With all the controversial headlines surrounding CEO Elon Musk, it has almost been forgotten that Tesla (TSLA) has finally been turning a profit. The EV pioneer surprised many when it followed 4Q19s swing into the green with another beat in its recent 1Q20 report.

Following an investor relations meeting with Tesla, Deutsche Banks Emmanuel Rosner noted, We found Teslas message to be positive, reiterating that order backlog for its vehicles continues to grow due to limited ability to produce vehicles currently, and that its pace of capacity expansion will be the main driver of volume growth over the next few years.

Model 3 production rates in China have been upped from 150k to 200k a year with the goal of producing 4k a week, firmly in the companys sights. Holding production back was a reliance on battery packs previously shipped from Reno. The cells are now sourced locally from LG and by the end of the year Tesla anticipates China Model 3 components will almost all be localized.

Tesla has indicated that due to increasingly strong demand in Q1, deliveries were on course to reach an all-time high outpacing even the 112k units delivered in 4Q19 until COVID-19 bought production to a standstill. With the backlog of orders for current models, the biggest in the companys history, Tesla believes it has a strong pipeline of deliveries regardless of near-term conditions.

Following Musks Tweet storm, in which he vowed to move Teslas California based Fremont factory elsewhere if not permitted to resume operations, local government has given Tesla the go ahead to restart production (albeit in a limited capacity).

While management provided few details about its 2Q/2020 outlook, it believes Fremont production can ramp back up very quickly given its experience in China and that the supply chain is already coming back online, Rosner summarized.

Despite the positive takeaways, Rosner maintains an $850 price target on Tesla shares, which implies a modest upside of 6%. With limited upside potential, the analyst rates TSLA a Hold. (To watch Rosners track record, click here)

When considering Teslas prospects, the Street takes a similar view. A Hold consensus rating is based on 8 Buys, 9 Holds and 10 Sells. With an average price target of $603.58, the analysts project downside of 25%. (See Tesla stock analysis on TipRanks)

To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks equity insights.

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Tesla (TSLA) Stock Is a Winner, but Its Valuation Is Getting Stretched - Yahoo Finance

Elon Musk released an impressive chart of the impact of the pandemic on Tesla Supercharger use over the last few months.

With stay-at-home orders and travel restrictions being put in place in many markets, gasoline sales are way down.

Unsurprisingly, electric car charging station usage is also way down.

Musk decided to release an interesting chart of the usage of Teslas Supercharger network in different regions over the pandemic.

The chart shows that Teslas Supercharger network in China saw a massive reduction in use in late January through February:

Interestingly, the chart shows a V shape recovery in Supercharger usage in China and a second wave of slower use in April.

In comparison, restrictions in Europe and North America happened about a month later, resulting in a similar rapid drop in Tesla Supercharger usage, but the recovery has been different.

It is a much slower recovery as restrictions are slowly being lifted in some North American and European markets.

Most interestingly, the Asia Pacific, which in this case excludes China, saw only a small drop in February, and it was not only back to normal but kept hitting new highs.

Its important to note that for most Tesla owners, Superchargers are not the main way for them to charge their cars.

Most owners charge their vehicles at home and only periodically charge at Supercharger stations mainly to travel longer distances, like road trips.

This is really interesting.

Of course, this pandemic is a much more complex issue than anything that can be explained by a Supercharger usage chart, but its still interesting data.

Its insane how quickly Supercharger usage recovered in China compared to what is happening in Europe and in North America.

But thats not as impressive as APAC though without China, I assume that it mainly consists of Australia, New Zealand, and Japan, and those have been smaller markets for Tesla.

Nonetheless, the small slowdown in usage seems to indicate a significantly different impact than in the other markets.

What do you think? Let us know in the comment section below.

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Tesla is getting ready to introduce a long rumored lower-cost, longer-lasting battery for its electric vehicles in China sometime later this year or early next year, according to a new report from Reuters. The battery which has been colloquially called a million mile battery in reference to how long it can last in a car before breaking down is being co-developed with Chinese battery giant Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd (CATL) and was designed in part by battery experts recruited by Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

Tesla is already the industry leader when it comes to squeezing range out of lithium-ion batteries in electric cars, and its expected to reveal more about the new technology at an upcoming Battery Day for investors. Musk told investors and analysts earlier this year that the information will blow your mind. It blows my mind. The company originally planned to hold the event in April, but has had to reschedule it until at least late May thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. The company held a similar event focused on self-driving technology in April 2019.

The battery is expected to lower the cost per kilowatt hour (the unit of energy most commonly used to measure the capacity of the battery packs in modern electric vehicles) to under $100. Many experts believe that reaching that mark would allow Tesla or other automakers to sell electric vehicles for the same prices as gasoline-powered ones, thereby making them far more accessible. General Motors is also trying to hit that mark in its work with battery maker LG Chem, as it recently shared during its own big EV Day event in March, though the automaker is not expected to get there until the mid-2020s.

General Motors said last month that its new generation of batteries will use 70 percent less cobalt, an expensive and precious material that is often mined by workers who are subject to brutal conditions. Musk has long sought to remove cobalt from the equation entirely, and Tesla is getting closer to doing that in its work with CATL, according to Reuters.

Information about Teslas next-generation batteries has steadily trickled out over the last year or so thanks to the experts Musk hired and their public works, like patents, academic papers, and university presentations. The group has been funded by Tesla since 2016, according to Reuters.

Tesla has also bought up a small handful of companies that are contributing to its battery advancements, like Maxwell Technologies. And its former CTO, JB Straubel, is leading a battery recycling company called Redwood Materials that Reuters says is an affiliate of Teslas.

These acquisitions, along with the collaboration with CATL, could help Tesla blunt any deterioration of its relationship with longtime battery partner Panasonic. The Japanese giant has helped Tesla create batteries at its Gigafactory in Nevada for years, and it also operates inside the former SolarCity plant in New York where it helps Musks company make solar panels. But Panasonic is ending its involvement at the New York factory at the end of this month and will be out of the plant in June.

