Welcome to Electrified, it's your host Dylan Loomis. Now, in terms of what happened yesterday, I will fill you in, but I'm going to do so next week, so if you're interested, stay tuned.
LG Energy has just said they plan to begin mass production of 4680 batteries at its Ochang factory which is in South Korea as early as August this year. Tesla will of course be one of the primary customers, but LG is also saying they're currently in discussions with customers other than Tesla.
Then further, regarding the timing of LFP production, Lithium Iron Fosfate, the president said it will likely be around the second half of 2025. LG also plans to begin mass production in North America once its Arizona factory, which is under construction now, is completed. If you haven't been paying attention, LG has been on an absolute tear trying to take advantage of the IRA tax credits as of late, a $6.3 billion battery factory in Georgia in partnership with Hyundai. Then with Honda, another $4.4 billion factory in Ohio. The complex in Arizona is said to be a $5.5 billion investment.
Then we know LG is in partnership with GM for the Altium project where they have three battery production sites in Ohio, Tennessee and Michigan. The latest update had this Arizona factory ready to produce EV sales by 2025. They did say those are going to be 2170 sales, we have not got any official confirmation at 4680s will be made in Arizona yet. Then the second facility, ready by 2026, is going to produce LFP sales for battery energy storage. So yes, absolutely Tesla will benefit from having some extra 4680s supply from LG maybe as soon as August this year, just to make sure that Cybertruck doesn't run into any production bottlenecks when it comes to 4680s. But this mad dash by LG will also benefit the likes of Ford, GM and Honda, so ultimately North American battery production is on the up and up.
At this point, we don't know how much of Tesla's proprietary chemistry that goes inside the 4680 form factor, LG and some of these other battery manufacturers will actually have access to. So in the future, if you see articles saying, well now Ford, GM and Honda are all using Tesla's 4680s that's most likely not accurate because Tesla alone I believe is doing things like DBE. There may be some tabless limitations for other battery producers not working directly with Tesla, so just bear in mind 4680 is just the form factor has nothing to do with explaining what's inside the cell.
At the same time, LG Energy has signed a new off take agreement with West Farmers Chemicals, a company they've been working with now for a few years, for resources for these batteries for the North American market. This lithium supply deal is meant to enable top quality IRA compliant batteries to its customers with speed and scale. It'll be coming from Western Australia, thanks to that free trade agreement with the United States and supply is expected in the first half of 2025.
My sense is that too many people in the Tesla community have become super dogmatic when it comes to Tesla vs. Ultrasonic sensors. I think this video from R. Simon's did a great job of explaining that really it's just a matter of pros and cons and trade offs. I'll have the video below but I really just wanted to get that point across. There were times when Tesla vision drove right through a garbage can that it thought was there that was really just there stored for memory. But in other situations like detecting curbs, Tesla vision was far superior, actually detecting them when the cars with just ultrasonic sensors wouldn't pick up the curb at all. And while ultrasonic sensors may have performed slightly better with smaller objects directly in front of and behind the vehicle, it was certainly not perfect in something I would trust with 100% confidence.
The way I see it, the Tesla vision vs. USS debate right now is really not one's definitely better than the other, it's just situational and pros and cons of both. The flagship Tesla diner is making good progress in Hollywood, I still think they should have more direct parking, but remember the word is one of these ancillary lots is also going to be for this location for Tesla. This diner is supposed to be 24 7 and has a chance of opening later this year.
A Tesla patent for its smart shift technology was published today but bear in mind published is different than being granted. The patents are published really just to let the community know what's going on in the space and what's in the works, granted is when you actually have the protection from the patent, two different things. This upcoming weekend starting the 16th, the Cybertruck and the new Model 3 will be on display at the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto.
Tesla has been forced to temporarily delay deliveries of the Model S, all-wheel drive, and the Model Y performance in the United States. This is thanks to the EPA and potential issues with the two vehicles' range figures. Tesla thought they had all the necessary paperwork in order to deliver the cars but due to the efficiency package upgrades, the EPA has asked Tesla to pause deliveries to allow them to retest these two trims specifically. Originally the word was this delivery pause was going to end February 28th but now the word is that's been extended to March 7th at the earliest.
Speaking of, Tesla has asked the judge to send to arbitration to proposed class action lawsuits that are alleging Tesla falsely advertised inflated mileage ranges. Arbitration is much less formal that keeps things private, both sides present their cases to an impartial arbiter and then hopefully they reach an actual settlement.
