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關稅和抵制雙重夾擊,,留給特斯拉自駕汽車的時間不多了

從某些方面來看,,特斯拉在應對關稅戰(zhàn)方面比底特律的同行更具優(yōu)勢,。

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2025年4月10日,,埃隆·馬斯克在白宮內(nèi)閣會議上,。圖片來源:Jabin Botsford—Getty Images

對特斯拉而言,這本應是意義非凡的一年,,埃隆?馬斯克一直對此深信不疑,。

1月底公司的財報電話會議上,馬斯克向投資者宣布,,2025年注定會成為“特斯拉歷史上最重要一年”,。他堅稱,特斯拉將于6月在奧斯汀推出付費的Robotaxi服務,,與Waymo展開競爭,,而且年底前將拓展到其他城市,。他還設定了制造1萬臺Optimus人形機器人的內(nèi)部目標,。高管們預計,特斯拉半掛卡車的首款車型今年年底前就能推出,。

然而才過了三個月,,一切都走向失控。

特朗普政府對中國進口商品大幅加征高達145%的關稅,,預計將影響特斯拉在美國生產(chǎn)的四分之一汽車,,還會進一步削弱特斯拉在這一關鍵市場的地位。與此同時,,中國電動汽車競爭對手比亞迪憑借更高性價比的車型,,在亞洲市場持續(xù)搶占份額,逐漸動搖特斯拉的區(qū)域優(yōu)勢,。3月美國國家公路交通安全管理局(NHTSA)勒令特斯拉召回幾乎所有豪華卡車Cybertruck,。此外,本季度特斯拉汽車銷量再次下滑,,低于公司預期,。

馬斯克身為特朗普的“特別政府雇員”,,不僅分散了對特斯拉的超級工廠的注意力,陷入華盛頓特區(qū)的官僚事務中,,馬斯克個人品牌也就此與特朗普捆綁,。所以才會出現(xiàn)特斯拉汽車遭人蓄意破壞,美國各地展廳外抗議活動不斷,;特斯拉與歐洲大量客戶群體關系受損,;以及在中國這一制造和銷售車輛關鍵市場的前景遭受質(zhì)疑。

“跟上次在電話會議上聽到馬斯克發(fā)言時相比,,如今情勢已大不相同,,” 長期以來一直看好特斯拉的分析師丹?艾夫斯在一次采訪中說道,過去一個月里他對該公司的研究報告愈發(fā)悲觀,。艾夫斯估計,,由于 “自身引發(fā)的品牌問題”,特斯拉在全球已流失至少10%潛在客戶,,甚至可能有20%或更多,。

從某些方面來看,特斯拉在應對關稅戰(zhàn)方面比底特律的同行更具優(yōu)勢,。通用汽車(General Motors)和福特汽車(Ford Motor)受中國市場的影響程度要比特斯拉大得多,。與此同時,特斯拉的股價從2020年首次實現(xiàn)盈利以來就超過了同行,,目前其股價更多是看馬斯克對特斯拉人工智能和自動駕駛能力的宏偉構想,,而不是看基本面。

分析師們認為,,特斯拉股價跟公司業(yè)績已不再直接掛鉤,。“在我們看來,,特斯拉股價已與公司基本面徹底脫節(jié),,”今年早些時候摩根大通分析師(J.P. Morgan)瑞安·布林克曼在一份報告中指出。

然而由于馬斯克被白宮事務分散精力,,且白宮關稅政策對他最重要的業(yè)務造成巨大壓力,,特斯拉嚴格遵守公開設定的時間節(jié)點就變得至關重要。隨著特斯拉股東逐漸失去耐心,,馬斯克比以往更需要重獲信任并激發(fā)信心,。在最新財報電話會議上他將有機會做到,這是關稅政策實施以來第一次,。但做起來困難重重,。

解放日

盡管特朗普的關稅政策設定了90天緩沖期,不確定性還是籠罩市場,。而且,,針對汽車行業(yè)的關稅仍在且影響不?。?月3日起美國對所有進口整車加征25%關稅。還有其他一些重要的關稅措施,,比如對全球汽車零部件征收25%關稅,,以及對從中國進口電池或稀土征收125%至245%的關稅,都可能引發(fā)行業(yè)巨震,。