That Tesla is reportedly planning to bring the technology to China first demonstrates the nations importance when it comes to electric vehicles. Its not only the leader in electric vehicle sales, but its home to a big chunk of the EV supply chain, too. Tesla also recently opened a new Gigafactory in Shanghai. Its the first foreign automaker to run a wholly owned automotive factory in the country, after the Chinese government relaxed its rules in 2018.

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Teslas readying a million mile battery that could greatly lower the cost of EVs - The Verge

A Tesla owner stopped a carjacking, thanks to his connected Model 3 preventing the thief from leaving with the car or even exiting it.

The Barstow Police Department announced yesterday that a carjacking suspect had been arrested, and they shared an interesting story about the crime on their Facebook page:

On May 8, 2020, at approximately 10:20 a.m., officers were dispatched to the 400 block of East Fredricks Street regarding a vehicle theft in progress. The reporting party stated that while he was sitting inside his Tesla T3 vehicle, a subject opened the drivers side door and began screaming at him to get out of the car. The subject made the victim get out of his vehicle and then attempted to steal it. The victim stated that he was able to use his cellular phone to turn the vehicles engine off and lock the subject inside of the vehicle. As officers arrived on scene, they observed a subject, later identified as Charlie Smith, in the drivers seat of the vehicle. Officers made contact with Smith and placed him under arrest. When officers placed Smith under arrest, they observed that he was sweating profusely and was twitching and blinking his eyes rapidly. Smiths behavior was also erratic and combative. Smith was placed under arrest for carjacking and being under the influence of a controlled substance.

It sounds like there was some miscommunication between the police and the Tesla owner since the vehicle doesnt have an engine and it cant be turned off with the app.

While I dont know for sure, heres what I think actually happened.

The owner was using his Model 3 with his phone. When the carjacker kicked him out of the car, he got out of range with the phone, which prevented the car from being put in drive hence leading to the comment about turning the engine off.

As for locking the thief in, I am not sure what he means by that because you cant really lock someone inside the car. You should always be able to use the manual release, which people sometimes even use inadvertently.

However, it sounds like the thief was on some drugs, and he might not have been able to get himself out because of his state of mind.

A previous report showed thatstolen Tesla vehicles in the US have almost all been recovered: 112 out of 115.

In Europe, they have some more sophisticated thieves that manageda string of Tesla vehicle thefts through relay attacks, and most vehicles havent been recovered.

In response to those attacks,Tesla started rolling out extra layers of security with improved cryptography key fob and optional PIN to Drive feature.

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In the latest installment of our series on the highest-mileage Tesla Model X (and one of the highest mileage EVs in the world, we look into how a Model X with over 400,000 miles racked up $29,000 in repair and maintenance and why thats good.

Just over 2 months ago, I bought one of the cheapest and most high-mileage Tesla Model X vehicles ever.

With over 400,000 miles (650,000 km), Its one of the highest-mileage electric vehicles in the world and serves as a great case study for the longevity of electric cars, in general, and Tesla vehicles in particular.

Its why we are posting a series of articles and videos about the vehicle and this episode is about the repair and maintenance history of the Model X.

The reason why this 2016 Model X already has over 400,000 miles on the odometer is that it was owned by Tesloop who used it to transport customers between Los Angeles and San Diego for years.

Tesloop kept a good tally of the maintenance and repairs done on the Model X, which they called Rex. You can see the full history further down and heres a video I produced about it:

Sponsor: Thanks to United Chargers for sponsoring this episode of the Electrek High-Mileage EV series. United Chargers has for mission to accelerate EV adoption by making charging affordable to everyone and thats why their Grizzl-E charger starts at just $399. While the price is inexpensive, the charger is not cheap. It is made in Canada and features a sturdy aluminum casing that is rated NEMA 4 air and water tight. It can be installed on any breaker from 20 to 50-amp and comes with a choice premium cable for cold climates. It works great with electric car, but its especially works great with Tesla vehicles since it can take advantage of the 10 kW level 2 charging capability in Tesla cars. For that price, I dont know of a better deal. It even comes with United Chargers Easy Plug, which holds your connector and acts as a cable management system.Visit the Grizzl-E website and start charging faster without breaking the bank with a Grizzl-E home charging station. You can also find their products on Amazon.

$29,000 in repairs sounds like a lot, especially in less than 4 years, but its actually quite good when you keep in mind that it has over 400,000 miles, which is more mileage than the average car over its total lifetime.

Most cars would take 20 years or more to reach that kind of mileage if they even can, and that would add up to just $1,450 per year in repair and maintenance.

Now it looks even better when we get into the details and see that about $9,000 of the total was used to replace tires.

Tesloop didnt often change all the tires at once, which makes it harder to get a clear look at how long the tires lasted, but the Tesla Model X ended going through 42 tires over the 400,000 miles.

That adds up to just over 10 full cycles of tires or one set every 40,000 miles, which is not great, but its not bad either. Some people will get more than that and others less depending on how nice you are to your tires.

Now lets move to the big tickets items that contributed to the $29,000 starting with the one that worries me the most: the middle row seats.

Back in 2018, after more than 200,000 miles on the vehicle, the middle row seats started malfunctioning and they were replaced at a cost of $5,375.90.

Aesthetically speaking, Tesla did a beautiful job with the second-row seats in the Model X configured for 6 people. The T-shaped stands are quite stunning, but the mechanism to move them back and forth as well as tilt them to create more room in the back has proven to be problematic.

They had to be replaced at just over 230,000 miles, but they are working fine now. With that kind of cost to replace them, I am a little worried about them breaking again. Ill keep you posted.

The second biggest item is a $3,389.83 charge for MCU (Touchscreen) Replacement and Chargeport Door replacement. It happened somewhat recently mileage-wise at 373,000 miles around this time last year.

It had an error and the screen went blank. I am not too worried about that since Tesla has started offering MCU upgrades and even though it has limited benefits for AP1 vehicles, it could be a good solution for this vehicle in the future, especially if they can also fix the yellow lines on the sides, which have come back on this unit.

