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☆ Inside Tesla's chaotic month of brutal layoffs
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-11 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Several executives at the company have departed and Tesla workers say morale is flagging. AdvertisementTesla faces headwindsAhead of the layoffs, Tesla's delivery numbers slumped, falling below Wall Street's estimates. AdvertisementMore on the EV slowdown:The cuts commenceBefore Musk notified staff of the mass layoff, workers had been wary of impending cuts. Tesla workers hadn't seen such a deep cut since 2022 when Tesla slashed 10% of its salaried staff. In the weeks that followed, Musk cut Tesla's US advertising team and reportedly chose to slash Tesla's entire Supercharging team, as well as its vehicle programs and new product introduction team.

Persons: —, Elon, Musk, Tesla, Elon Musk, Omar Marques, they'd, Tesla's, he'd, Justin Sullivan, Tom Zhu Organizations: Service, Business, Tesla, Musk, Bloomberg, Getty Locations: Tesla, Berlin, China —, Fremont, California, China

☆ Tesla's easy ride in China may be coming to an end
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Nora Naughton | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Elon Musk appears focused on reinforcing Tesla's China business. AdvertisementTesla is facing tougher years ahead in the Chinese market, and it couldn't come at a worse time for the company. AdvertisementAfter years of steady growth in China, Tesla's sales are slippingTesla sold 62,167 cars in China in April, down 18% from a year ago, according to data released Tuesday by the China Passenger Car Association. Inexpensive Chinese cars are also competing with Tesla in important European and Scandinavian markets, a traditional stronghold for Musk. After his latest visit to the region, Musk appears to be sending reinforcements to the Chinese market.

Persons: Tesla, Elon Musk, —, Elon, BYD, China couldn't, Musk, Tom Zhu Organizations: Service, Elon Musk's, Shanghai Gigafactory, China Passenger Car Association, China, Tesla, BYD's, Ford, GM Locations: China, Shanghai, California, Mexico, Tesla's

☆ Elon Musk is tightening his grip on Tesla
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Geoff Weiss | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Top Tesla exec Tom Zhu has been redeployed to China, Electrek reports. Several other top execs have left Elon Musk's company. Musk is consolidating power at Tesla as a vote over his $47 billion pay package looms. AdvertisementOne of Tesla's top executives has been reassigned to China in another sign that Elon Musk is tightening his grip on the electric carmaker. Prior to the move, Zhu had assumed more responsibilities at Tesla as Musk was increasingly occupied by X, according to Electrek.

Persons: Tom Zhu, —, Elon, Elon Musk —, Zhu, Musk, Zhu —, Tesla, Drew Baglino, Rohan Patel, That's Organizations: Elon Musk's, Service, China, X, Reuters, North, Business, Street Locations: China, Shanghai, Delaware

☆ The bad news for automakers in China is only getting worse
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Now Chinese automakers' next move is to capitalize on exports, a recent Morgan Stanley note said. But some of that car-buying demand in China starting to wane, according to an August 17 note from Morgan Stanley. "We're still growing our market share in China," Tesla SVP of automotive Tom Zhu said at the firm's Investor Day in March. But while early cuts might have sparked demand, Morgan Stanley analysts called "Tesla's further promotional activity of particular concern." Chinese companies are forging ahead elsewhere while domestic demand easesThird, this just means that the Chinese companies will continue their push across the globe.

Persons: Tesla, Morgan Stanley, NEVs, Ford, Jim Farley, BEV, John Lawler, Tom Zhu Organizations: EV, Morning, Tesla, Ford, GM, Automobility, Deutsche Bank, KPMG — Locations: China, Europe

☆ Elon Musk's whirlwind China trip included talks with vice premier
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SHANGHAI, June 1 (Reuters) - Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) Chief Executive Elon Musk departed Shanghai on Thursday, wrapping up a two-day trip to China in which he met senior Chinese government officials including the highest-ranking vice premier. The video released by Tesla showed Musk praising employees for "overcoming so many difficulties and challenges" and making a heart sign with his hands. Earlier in the trip, Musk met with China's foreign, commerce and industry ministers in Beijing and dined with the chairman of battery supplier Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd (CATL) (300750.SZ). He also met with Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang on Wednesday, a source familiar with the matter said. China values its relationship with Tesla and in 2019 Musk had a one-on-one meeting with then premier Li Keqiang.

