Missed Tesla's Q2 Earnings Call? Read Our Bullet-Point Summary of Everything Announced

By Karan Singh
Not a Tesla App

Did you miss Tesla’s Earnings Call, or just want to see a summarized version? We’ve got you covered. Below is an outline of everything talked about during Tesla’s earnings call and Q&A session.

EV Market and Giga Factories

  • Strong EV adoption, despite short-term challenges.

    • Positive long-term outlook

  • Future vision for an all-electric future, including boats and planes.

  • Possible vehicle tariffs for Mexico means that Giga Mexico is on hold.

  • Giga Berlin could serve as a new export point as tariffs are placed on Chinese-built vehicles in Europe.

Production

  • Affordable Tesla model expected to be revealed in the first half of 2025.

  • Expansion of vehicle lineup, including new trims and paint options in 2024 has helped sales

  • Cybertruck production has tripled so far – 1,400 per week, and ramping continues.

    • Expected to be profitable by the end of 2024.

  • Model 3 and CT are still being impacted by tariffs as they scale up.

  • 4680 cell production improvements

    • 51% more 4680 cells in Q2 over Q1, with a COGS reduction.

    • 1,400 CTs per week on 4680.

    • Tesla is reaching cost-parity with other cells by the end of 2024.

    • First Validation Cybertruck on dry-cathode process has been built and is being tested.

    • Production launch for dry-cathode process in Q4, should drive costs down by up to 50%.

  • Tesla Semi factory on track for large-scale production by the end of 2025.

  • Giga Berlin has begun producing and delivering RHD vehicles, including to the UK.

  • Roadster engineering is complete and expected to see production sometime in 2025.

  • Tesla’s guideline for production is 300mi on a single charge.

    • Tesla expects to expand its Supercharging network globally to meet this goal.

    • This seems to be the data-driven distance that Tesla has found most suitable for general driving uses.

FSD, Autonomy, AI

  • Tesla continues to work towards unsupervised FSD. Aiming to see unsupervised FSD by the end of 2024, if not the end of 2025.

    • Elon has admitted he’s been overly optimistic in the past.

    • This new estimate is based on current trends in miles per intervention growth.

  • Robotaxi event to take place on 10/10/2024.

    • Elon wanted to improve Robotaxi a bit more, and also show off “some other things”

  • Tesla is looking to seek FSD approval with V12.5 or V12.6 in Europe, China, and other countries, hopefully by the end of the year.

  • Tesla is in talks with multiple OEMs for FSD licensing.

    • OEMs will need 360* camera coverage, a gateway, and Tesla’s AI computers at minimum.

    • Tesla is looking for OEMs to produce over 1m vehicles per year.

    • Disclosure of an agreement will happen in conjunction with the signing OEM.

  • Optimus is working in Tesla’s factories in a limited capacity.

    • Limited initial production to begin at Giga Texas in early 2025.

    • Tesla expects to use V1 to iron out bugs internally.

    • V2 is expected through 2026 and will be sold to outside customers.

  • Tesla will continue working on DOJO, as acquiring Nvidia GPUs is becoming more and more difficult.

    • Tesla aims to be competitive with Nvidia in the AI GPU space in the future.

  • Tesla aims to launch distributed compute alongside its AI5 hardware (formerly HW5).

    • AI5 is expected to launch in late 2025 and be in mass production by early 2026.

    • Distributed compute could use about 100 hours of idle time per week to generate income.

  • Grok in Tesla could be a thing of the future, Tesla has learned a lot from xAI.

    • A proposed shareholder vote on investing in xAI could happen soon.

Tesla’s Financial Performance in Q2 2024

  • Record quarter for regulatory credits.

  • High interest rates globally have impacted sales and revenue per unit.

    • Tesla has offset rates in the US through competitive financing rates and expects to continue this into Q3 2024.

  • Service and Merchandise profits have improved incrementally this quarter.

  • Energy Storage deployments doubled between Q1 to Q2, leading to record revenue and profits.

  • Tesla has a positive cash flow of $1.3 billion after restructuring this year.

    • Restructuring cost approximately $622m

    • Total free cash float of $30B.

  • Capital expenditures of approximately $10B this year but beginning to come down.

    • This includes the money already spent on the new AI supercomputer cluster.

Energy Storage and Deployment

  • Tesla’s Megapack factory production continues to ramp up, new Shanghai Megafactory is well in progress.

    • After the completion, current production is expected to double or triple.

    • Tesla is currently constrained by production.