We are talking about big numbers here, but they all need to be put in the perspective of the vehicle having over 400,000 miles on the odometer.

Overall, $29,000 is nothing over 400,000 miles for a $100,000 vehicle.

Most vehicles dont get to that kind of mileage in the first place so its hard to get a good comparison, but Ive heard of BMW and Mercedes-Benz owners getting similar tallies over half the mileage.

Also, Model X is probably not the best example of electric vehicles when it comes to repairs. It has been described as the Faberg egg of cars. There are a lot of complex components that can cost more to repair.

But overall, I think it bodes well for high-mileage Tesla vehicles when it comes to repair and maintenance. You just need to be ready to buy some rubber.

Even things like the 12-volt battery, which has been a problem with Tesla vehicles in the past, have performed decently well on this Model X. It had to be replaced three times over the lifetime of the car, which is nothing to worry about at 400,000 miles.

Heres the full service history of my high-mileage Tesla Model X:

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Tesla Model X with extreme mileage racked up $29,000 in repair/maintenance and thats good - Electrek

Chad Robins, CEO of Adaptive Biotechnologies.

Anjali Sundaram | CNBC

Check out the companies making headlines after the bell.

Adaptive Biotechnologies The biotechnology company's stock fell 5% in extended trading after Adaptive gave its first-quarter financial results. The company reported a loss of 25 cents per share on revenue of $20.9 million, while analysts polled by Refinitiv expected a loss of 20 cents per share with revenue of $21.5 million.

Facebook The social media giant's stock dipped 1% after the closing bell. Law firmBurns Charest announced Tuesday that it was seeking approval of a $52 million class-action settlement by the California Superior Court, San Mateo County. The settlement would go to content moderators who suffered psychological trauma while working for Facebook."We are grateful to the people who do this important work to make Facebook a safe environment for everyone," a Facebook spokesperson said in a statement to CNBC. "We're committed to providing them additional support through this settlement and in the future."

Vir Biotechnology Shares of the biotech company dropped more than 2% in extended trading after Vir released its first-quarter earnings. The company said it had a loss of 71 cents per share on revenue of $5.7 million. The company reported revenue of $3.7 million in the same quarter last year. Vir also said it saw an increase in operating expenses, which came in at $77.6 million compared to the total of $34.4 million reported a year ago. The company has been working on treatments for the coronavirus.

Tesla The automaker's stock dropped 1% after the market closed. Tesla employees went back to workthisweek at the company's manufacturing plant in Fremont, California. CEO Elon Musk began reopening the facility despite local health orders prohibiting manufacturing there and receivedsupport from President Donald Trump. Workers at the newly reopened plant described new safety precautions such as wearing masks and staggered shift times.

Gilead Sciences The pharmaceutical company's stock whipsawed in extended trading after Gilead announced that it had executed a licensing agreement to make the antiviral drug remdesivir in 127 countries, not including the United States. Gilead will work with five generic drugmakers to produce the potential coronavirus treatment.

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Stocks making the biggest moves after hours: Adaptive Biotechnologies, Facebook, Tesla and more - CNBC

Kia, so far a me-too player in the EV market, is looking to step up its game from Well, we had to make one to Tesla challenger via one truly remarkable sports crossover.

The first thing to note is its Model X-like range of 500 kilometres. Then theres the Porsche Taycan-like 800-volt charging system, which allows a complete recharge in just 20 minutes.

And to top it all off, theres the rumour it will rocket to 100 kilometres an hour from rest in a very Ferrari-like 3.0 seconds.

Those are heady hood ornaments for decidedly working-class Kia to be competing with. Thats especially true since its current fully electric products the Soul and Niro have not exactly set the world on fire here in North America (though, to be fair, in Europe, where EVs are even more necessary to meet CO2 regulations, the electrified Biro and Soul represent six per cent of the companys sales so far in 2020).

This new crossover looks to be far more successful. For one thing, if it is based on the Imagine concept car unveiled at the 2019 Geneva auto show, then it will be sexy as all get-out. For another, the powertrain has been developed in conjunction with Rimac, they of the stupefyingly quick Concept One supercar.

Like Ford whose partnership with Rivian is supposed to bring an electrified F-150 to market faster it seems Kia is looking to the Croatian company to speed up its transition to battery power. Though you may not have heard of Rimac, they bring some serious bona fides to the electric supercar segment, building the electrification portion of the Aston Martin Valkyrie; and batteries for Koenigsegg.

Again, those are heady names to be associating with Kia. Is the world ready for a super crossover from the Korean automaker? It looks like well find out in less than 18 months.

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Kia to take on Tesla, Porsche and everybody with a sports crossover EV: report - Driving

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AsofFriday'sclose, Tesla stock has risen 7.78% since Tesla CEO Elon Musk's tweet a week ago that the company's shares were priced "too high."

Shares of Tesla closed downdown 10.3% last Friday on Musk's tweet, but have quickly recovered those losses and then some it's up 16.84% from the week-ago close. The stock rise is part of a general rebound in the markets this week, boosted by news that the company will attempt to restart some production at its U.S. car plant in Fremont, California, on Friday afternoon.

The CEO has faced problems with the SEC for tweeting about the company's stock in the past, following his infamous tweet in August 2018 saying hewanted to take Tesla private at $420 per shareand that he had secured the funding to do so. Musk has sinceagreed to submithis public statements about Tesla's finances and other topics to vetting by its legal counsel.

It's unclear if Musk had that approval for his May 1 tweets. When asked by the Wall Street Journal last week if the tweet was a joke or vetted, Muskreplied: "No." The SEC declined to comment at the time.

CNBC's Thomas Franck contributed to this report.

