Tesla, BMW Speculation
“a carbon fibre EV powered by Tesla, manufactured by BMW would currently be the ultimate must-have vehicle”
Speculation that Tesla Motors is cosying up to BMW gathered pace, with the latest talk concerning a link up concentrating on the U.S. company’s battery technology and the German’s expertise in carbon fibre.
German weekly Der Spiegel interviewed Tesla CEO Elon Musk who said he expected to have a battery factory in Germany in five to six years time. In the interview, Musk described BMW’s carbon fibre technology as “interesting” and “relatively cost efficient”, according to Automotive News.
BMW didn’t comment on the reports.
Tesla and BMW are on the record as talking about collaborating in the creation of electric charging stations.
Speculation about a possible deal was sparked by news Mercedes parent Daimler sold its four per cent stake in Tesla Motors. Tesla supplies electric motors and batteries for the Smart For Two electric vehicle and the Mercedes B-class electric car. Daimler announced that the sale of the stake didn’t mean that cooperation with Tesla would end.
Evercore ISI analyst Arndt Ellinghorst wonders if the two companies might get together.
“We regard Tesla and BMWi as ‘brothers in mind’ when it comes to the potential for electrical mobility not just from a technological but also economic point of view. To put simply, a carbon fibre EV powered by Tesla, manufactured by BMW would currently be the ultimate must-have vehicle,” Ellinghorst said.
Falcon doors
Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley was getting itself in a tizzy over the design of the doors on the upcoming Tesla Model X SUV. The Model X calls for double-hinged so-called “falcon” doors as opposed to single-hinged “gull-wing” doors. Morgan Stanley worried that this complicated design might cause a delay in the launch of the Model X, which it thinks will be so successful, it could well go “dynamite fishing” in the premium SUV sector.
Tesla said there had been no problems with the falcon doors.
Morgan Stanley breathed a sigh of relief, but still cut its Model X delivery forecast to 5,000 in 2015, from a previous estimate of 15,000. But at the same time it increased its Model S delivery forecast for 2015 to 48,000 from 45,000. Tesla’s target is 50,000.
None of this diminished Morgan Stanley’s enthusiasm for Tesla.
“We would look for any hiccups/delays (and subsequent fall in the share price) as an opportunity to increase exposure to what we believe is the most important manufacturer in global autos,” Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas said.
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