Persons: Elon Musk, Musk's, Tom Zhu, Tesla, Musk, Ding Xuexiang, Ding, Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, Chen Jining, Chen, Zhang Yan, Brenda Goh, Nicoco Chan, Julie Zhu, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Tesla Inc, Amperex Technology Co, State, Information Office, U.S ., Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, Shanghai, China, Beijing, U.S, Shanghai's Hongqiao, Austin , Texas, Hong Kong

☆ Elon Musk met with Chinese Vice Premier Ding in Beijing -source
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Julie Zhu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Tesla Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk walks next to Tesla's Senior Vice President Tom Zhu and Vice President Grace Tao as he leaves a hotel in Beijing, China May 31, 2023. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/File PhotoHONG KONG, June 1 (Reuters) - Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) CEO Elon Musk met with Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang on Wednesday afternoon in Beijing, a source familiar with the matter said. It was not immediately clear if Musk met Li Qiang during the trip. Tesla had previously sought a meeting for Musk with Li, Reuters reported in March. Musk left Shanghai on Thursday morning, wrapping up a two-day trip to China in which he also met a key battery supplier and visited Tesla's Shanghai factory.

Persons: Elon Musk, Tom Zhu, Grace Tao, Tingshu Wang, Ding Xuexiang, Tesla, Ding, Xi Jinping, Li Qiang, Musk, Li, Julie Zhu, Zhang Yan, Brenda Goh, Sophie Yu, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Tesla, Tesla's, REUTERS, Tesla Inc, State, Information Office, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, HONG KONG, Shanghai, Tesla's Shanghai

☆ Elon Musk wraps up whirlwind China trip
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SHANGHAI, June 1 (Reuters) - Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) Chief Executive Elon Musk departed Shanghai Thursday morning, wrapping up a two-day trip to China in which he met government ministers, a key battery supplier and visited the automaker's biggest production hub. Photos of Musk's visit to Tesla's Shanghai factory late Wednesday showed him holding up a "Giga Shanghai" sign, flanked by hundreds of staff including head of global manufacturing Tom Zhu. "A very rewarding day!," Grace Tao, Tesla's China-based public affairs chief, said in a social media post with the photos. Earlier in the trip, Musk met with China's foreign, commerce and industry ministers in Beijing where he also dined with the chairman of battery supplier Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd (CATL) (300750.SZ). The industry ministry only said Musk and its head exchanged views about development of electric vehicles and connected cars; the commerce ministry announced he discussed Tesla's development in China with its minister.

Persons: Elon Musk, Tom Zhu, Grace Tao, Musk, Brenda Goh, Zhang Yan, Nicoco Chan, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Tesla Inc, Amperex Technology Co, U.S ., Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, Shanghai, China, Beijing, U.S, Shanghai's Hongqiao, Austin , Texas

☆ Elon Musk's private jet scheduled to leave China on Thursday -flight tracking data
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

[1/2] Tesla Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk walks next to Tesla's Senior Vice President Tom Zhu and Vice President Grace Tao as he leaves a hotel in Beijing, China May 31, 2023. REUTERS/Tingshu WangSHANGHAI, June 1 (Reuters) - Elon Musk's private jet is scheduled to leave Shanghai on Thursday morning and head to Austin, Texas, data from flight tracking provider Variflight show. The Tesla (TSLA.O) CEO arrived in Shanghai on Wednesday night and visited the U.S. automaker's plant in the financial hub and met with workers, according to photos posted by Tesla's China-based public affairs chief Grace Tao on her Weibo account. Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Musk's planned departure. Reporting by Brenda Goh and Zhang Yan; Editing by Tom HogueOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Elon Musk, Tom Zhu, Grace Tao, Wang, Elon, Tesla, Musk's, Brenda Goh, Zhang Yan, Tom Hogue Organizations: Tesla, Tesla's, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Wang SHANGHAI, Shanghai, Austin , Texas, Tesla's China

[1/2] Tesla Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk gets in a Tesla car as he leaves a hotel in Beijing, China May 31, 2023. REUTERS/Tingshu WangBEIJING, May 31 (Reuters) - Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) CEO Elon Musk kicked off his second day in China with visits to the country's commerce ministry and industry ministry. Musk left his hotel on Wednesday morning accompanied by Grace Tao, Tesla's China-based public affairs chief and Tom Zhu, head of global manufacturing. He next visited the Ministry of Industry and Information which has regulatory oversight of the automotive industry. Tesla and the ministries did not immediately reply to a request for comment on discussions with Musk.

