by "davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
Published 11/02/2017 at 12:54
by "davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
Published 11/02/2017 at 12:54
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“About 700 employees have been let go in recent weeks, roughly 2 percent of Tesla’s workforce.” Holy crap.
Will be interesting to see if they can pull out of this and actually have long-term success. Bob Lutz is looking pretty smart right now...
"PatBateman" (PatBateman)
11/02/2017 at 13:02, STARS: 4
Tesla obviously isn’t a start up anymore. While 35,000 employees is a bit shocking to me, I’d venture a good portion of those workers are scattered around the nation at repair shops and their retail stores.
I wonder if they count Solarcity employees in that total.
"user314" (user314)
11/02/2017 at 13:07, STARS: 2
Had is the operative word.
"I have another burner, try to guess it!" (ihaveanotherburner)
11/02/2017 at 13:17, STARS: 1
The only way to D I S R U P T an industry is to D I S R U P T your company.
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
11/02/2017 at 13:30, STARS: 0
I think a company is still a start-up until it can prove sustainable - Telsa’s got a way to go. Their growth and numbers are clearly evidence of their all-or-nothing strategy. It’s either going to work, or be a spectacular failure.
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
11/02/2017 at 13:57, STARS: 1
Tesla’s factory is the old NUMMI Toyota/GM joint venture factory that used to build the Corolla and other stuff on the Corolla platform. (Including the lovely 1986 Chevy Nova.)
But Tesla has wwwwwaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyy more people working there than Toyota & GM ever did, building only a fraction of the total cars.
In 1985, its first full year of production, NUMMI had 2,470 employees and produced 64,764 vehicles — about 26 vehicles per worker per year. By 1997, it had 4,844 workers and produced 357,809 vehicles — about 74 vehicles per worker per year.
Tesla, on the other hand, had between 6,000 and 10,000 workers in 2016 and manufactured 83,922 vehicles. That puts its vehicle-per-worker number between 8 and 14, about one-seventh the efficiency of NUMMI at its peak.
So yeah.
"rillweid - Now with more TRD and less TDI" (rillweid)
11/02/2017 at 14:07, STARS: 1
SHAME on you for pointing this out. Absolute lack of integrity on your point for pointing out flaws at TSLA.
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
11/02/2017 at 14:08, STARS: 0
Crazy. Unlike Toyota & GM, Tesla also employs all their direct sales people and maintenance/repair people, so that accounts for some of this 35k number.
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
11/02/2017 at 14:09, STARS: 0
I’ve already begun the self-flagellation.
"SPAMBot - Horse Doctor" (spambot2002)
11/02/2017 at 15:21, STARS: 2
Hopefully they get thru their growing pains and become self-sufficient. I don’t really understand all the fap nor hate on Tesla. I don’t think they are up to par with MB or anything, but it seems they make a fine product.
At the end of the day though, they are an American car/manufacturing company that is producing a high-tech product. They essentially started in a garage modifying lotuses with large ambitions. I think this is the definition of the overplayed “American Spirit/Dream”. Also, as a part of California manufacturing industry, I really like to support US based manufacturers. As long as the product is quality.
"SPAMBot - Horse Doctor" (spambot2002)
11/02/2017 at 15:23, STARS: 2
PS, I don’t like Bob Lutz. I’m sure he is a great guy in person, but everytime he opens his mouth it always seems like OldManYellsAtCloud.jpg. I get it, he has a ton of experience and has a lot of wonderful projects on his resume, but the world changes, Bob. Try to keep up.
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
11/02/2017 at 15:32, STARS: 1
I definitely want them to succeed, but the outlandish projections, crazy valuation, and some of the cult-ish followers are a turn-off. Musk has managed some great successes so far, despite huge obstacles - hopefully he can get past production hell.
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
11/02/2017 at 15:36, STARS: 1
The world changes, but the car business has a lot of inertia. I don’t think Bob will necessarily be happy if they fail, but he understands the business well enough to know the pitfalls along the way to success.
"unclevanos (Ovaltine Jenkins)" (unclevanos)
11/02/2017 at 15:37, STARS: 2
The beatings will continue until moral improves.