圖片來源:Tayfun Coskun—Anadolu/Getty Images

關稅政策影響下,,標普全球汽車(S&P Global Mobility)預測美國汽車年銷量將減少70萬輛,這一單月預測降幅創(chuàng)下歷史紀錄,。特斯拉已受到?jīng)_擊,。中國對進口汽車加征125%報復性關稅后,特斯拉立即暫停了中國市場上Model S和Model X的訂單,。另有消息稱,,由于關稅成本過高,特斯拉已停止向美國運送部分Cybertruck和半掛卡車的零部件,。

不過總體而言,,特斯拉受關稅沖擊可能比競爭對手更小,因為其大部分車型都在美國本土制造,。雖然需要進口鋼材和鋁等材料,,但整車制造都在美國超級工廠完成。

“特斯拉就像破敗街區(qū)里最體面的房子,,雖然處境稍好,,美國制造的特斯拉汽車中仍有20%至25%會受到關稅影響,”艾夫斯說,。

上周二財報電話會議上,,特斯拉公布2025年一季度營收為193.35億美元,凈利潤為4.09億美元,,而去年同期營收213億美元,,凈收入11億美元,。

“我們認為,,特斯拉的市場情緒可能因利好因素迅速扭轉,未來幾個月恰恰是利好消息密集釋放期,,”4月早些時候美國投行Piper Sandler分析師亞歷山大·波特在研報中指出,。

Robotaxi為何如此關鍵

對于看漲特斯拉的人來說,現(xiàn)在只有一個問題至關重要,,即自動駕駛技術,。

眼下最受關注的創(chuàng)新就是自動駕駛。人們普遍認為,,只要特斯拉能在面向大眾市場的自動駕駛技術競賽中勝出,,那么公司面臨的其他困境或是馬斯克的種種出格言行,,都將無關緊要。

不出所料,,馬斯克又夸下??凇K暦Q,,特斯拉將于2026年量產(chǎn)無方向盤和踏板的Robotaxi,,最終實現(xiàn)年產(chǎn)量200萬輛的目標。他還承諾,,今年6月就將在奧斯汀率先推出付費Robotaxi服務,。

“目前來看,這可能是最關鍵的事,,”艾夫斯說,,“該項目將開啟特斯拉未來愿景的重要篇章。所以我認為確保如期推進也極其重要,?!?/p>

一輛準備出口的特斯拉汽車在中國登上貨船。圖片來源:VCG/VCG/Getty Images

特斯拉自動駕駛技術實際推進進度尚不清楚,。去年10月下旬,,馬斯克曾表示特斯拉在舊金山灣區(qū)為員工提供配備安全員的自動駕駛測試服務。不過,,《財富》雜志通過《信息自由法》(Freedom of Information Act)獲取的特斯拉工程師發(fā)給奧斯汀消防局的郵件顯示,,截至去年11月特斯拉似乎尚未在美國任何公共道路上測試自動駕駛功能。

“我們還沒有在任何公共道路上測試自動駕駛車輛,,”去年11月,,特斯拉一位工程師發(fā)給奧斯汀消防局的郵件中談及即將推出新技術的細節(jié)時表示。特斯拉確實讓Robotaxi在奧斯汀超級工廠周圍行駛,,“但都是用于研發(fā)的原型車,,目前不會在公共道路上行駛,”她說,。

特斯拉在公共道路上的測試都涉及所謂的L2級智駕,,意思是雖然由系統(tǒng)控制駕駛和剎車,人類仍需坐在方向盤后且始終保持高度專注,。相比之下,,特斯拉主要競爭對手Waymo已在美國多個城市每周提供20萬次L4級自動駕駛的付費出行服務,L4級智駕已不需要人類駕駛員參與,。而且,,今年早些時候Waymo專門在奧斯汀為客戶開放了等候名單,特斯拉在計劃推出服務的首個城市就已遠遠落后。

不過,,特斯拉若想后來居上還有一個秘密武器,,那就是數(shù)據(jù)。

總部位于倫敦,,專門為自動駕駛研發(fā)人工智能軟件的Wayve聯(lián)合創(chuàng)始人兼首席執(zhí)行官亞歷克斯·肯德爾表示,,數(shù)據(jù)是開發(fā)高效自動駕駛軟件的關鍵因素。Wayve正聯(lián)合多家車企和車隊運營商將數(shù)據(jù)整合至統(tǒng)一平臺,,以抗衡特斯拉的數(shù)據(jù)優(yōu)勢,。肯德爾說,,特斯拉在全球車企中不僅擁有最龐大的真實行駛數(shù)據(jù),,數(shù)據(jù)多樣性也遠超其他自動駕駛競爭對手。早期的自動駕駛公司,,如Waymo和已倒閉的Cruise都只在少數(shù)受控環(huán)境中測試車輛,。掌握數(shù)據(jù)非常重要,因為數(shù)據(jù)的規(guī)模和多樣性決定了公司能否開發(fā)出適應復雜路況和天氣的人工智能自駕系統(tǒng),。