Persons: Elon Musk, Tingshu Wang, Musk, Grace Tao, Tom Zhu, Wang Wentao, Tesla, Qin Gang, Zeng Yuqun, CATL, Martin Pollard, Josh Arslan, Wang Tingshu, Joe Cash, Zhang Yan, Brenda Goh, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Tesla, REUTERS, Tesla Inc, Ministry of Industry, Foreign, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Tingshu Wang BEIJING, Shanghai, United States

☆ 6 photos of Elon Musk's visit to China, from a 16-course dinner to meetings with Chinese officials
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Photos from the visit show Musk's private jet landing and the Tesla CEO's 16-course meal. Elon Musk touched down in China for the first time in three years on Tuesday — a key trip for the Tesla chief. Musk met with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang. Musk is one of several US CEOs to visit China in recent months. Some analysts have hailed Musk's visit to China as a positive sign.

Persons: Elon Musk, Musk, Elon, Tingshu Wang, Ma, Jack Ma, Tom Zhu, Grace Tao, Qin Gang, Qin, he's, Zeng Yuqun, Fu Yan, Jin Zhuanglong, Tesla, CNBC's David Faber, Li Keqiang, Li Qiang, Dan Ives Organizations: Morning, Tesla, Twitter, REUTERS, Reuters, Tesla's, Beijing REUTERS, Chinese Ministry of Commerce, Foreign, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Amperex Technology, Weibo, Associated Press, Apple, Getty Locations: China, Beijing, Austin , Texas, Anchorage , Alaska, People's Republic of China, Shanghai

☆ Elon Musk visits China's commerce ministry
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang meets Tesla Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk in Beijing, China, in this handout image released by China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs May 30, 2023. Tesla CEO Elon Musk kicked off his second day in China with a visit to the country's commerce ministry on Wednesday morning. A day earlier, he met with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang. Tesla and CATL did not respond to requests for comment on the meeting or on Musk's plans in China. He declined to comment at the hotel when questioned by reporters about the aim of his trip, Tesla's prospects in China and plans for Tesla's plant in Shanghai.

Persons: Qin, Elon, Elon Musk, Qin Gang, Zeng Yuqun, CATL, Musk, Tesla's, Grace Tao, Tom Zhu Organizations: Qin Gang, China's Ministry of Foreign, Foreign, CATL Locations: Beijing, China, Tesla's China, Shanghai, U.S

☆ Elon Musk says he doesn't plan to give his kids control of his companies
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-23 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Elon Musk said he's found potential successors for his companies if "something happens to me unexpectedly." The billionaire said he doesn't plan to hand over his companies or voting shares to his kids. Musk dispelled rumors earlier this month that he would bring in a new Tesla CEO. Elon Musk says he doesn't plan to hand over his companies to his kids any time soon. The Tesla CEO did not respond to a request for comment from Insider ahead of publication.

Persons: Elon Musk, he's, Musk, X, X's, Grimes, Steve Jobs, Bernard Arnault, Rupert Murdoch —, I've, Musk's, Zach Kirkhorn, Tesla, James Murdoch —, —, Tom Zhu, he'd, Dan Ives Organizations: Morning, Reuters, Twitter, Street Journal, Musk Locations: China, North America, Europe

☆ Factbox: Tesla's Shanghai plant, targeted by worker protest, is key hub for EV maker
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Here are key facts about Tesla's operation in Shanghai:BACKGROUNDTesla’s Shanghai plant, which began operations in late 2019, is the automaker’s largest manufacturing hub. The plant employs some 20,000 workers and accounted for more than half of Tesla’s global output in 2022. Some Tesla workers were told their performance bonuses were being cut because of the accident and took to social media to protest. KEY EXECUTIVETesla promoted its China chief Tom Zhu to take oversight of its global production and sales earlier this year. Under Zhu, the Tesla Shanghai plant managed a quick rebound from lost production last year due to COVID lockdowns in China.

