RBC: Tesla's semi-truck could give it the 'biggest bang' for its buck

Advertisement
RBC: Tesla's semi-truck could give it the 'biggest bang' for its buck

Elon Musk

Reuters/Noah Berger

Advertisement

Tesla's planned unveiling of its new line of semi-trucks may be an easy way for it to leverage its existing technology and capital and give it an edge over the competition, Joseph Spak, an analyst at RBC Capital Markets, said.

The commercial vehicle (CV) could give Tesla the "biggest bang for their buck" because the company need only tap into their Model 3 sedan's prototype, and recreate that for a bigger vehicle, Spak said, in order to deliver lower costs and higher reliability for the commercial truck driver. This also helps the company get closer to its mission of reducing emissions.

"For CVs, the decision tends to be purely economic," in terms of cost of ownership and utilization, Spak wrote in a note.

Advertisement

Electronic trucks could cost less in terms of maintenance, as well as cost savings in fuel, he said. The biggest things to look out for at Tesla's November 16 event are the semi-truck's range, costs, weight and towing capacity, and its autonomous capabilities, Spak notes. He also said that its target for delivering the vehicles, as well as the associated costs, could play a large part in the truck's reception.

This is welcome news for the company after the first half of the year has been marred by production delays of its Model 3 sedan, which has sent its shares on a roller coaster ride.

"While we don't have meaningful reason to doubt that Tesla can eventually achieve its targets, doing so in a timely manner without some growing pains could prove challenging," Spak said.

He added that while the company's long-term prospects may not be impacted, the company's failure to hit its near-term targets could "hold back the stock" or offer a "more favorable risk/reward entry point."

Shares of Tesla are up 46.92% this year.

Advertisement

To read more about what analysts want to see in Tesla's future, click here.