Source: Tesla Motors.
Posted on 01/04/2014 10:31:44 AM PST by ckilmer
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January 3, 2014 | Comments (2)
Tesla Motors (NASDAQ: TSLA ) celebrated a record year in 2013, with the stock surging nearly 350% during the year. That's a serious improvement over Tesla's gain of just 7% in 2011. The electric-car maker passed many milestones along the way, including reporting its first quarterly profit and winning the academy award of autos as its zero-emissions Model S took home Motor Trend's 2013 "Car of the Year" award. With the stock growing in value from $32 at the start of 2013 to where it trades today, around $147, it's hard to imagine there's much upside left in the name.
However, these three catalysts should move shares of Tesla higher in the new year, despite investors' soaring expectations for the stock.
Ballooning deliveries
This year, Tesla is on track to deliver more cars than ever before. The EV maker's CEO, Elon Musk, is confident that Tesla can hit an annualized rate of deliveries that exceeds 40,000 cars per year by late 2014. To put this in perspective, that amounts to roughly double Tesla's anticipated output rate of 20,000 cars in fiscal 2013.
In fact, Tesla looks to be ahead of the mark as the company now expects to deliver 21,500 vehicles worldwide for fiscal 2013. Moreover, Musk has a track record of under-promising and over-delivering. Therefore, I wouldn't be surprised if Tesla were to ramp up production even faster in the year ahead.
International expansion
Tesla should unlock even more growth in the quarters to come as it expands operations overseas. The company is still in its infancy, and expanding into new markets, such as China, should help Tesla boost sales. The California-based company began taking reservations for its Model S in China last quarter and plans to make its first deliveries in the Asian country during the first quarter of 2014. In fact, Musk expects to have a handful of Model S cars on a boat to China as early as this month.
As the world's biggest market for premium sedans, China is an important market for Tesla. Of note is the fact that Tesla has already passed all of the homologation requirements in China, and launched a soft opening of its Beijing showroom in the region that was greeted with great fanfare. Meanwhile, the company has already received "hundreds of orders" for its Model S in Hong Kong, according to Bloomberg.
Source: Tesla Motors.
Additionally, the automaker continues to expand its Supercharger network, in both the United States and abroad, at an impressive clip. Tesla plans to have supercharger stations covering 80% of the U.S. and parts of Canada this year. On top of this, Tesla says it can cover 100% of the population of Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Austria, Denmark, and Luxembourg with Superchargers by the end of 2014.
While these stations create tremendous value for Tesla drivers, they don't cost the company as much as many investors might think. Thanks to a strategic partnership with SolarCity (NASDAQ: SCTY ) , to supply the solar panels that help power Tesla's supercharger stations, Tesla is able to deploy these stations at a fraction of the cost. Investors can also expect Musk to make a cross-country trip in a Model S later this year using these Superchargers. Ultimately, more Superchargers in more locations should help fuel greater EV adoption.
Model X market debut
The third catalyst for the carmaker this year is the much-anticipated debut of Tesla's Model X crossover vehicle. Tesla will begin deliveries of its Model X in late 2014. Thanks to the success of its Model S, there's already a strong brand presence for the company. This should help boost sales of its crossover vehicle as more Model X cars hit the road later this year.
Blending the benefits of a minivan with the performance of a sports car, the Model X promises to a big hit with drivers in 2014. Built on the same drivetrain as Tesla's Model S, the Model X can go from zero to 60 miles per hour in 4.4 seconds. Tesla first unveiled the all-electric SUV in February 2012, and last year pushed production of the Model X into late 2014 to accommodate sales of its Model S vehicles. Moreover, shares of Tesla should pull ahead later in the year if Tesla can deliver on its revised promise of getting the Model X on the road in 2014.
With these catalysts, together with Elon Musks' visionary leadership, I expect Tesla to achieve another record year in 2014.
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Tesla sales are going to be so hot they will be on fire. Literally; On fire.
“The consumer never wins, and government never loses.”
Very succinct. Thanks for the reply.
From the hole thingie in the wall, of course!
Obama 'n them have made some great strides in scientology, don't you know?
http://money.msn.com/investing/post—even-george-clooney-is-complaining-about-tesla
I would consider that a plus.
Tesla’s CEO, Elon Musk is my favorite African American.
You sure?
Day-yum. What was this thread about?
I think Candice Swanepoel.
It’s going to be hard to charge up electric cars without coal fired electric generating plants.
Why would you be excited about a nongas car going 20 to 30 miles per gallon when the gassed car has been doing that for decades?
If you’re about to burn to death while trapped in a battery fire, is there any way to electrocute yourself first or do you have to carry a revolver?
Tesla is a flash in the pan. Its buyers are just a bunch of Bat Man wannabees with a little too much money and time on their hands.
Just remember: they call themselves fool.com for a reason.
I don’t think she’s American, but she could qualify as my favorite African.
Without the state and fed funding, they would have gone under long ago........
You’re right. I was just thinking of South Africa, and my mind went to her. To be fair, hot women make my IQ drop sharply.
-— How are these idiots going to recharge their batteries? -—
Windmills!
Isn’t this fun?
Ed Wallace has been on their case for a couple of years now. Tesla would need to build ~100,000 cars per year just to break even.
Don't get me wrong, EVs are fine for running errands around town, which Ed does in his Mitsubishi MiEV for $1.25 in electric costs per week.
This article seems designed to sucker a few more fools onto the bandwagon so that the earlier investors (aka fools) can find a more willing sucker.
There will be at least two solutions proposed for this tax deficiency. My guess is both will be adopted, with some states, counties, cities enacting variations of both.
1. Taxes on electricity will be substantially increased, whether metered for EVs or simply an overall rate increase.
2. A black box will record every mile you drive, and you'll be taxed on the total mileage at rates that exceed the current gasoline tax by 50 to 100 percent (simply my guess).
YOU GONNA PAY MORE TAXES! Surprised?
Prepare to pay your "fair share".
I'm here from the gummit and I'm here to hep you. :-)))
I really ain't from the gummit.
“And it rates 5.4 Stars in all 57 States!!!”
We’re subsidizing a luxury car; this has always been my issue.
Tesla should build a <$40k model to complement or terminate all subsidies/rebates.
And they can build their own damned supercharger stations (that only work on Teslas) without regard to subsidies.
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