☆ Factbox: Tesla sets stage for annual shareholder meeting
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 10 (Reuters) - Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) has put up five proposals for vote at its annual shareholder meeting on May 16, including the nomination of co-founder JB Straubel to the electric-vehicle maker's board. Tesla shareholders usually vote largely in line with board recommendations. FREQUENCY OF NON-BINDING VOTE ON EXECUTIVE COMPENSATIONTesla said shareholders will vote on how frequently they would prefer a non-binding, advisory vote on compensation for executive officers. Investors will choose between one, two and three-year intervals for the non-binding vote on executive compensation, the board said, adding that it recommends a three-year interval. The EV maker has urged shareholders to vote against the proposal, saying it "would cause unnecessary competitive harm".

☆ Premarket stocks: CEOs are tired of being held responsible for gun regulation
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Dick’s Sporting Goods stopped selling semi-automatic, assault-style rifles at stores and Citigroup put new restrictions on gun sales by business customers after the mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida, in 2018. But Yale professor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, a vocal advocate of corporate social responsibility who has a direct line to major CEOs around the globe, said that top executives are forlorn. Before the Bell: CEOs have been quiet about gun reform since the latest mass school shooting in Nashville, have you heard anything about plans to speak out? Enough already on saying ‘what are the CEOs doing?’ Social capital is as valuable as financial capital. But don’t these CEOs hold the purse strings in terms of donating to powerful politicians?

☆ Tesla sales again fall short of production
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

The first quarter also marked the fourth straight quarter that Tesla has produced more vehicles than it has delivered to customers. Some of that may be due to the ramp up in production at two new factories, one in Texas, the other in Germany, which opened last spring, and a lag between that increased production and sales. Even Ives, a bull on Tesla stock, said the lower prices that Tesla got for cars in the quarter will mean tighter profit margins going forward. First quarter production was up only 0.2% from the final three months of 2022, despite it efforts to ramp up production in Germany and Texas. Production and sales were up much more when compared to the first quarter of 2022, with production up 44% and deliveries up 36%.

☆ Elon Musk's new Master Plan for Tesla should've introduced cheap EVs. Instead, we got a whole lot of nothing.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The world is waiting for cheap EVs, but Tesla isn't ready to deliver — yet. Elon Musk's EV company held an Investor Day in Texas that had everything but cheap EVs. He needs one now — and fast — as competitors are putting the pedal to the metal in their own quests for low-cost EVs. On the investor front, low-cost EVs help make Tesla a truly global phenomenon. But the lack of any firm details on a cheap EV made for a puzzling omission from what was meant to be a showcase of Tesla's offerings.

☆ Factbox: Tesla investor day gives a rare look at executive bench
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Hyunjoo Jin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

LARS MORAVY, VICE PRESIDENT, VEHICLE ENGINEERINGThe former Honda (7267.T) engineer joined Tesla in 2010. PETE BANNON, VICE PRESIDENT, HARDWARE ENGINEERINGThe former Apple engineer leads a team that creates the Full Self-Driving hardware. He has served as senior vice president for powertrain and energy engineering since October 2019. FRANZ VON HOLZHAUSEN, SENIOR DESIGN EXECUTIVEThe former director of design for Mazda North America joined Tesla in 2008. LAURIE SHELBY, VICE PRESIDENT, EHS&S (Environmental, Health, Safety, and Security)Shelby joined Tesla in 2017.

☆ Analysis: In China, Tesla could win electric vehicle price battle – but lose the war
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

[1/5] Visitors check a Tesla Model 3 car next to a Model Y displayed at a showroom of the U.S. electric vehicle (EV) maker in Beijing, China February 4, 2023. REUTERS/Florence LoSummarySummary Companies Tesla price cuts have jumpstarted sales in world no. Most immediately, Tesla's January price cuts drove deliveries of its China-made vehicles up 18% from December. From 15% in 2020, its share of the China EV market fell by a third to just 10% in 2022, according to data from the CPCA. After the latest price cuts, the Model 3 starts at about $34,000 and the Model Y at $38,000.

