Dec 24, 2013
Causalien Tesla to be acquired. Is the rumour going around cnbc and twitter. If my interpretation is correct, one of the old guards wants to buyout TSLA and "potentially" kill it while they still can. Cnbc is just their way to pass the word without their pride on the table.
TSLA is now a real company in their eyes. We are in the 3rd phase: "Then they fight you"�
Dec 24, 2013
Johann Koeber
How could they, really?
Elon, myself and quite a few others here
will not give up their shares.�
Dec 24, 2013
dha The acquisition rumors seem to be based on this joke of an interview:
Tesla might find a buyer in 2014: Pro�
Dec 24, 2013
Causalien Every joke is 25% truth. I do not believe in coincidences. Call it Causa's paranoia theory if you will.
$180 is a prediction based on pure TA, it has no fundamentals in it. Sounds crazy? yes. But I've seen too many gaps filled to my life to go against it. It is one of the most ridiculous concept in TA. Yet is the one that has the most chance of happening.�
Dec 24, 2013
FANGO
Not only will people not sell shares (though I'd consider it if someone was going to give me 500/share today), it's just too late. Who's going to spend 20+ billion? Not to mention that they can't just pay the market cap, they would have to pay a premium. If anyone wanted to buy the company out, they've missed their chance. I'm sure that's more than they're willing to spend.�
Dec 24, 2013
MikeC Haha, it's Rick Santelli doing the interview. We know how good his track record on TSLA is: Santelli Loves NG (but not TSLA)�
Dec 24, 2013
RobStark The old guy analyst called it a "way out" prediction not a rumor.
Then he said TSLA evaluation is in "la la land" that it needs to come down to a "reasonable level" for General Motors to buy.
A year ago these guys called a $4B evaluation "la la land" now they would call it a fire sale price.
By the time $18B seems reasonable, TSLA will have a market cap of $30B.�
Dec 24, 2013
Citizen-T As Elon said the last time there was talk of GM buying out TSLA, "they can't afford to buy Tesla. "
(paraphrased)�
Dec 24, 2013
Raffy.Roma This is nice. :biggrin: LOL!�
Dec 24, 2013
RobStark There are two corporations that might be a good fit to buy Tesla and have the cash.
Toyota Motors. They believe fuel cell electric vehicles are the future not battery electric vehicles. So no need to buy Tesla from Toyota's POV.
Then there is Google. Elon, Sergey and Larry are pals. This would definitely be a friendly takeover/merger without any intent on killing the electric car.
And I suspect all of us here would make a nice little profit
�
Dec 24, 2013
Raffy.Roma I would be afraid if a Company bought Tesla because IMO they would have as main purpose to get rid of a competitor who could overtake automakers all over the world and not to develop and improve Tesla.
So I hope that if somebody will ask Elon to make a deal to buy Tesla Elon will answer: "No thanks"�
Dec 24, 2013
Twiddler Couldn't help it - the similarities are rather striking.
Tesla buys GM out, GM does't buy Tesla out!
The Godfather - Im Moe Greene 9/10 (HD) - YouTube
"[They're] all done. The [big 3] don't even have that kind of muscle any more"
�
Dec 24, 2013
Causalien It's not something that's cast in stone. Elon is a businessman and when an opportunity that makes sense present itself. He will accept it. Just like the secondary offering to get out of gov debt right after he explicitly stated tsla doesn't need. Tsla history is littered with events where Elon has to eat his pride and go back on his words.
The only american company with the fire power is Ford. But at their current firepower, they can only present it as a merger of equals. Usually, these mergers end with the exodus of personnels from the losing company. You can tell who won from the first exec that leave after merger, or demotion.
The way I would approach this tAke over, is to use a close ally that are more well received by the tech crowd. Where the CEO is either controlled by debt, or political favor. I would ask this ceo to appease Elon's desire to fully focus on spacex while assuring the full execution of the tesla dream and giving Elon a controlling stake of the resulting company. Once that deal is completed, subsequent manufacturing problems and accidents will follow with major dilution events. These events will be used to wrest control from Elon and the early die hard followers. Once enough is purchased from the dilution event using government money, final liquidation can happen a la fatal accident associated with battery tech.�
Dec 24, 2013
RobStark Ford has about $15B cash on hand and about $15B in debt from automotive operations not including~$100B in debt from the financing operations.
