Elon Musk's Tesla Plants: Are They Really Money Burners?
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Chapter 1: Tesla's Financial Concerns
Elon Musk is increasingly anxious about the financial stability of Tesla, hinting that bankruptcy could be on the horizon if ongoing supply chain challenges aren't resolved. Alongside these worries, the company faces yet another lawsuit.
In recent discussions, doubts about Tesla's future have begun to surface. Musk's remarks regarding his company have sparked concerns about its viability, particularly due to supply chain disruptions affecting production facilities. Back in June 2022, Musk disclosed that his company's plants were grappling with significant challenges arising from these issues.
In an April 2022 newsletter, he informed shareholders about the adjustments that needed to be made. For instance, the Austin, Texas plant, which features Model Y SUVs utilizing the 4680 cells and a structurally integrated battery pack, has been forced to produce vehicles with an older 2170 cell due to limited availability. This change is inefficient, as the Austin facility was not engineered for the 2170 model.
Musk voiced his apprehensions about the performance of the Tesla plants, expressing disappointment over their inability to operate at full capacity, which is resulting in substantial financial losses. He stated regarding the Austin factory:
"This is all going to get fixed real fast, but it requires a lot of attention, and it will take more effort to get this factory at high-volume production than it took to build it in the first place."
He went on to describe the situation as follows:
"Both Berlin and Austin factories are gigantic money furnaces right now." - Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla
This notion of Tesla being a "cash burning" operation is not a new one. In April 2018, Bloomberg reported that Tesla was depleting its cash reserves at an alarming rate, noting, "Tesla is going through money so fast that, without additional financing, there is now a genuine risk that the 15-year-old company could run out of cash in 2018. The company burns through more than $7,430 every minute."
The Berlin plant, however, is slightly better positioned than its Austin counterpart, as it was built to accommodate the older 2170 cells.
Austin and Berlin Tesla Plants Affected by Shipping Disruptions
As Tesla works to get its Austin and Berlin facilities up and running, the Shanghai plant has been experiencing COVID-related lockdowns that have led to significant supply chain disruptions at the world’s largest port. Musk remarked:
"The past two years have been an absolute nightmare of supply chain interruptions, one thing after another, and we're not out of it yet. Overwhelmingly our concern is how do we keep the factories operating so we can pay people and not go bankrupt, and then everything else is nice to have." - Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla
Fortunately, Fortune has reported that Tesla has managed to triple its production output at the Shanghai facility since Musk's remarks about the lockdowns. Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas adjusted his price target for Tesla from $1,300 to $1,200 a share due to the disruptions stemming from the COVID situation in China.
Elon Musk's Layoff Notifications and Legal Troubles
On June 2, 2022, Musk informed Tesla executives via email that all hiring should be paused globally. The following day, he announced plans to reduce salaried staff by 10%, citing overstaffing in various departments while indicating that hourly positions would increase. He clarified that this layoff would not affect those involved in manufacturing, battery production, or solar installation.
Additionally, a new lawsuit has emerged, with Tesla employees claiming the company failed to adhere to the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, which mandates a 60-day notice for mass layoffs. Plaintiff’s attorney Shannon Liss-Riordan expressed concern about Musk's disregard for the law, stating:
"I find it very concerning that the richest man in the world considers it trivial that his company is blatantly violating federal labor law [enacted] to protect workers. While two months [of] pay certainly doesn't matter to him, it matters a lot to the employees who made his company what it is."
The pressing question now is whether Elon Musk can navigate these turbulent waters and avert a potential bankruptcy for Tesla.
The first video discusses Elon Musk's alarming assertion that Tesla is losing vast sums of money, likening its operations to a "money furnace." Viewers will gain insight into the financial pressures Tesla faces as Musk details the challenges ahead.
The second video features expert panel reactions regarding Tesla's disappointing earnings and the ongoing cash flow issues. This discussion sheds light on the broader implications for the company as it navigates its financial challenges.
Sources:
Brewster, Lucy. "What Tesla's stock split means for shareholders." Fortune. 6 August 2022.
Brodkin, Jon. "Lawsuit: Tesla broke US law by not providing 60-day notice before mass layoff." ars technica. 21 June 2022.
Hull, Dana and Hannah Recht. "Tesla Doesn't Burn Fuel, It Burns Cash." Bloomberg. Original publish date: 30 April 2018, Updated: 3 May 2018.
Jin, Hyunjoo. "Exclusive: Elon Musk wants to cut 10% of Tesla jobs." Reuters. 3 June 2022.
O'Kane, Sean and Jonathan Roeder. "Musk says new Tesla plants are 'money furnaces' burning billions of dollars. China's COVID lockdowns could be partly to blame." Fortune. 22 June 2022.
Hunter, Kevin. "Elon Musk Says Tesla's Factories in Texas and Germany are 'Money Furnaces'." Gizmodo. 23 June 2022.
Tesla Letter to Shareholders "Q1 2022 Update" April 2022.
YouTube: "Elon Musk Says New Tesla Plants Are Losing Billions" Bloomberg Markets and Finance
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This article is part of a series titled The Elon Musk Saga.
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