TSLA is a hold for long-term growth; lacks immediate catalyst to exceed $500 despite EV leadership.

Okay, it's time to delve into Tesla affairs. Tesla is the focus of our technical attention today, and with us is Ben Rose, president and analyst at Battle Road Research.

When we think of Tesla, we long ago stopped considering it just a car company. I think that in recent days, especially with Tesla's announcement regarding its car deliveries this quarter, there is a sense that it is more of a car company than people think.

In fact, on a relative basis, they are performing very well in the electric vehicle market . So, I think this is one of the things that has probably changed in the last two months.

Yes, that's right. We've seen good numbers from them in terms of deliveries and production, and they're still leaders in their field, aren't they? It started as the first company and maintained that lead, then all this competition came along, and there were concerns about whether people would still be interested in Tesla cars, but we saw that. We know this is true.

Here are some figures: a total of over 486,000 cars, and the Model 3 and Model Y performed well, as did the other models. As we continue to look at Tesla, let's consider what else Tesla does .

We think of it as a battery energy storage facility. We are also considering it in the field of self-driving taxis and autonomous vehicles .

Well, for those who have known Tesla for many years, they may recall that the original "Roadster" was a two-seater sports car, a two- seater electric car. It was the first model they ever introduced .

From there, they moved on to cars that were more suitable for the mass market, so to speak, such as the Model S and more recently the Model Y and Model 3.

The " Roadster" car is Tesla's confirmation that it remains a sophisticated and high- level electric car company. A company capable of creating and delivering an electric car that is fast and powerful, just like a Ferrari, and likely to have the same price tag of around $200,000.

So, I think it's more of a symbolic statement of their intention to remain leaders in electric vehicle technology and performance.

Yes, because we don't know how many they actually sell , and we saw that with the pickup truck or something else they produced, and the numbers were scarce, weren't they ? It's not a product that's mass- produced , or people weren't interested, were they?

It was somewhat like an innovative product. When we think about the electric vehicle business and overall demand, we should assume that it is still ongoing, right? In order for Tesla to continue as a commercial company.

What about other decisions made by Congress regarding electric vehicles, and what impact might that have on Tesla or other electric vehicle companies? Yes. Well, first and foremost, as the numbers I see on the screen show, Tesla is on track to deliver around 2 million electric vehicles this year. That's still a very strong number .

The results are likely to be consistent year-on-year, but they remain market leaders. They hold more than 50% of the electric vehicle market in the United States. In fact, they are gaining a larger market share .

The U.S. electric vehicle market is in decline because of what I just pointed out, which is that in the big bill, all federal tax breaks for electric vehicles were removed. Therefore, it pulled the rug out from under Tesla and others in the field of electric cars.

But the fact that their sales have remained relatively stable while others' sales have declined is, in my opinion, a good sign for Tesla in general. Yes, look, we've had some ups and downs, haven't we ?

The figures were more positive when we think about China, Europe, etc., but they have stood the test of time. So, we can focus on that for the time being.

The stock has currently fallen by about 17% in one year. It has fallen from around $500 to below $300 at its lowest point a few months ago, and is now at $376. When we talk to investors mostly, what are your thoughts on how people should view this stock?

Yes. Well, we were lucky to have lowered our rating on the stock at the beginning of this calendar year. Yes, we are valuing the stock at the " hold" level. In my opinion, this valuation means it is an option to hold for long-term growth.

Tesla is still largely a car company. 85% of revenue comes from automobiles. Another 12% comes from energy storage, which is a growing and important business for them.

The things that are on the horizon, and I should say on the somewhat long-term horizon , are still the "Optimus" robot, which is still in the research and development stage. Regarding fully autonomous vehicles, Tesla has just begun rolling out the "CyberCab " in Texas, an electric vehicle that has no steering wheel, pedals, or side mirrors.

It is a fully autonomous vehicle, and is being used as part of their fleet of robotic taxis.

But I still think we are a few years away from some kind of commercial availability. That is, either you or I can go and buy a " Cyber Cab". I think we are still far from that.

So, I think there are some good long-term things on Tesla's horizon. The performance of electric vehicles remains relatively strong. correct. But we do not see any immediate catalyst for the stock to be able, so to speak, to break back above the $500 level.

Okay, let me interrupt here. When I think about what you're saying regarding the location, it's true. Optimus was another field. We talked about energy , we talked about " Optimus", we talked about electric vehicles, and all these different things.

You are in a holding pattern regarding the stock because you are worried about its direction and there is no real catalyst.

What is the game-changing factor for you to say "I love Tesla now"? Are these the taxis that are being offered ? I mean, I was at the airport in another city in Phoenix, and all these Waymo cars were coming to pick people up without drivers.

Are we close to that? What will be Tesla's main source of income within 5 years to bring the stock back to the $500 level?

correct. Well, we're not looking at it from a time perspective that spans 3 to 5 years. I think we would like to see some evidence of the success of some of the new models.

You know, I mentioned the Tesla "Semi" truck, which is a Series V8 heavy-duty truck. Nations, it is clearly geared towards, as you know, the non- consumer market. Nations, they have just begun to spread.

Um, there are some rumors about a so- called "Model 2" that will be sort of a Cyber Cab version, but you know, with all the features of a fully electric car, but at a lower entry price than the "Model 3".

Therefore, we may see some new sales-volume models emerge from the company's lineup. Therefore , as you know, I think it will be a few years before we see the commercial launch of the "Optimus" robot, but it could have enormous potential in factory operations and so on.

So, okay. Um, I think that's a long way of saying that we'll continue to monitor what's happening, but when we get some evidence that any of those variables are actually starting to affect the income statement, I think that's when we'll start to get more excited.

And look, he himself said at one point that everyone would have their own robot, didn't he? Didn't he say something like that? Based on your perspective, you believe that when they have an attractive car that everyone wants and that is perhaps more affordable, or when Optimus robots become mainstream, that will be the deciding factor or the real catalyst for this stock in the future.