數(shù)據(jù)規(guī)模和多樣性對于現(xiàn)“極端案例”也很關鍵,,比如消防車堵路,自行車騎手摔倒在車道等罕見場景,,往往是自動駕駛系統(tǒng)最難應對的挑戰(zhàn),。更豐富的真實路況數(shù)據(jù)能幫助企業(yè)開發(fā)更精準的模擬系統(tǒng),生成大量合成模擬數(shù)據(jù)或計算機數(shù)據(jù),,從而進一步優(yōu)化自動駕駛軟件,。

然而肯德爾指出,打造成功的自動駕駛系統(tǒng)絕非擁有龐大多樣的數(shù)據(jù)就能實現(xiàn),?!拔业故窍M斎霐?shù)據(jù)就實現(xiàn)自動駕駛,”他說,,“實際上還有很多因素要考慮,。”

在其他方面,,特斯拉的優(yōu)勢可能并不明顯,。肯德爾舉例稱,,更龐大更多樣的駕駛數(shù)據(jù)集確實能涵蓋更多極端案例,,但如何從海量數(shù)據(jù)中精準識別出案例在技術上頗具難度。開發(fā)出優(yōu)秀的模擬系統(tǒng),,精準設計模擬場景以補充現(xiàn)實數(shù)據(jù),同樣是重要的競爭壁壘,。而且,,為人工智能打造最佳"學習算法",,幫助其掌握駕駛技能也很關鍵。這些需要頂尖的人工智能研究人員和工程師,,還要有充足的計算能力訓練頂級人工智能模型,。肯德爾認為,,特斯拉或許具備部分條件,,但尚未證明能將優(yōu)勢有效整合。

特斯拉的自動駕駛系統(tǒng)最終與競爭對手相比如何,,以及能否趕在承諾的6月奧斯汀服務上線前取得突破,,將決定該公司能否順利度過眼下的艱難之年。

“如果6月拖到8月,,8月拖到10月,,那可就糟透了,”艾夫斯說,。(財富中文網(wǎng))

譯者:梁宇

審校:夏林

對特斯拉而言,,這本應是意義非凡的一年,埃隆?馬斯克一直對此深信不疑,。

1月底公司的財報電話會議上,,馬斯克向投資者宣布,2025年注定會成為“特斯拉歷史上最重要一年”,。他堅稱,,特斯拉將于6月在奧斯汀推出付費的Robotaxi服務,與Waymo展開競爭,,而且年底前將拓展到其他城市,。他還設定了制造1萬臺Optimus人形機器人的內(nèi)部目標。高管們預計,,特斯拉半掛卡車的首款車型今年年底前就能推出,。

然而才過了三個月,一切都走向失控,。

特朗普政府對中國進口商品大幅加征高達145%的關稅,,預計將影響特斯拉在美國生產(chǎn)的四分之一汽車,還會進一步削弱特斯拉在這一關鍵市場的地位,。與此同時,,中國電動汽車競爭對手比亞迪憑借更高性價比的車型,在亞洲市場持續(xù)搶占份額,,逐漸動搖特斯拉的區(qū)域優(yōu)勢,。3月美國國家公路交通安全管理局(NHTSA)勒令特斯拉召回幾乎所有豪華卡車Cybertruck。此外,本季度特斯拉汽車銷量再次下滑,,低于公司預期,。

馬斯克身為特朗普的“特別政府雇員”,不僅分散了對特斯拉的超級工廠的注意力,,陷入華盛頓特區(qū)的官僚事務中,,馬斯克個人品牌也就此與特朗普捆綁。所以才會出現(xiàn)特斯拉汽車遭人蓄意破壞,,美國各地展廳外抗議活動不斷,;特斯拉與歐洲大量客戶群體關系受損;以及在中國這一制造和銷售車輛關鍵市場的前景遭受質(zhì)疑,。