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Tesla shares are up more than 7% since Elon Musk said the stock was 'too high' - CNBC

American rock band

Tesla is an American rock band formed in Sacramento, California in late 1981 by bassist Brian Wheat and guitarist Frank Hannon.[1] Lead vocalist Jeff Keith, drummer Troy Luccketta, and guitarist Tommy Skeoch joined them by 1984. By 1986, the band had changed from its glam-derived sound to a 'rootsier' direction under a new name: Tesla. In 1996, the band disbanded, with members devoting themselves to solo projects. In 2000, they reformed, but Tommy Skeoch departed the band in 2006 and was replaced by Dave Rude. They have sold 14 million albums in the United States.

The band City Kidd was renamed Tesla during the recording of their first album, 1986's Mechanical Resonance, on the advice of their manager that City Kidd was not a great name (in addition, there was already another band going by that name). The band derived their name, certain album and song titles, and some song content from events relating to inventor and electrical engineer Nikola Tesla. Along with the band's next two studio albums, Mechanical Resonance was produced by Michael Barbiero and Steve Thompson

The band's original lineup consisted of lead vocalist Jeff Keith, guitarists Frank Hannon and Tommy Skeoch, bassist Brian Wheat, and drummer Robert Contreras who was soon replaced by ex-Eric Martin Band drummer[2] Troy Luccketta.

Tesla's music is often referred to as hard rock or glam metal.[citation needed] but the band's lyrics strayed from the themes popular in hard rock in the 1980s. In the early days of their career, Tesla toured with David Lee Roth, Alice Cooper, Def Leppard, and Poison which resulted in the band being categorized as a glam metal band. The band's members resented this labelling.[3][4]

The band released Mechanical Resonance LIVE on August 26, 2016, featuring live versions of every song from the original album.[5] Including a bonus track Save That Goodness, produced by Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen.[6]

The band released their second album, The Great Radio Controversy, in 1989. The album helped solidify the band's growing reputation and fan base, and produced five hit singles, including the power ballad "Love Song".

In 1990, Tesla released Five Man Acoustical Jam, a live album featuring acoustic renditions of hits such as "Comin' Atcha Live", "Gettin' Better", "Modern Day Cowboy", and "Love Song". The album also featured a number of covers most notably a version of "Signs", a 1971 hit by the Five Man Electrical Band.

In 1991 the band released their third studio album Psychotic Supper. The band itself considers this to be their best album according to their official web site.[citation needed] The 1998 Japanese reissue import of Psychotic Supper contains one previously unreleased song, "Rock the Nation", as well as the songs "I Ain't Superstitious", and "Run Run Run", both of which had only been previously available as b-sides to two singles from The Great Radio Controversy.

In 1994 the band released their fourth studio album Bust a Nut. The 1998 Japanese reissue import of Bust a Nut contains the previously unreleased cover of Led Zeppelin's "The Ocean".

After the release of Bust a Nut, Skeoch departed because of his struggle with substance abuse. He rejoined after completing rehab, only to depart again months later. The band moved forward as a four-piece for a short while. However, it wasn't long before Skeoch briefly joined up with solo artist Marshall Coleman's band to support his solo career, only to see a departure of Marshall soon after. This band eventually morphed to include Jeff Keith and resurfaced as Bar 7 with a single "Four Leaf Clover", from the album The World Is a Freak. Brian Wheat formed Soulmotor and Frank Hannon Moon Dog Mane, while Troy Luccketta worked with several local artists including the Bay Area's One Thin Dime.

After a break of six years, the Sacramento Bee reported that the band had reformed in 2000 with the help of local radio personality Pat Martin of KRXQ. The band played an emotional sold out show at ARCO Arena in Sacramento on October 25, 2000. Soon after they recorded the double live album Replugged Live. In 2002 they were featured in the Rock Never Stops Tour alongside other 1980s rock bands.

2002 saw the release of a further live album Standing Room Only which is just a single CD version of Replugged Live.

In 2004 they released their fifth studio album Into the Now which debuted on the Billboard album chart at number 30. The album was well received by fans and the band was featured on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.

In the summer of 2006, the band embarked on the Electric Summer Jam Tour without guitarist Tommy Skeoch. Skeoch had left the band indefinitely to spend time with his family, and, as he later revealed on "The Classic Metal Show", other reasons; particularly his problems with substance abuse.[7][8]Scott Johnson of the Sacramento band Rogue filled in for a time on this tour. Eventually Dave Rude replaced Skeoch permanently.

Tesla recorded a two-volume collection of cover songs titled Real to Reel, which was released on June 5, 2007. The recording is available as a 2-CD set. The first CD (containing 13 songs) is sold in a case with a blank slot for the second CD. The second CD (containing 12 additional songs) will initially be available to concert goers in the USA at no additional charge beyond the cost of a ticket. The second CD was also given away with the August edition of Classic Rock magazine in Europe.

At the end of August Tesla announced their first world tour in 16 years with dates in Australia, Japan, and Europe in October and November 2007.

In June and July 2008, Tesla played a few shows in Europe and the USA, including Sweden Rock Festival, Graspop Metal Meeting and Rocklahoma. On July 15, 2008 "Tesla- Comin' Atcha Live! 2008" was released from a live concert filmed February 22, 2008 at the sold out Myth Nightclub in Maplewood, Minnesota. The 2 hour show included hits "Modern Day Cowboy", "Love Song" and "Song and Emotion" along with additional backstage footage.

On August 11, 2008, it was reported that Tesla's next album, entitled Forever More, would be released on October 7 on their own record label, Tesla Electric Company Recordings.[9][10] The album was produced by Terry Thomas, who produced Bust a Nut. The band aired the album's first single, "I Wanna Live" on radio stations across the globe on August 18 and kicked off a world tour on October 1. Forever More debuted No.33 on The Billboard 200 chart and spawned singles I Wanna Live, Fallin' Apart & Breakin' Free.

On May 10, 2011, the band played at a rally for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association. Tesla performed two songs, "Signs" and "Love Song" during the Kings #HereWeRally at Cesar Chavez Park in Sacramento, California to celebrate the team staying in Sacramento for at least one more year.

