Tesla Tops California Sales Charts as Traditional Dealers Lose $910M Profit Opportunity

By Kevin Armstrong
Tesla's consumer model lineup
Tesla's consumer model lineup
Tesla

Tesla's Model Y emerged as the best-selling vehicle in California's new vehicle market in Q1 2023, marking a significant milestone in the increasing shift toward electric vehicles. However, this achievement comes at a cost to traditional car dealerships, which lost an estimated $910 million in potential profit in 2022 due to the rise of Tesla and other direct-to-consumer manufacturers.

Tesla Model Y Leads the Pack in California's New Vehicle Market

The Model Y, a luxury compact crossover electric SUV, accounted for a staggering 64.5% of Luxury Compact SUV sales in the state. Despite supply chain issues and limited vehicle inventories impacting the sales results of many models, the Tesla Model Y has managed to claim a substantial market share, underlining the growing popularity of electric vehicles among California’s consumers.

Traditional Dealerships Feel the $910M Pinch as D2C Sales Skyrocket

According to a recent report by Automotive News, the direct-to-consumer sales model adopted by Tesla, Rivian, and Lucid has significantly disrupted traditional dealerships. Out of the 193,707 direct-to-consumer EV sales, Tesla vehicles constituted a whopping 97.1%, resulting in a gross profit loss of roughly $700,000 per dealer and a $910 million loss for dealers cumulatively.

The most prominent losers in this transition were the state’s luxury brands, especially those currently lacking EV offerings. The higher average sales prices of EVs from Tesla, Rivian, and Lucid meant these losses were felt most acutely by luxury dealerships.

Future Market Trends: Intense Competition and Emerging Opportunities

The landscape of California's EV market could become more competitive. As traditional automakers ramp up their EV offerings, they will be vying for a piece of the pie in a market that has seen a surge in new vehicle registrations, especially in the luxury SUV and EV segments.

However, Tesla's significant profit margin lead over its competitors could still pose a substantial challenge for traditional dealerships, making price competition a tough battle.

Tesla's impressive performance in California's new vehicle market signals a significant shift in consumer preferences and a major disruption in traditional car dealership models. The future will likely see more EVs, more competition, and perhaps more opportunities for those who can keep up with the rapid pace of change in the automotive industry.

Breaking Tradition: Tesla Hits the Social Media Advertising Road

By Kevin Armstrong
Model Y Advertising
Model Y Advertising
Tesla

Tesla has prepared us for a slower sales year, but just how slow may be showing up on social media. No, I’m not talking about X, which is where 99% of Tesla news comes from, but social platforms owned by a guy that Elon Musk once wanted to fight.

Tesla advertising has been shown on Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook and Instagram accounts. While Musk has talked about utilizing more conventional advertising for more than a year, Tesla has only sporadically shown up on a few digital avenues; now, it appears to be a full campaign.

The Return to Meta and Zuck

The year 2018 marked a significant moment in Tesla's history when Elon Musk, in a move reflective of his disdain for Facebook amid the Cambridge Analytica scandal, deleted Tesla and SpaceX's Facebook pages, both of which boasted millions of followers. Fast forward six years, Tesla has reinstated its presence on Facebook and launched advertising campaigns across Meta-owned platforms.

Musk is now paying Tesla money to a guy he challenged to a cage match and once joked/threatened to drive by his house and fight him. There are two takeaways here: Meta is a dominant force in online advertising, and Musk is willing to do whatever it takes to advance Tesla’s mission to a sustainable future.

Embracing Traditional Advertising Amidst EV Market Changes

Tesla's advertisements, including ads on Cars.com, which highlight the Model Y, demonstrate the company's adeptness in utilizing Meta's sophisticated targeting capabilities to reach potential customers. Tesla's avoidance of traditional advertising was once heralded as a visionary move, saving the company billions and contributing to its mystique.

However, the electric vehicle landscape has evolved, with early adopters now equipped with their chosen EVs, making it imperative for Tesla and its competitors to reach a broader audience. Tesla's advertising initiatives on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube reflect this strategic adjustment, aiming to capture the attention of potential buyers beyond its core fanbase.

Despite Elon Musk's historically critical view of advertising and his complex relationship with the social media advertising sphere, Tesla's foray into paid advertisements represents a significant evolution in the company's marketing strategy. This shift acknowledges the necessity of diversified marketing approaches in sustaining growth and expanding market reach in the contemporary automotive landscape.

Tesla Advances with 5G: A Future of Enhanced Connectivity for Cars and Robotics

By Kevin Armstrong
Tesla building 5G private network
Tesla building 5G private network

Tesla appears to be planning an ambitious project to build a private 5G network. This initiative would revolutionize connectivity for its vehicles and the robot, Optimus, as well as any other plans the company is likely to develop in the future.

Innovative Job Posting Reveals Big Plans

Although now removed, a recently spotted job posting for a Cellular Systems Integration Engineer on Tesla's career page shed light on the company's intentions. The role demands expertise to elevate Tesla's vehicle and Optimus robot connectivity, promising to push the boundaries of low latency and high data rates.

Tesla's journey from 3G to the anticipated 5G upgrade will bring about ultra-reliable communication and high-speed data transfer, crucial for over-the-air software updates, autonomous driving features, and real-time data analytics. These communications could be product to product, such as vehicles communicating with each other or with other products such as Optimus. However, the job posting also talks about products being able to communicate with Tesla’s internal 5G network. It’s not clear whether the private network would be internal such as at a Gigafactory, or a broader network out in the world.

Tesla is pursuing an internal 5G network for product communication
Tesla is pursuing an internal 5G network for product communication

The Strategic Role of Private 5G Networks

Deploying its private 5G network, Tesla aims to create a seamlessly connected environment in its manufacturing facilities, research labs, and outdoor spaces. This infrastructure is not just about enhancing vehicle connectivity; it's also pivotal for the operational efficiency of the Optimus robot in various scenarios, including warehouse operations.

Tesla's foray into private 5G networking places it in an advantageous position in the automotive and tech industries. This strategic move aligns with the global trend towards adopting private 5G networks, which promise to revolutionize industries with their reliability and speed. Tesla's efforts to develop a private 5G protocol stack that integrates with any cellular infrastructure globally will set new industry standards.

With 5G, Tesla vehicles and Optimus robots will benefit from significantly reduced latency, offering under 5 milliseconds compared to the 60-98 milliseconds of 4G networks. This technological advancement is expected to enhance the functionality and responsiveness of Tesla's products, paving the way for advanced autonomous driving capabilities and efficient robot operations.

Tesla's interest in developing a private 5G network is a logical step. By building an infrastructure that supports the fastest connectivity standards, Tesla is preparing for its vehicles and laying the groundwork for sophisticated robotics applications. This endeavor reflects Tesla's ongoing commitment to innovation and its role in shaping the future of transportation and automation.

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