“跟上次在電話會議上聽到馬斯克發(fā)言時相比,,如今情勢已大不相同,” 長期以來一直看好特斯拉的分析師丹?艾夫斯在一次采訪中說道,,過去一個月里他對該公司的研究報告愈發(fā)悲觀,。艾夫斯估計,由于 “自身引發(fā)的品牌問題”,,特斯拉在全球已流失至少10%潛在客戶,,甚至可能有20%或更多。

從某些方面來看,,特斯拉在應對關稅戰(zhàn)方面比底特律的同行更具優(yōu)勢,。通用汽車(General Motors)和福特汽車(Ford Motor)受中國市場的影響程度要比特斯拉大得多。與此同時,,特斯拉的股價從2020年首次實現(xiàn)盈利以來就超過了同行,,目前其股價更多是看馬斯克對特斯拉人工智能和自動駕駛能力的宏偉構想,而不是看基本面,。

分析師們認為,,特斯拉股價跟公司業(yè)績已不再直接掛鉤?!霸谖覀兛磥?,特斯拉股價已與公司基本面徹底脫節(jié),”今年早些時候摩根大通分析師(J.P. Morgan)瑞安·布林克曼在一份報告中指出,。

然而由于馬斯克被白宮事務分散精力,,且白宮關稅政策對他最重要的業(yè)務造成巨大壓力,特斯拉嚴格遵守公開設定的時間節(jié)點就變得至關重要,。隨著特斯拉股東逐漸失去耐心,,馬斯克比以往更需要重獲信任并激發(fā)信心。在最新財報電話會議上他將有機會做到,,這是關稅政策實施以來第一次,。但做起來困難重重,。

解放日

盡管特朗普的關稅政策設定了90天緩沖期,不確定性還是籠罩市場,。而且,,針對汽車行業(yè)的關稅仍在且影響不?。?月3日起美國對所有進口整車加征25%關稅,。還有其他一些重要的關稅措施,比如對全球汽車零部件征收25%關稅,,以及對從中國進口電池或稀土征收125%至245%的關稅,,都可能引發(fā)行業(yè)巨震。

關稅政策影響下,,標普全球汽車(S&P Global Mobility)預測美國汽車年銷量將減少70萬輛,,這一單月預測降幅創(chuàng)下歷史紀錄。特斯拉已受到?jīng)_擊,。中國對進口汽車加征125%報復性關稅后,,特斯拉立即暫停了中國市場上Model S和Model X的訂單。另有消息稱,,由于關稅成本過高,,特斯拉已停止向美國運送部分Cybertruck和半掛卡車的零部件。

不過總體而言,,特斯拉受關稅沖擊可能比競爭對手更小,,因為其大部分車型都在美國本土制造。雖然需要進口鋼材和鋁等材料,,但整車制造都在美國超級工廠完成,。

“特斯拉就像破敗街區(qū)里最體面的房子,雖然處境稍好,,美國制造的特斯拉汽車中仍有20%至25%會受到關稅影響,,”艾夫斯說。

上周二財報電話會議上,,特斯拉公布2025年一季度營收為193.35億美元,,凈利潤為4.09億美元,而去年同期營收213億美元,,凈收入11億美元,。

“我們認為,特斯拉的市場情緒可能因利好因素迅速扭轉,,未來幾個月恰恰是利好消息密集釋放期,,”4月早些時候美國投行Piper Sandler分析師亞歷山大·波特在研報中指出。

Robotaxi為何如此關鍵

對于看漲特斯拉的人來說,,現(xiàn)在只有一個問題至關重要,,即自動駕駛技術,。

眼下最受關注的創(chuàng)新就是自動駕駛。人們普遍認為,,只要特斯拉能在面向大眾市場的自動駕駛技術競賽中勝出,,那么公司面臨的其他困境或是馬斯克的種種出格言行,都將無關緊要,。

不出所料,,馬斯克又夸下海口,。他聲稱,,特斯拉將于2026年量產(chǎn)無方向盤和踏板的Robotaxi,最終實現(xiàn)年產(chǎn)量200萬輛的目標,。他還承諾,,今年6月就將在奧斯汀率先推出付費Robotaxi服務。

“目前來看,,這可能是最關鍵的事,,”艾夫斯說,“該項目將開啟特斯拉未來愿景的重要篇章,。所以我認為確保如期推進也極其重要,。”