On July 12, 2011[11] they released a mostly acoustic album titled Twisted Wires and the Acoustic Sessions.[12]

In June 2013, Tesla released a new single "Taste My Pain" on iTunes. They released their new album Simplicity on June 6, 2014.[13]

In 2016, the band did a tour with Def Leppard and REO Speedwagon.

On August 26, 2016,[14] Tesla released Mechanical Resonance Live in celebration of the album's 30th anniversary. It included a new single "Save That Goodness", written and produced by Phil Collen of Def Leppard.

In April 2017, Tesla began working on their ninth studio album, Shock, which was produced by Phil Collen,[15] and released on March 8, 2019.[16][17]

On June 25, 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed Tesla among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire.[18]

While promoting their album The Great Radio Controversy, the band participated in a canned food drive that allowed free concert admission to contributors, this event was incorporated into the video for "The Way It Is".In February 2005, Tesla headlined a benefit show at the PPAC in Providence, Rhode Island for the victims of the Station nightclub fire. During the show the band auctioned off an autographed acoustic guitar with the proceeds going to the Station Family Fund. 100% of the ticket sales also went to this charity.[19]

In February 2008, Tesla helped fund and headlined a benefit concert for victims of the Station nightclub fire. The show was broadcast by VH1 Classic. Tesla played three songs: "What You Give", "Signs", and "Love Song", though "What You Give" did not make it onto the broadcast.[20]

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Tesla (band) - Wikipedia

3500 Deer Creek RoadPalo Alto, CA 94304United States650-681-5000http://www.tesla.com

Sector:Consumer CyclicalIndustry:Auto ManufacturersFull Time Employees:48,016

Tesla, Inc. designs, develops, manufactures, leases, and sells electric vehicles, and energy generation and storage systems in the United States, China, Netherlands, Norway, and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Automotive; and Energy Generation and Storage. The Automotive segment offers sedans and sport utility vehicles. It also provides electric powertrain components and systems; and services for electric vehicles through its company-owned service locations, and Tesla mobile service technicians, as well as sells used vehicles. This segment markets and sells its products through a network of company-owned stores and galleries, as well as through its own Website. The Energy Generation and Storage segment offers energy storage products, such as rechargeable lithium-ion battery systems for use in homes, industrial, commercial facilities, and utility grids; and designs, manufactures, installs, maintains, leases, and sells solar energy generation and energy storage products to residential and commercial customers. It also provides vehicle insurance services, as well as renewable energy. The company was formerly known as Tesla Motors, Inc. and changed its name to Tesla, Inc. in February 2017. Tesla, Inc. was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Palo Alto, California.

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Tesla, Inc. (TSLA) Stock Price, Quote, History & News ...

Tesla has started pushing a new software update with improvements to its charging map, a new Tesla Toybox, and more.

Despite the coronavirus pandemic, Teslas software team is able to push new features and improvements to the customer fleet.

With the new 2020.16 software update, the automaker is making a few somewhat minor changes.

The Toybox, which is where Tesla gives access to some of its funny features, like its now-famous in-car fart machine, is getting a small redesign.

Tesla wrote in the release notes:

Tesla Toybox

The Tesla Toybox has been redesigned to make it easier to view and play. Simply scroll through the toys and adjust the associated controls. As before, to access the Tesla Toybox, tap the Toybox icon from the Application Launcher.

The automaker also released an update to its listing of charging stations:

Nearby Charging Stations

The charging list has been improved to easily filter nearby charging sites based on max power. Simply tap the charging icon on the map and filter by selecting the associated lighting bolt icons.

The new system is based on one to three lightning bolts to let people know how powerful the nearby charging stations are.

Along with the change to the charging station map and filter, Tesla claims that there were other minor improvements to maps.

Finally, Tesla also made improvements to its Dashcam system:

Dashcam Improvements

Dashcam is now easier to setup or erase. After plugging in a USB drive, tap Controls > Safety & Security > FORMAT USB DEVICE to format and create the associated folders for Dashcam. Note: Formatting the USB drive will also delete any existing clips.

In order for TeslaCam and Sentry Mode to work on a Tesla, you need a few accessories mainly a storage device that connects through USB, which can need to be formatted and have folders created for the features.

We recommend using a Samsung portable SSD, which big enough for both Sentry Mode events, which can add up quickly, and TeslaCam. You needed to format the SSD, but it nows sounds like Teslas new software update can do it automatically.

Along with the SSD, we also recommend Jedas Model 3 USB hub (now also available for Model Y) to be able to still use the other plugs and hide your Sentry Mode drive.

Tesla has been making several improvements to its dashcam system with the highly anticipated dashcam viewer, which has been well-received.

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Nora Tam | South China Morning Post | Getty Images

Electric carmaker Tesla has entered into an agreement for a working capital loan of up to 4 billion yuan ($565.51 million) with a lender from China for its Shanghai car plant, according to a regulatory filing on Friday.

The loan, which will be provided by Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Limited, will be used only for expenditures related to production at the Shanghai plant, the filing said.

The factory is Tesla's first car manufacturing site outside the United States and is the centerpiece of its ambitions to boost sales in the world's biggest auto market and to avoid higher import tariffs imposed on U.S.-made cars.

Tesla had suspended production at its San Francisco Bay Area plant due to the broader impact of the coronavirus, and was told by the local county health department on Friday that it "must not reopen" as local lockdown measures remain in effect.

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Tesla secures $565 million loan for Shanghai factory - CNBC

The F-450 weighed in at a whopping 5,240 pounds, though that's only 593 pounds more than a Model S P85. Greg says that the weight savings from the factory 7.3-liter diesel and its transmission were around 100 pounds, meaning that the overall weight increase was only 493 pounds. Moreover, because the battery box was fabricated to utilize the factory mounting points, the truck's overall weight characteristics should remain fairly close to stock.

Greg doesn't mention overall range, but it's worth noting that similar battery configurations in the Model S net around 265 miles, though we're sure that's at least somewhat sapped by the 500 pounds of added weight, age of battery modules, and the fact that the F-450 shares aerodynamic characteristics with that of a brick.

