and was anxious to learn more about it.

I own a 14 yr old Tahoe. It is a gas guzzler, and has a ton of miles on it. It has been a good vehicle, but the time has come to replace it. Here enters the CT. I was impressed with it, and put in the reservation as soon as I could. I have been waiting for any new update(s) (since the CT Intro) that would continue to justify me holding off as long as I can. Sure there has been a lot of sites that claim to have the latest news, but unless you hear from the company or EM, then it's just noise. For me, I wait for facts. Yesterday's call did not give me any justification in waiting for this vehicle.

I mention all of this, as I am not a rich guy, I have driven a vehicle as long as I can without a car payment. This has allowed me to put extra money aside for the new purchase. I could have purchased something else, but I choose not to. I have been saving for, what I hoped would be, the original promised prices offered for the CT. I want to remain loyal, however yesterday made it very difficult.

Mr. Musk seemed dismissive about the CT. He focused more of other things. I understand he had a lot to cover. However, he must know that the CT is the "elephant in the room" . I understand there may be over 1 million reservations for this vehicle. He, absolutely, needed to address this more than he did. If he had, and it was even somewhat reasonable, then I would probably try to wait longer. It just did not seem to be even a priority despite all the concerns about delays that he must be aware of!

It's also very difficult for me to understand the "supply chain/chip shortage" explanation. I believe there is one, however how are other's over coming this. There are several other companies that have both introduced, produced, and have/are delivering EV trucks. They have all figured a way to surpass the "first EV truck". Just very tough for me the grasp. I am not naïve to how much creation, set back, and work must go into introducing a vehicle like this. But this is what Tesla does has been known for. They break the norms.

Yesterday's call gave me no reason to believe that this truck is going to be reasonable for me. There was no real sense of concern from EM that this truck continues to be left behind and no real verbalized plan that would instill confidence in the million or so of us that have reserved orders in this truck.

Now another year, with very little information, regardless of the want for it. It's just not something I would expect from Tesla. Unfortunately, there are constant rumors of Tesla being known for it's false promises. Those seem to be true.

Please don't misunderstand this reaction as a "dig", it's not meant for that. I'd love to have one of these vehicles. I just have no reason to believe that it will be here anytime soon, and will remain close to the price it was promised. I hope I'm wrong. Will prob have to cancel the reservation and go with a competitor. It's a shame..........

 

[Crissa]

How do you get dismissive from Elon about a truck he just tweeted the day before 'drives great'?

He wasn't able to make the balance sheets work. The machines to make the machines aren't ready yet. They have the 4680 for the ramp in Austin and starting to assemble equipment and validate it for Austin batteries.

So the roadmap became, 'dammit, we have to finish this other errand, first'. And traffic is kinda heavy.

-Crissa

 

[electricAK]

I listened to the relevant part of the earnings call again, and what Elon *actually* said is that production of all models is "Parts Constrained" and therefore introducing new models won't increase the total number of vehicles made. "Parts Constrained" is the keyword here.

Parts Constrained. Not chips, not 4680 batteries. It's supply chain logistics that are delaying the Cybertruck, if you take Elon at face value. They have the next year to work on the assembly lines and figure out the logisitics. They need massive new supplies of parts to get the two new factories up and running. They will figure it out.

Everyone chill out.

 

[Dusty]

I listened to the relevant part of the earnings call again, and what Elon *actually* said is that production of all models is "Parts Constrained" and therefore introducing new models won't increase the total number of vehicles made... It's supply chain logistics that are delaying the Cybertruck, if you take Elon at face value. ...

I don't pretend to know how he thinks but you're pretty much right. "Parts constrained" is the key. He started with the issue of "What's the most profitable use of what's available in this stressed supply chain?" The answer was the Model Y, and it probably wasn't even a close call. Legacy auto is going to get hammered when the Ys start rolling out. When wait times for new Teslas drops to 2-3 weeks and dealerships are tacking on "adjustments", Y sales will be unreal. This will also be the third ramp of the model Y. It's gonna happen QUICK to match demand.

 

[Jose pena]

Now that Q4 is pass tense with all the bad news. What next on the agenda? I know one thing; I am not paying over $75k for the CT. I reserved the single for $47k but the way this is going single not been an option anymore, I can settle for dual at $75K and wait three years if I have to. I'll be 68y/o by then and it will be this time when I really needed, with that hardcore body, windows and FSD etc. but I know there will be a lot of change specially the price. I don't want to drop out of the race, but I know I am not too motivated after Q4.

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