特斯拉自動駕駛技術實際推進進度尚不清楚,。去年10月下旬,,馬斯克曾表示特斯拉在舊金山灣區(qū)為員工提供配備安全員的自動駕駛測試服務。不過,,《財富》雜志通過《信息自由法》(Freedom of Information Act)獲取的特斯拉工程師發(fā)給奧斯汀消防局的郵件顯示,,截至去年11月特斯拉似乎尚未在美國任何公共道路上測試自動駕駛功能。

“我們還沒有在任何公共道路上測試自動駕駛車輛,,”去年11月,,特斯拉一位工程師發(fā)給奧斯汀消防局的郵件中談及即將推出新技術的細節(jié)時表示。特斯拉確實讓Robotaxi在奧斯汀超級工廠周圍行駛,,“但都是用于研發(fā)的原型車,,目前不會在公共道路上行駛,”她說,。

特斯拉在公共道路上的測試都涉及所謂的L2級智駕,,意思是雖然由系統(tǒng)控制駕駛和剎車,人類仍需坐在方向盤后且始終保持高度專注,。相比之下,,特斯拉主要競爭對手Waymo已在美國多個城市每周提供20萬次L4級自動駕駛的付費出行服務,L4級智駕已不需要人類駕駛員參與,。而且,,今年早些時候Waymo專門在奧斯汀為客戶開放了等候名單,,特斯拉在計劃推出服務的首個城市就已遠遠落后。

不過,,特斯拉若想后來居上還有一個秘密武器,,那就是數(shù)據(jù)。

總部位于倫敦,,專門為自動駕駛研發(fā)人工智能軟件的Wayve聯(lián)合創(chuàng)始人兼首席執(zhí)行官亞歷克斯·肯德爾表示,,數(shù)據(jù)是開發(fā)高效自動駕駛軟件的關鍵因素。Wayve正聯(lián)合多家車企和車隊運營商將數(shù)據(jù)整合至統(tǒng)一平臺,,以抗衡特斯拉的數(shù)據(jù)優(yōu)勢,??系聽栒f,,特斯拉在全球車企中不僅擁有最龐大的真實行駛數(shù)據(jù),數(shù)據(jù)多樣性也遠超其他自動駕駛競爭對手,。早期的自動駕駛公司,,如Waymo和已倒閉的Cruise都只在少數(shù)受控環(huán)境中測試車輛。掌握數(shù)據(jù)非常重要,,因為數(shù)據(jù)的規(guī)模和多樣性決定了公司能否開發(fā)出適應復雜路況和天氣的人工智能自駕系統(tǒng),。

數(shù)據(jù)規(guī)模和多樣性對于現(xiàn)“極端案例”也很關鍵,比如消防車堵路,,自行車騎手摔倒在車道等罕見場景,,往往是自動駕駛系統(tǒng)最難應對的挑戰(zhàn)。更豐富的真實路況數(shù)據(jù)能幫助企業(yè)開發(fā)更精準的模擬系統(tǒng),,生成大量合成模擬數(shù)據(jù)或計算機數(shù)據(jù),,從而進一步優(yōu)化自動駕駛軟件。

然而肯德爾指出,,打造成功的自動駕駛系統(tǒng)絕非擁有龐大多樣的數(shù)據(jù)就能實現(xiàn),。“我倒是希望輸入數(shù)據(jù)就實現(xiàn)自動駕駛,,”他說,,“實際上還有很多因素要考慮?!?/p>

在其他方面,,特斯拉的優(yōu)勢可能并不明顯??系聽柵e例稱,,更龐大更多樣的駕駛數(shù)據(jù)集確實能涵蓋更多極端案例,但如何從海量數(shù)據(jù)中精準識別出案例在技術上頗具難度,。開發(fā)出優(yōu)秀的模擬系統(tǒng),,精準設計模擬場景以補充現(xiàn)實數(shù)據(jù),,同樣是重要的競爭壁壘。而且,,為人工智能打造最佳"學習算法",,幫助其掌握駕駛技能也很關鍵。這些需要頂尖的人工智能研究人員和工程師,,還要有充足的計算能力訓練頂級人工智能模型,。肯德爾認為,,特斯拉或許具備部分條件,,但尚未證明能將優(yōu)勢有效整合。

特斯拉的自動駕駛系統(tǒng)最終與競爭對手相比如何,,以及能否趕在承諾的6月奧斯汀服務上線前取得突破,,將決定該公司能否順利度過眼下的艱難之年。

“如果6月拖到8月,,8月拖到10月,,那可就糟透了,”艾夫斯說,。(財富中文網(wǎng))

譯者:梁宇

審校:夏林

This was supposed to be an extraordinary year for Tesla—Elon Musk had insisted on it.