With software update.2.6, Tesla has rolled out some cold weather supercharging improvements. Now in addition to your car telling you that the battery is pre-conditioning for supercharging, it's also going to tell you how much time is left for the battery to warm up sufficiently. The update also introduces an automatic warming of the charge port to help with it freezing over. Just like with pre-conditioning, that feature will be automatic when you set a supercharger location in the navigation as a destination. The range estimation will also now include battery age as a consideration in its calculations. This should offer a more accurate reflection of the actual distance the vehicle can travel, taking into account the natural aging process of the battery. Maps will also now display accident and closed road markings.
In case you're somebody looking for a manual way to pre-condition your battery rather than having to plug in a supercharger destination, enhanced auto with their sexy buttons is now apparently going to offer that feature of battery preheat. This video was 8 months ago but you can see at that time battery pre-conditioning through the enhanced auto app was actually in beta.
The economic times is reporting that Tesla could soon make its debut in the Indian market. Tesla is almost at the end of finalizing a policy that provides concessions on the import duties of EVs, exceeding $36,000 for 2-3 years. The reduced import duties are likely to be offered in place of bank guarantees by Tesla for a proposed investment to build an EV factory in India. Simplest way to think about a bank guarantee is a financial institution actually serving as the backstop if one of the two parties in a contract fails to meet their obligations, then the bank would step in and cover those obligations.
Tesla is expressing willingness to invest up to $2 billion but that's contingent upon the Indian government offering a reduced import duty of 15% down from the current 100% for vehicles over about $40,000. It sounds like Tesla wants these reduced import duties for 2 years to test the waters before committing to manufacturing anything at scale. And of course there are now concerns amongst the home players in the Indian market that these reduced import duties could provide an unfair advantage to Tesla. Well that's funny because I remember just last year the CEO of Mahindra Motors said that competition from Tesla does not phase us. But now that Tesla may be closer to finalizing a deal to enter the Indian market, now they're developing some concerns. Pretty easy for the CEO of Mahindra to talk a big game when their government has 100% import duties. Even bringing those all the way down to 15% on a $45,000 car that's still a $6,700 duty. I'd advise everybody to remain calm we've been hearing this back and forth between Tesla and India now for years.
Lars Moravie, Tesla's VP of engineering was busy on X yesterday. He said the new Model 3 has more trunk space than the old one. We heard you. He continued the new Model 3 has unique shock absorbing technology called a frequency selective damping which improves ride comfort by isolating shake frequencies in your belly between 4-6 Hertz without losing response and steering. Basically just makes the small nibbles in the road disappear.
In response to somebody saying apparently less rear seat to space, Lars said nope, we found efficiencies in the rear packaging to increase trunk space and we increase the rear seat incline to improve comfort while adding cushion to the seat base. Go drive it, you'll love it. On X, Lars posted saying no the body then shared this infographic of human body resonance frequencies and abdominal mass between 4-8 Hertz. When asked what else he can reveal, Lars said off the top of my head, two mics for phone calls now, no more echoing on the phone with your family.
He was asked how Tesla achieved the lower energy consumption of the Model 3 Plus to which he said an extreme dedication to every watt hour per mile consumed. Better aerodynamics, more efficient tires, improved HVAC efficiency, lower low voltage consumption, decreased brake drag, generally we view this as a system problem, not a battery or component issue. Every point of consumption matters.
He was asked why doesn't Tesla publish their recommended tires? He said good idea, we'll get on that. In the meantime, no we label all Tesla design tires whether from Michelin, Goodyear, hand-cook, Conti, Pirelli with a T-number marking and that can be seen at any tire store. Get the T-Zero, T1, T2 and no it's from us.
Then Baglino chimed in saying there's really no other way to achieve over 4 miles a kilowatt hour with all the tech, comfort and performance packed into the new Model 3.
Sometime over the next 6 months, the market should start to give Tesla at least a little bit of credit when it comes to the Model Y refresh. That's because by all accounts, the Model 3 Plus has been a smashing success. That should mean pretty good things when those similar changes are applied to the already best selling car in the world.
Elon posted SpaceX has moved its state of incorporation from Delaware to Texas. If your company is still incorporated in Delaware, I recommend moving it to another state as soon as possible.
Which brings us to this, now I know this was already covered at length yesterday so I'm not going to get into it too far, but this is our first official word that Elon does intend to appeal that Delaware verdict. Right now, both sides are negotiating trying to reach a deal on an appeal bond. The bond would be paid to the court or a third party and it's really just a show of good faith and expressing intent that if the appellant or in this case Elon and Tesla actually lose the appeal, that they do intend to actually pay whatever the verdict ultimately is. Typically, this is a tool used because the appeal process can sometimes take years so during that time the defendant has to pay to defend themselves and in the event they were to go bankrupt, this provides some protection that any judgment that is ruled against them if they lose the appeal actually gets paid.