Google has about $50B on hand but there are not in a capital intensive business. They don't have the next generation of vehicles to fund.�
Dec 24, 2013
bareyb Apple could buy them. They have enough cash. People are already calling the Model S a "Mac on Wheels".�
Dec 24, 2013
Jackl1956 Elon Musk is a true believer. He has repeatedly made decisions contrary to his financial interest. His back to the wall, SpaceX and Tesla Motors on the brink of financial collapse, Elon went all in.
I am convinced Elon will see Tesla Motors revolutionize (electrify) transportation. This battle between shorts and longs will last years.�
Dec 24, 2013
purplewalt My understanding is that should a potential buyer try to negotiate purchasing/acquiring a willing Tesla Motors, Daimler AG has the first right of refusal to acquire the Tesla Brand and its assets.
That is due to the May 19, 2009 $50M loan Daimler AG (which gave Daimler less that 10% equity) made which saved Tesla from bankruptcy.�
Dec 24, 2013
772 If it means selling out to a traditional automaker or a big oil co, I doubt it. Doing so would mean leaving everyone who drives a Tesla out to dry. He won't settle for "an opportunity" -- he wants a lot more than that.�
Dec 24, 2013
gene I agree, he would never sell to anyone who would lessen the mission of Tesla. What does a man want more than wealth? To be remembered in history, to leave a legacy, that's what.�
Dec 24, 2013
bareyb Agreed. Men like Elon Musk are not motivated by money. They are motivated by how much they can change the World. If things go as we all hope they will, Elon Musk's name will be cemented in History forever, much like Steve Jobs or Henry Ford.�
Dec 24, 2013
Causalien That's why I said that if it were to come true. It will originally have to be disguised as an offer from Elon's tech circle. There's too much enmity between Elon and big oil/car for Elon to sell to them.�
Dec 24, 2013
Raffy.Roma + 1�
Dec 24, 2013
kenliles + 2�
Dec 24, 2013
Theshadows Very very unlikely. If Steve were still alive then it would be plausible. Elon is the kind of guy that I think would only partner with another visionary. Tim Cook is a CEO, not a visionary, there is a huge difference.�
Dec 24, 2013
vgrinshpun Tesla Motors is a purpose, not profit driven company. Elon Musk is a very good businessman indeed, but his considerable business acumen is serving the purpose of electrification of light duty vehicles. The only opportunity that makes sense that could present itself and be accepted by him is the one that allows to get closer to the purpose stated above.
After the amount of money and gigantic effort he put towards Tesla achieving this purpose, I doubt very much that he will accept anything that would put this goal at risk.
The only way other automobile companies would be able to get piece of Tesla is by licensing their technology.
At this point they are so far behind, and so incapable to take clean sheet of paper INTEGRATED SYSTEM approach toward designing electrical vehicle from the ground up AND building the charging infrastructure to allow for intercity travel, that this would be the only way they can stay relevant. Since I do not see any of the major automobile companies taking such approach toward design of the new electrical vehicles, I doubt very much that they would be able to produce on their own anything that will compete head to head with the cars designed and built by Tesla. After Tesla puts out Gen III vehicle, it would become a benchmark that majority of consumers will use in evaluating all future vehicles.�
Dec 24, 2013
Norse Tesla is already to expensive, but that also means Elon is already so rich that he doesnt need any more money.�
Dec 24, 2013
RobStark Yes, any potential buyer must outbid Daimler's best counter offer.
Toyota, if it were so inclined, has $145B in cash. Daimler has no where near that.
- - - Updated - - -
Google is developing driverless automated driving technology and said to be looking to buy a fleet of at least 60k cars. Seems like a good fit.
Apple does not.�
Dec 25, 2013
vgrinshpun The first right of refusal to buy agreement had an expiration date which I believe was this summer.�
Dec 25, 2013
justdoit What's to stop any entity from just acquiring a significant amount of shares?�
Dec 25, 2013
Krugerrand I believe the point is - that would be entirely a difficult task to do.�
Dec 25, 2013
772 Schedule 13D/G and not enough $$�
Dec 25, 2013
AlMc Mods: Maybe we can move the 'potential buyers' discussion into a new thread? I enjoy the discussion and while I have been guilty many times of going off topic, a move might be in order.
Maybe even to the 'social chat short term thread'�
Dec 26, 2013
Dutchie Will Ford or GM take over Tesla?
If they want to, they have to pay a huge price. I don't think Elon would give up his shares that easy.