  • Powerwall 3 is now available in multiple countries, and demand is exceptionally high.

  • There is a long pipeline between purchase and delivery for Megapack, Tesla has good pricing leverage and is working with global energy providers.

  • Chinese OEMs are competitive, but Tesla offers a full software stack, including Auto Bidder with its Megapacks.

  • New Megapack demand lines:

    • Buffer for power plants – Megapack can buffer power plants so they can run at a steady state, improving power production and efficiency by 2-3x.

    • AI and Data Center backup – AI compute is power-hungry, and data centers are now looking to Megapack to provide battery backup.

Watch Earnings Call

Tesla Semi Keynote: New Features, 46 Charging Sites, Upgraded Battery & More [VIDEO]

By Karan Singh
Out of Spec BITS/YouTube

Tesla’s Dan W Priestley attended the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo in Anaheim, California, and provided an update on Tesla’s Semi truck program. The presentation covered several key developments on the status of Tesla’s Nevada Semi Factory, refinements to the Semi, and Tesla’s plans for charging and ramping production through 2026.

Let’s dig in and take a look at everything that was captured by the Out of Spec team at ACT Expo. The original video is embedded below if you’d like to watch it.

Semi Factory & Production Ramp

Priestley reaffirmed the timelines mentioned during Tesla’s Q4 2024 Earnings Call that Tesla will scale Semi production in 2026. To achieve this, Tesla has been actively building and expanding the Gigafactory Nevada site, specifically to support the production of the Tesla Semi. The dedicated Semi facility will have a targeted annual capacity of 50,000 Semi trucks.

Following the beginning of production, Tesla will utilize the initial trucks to integrate into its own logistics operations. This will serve as both a final real-world testing ground as well as an opportunity for Tesla to gather data internally. Tesla plans to begin subsequent customer deliveries throughout 2026 as the ramp-up continues.

Reuters also reported that Tesla is hiring over 1,000 new employees at the Semi Factory to begin the rapid ramping of the program.

Semi has already amassed 7.9 million miles with Tesla’s current testing and operational fleets, providing some real-world data and testing. Feedback for the truck has been exceptionally successful, with many drivers praising the Semi’s performance and comfort.

New Tesla Semi Features

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Tesla keynote without showing off some new things. The Semi will be available in 500-mile and 300-mile range configurations, now featuring updated mirror designs and a drop-down glass section to improve visibility and allow easier interaction with external elements—such as control panels at ports, for example.

New Electric Power Take-Off (e-PTO)

The Tesla Semi will also feature a new capability called Electric Power Take-Off, or e-PTO system. Similar to the PTO systems found on other vehicles, this will allow the Semi’s high-voltage battery to power auxiliary equipment at variable voltages. That includes being able to power things like climate-controlled reefer trailers, potentially replacing the noisy and polluting diesel generators traditionally used for this purpose.

Charging and Batteries

Out of Spec BITS/YouTube

Tesla is also working on an updated battery pack design for the final production design of the Semi. This new pack is designed to be more cost-effective to manufacture. The battery pack itself is slightly smaller than before, but the truck maintains the same level of range through efficiencies. Dan also confirmed during his keynote that the battery cells for the Semi will be sourced domestically inside the United States, helping to alleviate potential burdens due to tariffs.

On the charging front, Tesla is using MCS - the Megawatt Charging System - capable of 1.2MW - and designed specifically for Semi. The system uses the same V4 charging hardware found at Supercharger sites but focuses on that larger power output. Alongside a smaller physical footprint, Tesla will be able to configure these V4 cabinets for either dedicated Semi charging or for shared power scenarios with regular Superchargers. Tesla is also working on an integrated overnight charging product, but Tesla isn’t ready to talk about it yet.

46 Semi Charger Sites Coming

The 46 new MCS sites coming soon.
The 46 new MCS sites coming soon.
Out of Spec BITS/YouTube

Finally, Tesla has made substantial investments in a public charging network for the Semi. There are currently 46 sites in progress throughout the United States, and plans for significant expansion throughout 2026 and 2027. These sites are strategically located alongside major truck routes and within industrial areas to support long-haul and regional operations. Tesla is aiming to offer the lowest possible energy costs to operators to help incentivize adoption.

This was one of the best updates to the Tesla Semi we’ve received since its initial unveiling. It seems that the Semi will receive a big portion of Tesla’s attention in 2026, while Robotaxi and FSD Unsupervised take the stage this year.

