Musk urges Tesla staff to pinch pennies
Tesla Inc. chief executive officer Elon Musk warned in an internal email his company's rallying shares could get “crushed” if investors start to worry about the electric-car manufacturer's ability to deliver on profit expectations.
Musk urged employees to stay focused on cutting costs and prevent a reversal in Tesla's soaring stock price in an email sent Tuesday to employees as the Palo Alto, Calif.-based company works to meet a target of delivering half a million cars this year.
“When looking at our actual profitability, it is very low at around one per cent for the past year. Investors are giving us a lot of credit for future profitability, but if, at any point, they conclude that's not going to happen, our stock will immediately get crushed like a souffle under a sledgehammer!” Musk wrote in the email viewed by Bloomberg News.
Tesla did not respond to a request for comment.
The carmaker's stock has skyrocketed almost 600 per cent this year in part on expectations ahead of its elevation to the blue chip S&P 500 Index on Dec. 21 and the automaker posted a fifth consecutive quarter of profit in October. Tesla has been focused on cost reductions for several quarters even as it spends billions on new factories in Austin, Texas, and Berlin to expand its global production and sales footprint.
“At a time like this, when our stock is reaching new heights, it may seem as though spending carefully is not as important. This is definitely not true!” Musk wrote in the email.
Vehicle affordability is an issue the CEO has become increasingly concerned about as its sales volumes grow beyond its one-time niche status.
Musk has said he would be willing to sacrifice profitability to sell more and cheaper cars, and he has promised to launch a US$25,000 car by 2023. Tesla's cheapest vehicle currently is the base level Model 3, which starts at US$37,990.
“Much more important, in order to make our cars affordable, we have to get smarter about how we spend money,” wrote Musk. “This is a tough Game of Pennies, requiring thousands of good ideas to improve part cost, a factory process or simplify the design, while increasing quality and capabilities. A great idea would be one that saves US$5, but the vast majority are US$0.50 here or US$0.20 there.”