On February 6, 2018, a cherry red Tesla sports car went to space aboard SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket. There is a simulated astronaut named Starman sitting in the sports car. Don't Panic is written on the screen inside the car. There is a towel and a copy of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" in the car. David Bowie's Space Oddity is playing on the speaker. .
This is an advertisement, but it is also a tribute. This company named after a physicist seems to have an extra layer of romance.
This car that is getting further and further away from the earth and the man who does this activity out of fun - Elon Musk, seem to indicate that this company is supported by IT model and technology. The company has the potential to skyrocket. Although in Buffett's eyes, competition in the automobile industry is still treacherous, and the final winner is still unknown. However, in the first two months of this year, Tesla has been making rapid progress despite doubts. The stock curve is like a cobra, raising its head, stimulating eyeballs and investment nerves.
On the 21st, Tesla’s closing price once again exceeded US$900, with a market value of US$163.3 billion. The momentum is very strong. There are even questions like "Can Tesla become the next Apple", which makes people feel as if the miracle of iPhone 4 in 2008 can be reproduced in the hands of Tesla.
New opportunities under battery innovation
After acquiring Maxwell at a premium, Tesla recently planned to sign an agreement with the "scandal target" CATL. CATL seems to be becoming the third power battery supplier after Panasonic and LG. This will also be the first time Tesla uses lithium iron phosphate batteries.
As the core part of new energy vehicles, batteries are related to the life and death of electric vehicles. Tesla also emphasized that the most important thing in the future is to save battery costs. Therefore, Tesla's "Battery Day" shareholder meeting to be held in April will definitely "spark a thousand waves with one stone" and trigger a wave of changes in battery selection. A new round of shuffling.
As Musk himself said at the press conference after the financial report: "If you don't increase battery production capacity, but move batteries from one car to another, this is not really increasing sales. , because you are not producing a real electric car.” It is not difficult to see that battery innovation is currently Tesla’s main focus and may also be the “tipping point” of some new energy industries.
Perhaps Tesla’s preference for lithium iron phosphate batteries will bring a new spring to the industry. Tesla's choice of CATL is undoubtedly due to the need to reduce the cost of batteries and electric vehicles. This move has also brought the price of lithium iron phosphate batteries close to parity, providing more opportunities for small and medium-sized new energy vehicle companies. to increase its market share.
At a time when new energy has become a hot topic, with the support of transportation energy reforms in local public transportation, more opportunities are presented to phosphate railway battery and related materials companies, including CATL, BYD, For many companies, including Penghui Energy, the domestic new energy vehicle and related markets are expected to gradually increase.
What Tesla has gained is not only lower costs, but also a majority of the market share in the Chinese market. Tesla, which has seized this opportunity, has developed so fast in China. No wonder.
China’s growing new market
According to Tesla’s official 2019 financial report data, the company’s operating income in 2019 was US$24.778 billion. Among them, the automotive business revenue was US$23.047 billion, and the Chinese market revenue was US$2.979 billion, approximately 20.8 billion yuan, an increase of 69.55% compared to 2018.
The financial report shows that the operating income of the Chinese market was US$2.979 billion, accounting for 12.12%, second only to the US market, and is Tesla’s second largest consumer market in the world. Revenue in the domestic market in the United States was US$12.653 billion, accounting for 51.48%, still the largest market, but down 15% from the same period in 2018.
The commissioning of Tesla’s Shanghai Gigafactory has also stimulated the explosion of Tesla’s concept and output. The new battery cooperation is promoting Tesla's full localization, and the cost of the new model Model 3 is expected to continue to decline. The announcement pointed out that the cost of Model 3 produced by the Shanghai Gigafactory will be lower than that of the Fremont factory.
Although the domestic market has been affected by the new coronavirus epidemic, the resumption of production at the Shanghai Gigafactory on February 10 seems to indicate that Tesla is not afraid of the market turmoil caused by the epidemic. Sun Xiaohe, Tesla’s epidemic prevention liaison and director of the New Industries and Technology Innovation Department of the Lingang New Area Management Committee, said that the Gigafactory is expected to achieve a monthly production capacity of about 12,000 vehicles. Not only that, Sun Xiaohe also said that the output of the Shanghai factory will gradually increase, and this year's output will definitely be an upward trend.
The announcement also pointed out that the factory already has an annual production capacity of 150,000 vehicles and has begun construction of the second phase of the project for the production of Tesla MODEL? Y models. The increase in production capacity is at least as large as the first phase of the project. flat. With the resumption of production at the Shanghai factory, the production problems that have plagued Tesla for a long time have been solved, and it has truly become a car company that can continue to make money.
Driven by comprehensive localization, the domestic price of Model 3 is also expected to drop again. After the pneumonia epidemic, many consumers will change their mentality after experiencing such a long "dark period", and thoughts such as "working hard to make money but neglecting the quality of life and physical health" will also arise. Compared with the increase in people's consumption desire after SARS in 2003, after this epidemic, a new turn in the consumer market is also expected to occur. Will the price reduction of Model 3 also provide new choices for consumers?
Under the spring breeze of Model 3, Tesla is not the only one who benefits.
A new spring for the industrial supply chain
With the release of model 3 production capacity, the domestic related parts and components it drives will also usher in spring. Tesla's industrial chain covers a wide range, with many domestic and foreign companies becoming its suppliers. Tesla's rapid development provides growth opportunities for domestic listed companies that enter its supply chain.
