Industry News: Tesla Announces A Loss In Third Quarter, Boost Production

[William Maley]

William Maley

Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com

November 5, 2012

Tesla announced their third quarter results today and it was a mixed bag. The company announced a $110.8 million loss, a figure that's significantly higher than last year's $65.1 million loss. Tesla partly blames the loss on a slower-than-expected roll-out for the Model S, which went into production in July. Tesla says they have increased production of the Model S from 100 vehicles per week to 200. The company expects to be building 400 vehicles by the end of December. As for revenues, the company exceeded projections of $48 million by bring in $50 million in revenues.

Tesla didn't revise its $400 to $440 million 2012 revenue outlook. The outlook was lowered about two months ago from from $560 to $600 million after the Model S' slow startup.

Source: Reuters

William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster.

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[G. David Felt]

I hope no one is surprised by this. I really do not expect this company to survive more than another year or two before being gobbled up or bankrupt and sold off.

[Drew Dowdell]

For a start up car company, they are actually doing pretty well considering their main product just recently made it onto the market.

[SoCalCTS]

It might be wise for Tesla and Fisker to offer non-hybrid versions of their vehicles to increase volumes and decrease manufacturing costs. There must be some kind of 4 cylinder engine technology they could buy from another manufacturer. It could be win-win.

[Drew Dowdell]

The problem with that idea is that the platforms aren't set up for that type of drive.

[ocnblu]

Yeah, they are not set up for success.

[Drew Dowdell]

Sure they are... I'm betting at least one of these brands will survive.

[G. David Felt]

I do not see either of them surviving as independents.

[Drew Dowdell]

I do not see either of them surviving as independents.

I didn't make that bet...

[G. David Felt]

I do not see either of them surviving as independents.

I didn't make that bet...

LOL I am just expanding on that bet. I agree one will survive at least but will loose it's freedom to a bigger boy on the block.

[Drew Dowdell]

I'm actually thinking it will be a Toyota-Tesla tie up.

[A Horse With No Name]

Sure they are... I'm betting at least one of these brands will survive.

I would imagine Tesla....more than Fisker....

[G. David Felt]

I'm actually thinking it will be a Toyota-Tesla tie up.

That would give them a TT auto!

I agree Toyota is at the top of the list with cash to buy a company like them. But they might be too conservative to actually jump at the chance. I could see BMW or MB doing it. I would love if GM could figure out how to scoop these startup up into the fold to sell the technology under the Cadillac/Buick line.

Wonder if Tata Motors would try and pick up either one or that crazy car company that tried to do something with SAAB.

[Drew Dowdell]

My guess, if anyone buys Fisker, it will be BMW or VW.... more likely the later, but the former is not impossible.

[G. David Felt]

My guess, if anyone buys Fisker, it will be BMW or VW.... more likely the later, but the former is not impossible.

I always forget about VW being a possible consumer of smaller auto companies. Not sure why but I also put them in the camp of possible consumers of Telsa or Fisker.

[Drew Dowdell]

The reason I include BMW on the list is because of their total attention deficit disorder with their current product line right now... between the i-Series and the weirdo SUV coupes, they are looking for something.. anything.. to do that is different from the industry.

The reason I think Toyota will grab Tesla is because they already have a number of partnerships with them.

[ocnblu]

Yeah, they might destroy the Supra name by bringing it back as a rebodied Tesla from what I hear. Dingbats.

[A Horse With No Name]

Yeah, they might destroy the Supra name by bringing it back as a rebodied Tesla from what I hear. Dingbats.

Although Ferrari is bringoing out Hybrids supposedly, and Porsche is working on them also....

[ocnblu]

What they supposedly plan on doing will not please the people who have been begging them to bring it back. It will be a totally different thing, and not what they've been begging for.

[G. David Felt]

What they supposedly plan on doing will not please the people who have been begging them to bring it back. It will be a totally different thing, and not what they've been begging for.

Agree, the new Supra will not be the lite weight speedy little fun car people remember. It will be bloated and it will probably be either a step up from the FRZ or an alternative energy speedster.

[ocnblu]

It will not be a car that people will connect with because it will be as engaging as a computer mouse. Nobody takes apart a computer mouse to modify it for their own purposes. Unplug and play... no real fun.

[G. David Felt]

It will not be a car that people will connect with because it will be as engaging as a computer mouse. Nobody takes apart a computer mouse to modify it for their own purposes. Unplug and play... no real fun.