"SPAMBot - Horse Doctor" (spambot2002)
11/02/2017 at 15:39, STARS: 0
I agree completely. I don’t understand the all the hype. I wouldn’t put them in my long-term portfolio but I hope they do well.
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
11/02/2017 at 15:42, STARS: 0
I wish I’d seen the hype coming early and put them in my short-term portfolio in 2012 - ha!
"SPAMBot - Horse Doctor" (spambot2002)
11/02/2017 at 15:43, STARS: 1
I agree with that as well. But, I think he sees the pitfalls and cannot accept that someone could find a solution to the problem because he can’t. That’s how I interpret his articles and statements, at least. I could be totally wrong though haha
"SPAMBot - Horse Doctor" (spambot2002)
11/02/2017 at 15:45, STARS: 1
Saaaaame! I wish I was half as smart in 2012 as I am now, TBH. hahaha. Not that I’m that smart, just slightly more experienced at life.
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
11/02/2017 at 15:48, STARS: 0
He’s definitely a bristly old dude, surely just as full of himself as Musk is, but his opinions are interesting and unvarnished, and come from a place of decades of experience, so I tend to listen.
If Tesla does pull it out, and becomes a highly profitable powerhouse of a business, I hope he’s a big enough man to give credit where it’s due.
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
11/02/2017 at 15:57, STARS: 1
Don’t get me started on how much I wish I would’ve bought $3500 worth of Apple stock in ‘03 instead of spending that on a Power Mac G5...
"SpeedSix" (speedsix)
11/02/2017 at 16:01, STARS: 0
I think that Musk once stated that he wanted Tesla’s legacy to be the push for other companies to market mainstream electric vehicles, and to have a widespread quick-charging network, and he would be fine with Tesla eventually exiting the car-production business.
"SPAMBot - Horse Doctor" (spambot2002)
11/02/2017 at 16:34, STARS: 0
As long as he makes billions in the process hahaha.
But I think he did say something like that, without the billions part
"SPAMBot - Horse Doctor" (spambot2002)
11/02/2017 at 16:35, STARS: 0
He has the experience, that’s for sure. In the meantime, it will be interesting to see what happens! I saw two model 3's on Saturday but was driving so didn’t get pictures. They don’t look bad, per se, but they do have odd styling in person. I’m sure I’ll get used to them!
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
11/02/2017 at 16:40, STARS: 1
What I most want to see is how many of the ~400,000 who put $1000 down to get in line to own one of these actually buy one in the end.
Has to be the biggest interest-free loan in history!
Note: their recent quarterly loss was $619 million, so the above loan was only good for two months worth...
"ranwhenparked" (ranwhenparked)
11/02/2017 at 20:27, STARS: 2
15,000 of those employees came from the SolarCity acquisition, and, of course, they own all their own stores, so a good number are in retail, which are positions no other automaker has (in this country).
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
11/02/2017 at 20:46, STARS: 0
Ah, that the numbers include Solar City helps makes sense of it. Still, incredible growth in just a few years.
"ranwhenparked" (ranwhenparked)
11/02/2017 at 20:58, STARS: 1
I would assume that it does, since the transaction was closed on Nov 21st of last year, making them all Tesla Inc. employees now - unless they are breaking out their automotive operations separately.
"gmporschenut also a fan of hondas" (gmporschenut)
11/03/2017 at 00:26, STARS: 1
I know of two people who put down reservations for the 35k elctric car with a tax credit. Um 35k? about that.
I really wonder how many will go through with the bait and switch after telling all their friends they’re buying one
"gmporschenut also a fan of hondas" (gmporschenut)
11/03/2017 at 00:30, STARS: 1
9 years, 30k employees, 4 largest automater by value and people still keep calling it a start up. drives me nuts
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
11/03/2017 at 08:50, STARS: 0
Yeah, I think it does, and most of those firings are probably related to Solar City. Quite different story in that context.
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
11/03/2017 at 08:51, STARS: 0
I know of one. Pretty sure that tax credit is going to be phasing out before too long.