2025 was set to be “the biggest year in Tesla history,” Musk pronounced to investors at the end of January on the company’s earnings call. He maintained that Tesla would launch its paid robotaxi service in Austin in June to compete against Waymo, and that the EV maker would be rolling out the service to other cities before this year is up. He set an internal target to build 10,000 Optimus humanoid robots. And executives projected they will have the first builds of Tesla’s semitruck design out before the end of this year.

And yet—just three months later—everything is spiraling.

The Trump administration’s titanic 145% tariffs on Chinese imports are expected to hit a quarter of the vehicles Tesla manufactures in the U.S.—and further tarnish Tesla’s position in one of its most important markets. Chinese EV rival BYD has continued to lap up market share in Asia with its more affordable vehicle, eroding Tesla’s leading position in the region. The national highway safety regulator, NHTSA, recalled nearly all of Tesla’s luxury trucks, the Cybertruck, in March. And Tesla’s vehicle sales dropped again this quarter, below the company’s own projections.

Musk’s status as Trump’s “special government employee” has not only pulled his attention away from Tesla’s gigafactories and into D.C.’s bureaucracy—but it has also intertwined Musk’s brand with Trump’s. That has already led to vandalism of Tesla cars and protests outside U.S. showrooms; a damaged relationship with a big chunk of its customer base in Europe; and serious questions around the company’s prospects in China, a critical market for the manufacturing and sale of its vehicles.

“It’s a different world than the last time we heard from Musk on the conference call,” Dan Ives, one of Tesla’s longest-standing bullish analysts whose research notes on the company have become increasingly dire over the past month, said in an interview. Ives has estimated that Tesla has lost at least 10%—but maybe even 20% or higher—of its future customer base globally, because of “self-created brand issues.”

Tesla, in some ways, is diving into the tariff craze better positioned than its Detroit-based peers. General Motors and Ford have much more exposure to China than Tesla does. At the same time, Tesla’s stock price—which has soared above peers’ since its first profitable year in 2020—is not so tied to fundamentals as it is to the grand vision Musk has presented around Tesla’s artificial intelligence and self-driving capabilities.

Analysts have opined that the stock performance doesn’t directly correlate with the company’s financial performance anymore. “Tesla shares continue to strike us as having become completely divorced from the fundamentals,” J.P. Morgan analyst Ryan Brinkman opined in a note earlier this year.

But with Musk distracted in the White House, and the White House tariff policy putting incredible pressure on his most important business, it will be critical for Tesla to adhere to the timelines it has publicly set. And with Tesla shareholders losing patience, Musk, more than ever, needs to regain trust and inspire confidence—something he will have a chance to do for the first time since the tariffs during the company’s quarterly earnings call on Tuesday. None of it will be easy.

Liberation Day

Uncertainty surrounding Trump’s tariff scheme has roiled the markets, even after a 90-day pause was rolled out. But the tariffs on the auto industry are still alive and well: A duty of 25% was set, effective April 3, on all vehicles imported into the U.S. fully built. Other key tariffs, including a 25% one on global auto parts and a 125% to 245% tariff on Chinese imports of batteries or rare earths, could roil the industry.

The tariffs have led S&P Global Mobility to reduce its annual U.S. automobile sales estimate by 700,000 cars, one of the largest single-month changes to its forecast ever. And they are already taking a toll on Tesla. After China levied its own retaliatory tariffs, charging 125% import duties on vehicles imported into the country, Tesla stopped taking orders from Chinese customers for its Model S and Model X. Tesla has also reportedly stopped shipping some parts for its Cybertrucks and Semi into the U.S., because the tariffs have gotten too high.

Overall, however, Tesla may be more immune to the tariffs than its competitors, as it manufactures most of its vehicles in the U.S. While the company imports materials like steel and aluminum, the vehicles are made in U.S. gigafactories.

“They’re the best house in a bad neighborhood, but still, 20% to 25% of U.S.-built Teslas have tariff exposure,” Ives says.

Analysts are forecasting that Tesla will post $21.5 billion in revenue and $1.3 billion in net income on its earnings call this Tuesday—compared with $21.3 billion in revenue and $1.1 billion in net income during the year-ago period. Tesla shares closed at $241.38 on Friday afternoon, down more than 36% from January—but still up more than 64% from this time last year.