Will GM or Ford buy Elon Musk's Tesla in 2014?�
Dec 26, 2013
Raffy.Roma IMO Elon will not even consider to sell Tesla. For him it's not a matter of money. Just my opinion.�
Dec 26, 2013
artsci Let's hope not. That will result in a great company becoming mediocre nearly overnight.�
Dec 26, 2013
Grendal This is yet another FUD argument. There is already another discussion happening on this same subject.
The answer in every case is - no chance at all. Elon has his reasons for creating and running Tesla. None of those involve selling the company before it has a chance to reach his goal.
The most I will say is that after the Model E/Gen III is successful, Elon might, just might, let someone he trusts implicitly run the company so he can focus on SpaceX.�
Dec 26, 2013
RobStark When they asked Elon about someone buying Tesla he said "It is a possible outcome."
I don't know if Elon believes his ownership of Tesla or Tesla remaining independent is a necessary ingredient to the electrification of the automobile.
I have never heard him say that.
Elon owns 22% of TSLA ? Maybe a little more recently.
Still not 50% +1.�
Dec 26, 2013
mitch672 Ever been in a union? Ever had "union guys" come over to you and ask you to slow down, your making the rest of us look bad.
That's exactly the reason Tesla will never sell to the big three auto mfrs, Tesla is making them look bad, and they don't like it much, Tesla is forcing them to change or consider changing their business model, they don't much like that either. The only reason they'd buy Tesla is to deep six it, and Elon is well aware if it. If they want a piece of Tesla, I'm sure they'd be welcome with open arms to a technogy licensing deal, and that's all. Tesla doesn't need them, they need Tesla.�
Dec 26, 2013
Raffy.Roma Agree 100%. Well said. I couldn't say it better.�
Dec 26, 2013
RobStark Neither GM nor Ford have the cash and Fiat-Chrysler is in even worse shape.
I have written in several threads none of the Big 3 have the cash to buy Tesla and a stock swap is a stupid business decision.
Toyota and Google have the cash.
So far Toyota insist FCEV are the future and they are non-union in the USA. Dealerships may be helpful once your are selling 1M plus BEVs in North America, 1M plus in Europe and 1M plus in Japan.
Google has the cash, is getting into the driverless car business, and has no unions or dealerships.
- - - Updated - - -
You think GM or Ford would buy a $19B company with a premium(if they had the money) to deep six it? Buy something worth half the value of their company in order to destroy it?
That is conspiracy theory taken to the extreme.�
Dec 26, 2013
lolachampcar My bet is on MB. Toyota tends to do their own thing.�
Dec 26, 2013
Grendal Daimler has a first offer buyout clause from the ATVM loan paperwork. Since that is paid off then it might not be official anymore. But that clause might have been put in because there is already a contract between Tesla and Daimler where that is true.�
Dec 26, 2013
RobStark Daimler has roughly the same cash war chest as Ford. It has 4.2% of TSLA stock in hand but that is not a huge advantage.
After the Chrysler Fiasco, I doubt the Daimler board will approve another purchase of an American car company with a bunch of unruly amerikanisch executives.
So far Toyota has not made a major investment in a company headquartered outside of Japan.
Then again there has never been a compelling reason to do so.�
Dec 26, 2013
mitch672 I didn't say they where capable of pulling off the deal, just what they'd like to do: make Tesla go away.
GM could have been where Tesla is now, many years ago, they chose to deep six the EV1 program, they only had a 10 year head start, and had they continued, it's likely there wouldn't be a "Tesla Motors" or "Elon Musk" to deal with. Elon's has stated many times, if a viable way towards electrification was underway, he wouldn't have had to start Tesla. GM really shot themselves in the hindquarters on this one, Bob Lutz even admits it, GMs biggest mistake was canceling the EV1 program and abandoning all they'd learned from it.�
Dec 26, 2013
jerry33 GM certainly screwed up Hummer. They took a functional vehicle and turned it into a Tahoe kit car. I'm sure they'd mess up Tesla the same way.
IIRC Bob Lutz once said that "Most people thought GM wouldn't know technology if it bit them in the hindquarters". I think that "most people" got it right.�
Dec 26, 2013
bareyb The only way they'd buy Tesla is if it was at fire sale prices (which it is not). In which case they would simply buy it, ruin it, and in short order all but kill it off. Think UFC and their acquisition of PRIDE and later STRIKEFORCE. Both organizations were dissolved as soon as the current contracts ended. The best way to stop competition is to absorb them into your own organization.