The interior of the vehicle was also modified. Greg refers to the large blank dashboard as a "pallet" for digital and analog gauges, though most of the functionality takes place via a centrally mounted EVControls T-1C Controller, a $3,500 piece of hardware which interfaces with the electric motor, power inverter, brake lights, and other components to ensure smooth operation. The interior was also fitted with sound dampening to mask road noise otherwise covered by the truck's diesel powerplant.

If you're interested in a more technical walkthrough of the truck's functionality, Greg has recorded a number of in-depth videos on how everything works, including the one below:

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Tesla-Swapped 2004 Ford F-450 Super Duty Is an Electric Truck for the People - The Drive

The Environmental Protection Agency denied Tesla CEO Elon Musks claim that the agency made a mistake in its test of the Model S sedan, which resulted in a lower range than Musk thought was deserved.

In an earnings call this week, Musk claimed that the Tesla Model S Long Range should be the first electric vehicle to sport a 400-mile range, and that the EPAs 391-mile rating was the result of a snafu. Musk said someone had left the keys in the vehicle and the door open overnight, causing the Model S to enter into a waiting for driver mode that depleted 2 percent of the vehicles battery. This resulted in the slightly less than 400-mile range.

Not so, said the EPA. We can confirm that EPA tested the vehicle properly, the door was closed, and we are happy to discuss any technical issues with Tesla, as we do routinely with all automakers, an EPA spokesperson said in a statement to The Verge.

Heres what Musk said during the earnings call:

On other technology fronts, we increased the range of model S and X yet again, this time to 391 miles for Model S and 351 miles for Model X. Actually, we said that, actually, the model the real Model S range is 400 miles, but when we did the last EPA test, unfortunately, [EPA] left the car door open and the keys in the car, so the car - and it did this overnight.

And so the car actually went into waiting for driver mode and lost 2% of its range. And as a result, it had a 391 test. As soon as the EPA reopens for testing, we will redo the test, and were actually confident that we will achieve a 400-mile-or-greater range with the Model S. But to be clear, the Model S, for the past two months the true range of the Model S for the past two months has been 400 miles.

A spokesperson for Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Update May 1st, 5:20pm ET: Updated to include Musks comments from the earnings call

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Elon Musk lied about the EPAs Tesla Model S test, agency claims - The Verge

Amid a difficult economic environment, Tesla eked out a profit last quarter, the companys third successive quarter in the green. The revenue stream that helped the electric vehicle maker get there: regulatory credits. Tesla earned $354 million from these credits this past quarter, a record for the company and a 64 percent increase as compared to the year prior, according to Teslas earnings report.

Through having an all-electric lineup, Tesla amasses regulatory credits from various sources around the world. The credits are given out to automakers based on the vehicles they sell; in some areas, credits are given out based on the number of electric vehicles an automaker sells, and in others, it is based on the emissions that come from the vehicles sold.

The Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) program is one such source; the program is a California regulation which mandates that automakers must sell a certain number of electric vehicles relative to their total sales. There are ten other states in the U.S. that have adopted the measure. If an automaker ends the year without sufficient credits, theyre fined that is unless they buy them from a company such as Tesla.

The federal governments system for regulatory credits will change beginning for the 2021 model year as the Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient (SAFE) emissions regulations come into place. Nonetheless, up until the new regulations come into play, automakers have received emissions credits from both the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standardsand the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)the Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG) standardsdepending on the fuel efficiency of vehicles.

Similar measures have been put in place in the European Union, where rules mandate average emissions from new vehicles. In order to avoid what could have amounted to over $2.1 billion in fines according to analysts, Fiat Chrysler paid Tesla hundreds of millions of dollars so their vehicles are counted in the same fleet and therefore FCAs emissions are averaged with those of Tesla.

For years, Tesla has been paid by other automakers for the regulatory credits that they acquire as a result of their all-electric lineup and it was a mystery as to who exactly was purchasing the credits. Last summer, Bloomberg reported that General Motors and FCA had disclosed in a Delaware court that they had agreed to buy greenhouse gas emissions credits from Tesla.

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Other Automakers Paid Tesla a Record $354 Million Last Quarter - Car and Driver

You Can Buy a Tesla So Rare Even Elon Musk Won't Have It Gear Patrol

for the ultimate tesla fan

The shooting brake is the most rarified of automotive body styles. The idea stemmed from the aristocratic pursuit of hunting. Luxury buyers wanted to keep their same fancy car but still have enough room in the back for hounds, guns, and accrued game Range Rovers did not exist yet. You needed to be an aristocrat to own a shooting brake, as, for most of its history, you could not walk into the dealer to buy one. It had to be custom-built.

One of the most famous shooting brakes is this ultra-rare Aston Martin DB5 version that was auctioned last summer. An owner wanting a modern electric car version of that shooting brake commissioned Dutch coachbuilders RemetzCar, builders of the Model S hearse, to make a Model S 85 Performance shooting brake, currently being sold through JB Classic Cars.

The Tesla is a 2013 Model S 85 Performance, facelifted to look like the 2016 and newer models with a more minimalist grille. It has around 37,000 miles on the clock. It is finished in bespoke British racing green paint with a touch of gold and has bespoke green piping on the leather seats.

JB Classic Cars is offering the car for about $240,000, or a little above $240,000 if youre in Europe and need to pay the VAT. While the shooting brake is indeed fetching and unique, a skeptic may note that its a seven-year-old Tesla that now costs twice as much as a new Model S Performance. Its also the same price as another practical British luxury sort of wagon, the Aston Martin DBX.

Tyler Duffy is Gear Patrol's Motoring Staff Writer. He used to write about sports for The Big Lead and The Athletic. He has a black belt in toddler wrangling. He's based outside Detroit.

talk about a win-win

The bigger engine gets even better highway mileage than the smaller one, the EPA says.

explore america by car

Many Americans will be vacationing by car this summer. Here are some great driving roads to help you escape the city.

desert rated, desert approved

Reports say Jeep's toughest off-road rating will expand across their SUV lineup.

the Raptor wasn't extravagant enough

This may be the most badass Raptor on the market but one change will really annoy Ford fans.

it's a buyer's market

Looking for a luxury truck or SUV? A sports car? Maybe an underrated EV? Deals are out there.