The Tesla Semi has the potential to transform transportation even more dramatically than EVs already have, serving as a testament to Tesla’s mission to electrify the world.

Tesla’s B-Pillar Sentry Mode Recording Requires HW4, Not Just Ryzen — Breakdown of Spring Update Requirements

By Karan Singh
Not a Tesla App

Sentry Mode is an invaluable tool for owners - capable of keeping the vehicle safe and secure even when you’re not around. This is especially true in recent times, with the misguided and unfortunate incidents surrounding Tesla ownership, including damage to Tesla vehicles, showrooms, and Superchargers.

B-pillar Camera Recording and Dashcam Viewer

With the 2025 Spring Update on 2025.14, Tesla is expanding Sentry Mode’s functionality for certain vehicles with some much-needed changes. Sentry Mode and Dashcam can now record footage from the vehicle’s B-pillar cameras. These cameras are located on the side pillars of the vehicle, between the front and rear doors.

This adds two crucially needed viewpoints, making Tesla’s Sentry Mode a truly 360-degree security system. These cameras also provide the best angles for capturing license plates when parked, so they will be greatly appreciated by owners in the event of an incident.

These vehicles are also receiving an improved Dashcam Viewer, which now displays the six camera feeds along the bottom and a new grid view. It also allows users to jump back or forward in the video in 15-second increments.

However, to the disappointment of many owners, not all vehicles are receiving these updates due to the additional processing power needed.

Limited to Hardware 4 Vehicles, Ryzen Isn’t Enough

We have confirmed that Tesla is only adding the additional camera recording and improved Dashcam Viewer on hardware 4 (HW4 / AI4) vehicles. The newer hardware presumably has the additional processing power and bandwidth needed to handle recording and saving the two additional video streams during Sentry Mode and Dashcam.

For the time being, owners of HW3 vehicles are not receiving this feature. This includes all vehicles with HW3, even those with AMD Ryzen infotainment systems. If you’re not sure whether your vehicle has HW3 or HW4, you can refer to our FSD hardware guide.

While there’s no doubt that recording two additional camera streams would be more computationally intensive, we hope that Tesla adds the improved Dashcam Viewer to HW3 vehicles in a future update.

Cybertruck Also Missing Improved Sentry Mode

Surprisingly, and most confusing for many - is the fact that the Cybertruck is also not receiving the improved Dashcam Viewer and B-pillar camera recording with this update. This struck us as odd, especially since the Cybertruck is currently the only vehicle with the improved, more efficient version of Sentry Mode.

Every Cybertruck is equipped with HW4 and AMD Ryzen infotainment units, so this clearly isn’t a hardware restriction. It’s possible the more efficient Sentry Mode is playing a role here due to the infrastructure changes. However, we expect Tesla to address this in a future update and eventually release these features for the Cybertruck as well.

Given the Cybertruck’s high visibility and its status as a frequent target for both positive and negative attention, many owners hoped that the Cybertruck would be one of the vehicles to receive this feature.

Adaptive Headlights

Tesla finally started rolling out its adaptive headlights in North America. While the new Model Y already came with the feature when it was released last month, other vehicles with matrix headlights are now receiving the feature in the Spring Update.

All vehicles with matrix headlights are receiving this feature, which includes the new and old Model 3, first-gen Model Y, and the new Model S and Model X.

If you’re not sure if your vehicle includes matrix headlights, check out our guide. What’s interesting here is that older vehicles that were retrofitted with matrix headlights due to an accident or user replacement are also receiving the adaptive headlights feature.

Legacy Model S & Model X

As with most updates, the older legacy Model S and Model X are not receiving all the features included in this update. Unfortunately, some of the features, which include the Blind Spot Camera on the instrument cluster, Save Trunk Height Based on Location and Keep Accessory Power On are limited to the new Model S and X.

Legacy S and X models will receive the Alternative Trip Plans feature, Avoid Highways (Requires Intel MCU) and the Keyboard Languages feature.

These vehicles are also receiving all the features in the Minor Updates section except for the visualization showing how far the door is opened, which is exclusive to the Cybertruck. These additions include improved music search results, contact photos in the phone app, automatic connecting to hotspots, the ability to show third-party chargers, view Supercharger amenities, and various improvements to music services.

While many users will be disappointed not to receive the B-pillar camera recording and Dashcam Viewer improvements, it’s important to remember that Tesla typically does a great job at bringing features to older vehicles, at least with the Model 3 and Model Y. If a feature isn’t added, it’s usually due to a hardware limitation.

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