Of course this would only happen if they feared Tesla and the competition from same. As far as I can tell they are firmly convinced that EV's are a "niche product" that nobody wants. Sooo�. I'm guessing they'll more likely sit on their bums and continue to make half hearted attempts at an EV while not wanting to make anything TOO good lest it cannibalize sales of their higher profit ICE vehicles. In the meantime, the EV Ship will sail without them and they'll be in the same boat with all the Buggy Makers who swore that Horses would always be the preferred mode of transportation.�
Dec 26, 2013
Solarguy Wall Street Veteran Predicts Tesla will be Sold in 2014
CNBC's Rick Santelli speaking with Yra Harris of Praxis Trading makes a prediction that I pray will never come true:
http://www.cnbc.com/id/101295583
�
Dec 26, 2013
SwedishAdvocate Personally I�m infinitely more upset that they deep sixed Saab. But maybe that�s just me�
But perhaps even more telling � they also managed to completely deep six themselves��
Dec 26, 2013
AmpedUP By putting everything he had on the line to save Tesla in the dark days before the gov't loan, Musk demonstrated that he has priorities far above money. Perhaps long after the Model E is released, and the fate of EVs has been settled once and for all, he might relinquish...but not until then.�
Dec 26, 2013
jerry33 Elon holds a significant block of shares as do a couple of other individuals. I'd suspect that it would take a price like $500 or more to pry the shares away. And that's assuming that Elon will go back on what he said about staying until 50% of the cars on the road are electric (not necessarily Tesla).�
Dec 26, 2013
EV2BFREE Where did he say that? I only heard he was the last one to sell shares and it would be after gen III launch.�
Dec 26, 2013
Reykjavik I don't think they will. The expense just isn't worth it. A partnership may be a good move, similar to what Daimler has.
There are two reasons a major car company would want to buy Tesla, either they think Tesla is going to dominate the entire market, and they want to be the ones to do that, or they want to crush EVs and keep the status quo.
If the objective is to crush EVs, buying Tesla would cost so much money that whichever company bought it would lose enough capital that they would probably lose to other ICE manufacturers.
If the objective is to dominate the EV market, it would be cheaper to spend money on developing their own EVs to beat Tesla by taking advantage of their larger budgets and ability to scale up EV production by switching factories that used to build ICE cars.�
Dec 26, 2013
Theshadows CNBC: Tesla might find a buyer in 2014: Pro
Elon Musk (@elonmusk) tweeted at 10:35 PM on Tue, Jun 04, 2013:
"Forgot to say one thing at Tesla annual shareholders meeting: just as my money was the first in, it will be the last out."
Where did he say he would sell after gen III launch?�
Dec 26, 2013
PeterJA He says at the beginning of this Reuters interview last summer that he will be running Tesla and SpaceX "for the next several years, probably at least the next five years."
Reuters Insider�
Dec 26, 2013
Theshadows I can't access it.
Did he say running it or selling it? My take is that he will be looking for a CEO, not a buyer.�
Dec 26, 2013
PeterJA He said running it at least until Gen3 is in high-volume production. He didn't mention how he would step aside.�
Dec 26, 2013
brianman If Tesla is acquired before the first 50,000 Gen 3 vehicles are delivered, my next car will probably be an ICE.
Just sayin'...�
Dec 27, 2013
Raffy.Roma + 1�
Dec 27, 2013
Al Sherman "Never say never. Never say always." That has always seemed to work in my life.
But: GM will NEVER buy Tesla while Elon Musk controls Tesla.�
Dec 27, 2013
roblab It's only too obvious that if GM, or any other major auto mfg buys out Tesla, it will be to kill it. Oh, sure, they will pretend to keep building EVs, but first it will be the battery is too expensive, and it gets cut to 100 mile range. Then the maintenance on the supercharger stations goes out of focus and you can't find one that works. Then it's "It takes a billion dollars to build a new one" story, so research dies. So we use an ICE frame, but all the room is taken up by the batteries. And we've found that you have to bring it in for service every 5000 miles to change the coolant and brake fluid! The big motor is hard to control, but the smaller motor will do fine. And who needs much regen, anyway? Then the fires. It's not safe! Well, we can always fall back on our ICE lineup. We know how to do that....
There is no reason to ever think that sane people would let an existing market model take over Tesla. But that's the catch, isn't it?
