Tesla's investors are lining up for the earnings call
Tesla
Tesla's fourth-quarter earnings call occurs on January 25th after the market closes. Of course, every earnings call for this company draws much attention, but this one may set a new bar. Tesla ended 2022 with a 70 percent drop in stock price and investors looking for answers.
The top voted question with just under 4,000 votes, which also represents 2.5 million shares, is: After recent price cuts, analysts released expectations that Tesla automotive gross margin excluding leases and reg credits will drop below 20% and average selling price around $47k across all models. Where do you see average selling price and gross margins after the price cuts?
Another question is about the Solar Roof product, its struggles to gain traction, and what changes can be expected in future versions to increase scale. Investors also want to know about the progress of the 4680 battery ramp, the current roadblocks, and when the company expects to scale to 10,000 vehicles a week.
Additionally, investors are curious about the production status of the Cybertruck, the margins for the stationary energy storage business, and the future forecast for Tesla's energy products. They also want to know about the possible brand damage caused by Elon Musk's political tweets and how it will be mitigated.
Missing Questions on Advertising
Musk recently tweeted: Teslas are the safest cars on the road, but most people don't know that. There have been numerous calls for the company to start advertising, and Tesla's incredible commitment to safety would be an excellent campaign.
However, Tesla has no marketing budget, has not spent a dime on commercials or ads and got rid of the entire communications team years ago. Musk used the same promotion he did with PayPal, paying users to refer. But the referral program was stopped in most regions, and several people are still owed a Roadster.
That was a different time. Legacy automakers are no longer snickering at the tiny Silicon Valley start-up. Instead, they are doing everything they can to catch up to Tesla, including millions of dollars in advertising. Tesla reported a significant boost in sales the day after the 2022 Super Bowl when the competition spent millions on advertising their electric vehicles. But that was when those companies' EV programs were barely off the ground, and Tesla had inventory to move.
Now Tesla must promote things the average consumer doesn't know about, like safety, technology and performance. As Musk himself said, people don't know, so it's his job to tell them.
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Tesla has added payment plan options to its shop items for the first time. They’ve partnered with Klarna, a deferred payment provider, to spread the cost of items across multiple payments. For now, this appears to be limited to the Tesla Shop in the United States—no support for other regions quite yet.
Payment Options
Klarna’s primary payment option allows buyers to get 0% APR for 6 weeks, with 4 payments. The payment schedule is essentially one payment every two weeks for whichever product you buy - enabling you to buy now, and pay later with 0% financing.
For example, the payment schedule for the $420 Wall Connector is evenly divided into four portions. Of course, you’d also have to pay for shipping and taxes, both of which will be included in your first payment.
Payment 1
Payment 2
Payment 3
Payment 4
Amount
$105
$105
$105
$105
Payment Due
Day of Purchase
Week 2
Week 4
Week 6
For some of Tesla’s more expensive Shop options - like the Cybertent, this could be a fantastic means for some owners to pick up something more expensive without having to worry about interest charges on their credit card.
Klarna also offers some other payment schedules, which do have interest. While these are far more expensive and are more like credit cards, they still provide buyers a means to buy now and pay over time. These are all open loans as well, so you can pay them down at a faster rate, thereby reducing the overall interest.
Payment Schedule
Payment Rate
Interest Rate
6 Months
Monthly
7.99% to 33.99%
12 Months
Monthly
7.99% to 33.99%
FSD Payment Options?
We’d love to see an equivalent payment option available for Tesla’s FSD purchase, which is currently $8,000, even if it's bought after the vehicle purchase. The high upfront cost is likely one reason why Tesla’s FSD subscription is so popular.
It’s likely that purchasing FSD is much more popular at the time of vehicle purchase, as owners can roll the cost of FSD into their financing rather than paying the full $8,000 later on.
IPO Filing
Interestingly enough, along with today’s news that Klarna is working with Tesla, Klarna has also filed for an IPO in the United States. It is one of the first financial tech (FinTech) companies to file for an IPO in 2025 and, interestingly, one of the first European companies to conduct an IPO in the United States.
For those who trade in the financial sector, this will be one to watch—Klarna was valued at around $46 billion in 2021 and is now valued at approximately $15 billion. Partnering with a large and well-known brand like Tesla could uplift Klarna, but that’s all financial speculation.
Earlier this year, Tesla released a update for its Beach Buggy Racing 2 game in update 2024.20, which brought a new leaderboard feature to the game.
Grab your wheel, and step on the accelerator, because it's time to take a look at Tesla’s updated Beach Buggy Racing 2 – Supercharger Edition.
Supercharger Leaderboards
Tesla introduced Supercharger Leaderboards to the game, which means anytime you’re at or near a Supercharger site, you can open up Beach Buggy Racing, and compete against other real people in a local leaderboard. Leaderboard are time-based, so that you’re able to compete against other drivers even if there’s no one else currently at the Supercharger.
Leaderboards are available for each track and are location specific, meaning that all Supercharger locations have their own unique leaderboard.
When you arrive at a Supercharger Tesla will prompt you to play Beach Buggy Racing and take a stab at the Leaderboards, but you don’t actually need to be charging to play. All the game requires is that your vehicle is physically at the Supercharger location.
So far, there are no global leaderboards, but competing with fellow Tesla owners at your local Supercharger offers a fun way to pass the time during a 15-minute charge.
Vehicle Colorizer
Not a Tesla App
One lesser known feature of Beach Buggy Racing is that changing your vehicle’s on-screen color through Tesla’s Colorizer will also change the way your vehicle looks in Beach Buggy Racing. It’s a neat little easter egg, but it's all the small details that count. The paint style options apply as well – so Solid, Matte, and Metallic also all reflect in the game.
How to Play Beach Buggy Racing
There are a few ways to play Beach Buggy Racing, and Tesla has thought of everything for this specific game.
You can open up the game from Tesla Arcade when the vehicle is in Park. You have three control options – using the touchscreen, using a Bluetooth or USB controller, or using your vehicle’s steering wheel.
If you’re using the steering wheel, keep in mind that unless you’ve got a Cybertruck with Steer-by-Wire, your actual wheels will also turn. This can add some flat spots to your tires if you play excessively. We recommend using a controller or the touchscreen. Keep in mind that if you’re playing with the vehicle’s steering wheel, you actually use the Brake pedal to accelerate, not the real accelerator pedal.
The author recently took first place at the Leaderboards for the Supercharger in Scarborough, so if you’re in Toronto anytime, feel free to challenge my score! If you’re a leaderboard holder, come let us know where you took first place in the forums.