Good Analogy, people rarely custmize their mouse. Maybe the Ball but never the mouse.

[Drew Dowdell]

I find judgements of these cars by people who have never driven them to be absurdly humorous.

[ocnblu]

How can they be customized?  Modified?  They are totally cold, passionless and disengaged.  People who are asking for the Supra to return want THIS:

[Robert Hall]

It will not be a car that people will connect with because it will be as engaging as a computer mouse. Nobody takes apart a computer mouse to modify it for their own purposes. Unplug and play... no real fun.

Have you driven one? Read that stats...the Tesla Model S is pretty quick...

I find judgements of these cars by people who have never driven them to be absurdly humorous.

It is amusing.... I don't get all the hatin'.... it's exciting to see a new American car company emerging, and the Model S is a seriously good looking car, with a wheelbase longer than any current GM car, by the way, and w/ great performance from what I've read. It's nice to see an electric car that isn't a tiny FWD turd (like the Leaf, Mitsu i-Mev, etc).

Edited November 15, 2012 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[Drew Dowdell]

Well I suppose you could put a whale tale on a Karma if you really wanted to. Same with spinners, fat tires, etc. The Tesla Roaster already does 0-60 in 3.2 sec... and the Supra drivers above already showed that they can't even handle that sort of acceleration.

[Drew Dowdell]

It will not be a car that people will connect with because it will be as engaging as a computer mouse. Nobody takes apart a computer mouse to modify it for their own purposes. Unplug and play... no real fun.

Have you driven one? Read that stats...the Tesla Model S is pretty quick...

I find judgements of these cars by people who have never driven them to be absurdly humorous.

It is amusing.... I don't get all the hatin'.... it's exciting to see a new American car company emerging, and the Model S is a seriously good looking car, with a wheelbase longer than any current GM car, by the way, and w/ great performance from what I've read. It's nice to see an electric car that isn't a tiny FWD turd (like the Leaf, Mitsu i-Mev, etc).

Tesla Model-S does 0-60 in 4.0 seconds. The CTS-V and ZL-1 run 3.9. If gasoline engines are sooooo much better, why can't two of GM's most powerful vehicles which also cost a lot more money completely blow away the Model-S?

[Robert Hall]

How can they be customized? Modified? They are totally cold, passionless and disengaged. People who are asking for the Supra to return want THIS:

What are earth are you going on about? Most buyers of new luxury sedans don't modify them. There is no correlation between the Supra and Model S. Maybe the Supra and the FR-S....

[ocnblu]

Sterile speed does not equal passion of any kind. Those videos I posted are of cars not factory built. They are of cars lovingly built by their owners to perform better than factory. When one really thinks of it, just asking me to explain myself about something so obvious is absurdly humorous.

Moltar, it has been published that there is a possibility that the next Supra will be a full electric, produced in a joint venture between Toyota and Tesla. Do you get my drift now?

Edited November 16, 2012 by ocnblu

[Robert Hall]

Sterile speed does not equal passion of any kind. Those videos I posted are of cars not factory built. They are of cars lovingly built by their owners to perform better than factory. When one really thinks of it, just asking me to explain myself about something so obvious is absurdly humorous.

Can't really compare hot rodded old cars to new production cars. Apples and oranges. Different realities with no correlation.

Moltar, it has been published that there is a possibility that the next Supra will be a full electric produced in a joint venture between Toyota and Tesla. Do you get my drift now?

Hadn't heard that..interesting.

Edited November 16, 2012 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[ocnblu]

I guarantee you what those who are clamoring for a new Supra want is something they can build and modify and street race on Saturday night or on sunday... Sunday, SUNDAY!!! at the local drag strip. A Japanese Camaro/Mustang/Challenger... NOT a soulless, humming, silent, sterile electric approximation of what they perceive as a real car to be loved and enjoyed.

[Drew Dowdell]

Sterile speed does not equal passion of any kind. Those videos I posted are of cars not factory built. They are of cars lovingly built by their owners to perform better than factory. When one really thinks of it, just asking me to explain myself about something so obvious is absurdly humorous.

Moltar, it has been published that there is a possibility that the next Supra will be a full electric, produced in a joint venture between Toyota and Tesla. Do you get my drift now?

It's a whole new market OCN. Those Supra's sound like ass.... I like fast without noise.

[ocnblu]

It is disgusting and it will not meet with enthusiasm.