GM had the on of the first working commercial EVs in the world, ten years before Tesla. Where is it now? Oh, yeah, they crushed them all so no one will know how good they were.�
Dec 27, 2013
Thumper Remind me: What is Rick Santelli's prediction accuracy rate relative to EVs?�
Dec 27, 2013
moltenfire I don't think it'll necessarily be by intent. GM or Ford can very well destroy the Tesla dream by sheer incompetence without meaning to do so.�
Dec 27, 2013
Seattle Tesla shouldn't be bought out unless they want to be, and I'm sure they don't want to be. As everyone says, Musk is having the time of his life running Tesla and SpaceX, he seems able to cope. If there was a legacy auto company that was doing really well with electric cars, had competitive products, and looked to be pushing things forward, then I could see Musk at least considering a buy out by them, because the dream would live on.
If Tesla doesn't want to be bought out, then they have lots of possibilities to defend themselves like poison pill defenses, plus Musk and other insiders probably control enough stock. They could do things like increase the number of shares to offset any that were bought by potential takeover companies.
And they could do things like give stock to current owners. Something like if you can supercharge at only 90kw you get 10 shares, but if you can charge at 120 then you get 50 shares. :wink: 60kwh battery owners are just left out, sorry.�
Dec 27, 2013
Julian Cox This is a case of "this nonsense needs to stop".
Ford (or GM) shareholders will never agree to buy a company for $20 Billion and hand it over to a management team with a competency in growing a business by only 4% annually.
Without the dedicated elite management team with competence in disruptive technology and ultra-rapid growth, Tesla is just a brand name whose value would be lost in the hands of Ford or GM.
Elon Musk. Is it really so hard to see into the mind of this man? If so he has not made the salient points a secret. Elon has made it categorically clear in numerous interviews that his goal is to see 50% of all new car production electric and for Tesla to function as a catalyst to move the industry much more rapidly in that direction than would otherwise be the case. He has also made a character trait abundantly clear: If something needs to be done (electrification of transport, transit link to Mars) it's fine if someone else is doing it but if they are not doing it it still needs to be done, therefore I will do it. After 2017 the only way for an Auto manufacturer to sell a car at a profit will be to make something competitive to the Tesla Gen III. By the looks of it it will take another 5 years at least after the launch of the Gen III for anything to come to market to answer that description and Tesla will have the world at its feet to pick and choose how to handle the enormous wait lists of former Ford, GM (+Toyota, BMW etc etc) customers on its books. Most likely when that day comes (2016~2018) Ford GM will beg Tesla for the rights to become its contract manufacturers.
Elon Musk has enough voting stock to veto a buyout. Tesla is not subject to hostile takeover against Elon's will (quite apart from the fact that the majority of shareholders would not vote for a Tesla without Musk). The fact is that the nobody could realistically expect to take over the assets of Tesla and make more of them than the current team - lol - and the good will is not easily transferable. Nobody spends $20+ bn for nothing - i.e. to shut down a company.
Ford has a market cap of only $60 bn that is very unlikely to grow as new technologies encroach on it market. In 10 years time Musk himself could quite likely afford to buy a controlling interest in Ford personally and mostly in cash. How? His >50% controlling interest in SpaceX. Rough calculation: 2 years time SpaceX runs fully operational reusable space launch program with $30 million profit per launch. $15 million cash per launch to Musk (personally) x 250 launches annually = $3.75 Bn per year income = $30bn cash over 8 years.
If Musk can look forward to conceivably buying out Ford personally, Musk can certainly look forward to calling the shots with Tesla.
If Musk can manage a team (SpaceX) that is rapidly proving capable of eating Boeing and Lockheed Martin's lunch, given the talent-magnet represented by Tesla why would anybody waste time speculating that Musk would have any need of Ford or GM (or Apple or Google) to buy out Tesla. It is a real nonsense for nonsense's sake.�
Dec 27, 2013
vgrinshpun Absolutely agree with this, Julian, "this nonsense needs to stop".
One question: why do you think about contract manufacturing as a likely relationship with Ford, GM? It seems to me that the best way to leverage Tesla's technology and speed-up the Transition, without wasting Tesla's resources, would be to do licensing agreements with the manufacturers that would like to have "Tesla inside" of their cars.�
Dec 27, 2013
jerry33 I can't see either Ford or GM doing this. Not Invented Here is very strong at all auto manufacturers.�
Dec 27, 2013
Julian Cox
As a student of the Innovator's Dilemma I would make the outrageously offensive (but probably true) statement that Ford and GM will likely end up in Chapter 11 before the transition to electric is more than a few % underway.