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This Tesla Is So Rare, Even Elon Musk Doesn't Have It. But You Could - Gear Patrol

What's more, Texas is even home to a branch of SpaceX - the private aerospace company that Tesla CEO Elon Musk leads. Beside the possibility for "synergies in management time," SpaceX's presence there might be significant for the reason that the Cybertruck is built of the same stainless steel as that company's Starship spacecraft.

On top of all this, Texas is a hot spot for alternative energy, with enough sunshine each year to provide plenty of solar power for Tesla to sustainably run its operations. For a company whose purported mission is sustainable transportation, that counts for something.

And then there's the symbolic gesture of putting an EV manufacturer in Texas - a state known for supplying much of the US's oil and natural gas. The move could send a signal to consumers across the country that the new era is well and truly here.

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Why The Tesla Cybertruck Should Be Built In Texas - CarBuzz

Tesla aims to eventually become a massive distributed electric utility and we now learn of a new product: Autobidder, which appears to be a next step in that direction.

Last year, Elon Musk said that Tesla Energy, the energy division of the automaker, is becoming a distributed global utility and it could even outgrow its automotive business.

The idea is that Tesla would keep deploying more solar and energy storage systems, big and small, at the residential level and on utility-scale, and manage those distributed systems to act as a giant electric utility.

Tesla has developed software to control those energy assets and now we learn of a new one: Autobidder. It has apparently being used for a few years, but we are only now learning about it.

The company describes Autobidder on its website:

Autobidder provides independent power producers, utilities and capital partners the ability to autonomously monetize battery assets. Autobidder is a real-time trading and control platform that provides value-based asset management and portfolio optimization, enabling owners and operators to configure operational strategies that maximize revenue according to their business objectives and risk preferences.

Tesla says that Autobidder is currently being used in Australia to manage the Hornsdale Power Reserve (HPR), which is also known as the Tesla Big Battery:

Autobidder is succesfully operating at Hornsdale Power Reserve (HPR) in South Australia, and through market bidding, has added competition to drive down energy prices.

While it is known as the Tesla Big Battery because it uses Teslas Powerpacks, it is owned by Neoen, a French renewable energy company that also operates a wind farm next the battery system.

So Tesla not only deployed the Powerpacks for them but also provides them with this Autobidder software.

However, the new platform doesnt only work with Tesla products and appears to be compatible with any type of energy storage.

Heres a picture of the UI of Teslas Autobidder product:

Tesla adds about its Autobidder platform on its website:

Autobidder has hundreds of megawatt-hours of assets under management that have supplied gigawatt-hours of grid services globally. Autobidder operates at every scale: from aggregations of behind-the-meter residential systems to 100MW utility-scale installations. With seamless integration between hardware and software, Autobidder can be trusted to capture revenues immediately after project energization and 24/7 in dynamic environments.

The automaker says that it is also using its machine learning expertise to deliver several features:

Aside from the big battery system in Australia, Electrek has learned from sources that Tesla is also using Autobidder as part of its Powerwall deployment with Green Mountain Power in Vermont.

Now we also learn that Tesla has taken its first step to become an energy provider in the UK, according to a document reviewed by The Telegraph.

Tesla is reportedly looking to use Autobidder in the UK:

Another purpose for the licence may be to introduce the companys Autobidder platform, according to a company source. Acting as a middleman, the platform aggregates renewable power generators and trades their energy.

The company has deployed several Powerpack projects in the UK.

We previously reported onAmazon adding Teslas energy storage systems to its distribution centers in the UK and they also deployed a system at the Manchester Science Park (MSP).

This is an interesting development.

Like with Teslas virtual power plant with Powerwalls in Australia, I can see a future where Tesla leverages its massive deployment of solar and energy solar systems to create a marketplace for electric utilities to use that capacity in exchange for compensation.

It would significantly increase the value of Teslas deployed capacity for its customers and the company itself.

For utilities, it would enable them to reduce the use of polluting and expensive peaker plants.

I think we are going to see a lot more from Tesla on that front once they iron out the production ramp-up of the energy products, like Powerwalls, Megapacks, and solar roof tiles.

What do you think? Let us know in the comment section below.

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Tesla has a new product: Autobidder, a step toward becoming an electric utility - Electrek

Tesla has been throwing away computers without wiping them leaving some customer account compromised. Be aware if Tesla ever had to replace your onboard computer.

With Tesla Autopilot computer upgrade and recently announced MCU2 upgrade, on top of regular replacements for performance issues, Tesla is changing a lot of computers in its vehicles today.

Now the fact that a lot of used Tesla computers are showing up on eBay raises some questions about Teslas process to get rid of those computers, which can often contain sensitive information, like Google or Spotify usernames and passwords.

Even more troubling, these passwords dont seem to be encrypted.

Thats the kind of information that can be used to hack someone and can be described as compromising customer accounts.

Hacker Green acquired several of these computers and managed to find a lot of that kind of information about previous owners.

Fortunately, the first thing he did is reach out to Tesla and let them know about the vulnerability.

The automaker told him that they were launching an investigation into the issue, but the investigation didnt seem to be taken too seriously.

Green told Electrek that when he shared the VINs of the units he had with Tesla, they told him that those units were stolen from them.

However, it appears that Tesla might be stretching the meaning of the word stolen.

Green shared proof with Electrek that these computers can be found in Teslas service center dumpsters.

He wrote on Twitter:

I got in contact with Tesla security via proper channels and they are looking into it. But considering units are thrown into trash as per the procedure not even sure this can be pinned on anybody. At most why did not you whack it with a hammer at least?

Tesla claims that the computers are supposed to be wiped before being thrown away, but he is only aware of a reset procedure that can be done at the factory but not at service centers.