☆ Musk says China rivals 'work hardest, smartest'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Elon Musk sees the toughest competition for Tesla in China, home of the company he expects "most likely to be second" in electric vehicles. Asked about Tesla's competition, Musk responded that he respected car companies in China, calling it the most competitive market in the world. "They work the hardest and they work the smartest," he said. Musk has praised Chinese workers and competitors before. He also said Chinese workers had been "burning the 3 a.m. oil" to keep Tesla's factories running during COVID lockdowns last year.

☆ Tesla shares fall on US and European price cuts
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

More stable cost inflation was also a factor in reducing prices, said a spokesperson for Tesla Germany, confirming price cuts in its top European market. The US price cuts, announced late Thursday on its global top-sellers the Model 3 sedan and Model Y crossover SUV, were between 6% and 20%, Reuters calculations showed. For a US buyer of the long-range Model Y, the new Tesla price combined with the US subsidy amounts to a discount of 31%. In China, where Tesla cut prices last week by 6% to 13.5%, owners protested at delivery centres, calling for compensation. Before the cuts, Tesla inventory in the United States, as tracked by models its website shows as immediately available, had been trending higher.

☆ Tesla cuts prices in U.S., Germany in pivot to drive sales
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The U.S. price cuts, announced late Thursday in U.S. time on the Model 3 and Model Y, ranged between 6% and 20% compared with the prices that held before the discount, according to a Reuters calculation. In Germany, Tesla cut prices on the Model 3 sedan and the Model Y crossover - its global top-seller - by between about 1% and amost 17% depending on the configuration. For a U.S. buyer of the long-range Model Y, the new Tesla price combined with the U.S. subsidy that took effect this month amounts to a discount of 31%. Tesla cut prices in China and other Asian markets last week. Tesla has also cut prices in South Korea, Japan, Australia and Singapore.

☆ Protesting Tesla China buyers vow more pressure over price cuts they missed
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/4] Tesla owners unhappy with the U.S. carmaker's price cuts discuss their situation at a Tesla delivery centre in Shanghai, China January 10, 2023. Similar protests by Tesla owners have sprung up in cities including Henan, Wuxi and Hangzhou in recent days, according to owners and social media posts. Tesla has faced online backlash over previous price cuts in China before but nothing as widespread as the current spontaneous protests. "We trusted the brand so much that we cancelled our orders for other brands for Tesla," said Yu, who stayed with a group of about 25 protesters at the Tesla Shanghai facility late into Tuesday evening. Analysts have said Tesla's price cuts were almost certain to boost China sales, which tumbled in December, and force other EV makers to cut prices too.

☆ With big bets on Musk, these funds may have a Tesla problem in '23
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( David Randall | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Those funds dropped by an average of 42.1% last year, more than double the average 17% decline among U.S. stock funds, according to Morningstar. The $6 billion Baron Partners Retail fund, which leads all US mutual funds with about 52% of its assets in Tesla shares, fell nearly 43% last year, while the $54 million Zevenbergen Genea Institutional fund, which has 13% of its assets in Tesla, fell nearly 59%. Tesla fell about 65% last year, with declines accelerating after Musk decided to buy social media network Twitter, which some investors see as a distraction to the chief executive. His net worth has fallen by more than $100 billion, according to Forbes, bumping him from the position of world's richest person. The fund fell 67% last year, putting it near the bottom of all U.S. equity funds.

☆ Tesla stock is at a 'fork in the road' as Elon Musk needs to lead the EV maker through weakness in demand, says Wedbush analyst Dan Ives
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Carla Mozée | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Tesla stock is "way oversold," but 2023 is a critical year for the EV maker, Wedbush said Wednesday. Tesla under Musk's directions needs to project "hittable" 2023 target and delivery numbers, says analyst Dan Ives. He reiterated an outperform rating and a $175 price target on Tesla. The "Twitter distraction along with this current demand situation is creating a perfect storm for the stock," said Ives. Wedbush's $125 price target on Tesla represents a 62% upside from Tuesday's closing price of $108.10.

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