Under those circumstances Tesla will have access to anything it wants in terms of US manufacturing capacity and labor on whatever terms it likes.
Just as an insight share. Over the past twenty years I have always and exclusively bought large powerful vehicles circa 350hp, typically V8s be it sedans or grand tourers. With the advent of the Model S, I will never again buy a car of this type with an "old technology" engine any more than I am likely to rush out and buy a fax machine. (Like why would I do that?). I do not own a Model S. I still have a perfectly good BMW 7 Series, my second in a row. I just won't buy a 3rd. I am already vaguely aware that my existing car is obsolete and now things like visiting the gas station and wasting ridiculous amounts of cash to fill the tank as a precondition of the "freedom" of travel starts to bother me. I have always kidded myself that I was willing to spend on premium vehicles because of command of road position, better braking acceleration and handling than most vehicles, enhanced comfort and safety, but I have to be honest and say that the X-Factor has perceptibly just fallen off my car. No longer is it the same object of pride that it once was, now it is a large powerful slightly offensive object of pollution in a world where a far more attractive replacement exists.
So that's it for Mercedes, Porsche, Jaguar, Maserati, BMW no matter what they come up with so long as it is based on an ICE vehicle - I am not in the slightest bit interested - send me the brochure and I'll donate it to a museum some day. To me as a customer these products are wholly obsolete.
Right now Ford is piling funds into new models of ICE vehicles ahead of the same affect broadening to the vast majority of customers for sedans of $20K upwards. It matters not if Tesla can conceivably produce enough cars to satisfy one and all. Some will buy, some will save, some will wait as long as it takes. What they won't do is keep desiring to buy ICE vehicles and I think this effect will rock the industry to its roots in only 2~3 years time.�
Dec 27, 2013
Grendal I agree with Jerry33's assessment but would like to add that in most cases that EV's are being built as compliance vehicles. Since those builds are not something that a company is trying to mass produce the major manufacturers are going to smaller companies to have them do all the work. This includes Tesla with the Rav4 EV and the Smart ED. The exceptions are the Leaf and the Volt. Tesla will continue to get more of that business until the majors decide to go "all in" like Nissan has done.
And thanks, Julian, for your clear and concise assessment. Also +1.�
Dec 27, 2013
jak I find it funny how people talk about how Tesla will be bought out. By who? Yra Harris thinks GM and Tesla are a perfect fit for 2014?! A fat company that lacks any sort of innovation, saddled by UAW, and destroyed the EV1 buying a company that is so entirely dissimilar (other than they both sell cars)?? If so..., then there goes Tesla's goals of "compelling cars" and "sustainable transportation".
I personally think Elon would find someone he truly trusts, shares his vision and business acumen to take his place as a last resort. He's smart enough not to let some other big, bureaucratic car manufacturer trample all the blood, sweat, tears, and money he put in to making Tesla what it is today. Him selling out to GM (or Ford) means he threw in the towel. Why the heck would he give up now when he's winning and there's so many opportunities yet to be seen? He did tweet this a few months ago: "Forgot to say one thing at Tesla annual shareholders meeting: just as my money was the first in, it will be the last out." He wants to see Tesla survive, not destroyed.
All this comedic talk about a buyout just makes me LOL.�
Dec 27, 2013
DuncanWatson Most Analysts are con-men. The entire idea is stupid, Elon and other founders won't sell to an ICE manufacturer and they won't sell before the Model E has launched. But since Telsa is hot now, analysts will say stupid crap. It is the way of the industry, there is nothing here but sound and fury.�
Dec 27, 2013
vgrinshpun I do understand what you are saying, but they will have to swallow pride to remain relevant. The longer they resist the Tesla approach of taking integrated system approach and designing the EV from the ground up, the further behind they will find themselves. I actually think that the big automobile companies will resist licensing till one of them eventually will come to the obvious decision, which will open a flood gate, because all the other competitors will have to follow to remain in the game.�
Dec 27, 2013
YoungStranger I did chuckle over the reason given in the cnbc clip - to utilise the dealerships! As if Tesla (or even GM) care about saving the dealerships.�
Dec 27, 2013
Julian Cox Musk is no fool. Alienating car dealers to electric vehicles and alienating vehicle customers to car dealers is check mate from the first move on the chess board.