Either people dumpster dive to grab them and sell them to resellers and they end up on eBay, which is hardly stealing, or Tesla employees themselves sell the computers.

You can see plenty of them available for sale on the website:

Green told Electrek that he even heard about Tesla employees selling computers to third-party Tesla repairers:

I know some people on the unauthorized repair side and they say Tesla staff comes and brings such units

He added on Twitter:

Tesla told Green that they would contact people who are affected by this leak of information, but they havent given a clear timeline on that.

Electrek contacted Tesla about the issue and we will update if we get an answer.

Well, thats dumb.

First off, these computers shouldnt end up in dumpsters in the first place, they should be recycled, but if they do, they should obviously be wiped. And, even if these things are found, this information should be encrypted so it is at least extremely difficult to ascertain the important information should one of these fall into the wrong hands.

There are going to be thousands of Tesla computers in that situation in the coming months and likely hundreds of thousands over the next year. Kind of a waste of equipment if you ask me.

Tesla needs to have a way better procedure in place before that can happen and they need to make it right for people who have already got a computer upgrade and let them know they should change their passwords.

If you have linked accounts on your Tesla and had your computer upgraded, you should definitely do that.

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Tesla has been getting rid of computers without wiping them compromising customer accounts - Electrek

In a series of tweets, Elon Musk said some things that may not have gone down well with investors resulting in a loss of $14 billion in value for Tesla. Tesla stock price too high, imo Musk tweeted adding that he wanted to sell all his possessions including his house. Musk also said that there was one condition to a sale. The house formerly owned by actor and producer, Gene Wilder was also going up for sale, but cannot be torn down. Trying to get some clarification from the Tesla founder, the Wall Street Journal asked if the tweet was a joke, to which Musk replied, No. The electric carmakers market cap is currently around $130 billion and it last traded for $701.32 (closing market price May 1).

Xiaomi reportedly recorded data of millions of its users and sent it to remote servers hosted by another Chinese firm, Alibaba. Cybersecurity researcher Gabi Cirlig told Forbes that the default Xiaomi Mi browser recorded all the websites that were visited on the device. Furthermore, the device tracked his activities even when he was supposedly using the incognito mode a setting that prevents browsing history or cache from being stored. Xiaomi India responded saying the report is 'absolutely inaccurate'. "As an internet company, Xiaomi takes user privacy extremely seriously. Mi Browser follows similar protocols are any other leading browser in the world. It does not collect any user data that the user has explicitly given permission and consent to." The company further added that Mi Browser will never know what you browse in incognito mode as the user data is encrypted and anonymised. 'Lastly, all Mi browser and Mi Cloud data of Indian users is stored locally in AWS servers in India," the company further stated.

Despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Samsung has confirmed to launch new Galaxy Note and foldable smartphones in H2 2020. The company typically launches its Galaxy Note series in August at the Unpacked event. This means we could possibly see the Galaxy Note 20 series sometime during the second half of 2020. The other confirmed news is a new foldable phone. Rumours of the Galaxy Fold 2 launch have been floating on the internet. Samsung was previously rumoured to launch the Galaxy Fold 2 in Q2 2020. However, the launch date must have been pushed forward due to the global crisis.

Apple and Google have rolled out the first set of COVID-19 contact tracing tools to developers. The coronavirus exposure notification API in a new beta update of iOS 13.5. For Android, Google has rolled out a new beta of its Google Play Services with the exposure notification API and an accompanying SDK to select developers. Both companies have also released the first seeds of the exposure notification API to public health authority developers to collect feedback on how to improve the API ahead of its slated release in mid-May. Apple and Google will share additional information with these developers, which will also include a sample code for developers to understand how the exposure notification system will work.

Xiaomi has globally unveiled the Mi Note 10 Lite and Redmi Note 9. The Mi Note 10 Lite is a toned-down version of the Mi Note 10 and features 6.47-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with a waterdrop notch for the 32MP front camera, a Snapdragon 730G processor with 6GB RAM + 128GB storage and a 5,260 mAh battery with 30W wired fast charging support. There is a 64MP + 8MP ultrawide + 2MP macro+ 2MP depth sensor setup for photos and videos. Mi Note 10 Lite comes in two storage options and starts at EUR 349 (roughly Rs. 28,400). Redmi Note 9 specifications include a 6.53-inch Full HD+ IPS LCD, a MediaTek Helio G85 processor with up to 4GB RAM and 128GB storage, and a 5,020 mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging. There is a 48MP + 8MP + 2MP + 2MP camera setup on the Redmi Note 9. For selfies, you get a 13MP front camera. Redmi Note 9 starts at USD 199 (roughly Rs 14,900).

Search engine giant Google has released a data set that reveals the difference in mobility trends in certain types of areas before and after the lockdown. The Google COVID-19 Community Mobility report until April 26 suggests that places that fall under the retail and recreation category witnessed a decline of 86 percent in terms of footfall. Among the worst-hit were public transport services, which saw a 66 percent decline in footfall between March 15 and April 26 across India. As many people are working from home, while the remaining stay isolated indoors, Google reported a surge of 22 percent in residential spaces. Surprisingly, Google recorded a 51 percent drop in areas like grocery markets, food warehouses, farmers markets, speciality food shops, drug stores, and pharmacies. These places have been allowed to remain open for providing essential items while following social distancing.

Video-sharing app TikTok has reportedly surpassed 2 billion downloads across Android and iOS devices. The reason for the sudden surge in the number of downloads for TikTok is said to be the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which has forced people to stay at home and find new ways to keep themselves entertained. Outside China, India is TikToks largest market, which accounts for over 30.3 percent or 611 million app downloads The Sensor Tower report further reveals that TikTok generated significantly higher revenue from its iOS app compared to Android. iOS users spent over USD 435.3 million in lifetime revenue, compared to USD 21.4 million in revenue on Android.

First Published on May 2, 2020 07:49 pm

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Tech Weekender: Musk's tweets cost Tesla $14bn, Xiaomi's privacy issues and TikTok's 2 billion downloads - Moneycontrol