Among them, the power battery, as the core part, is the biggest beneficiary. CATL, Tesla's third battery partner, bucked the trend on the opening day of February 3 and emerged suddenly in the sluggish A-share market. The maximum increase once reached 9.89%. As of the close, the price per share was 135.36 yuan, up 3.67%, becoming the "brightest star" among the 3,200 stocks that fell to their limit.
Suppliers in other related fields, such as automotive electronics and thermal management, will also usher in new growth. In the thermal management system, among domestic companies, Sanhua Intelligent Control supplies thermal management products such as expansion valves and water-cooling plates to Tesla. In the automotive electronics sector, among domestic listed companies, Joyson Electronics mainly supplies human-computer interaction products HMI, NavInfo is Tesla’s exclusive navigation map supplier, and Changxin Technology supplies central control screen module products.
According to the Oriental Fortune Choice database, there are 81 Tesla concept stocks in the A-share market, among which there are 22, 15, 10 and 5 in Guangdong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai respectively. Related listed companies. Among the 81 Tesla concept stocks, 60 listed companies are private enterprises, accounting for more than 70%.
It is not difficult to see from the stock market on a single day on February 17 that Tesla-related concept stocks, Haida shares, hit the daily limit, Shengli Precision hit the daily limit, and Xiuqiang shares previously closed the daily limit and recorded ten consecutive boards. . This report card is already impressive.
In 2019, Tesla delivered a total of approximately 367,500 vehicles, an increase of 50% over the previous year, barely completing its full-year sales target. However, Tesla's outlook for the new year is very optimistic, with sales expected to easily exceed 500,000 in 2020, equivalent to a 36% increase in sales over last year.
In the past, Tesla was always known for "burning money", but now with the gradual release of production capacity, the company stated that its future cash flow will be positive and there will no longer be a shortage of funds. Tesla also stated in its financial statement: "Tesla has been able to rely on its own funds to maintain its growth. Further growth in sales, improvement in production capacity, and continued generation of cash flow are our focus in the future."
But Will Tesla be content with a single automotive industry?
New developments under the wave of intelligence
Compared to traditional car companies such as Ford and General Motors, Tesla is more like a technology company.
“The era of traditional car manufacturers is over.” Volkswagen Group CEO Diess once said at the executive strategy meeting that Volkswagen is regarded as a car company, while Tesla is regarded as It's a technology company.
"Cars will become the most important mobile device. We are also evaluated as a car company, while Tesla is already a technology company."
As a bold innovator, this new energy vehicle company Leading companies are indeed different from traditional automobile companies. Specialized product operations have only launched a few products such as model?X/model?Y/model?S/model?3, focusing on high-end products and shaping the industrial system.
Of course, Tesla is not only satisfied with the automobile industry. Solar panels, charging pile networks, software service ecology, etc. will also become important sources of income for Tesla. As far as the software system is concerned, the continuous upgrading of vehicle systems and operating methods is an attempt to create a more intelligent product.
2020 is the first year of 5G. Under the unstoppable wave of global intelligence, the wheel of the times is slowly moving forward. The Internet of Everything, Smart Life, and Autonomous Driving are gaining traction. Tesla’s following the trend also shows that it is not just a car company, but also as many people say, “Technology companies are Tesla’s Peer together."
Old problems amid rapid development
On October 23, 2019, the 2019 Fortune Future 50 list was announced, with Tesla ranking 48th.
In January 2020, the 2020 list of the world's 500 most valuable brands was released, with Tesla ranking 147th.
It is not difficult to see from the two sets of rankings that Tesla is developing rapidly. Behind this rapid development, the problem that is gradually emerging is a problem that all car companies will face - the recall crisis.
According to information obtained by Consumer Reports from the State Administration for Market Regulation, Tesla Motors (Beijing) Co., Ltd. has decided to recall the products produced on April 15, 2016 starting from June 7, 2020. A total of 3,183 partially imported model? Previously, in January 2019, Tesla recalled more than 14,000 Model S cars in China due to potential injury risks of Takata airbags.
When some vehicles within the scope of this recall are exposed to highly corrosive environments such as strong deicing salts for a long time, the bolts that fix the steering gear motor to the steering gear housing may be corroded and broken. This causes the steering gear motor to shift and the transmission belt to slip, resulting in weakening or loss of steering assist, which may increase the risk of vehicle collision and pose safety risks.
In addition, some car owners reported that the 2016 Model Regarding these problems, Tesla has not implemented corresponding recalls.
This will inevitably chill some consumers. If the safety performance of the car cannot be guaranteed, there is no need to continue to choose this brand. Compared with Toyota's previous recalls, its crisis public relations awareness is indeed worth learning from Tesla. After all, reputation is definitely the most important condition for Tesla to ensure its sales.
After these recalls, Tesla should also reflect on itself. Although it is difficult to guarantee the quality of products 100%, the attitude of striving for excellence is 100% necessary. Continuous improvement and improvement time and time again can ensure the sustainable development of the enterprise in the future.
It is undoubtedly important for Tesla to continue its current "miracle".
Can the career of Tesla, which sent a sports car into space, be like that sports car, covered with "speeding tickets" and rushing into the unknown?
Text/Liu Kuang public account, ID: liukuang110
This article comes from the author of Autohome Chejiahao and does not represent the views and positions of Autohome.