How the heck are GM and Ford supposed to get a competing vehicle to market when they can't get rid of dealers and dealers are pushing for new models of ICE vehicles and refusing to support electrics?
Here we have a 4% growth curve competing with a 100% growth curve. The lines will inevitably cross.�
Dec 27, 2013
Grendal My comment to the Forbes article on the question of a buyout:
�
Dec 27, 2013
DuncanWatson +1 Grendal. The man has a mission and will not be deterred from it.�
Dec 27, 2013
Curt Renz Here is what Santelli said on 2013 MAR 15 in mocking response to a group of college students who were recommending purchase of TSLA when it was priced in the thirties: http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000154791�
Dec 27, 2013
constraint This wont happen any time soon. Tesla is way too expensive for how many cars they sell. Telsa sells 1 percent of the volume of GM, but has a market cap of 1/3 of GM. Taking advantage of GM's manufacturing capacity is pointless if cell production is your limiting factor. GM doesnt make their own batteries and would still have to rely on the same sources that Tesla is using today.
Also the reason Tesla has been so successful is their willingness to stand behind their product thick and thin by trying capitalize on their cars strength (safety, performance, low operating cost) and find solutions to their weakness (over the air updates, superchargers). Tesla has to stand behind their product because if it fails they do to. If GM purchased Tesla they would do their normal marketing blitz at the start then ignore the product if it isn't doing great. Tesla would just be another brand like Saturn or Pontiac.�
Dec 27, 2013
Doug_G I get the feeling I should change the thread name to: "Will Tesla Be Taken Over (Hint: No!)"�
Dec 27, 2013
MikeL I'm thinking TSLA's rather tepid day was caused by the words "Tesla" and "GM" being used so often in the same sentence. Yuck�
Dec 27, 2013
Julian Cox
I think that is a pretty astute commentary. The prospect of a share swap is equally unappealing on both sides - which is another reason it will never happen.�
Dec 28, 2013
Thumper It is telling that in all this talk, no one has mentioned Chrysler. They are the weakest of the old big three and I believe will be the first to become available cheap. Surely there is no political will to bail them a third time.�
Dec 28, 2013
Doug_G So Tesla should buy Chrysler just to shut it down...�
Dec 28, 2013
jerry33 Well, no. If they leave it up it will drain a certain amount of funds from the other ICE makers.�
Dec 28, 2013
Doug_G Humor fail.�
Dec 28, 2013
Julian Cox This whole game was over bar the shouting in 2008.�
Dec 29, 2013
Macjim I'm late to this post, I've just joined the forum as an enthusiast of Tesla, and not a owner� maybe one day.
I truly hope Tesla doesn't fall into the hands of the big petrol burner manufacturers as they just strip the technology from Tesla then dismantle the company.�
Dec 29, 2013
Grendal Welcome to the club. I think you can rest assured that Tesla will not be bought out. There are lots of reasons for that and just reading through the rest of this thread should address most of the reasons it will not happen. But just to assure you, the number one reason is that Tesla is Elon Musk's company and he won't ever let it happen if he can stop it, and he can.
The biggest real threat to Tesla is misinformation. Tesla is selling a new technology and the general public has a fear of the unknown and the information they get now will be their first impression. If that first impression is a bad one, like the overblown fires, then they will continue to be fearful and possibly spread the misinformation to the people they know. "I heard those Tesla's catch on fire all the time." Fighting misinformation and FUD with real facts goes a long way to ensuring the success of Tesla and it's vehicles.
Good luck and welcome to the forum.�
Dec 29, 2013
Macjim Thanks Grendel, one day I may have an electric car myself. I saw my first electric car only a week back locally. It was a Nissan Leaf.�
Dec 29, 2013
Macjim Sorry, spelt your user name wrong Grendal. Tried to edit my mistake but the app wouldn't let me. Corrected here.�
Dec 29, 2013
Grendal I think you need to post over 10 times before you can edit.
This is a great forum with vast amounts of information and lots of unique opinions. You can learn a lot that has nothing at all to do with Tesla and their vehicles. The investment section is very good. If you want to learn about SpaceX, Elon's rocket company, there is a whole section just for that.
Have fun and join in.�
Dec 29, 2013
AudubonB Like a case of hemorrhoids, I keep scratching this thread each time it pops up. Like them, I wish it would just disappear.....�
Dec 29, 2013
woof Quite the way with words--the poetry, the artistry...such imagery.
Okay, enough imagery. Yech...�
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