Before Elon can appeal, right now they're negotiating the legal fee for the plaintiff and the attorney that will be paid by Tesla. Elon and the shareholder that brought the case will tell the court their position on fees by March 1st. If the judge approves the fee in final order, Elon would have 60 days to file an appeal with the Delaware Supreme Court, which would likely take at least six months to resolve.
Yes, this process now could turn out to be a hangover for Tesla stock for the majority of 2024, but all of the commentators were correct. Elon is looking to appeal.
Most of the conversation around this has been the sum that Tesla may have to pay and I certainly understand why, but one thing I have not seen many people mention, if Tesla did not appeal this or if they do appeal and ultimately lose, that leaves them open to future lawsuits because now the verdict is ultimately going to be that Tesla's board of directors is not impartial, which could effectively serve as live bait for other people to jump on.
And it could be unrelated, but Delaware is certainly facing some backlash and some pressure as many companies are going to follow Elon in this exodus of businesses leaving Delaware. Now today we have one of these Delaware judges who has been serving for over a decade saying he plans to retire in December.
In the Tesla app, even if you don't have solar or a power wall, Tesla is now giving customers the option to see what it would be like being able to navigate through the app as if they did. To view this demo, just tap on your profile icon, then tap the order now image, scroll down to the bottom and then swipe to the last card, which should be titled demo power wall.
Lucid has cut the prices of the air between 1000 and $8000 depending on the trim. They said the new price is set as Lucid originally conceived. The base model air pure now starts at $69,900. Then the gap to the top of the trim, which is the air sapphire, is pretty astounding, fully equipped it goes for $249,000. Subtle reminder, as of Q3 last year, Lucid was losing over $400,000 per every EV sold. These price cuts will not help that situation.
GM announced its supercruise will now be expanding with more coverage going from 400,000 miles to 750,000 miles in the US and Canada. It will now include some small town and rural routes, but these additional miles covered will be added incrementally throughout 2025. They did say supercruise equipped Cadillac CT6, XT6 and the Chevy Bolt EUV will not get this updated roadmap coverage.
There was a time when GM was promising with ultracruise its more advanced technology that it would cover 95% of driving situations in the US and Canada, and that it would cover 3.4 million miles of roads. Today, that feature no longer exists as it's been rolled back and absorbed into supercruise. Supercruise is hands-free driving and it does change lanes. The last update from Ford on its Blue Cruise technology, they said it works on 97% of controlled access highways in the US and Canada, which is about 130,000 miles of road.
Tesla filed a 13G, which is the form used to report when somebody owns over 5% of a company's outstanding shares. As of the end of last year, people saw this, percent of the class represented being 20.5% and they started saying wait a second, Elon now owns more shares because people were saying he only owned 13%. That however is not the case if you just go down and actually read the document, it says options to purchase 303.9 million shares of common stock that are exercisable within 60 days of the last year. AKA that 20.5% of ownership in Tesla by Elon does actually include those options that he has not yet exercised. Those were from the 2018 compensation plan that right now is in jeopardy through the Delaware decision. Then looking at the same form at the end of 2022, that number was effectively the same 20.6%. So no, Elon has not bought any more shares, it's just these numbers listed here include all of those unexercised options. This was filed before the Delaware ruling.
Board Warner announced a relationship with FinDreams, a BYD subsidiary. They'll now be the only non OEM localized manufacturer with the rights to localize LFP battery packs for commercial vehicles, utilizing FinDreams battery blade cells in Europe, the Americas, and select regions of Asia Pacific. The agreement will last for eight years. In addition to receiving these state-of-the-art blade cells for manufacturing LFP battery packs in the cover geographies, they'll also receive a license from FinDreams to use their battery IP related to its pack design and manufacturing process. I'm sharing this because when you look up the clients of a board, Warner, you'll find companies like VW, GM, and Ford.
It may not be until the back half of this decade, but if tests look and start making 4680s at scale in significant excess to what it needs for its own vehicles and the chemistry in those cells' LFP, there's going to be wild demand for those cells that Tesla would have the option to sell to other automakers. Ford is actually one company that's now admitting they're a bit scared. They're saying that low-cost Chinese EVs are a colossal strategic threat. That get this will ultimately arrive on US shores. Ford's COO of Model E said we look at that and say that's coming here eventually so we better get fit now and better get going on EVs or we don't have a future as a company, saying they are ahead of us in this technology. He said Ford expects Chinese automakers to build factories in Mexico to get around the 27.5% US tariff on EVs made in China. And what do you know? Just two days ago we heard that BYD is considering setting up a plant in Mexico. As we've been saying now for the better part of the year, BYD is slowly expanding outside of China, getting closer and closer to the US. The Ford COO said if I was sitting in China right now running a Chinese OEM, I'd be looking for land in Mexico because you've got a supplier base, low cost of construction, low cost of labor, and the USMCA trade agreement, which gives you access to the US. They're going to come here just as the Japanese ended up here, the Koreans and the Germans ended up here. It's a big market.