“We think TSLA sentiment can change rapidly once catalysts emerge, and the next few months are catalyst-rich,” Alexander Potter, a research analyst at Piper Sandler, wrote earlier this month in a research note.

Why the robo launch is so critical

For some Tesla bulls, there’s only one issue that really matters right now: autonomous driving.

The nearer-term innovation in focus is autonomy—and if Tesla can win the race to develop self-driving car technology for the mass market, the thinking goes, none of the company’s other troubles, or Musk’s antics, will matter so much.

Not surprisingly, Musk has talked up a big game. He has said that Tesla will start volume production of its robotaxi—which will have no steering wheels or pedals—in 2026, and that Tesla will eventually be manufacturing 2 million of them a year. And he has promised that a paid robotaxi service of some kind will debut in Austin in June.

“That right now is probably front and center,” Ives says. “It kicks off a big part of the future vision of Tesla. So I think it’s extremely important to also hit that date, too.”

Exactly where Tesla is in the process of rolling things out, however, is not clear. In late October, Musk said that Tesla was conducting test rides, with safety drivers, for employees in the Bay Area. According to emails from a Tesla engineer to the Austin Fire Department obtained by Fortune via a Freedom of Information Act request, however, as of November, Tesla seemingly still hadn’t tested its autonomous function on public roads anywhere in the U.S.

“We have not done any testing on public roadways with any autonomous vehicles,” the Tesla engineer said in the email to the Austin Fire Department in November, when discussing details about the upcoming launch. Though Tesla did have its robotaxi driving around at its Austin gigafactory, “these are prototype vehicles for developmental purposes only, and are not driving on public roadways at this time,” she said.

All of Tesla’s testing on public roadways has involved so-called Level 2 systems, meaning that, while the system is controlling the driving and braking, humans are behind the steering wheel and remaining fully attentive at all times. By contrast, Waymo, which is Tesla’s main competitor, is already doing 200,000 paid rides every week at Level 4—with no human drivers in the vehicles—across various cities around the U.S. And given that Waymo opened its wait list for customers in Austin earlier this year, Tesla is already far behind its rival in the first city where it plans to launch.

If there’s one secret weapon in Tesla’s arsenal that could help it catch up, however, it’s data.

Alex Kendall, the cofounder and CEO of Wayve, a London-based company building AI software for autonomous driving, says that data is a critical component in building effective self-driving software. Wayve is pursuing the idea of working with multiple carmakers and fleet operators and getting them to combine their data into a single platform to help level the data advantage that Tesla might have. Not only does Tesla almost certainly have more driving data gathered from its cars worldwide than any other automaker, says Kendall, but it also has more diverse data than its self-driving competitors. Earlier generations of self-driving companies, such as Waymo and now-defunct Cruise, deployed their cars in only a few tightly controlled driving environments. This matters because it is the amount and diversity of data that will allow a company to build AI self-driving systems that work well in a wide array of traffic and weather conditions.

The amount and diversity of data also matters for discovering “edge cases”—uncommon or rare occurrences, such as a fire engine blocking a road, or a bicyclist who has fallen into the street—that are the toughest challenges for self-drivig software to successfully navigate. Having more diverse real-world driving data can help companies build better simulators, which in turn allow that company to generate lots more synthetic—or computer-generated—data to further refine their self-driving software.

But all that said, Kendall says there is much more to creating a successful self-driving system than just the magnitude and diversity of data a company has. “I wish it was as simple as data in and driving out,” he said. “But there are so many other aspects to it.”

And when it comes to those other aspects, Tesla may have much less of an advantage. For instance, Kendall said that while larger and more diverse driving datasets will almost certainly contain more edge cases, identifying those edge cases in that sea of data is technically tricky. Building good simulators and deciding exactly what scenarios to simulate to augment the real-world data is also a key differentiator. Finally, building the best “l(fā)earning algorithm” for an AI system to help it master driving is also critically important, and this depends on having brilliant AI researchers and engineers as well as access to enough computing power to train top-of-the-line AI models. Tesla, Kendall says, may have some of these components, but has not yet demonstrated that it can put them all together in the most effective way.

How Tesla’s self-driving systems ultimately stack up to competitors—and whether they do on time, especially with the promised Austin June launch approaching—will be critical as the company navigates what’s been a very difficult year.

“If June becomes August, and August becomes October, that would be a very, very bad thing,” Ives says.

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