Then today, Farley said I've been in the prediction business and the EV business. It has not been a great journey. It feels great in the moment to say it's 2027 or whenever it is, but it's not reality anymore. He said it's not negotiable that we're going to allocate capital to a new affordable EV and you have to make money in the first 12 months. And he said quote, and I don't want a BS roadmap. I want like a real plan. And if you can't execute that plan, we ain't launching the car. If you can't compete fair and square with the Chinese around the world, then 20 to 30% of your revenue is at risk. We have to fix this problem. We have to address this.
Then speaking of Ford's new relationship with the UAW after the new deal, he said clearly our relationship has changed. Sean Fane has said the UAW is going to take a more confrontational tone with the automakers in the future, saying the days of the UAW and Ford being a team to compete against non union rivals were over. In response, Farley said the new contract could prompt some reevaluation as the business evolves. As we look at this EV transition in ice lasting longer and our truck business being more profitable, we have to think carefully about our footprint.
Say what you will about Farley, but I've always admired his candor. Speaking of, Jonas put out a new Tesla stock note today, saying given the ambiguities and loopholes in the IRA as it's written, EVs produced in Mexico with the help of Chinese equipment and industrial know how offer a potentially viable, if somewhat uncomfortable path to onshoring low cost EVs.
The gist of the note, you can't have Western EVs without China. Western car companies have come to realize mass EV adoption in China are inextricably linked. VW subsidiary Scout Motors has broken ground on its plant in South Carolina, just north of Columbia. They're calling for production to begin by late 2026, when it will have an annual production capacity of over 200,000 vehicles. Both the SUV and the pickup will be unveiled in the third quarter of this year, and they're going to start production with the SUV first, followed by the pickup.
As out of spec, just reported, the VW ID4 finally has plug-in charge at Electrify America stations. There's now a temporary reprieve for independent body shops in Sweden, at least between February 19th and April 30th. Unusable cars can now be repaired at approximately 30 independent workshops. They said this reprieve does not apply to Tesla's own workshops. EF Mattall said it's to ease the pressure on private customers who have no part in this conflict and to make a little compensation to the workshops. This is pretty interesting timing with this reprieve because Tesla is literally on the verge of having its own vertically integrated workshop up and running. What's really happening here, Tesla was about to take this business in-house, and then these independent repair shops were going to lose a bunch of business. And then the EF Mattall secretary says, when this window is closed, it'll be very difficult to get your car repaired, so you have to think about which car you are buying. Is that a threat? It certainly sounds like one.
You know, there is a silver lining to Morgan Stanley putting out this note on Tesla's stock in which he said that was easily the most bearish of their Tesla bull bear lunches. Some doubted if Tesla sales would grow at all this year, most seeking consensus falling and AI off the table for now. The thing is, when the expectations end up down in the basement, Tesla has a much better chance of actually surprising to the upside. But just so you know, he did say they expected bearishness from institutional investors, but there was barely any attempt to argue for a near-term bull case. To them, it seemed like everybody thought the stock would underperform over six months, and almost everyone felt the stock would underperform over 12 months.
Carpathi commented about leaving open AI. All he really said was, my immediate plan is to work on my personal projects and see what happens. Those of you who have followed me for a while may have a sense for what that might look like. Cheers.
Just to circle back to that Washington Post article, Elon did clarify that the driver was not on FSD. The software had unfortunately never been downloaded. I say, unfortunately, because the accident probably would not have happened if FSD had been engaged. Rohan Patel said a tragic loss of one of our team members and inaccurate reporting on it years later. Apart from FSD beta software not being downloaded on the car, data from the incident was not retrievable. Separately, Rohan said, we have no data or evidence that any system was or was not enabled and have cooperated with authorities fully. What we do know is that FSD beta software was not downloaded onto the car. So no surprise, but this just makes that Washington Post article look even sleazier.
Waymo issued a voluntary recall of its software after two Waymo vehicles hit a pickup being towed in Phoenix. Neither of those vehicles were carrying a passenger. This came roughly one week after when a Waymo collided with a cyclist in San Francisco.
Tesla stock closed the day at $200.45 per share, up 6.22%, and after hours it's up an additional 65 basis points. Today the NASDAQ was up 0.3%. Both Rivian and Lucid were also each up over 5% on the day. It was a modestly higher volume day for Tesla stock trading about 13 million shares above the average 30 day volume.