I’ve spent the last few weeks doing a deep dive analysis of Tesla. I’ve many investment bank research reports (great data and information, sometimes helpful analysis), Seeking Alpha research reports (great data and info but the analysis is almost always wildly negative and short-slanted), Elon Musk interviews, blogs, Twitter commentary and everything else I could get my hands on. I’ve spoken to Tesla analysts and owners and investors and, yes, Tesla shorts.

Recall that I’d been a long-time Tesla bear up until I changed my mind in the midst of all this research. I’ve now been buying a lot of Tesla stock for my hedge fund and personal account. I feel like I got really lucky in the timing of this Tesla change of heart here. While every other tech stock on the planet is up this year, TSLA was near 52-week lows just as I started buying it a three weeks ago. But even more important than that, the company is presently rolling out new Revolutionary self-driving technologies driven by a proprietary super computer tied into one a remarkably innovative and ever-improving neural network…presently, as it’s been in the last two or three weeks that this new leap forward in car travel has just hit. And this new Fully Self Driving Revolution about to go mainstream in ways that even car experts just don’t seem to understand.

One of the more remarkable things I discovered in my Tesla homework is how much time, money, energy and hatred is aimed at trying to make this company fail. For example, I realized quickly after a Tesla short linked to the Tesla Reviews at consumeraffairs.com that many of the comments on the board are fake reviews by people who are short Tesla. Here’s one of the many fake ones:

BILL ** call me to sell me a car Tesla used for $50000 dollars and I say need to see the car and he say, “NO. Please pay and after that you can see.” TESLA stock is lose 100 points last 3 weeks – 360 now is 260. I UNDERSTAND WHY. CUSTOMER SERVICE TERRIBLE.

So I figured it might be helpful for me to ask a small group of objective car drivers what their experience has been — and our Trading With Cody community delivered. And let me tell you, that after reading these unfiltered comments from real Tesla owners, you’ll want to go buy a Tesla and you’ll want to go buy more Tesla stock.

As a matter of fact, my wife and I placed an order to buy her a Tesla Model 3 with Full Self Driving capabilities today. The customer service has been fantastic every time we’ve called with questions on through the final purchase process. I should be receiving our car by the end of the month (the sales lady made it clear that they also want to get it delivered asap. We used a referral code from my friend who’s Tesla-car-owning a hand transplant surgeon to get each of us 1,000 miles of free supercharging. You can use my referral code to get your free 1,000 miles of free supercharging (and an entry for an Elon-signed Model S) if you decide to take a bite: https://ts.la/cody39884.

Read on and you’ll realize it’s time to join the Tesla future, dear friends.

Here are the 20+ Tesla car reviews and comments that I have received in the first 12 hours since asking for them.

Owners commentary:

Hi Cody and team, I would love to share my experience with our Tesla!

We bought a new 2018 Tesla Model S in October 2018. WE LOVE IT. It’s like driving the car of the future… long before the rest of the world knows about the future!

My husband and I both love advanced technology. The Tesla is the ultimate. I’m sure you’re aware of this – but the entire car is run by an onboard computer. The screen is superior to any car we’ve seen. It’s a huge screen, super clear, and the response time is lightning fast.

The user interface design is excellent too. Extensive, well-thought-out features that are easy to use and understand. We just keep discovering new capabilities. And they even include some silly fun features too – showing that they have a sense of humor!

We get software downloads every 1-2 months that include software fixes as well as new features! The car just keeps improving. If you didn’t like the computer interface for setting the climate control…. well you might be thrilled when a new release is downloaded and they’ve completely revamped the climate control screen. Another example of a free upgrade, they add significant new auto-pilot features as the technology is perfected. The car’s capabilities just keeps growing. It’s not just COOL, it’s added value.

The car FEELS GOOD. Very well made, solid car. Some people think it must be light weight because there’s no engine. But the batteries that span the undercarriage of the car are very heavy. They also create a low center of gravity, making the car very stable and heavy.

And it looks great too. Sharp exterior design (very cool door handles), and sharp, upscale interior styling as well.

Oh and I didn’t even mention that it’s a race car too. 😊 Super smooth handling and amazing speed.

No stops at the gas station is a great convenience and cost savings.

We got a $7500 tax credit for purchasing the car in 2018.

Everyone who gets in the car, is in awe. It’s an amazing car.

One last story – a friend of ours has owned a Tesla for 5 years. He knows that we like technology and encouraged us to consider buying. We don’t live in the same area, so we didn’t experience his car. Last fall when we were getting ready to buy a new car, we talked to him. We said “We’re not going to buy a Tesla…. that’s way more money than we want to spend on a car. But since you’re a car buff, what would be your 2nd choice in cars? We’d like to spend around $50K.” Our Tesla friend said “Do me a favor and just go test drive a Tesla. If you still don’t want it – I understand. But at least give it a try. What can it hurt?” We did, we fell in love immediately, and we bought the Model S for $90K a week later. The car makes an amazing and lasting impression.

Hope this helps! It’s fun to share!

Hi Cody,

I am a subscriber from Germany, quite happy with your service but a little quiet until now. I own a Tesla Model X for two years now and must say I am very happy. I used to drive a Mercedes GL and beginning of the 6th year I was sticking about 4000 to 5000 € into it each year because of repairs. Initially, growing up with computers, the state of our planet and the fact that EVs have much less moving parts was enough for me to switch, Tesla being the only option in my segment I optded for the X. I have no regrets. Its a computer on 4 wheels but for this, works really well :-). My experience with the service has always been good (much better than my experience with German carmakers). The big scare of the short distance has never been a problem for me. Going on holidays with it last year was even a fun experience.

If you have any specific questions, let me know.

All the best to you and your family. Happy Easter!

Owning a Tesla is amazing. It is the car of the future in every way, and I will never go back to an internal combustion energy. Everyone I know with a Tesla feels the same way.

In contrast to the usual hours at the dealer, it is a cinch to purchase a Tesla (takes just a few minutes, and everyone pays the same price; you order each car with what you want, or don’t want on it). Note that there’s essentially no service required (no oil changes, no tune-ups, no brake wear — a result of usually using regenerative braking to slow the car), and the company is not reliant on repairs to make money, and has no incentive to do so. (At times Tesla has actually called me to tell me that their monitoring indicated that something needed to be repaired or replaced, and the service center has taken care of it right away.)

Once while driving in Maine, nowhere near a Tesla service location, an indicator light lit up on my dashboard. I called Tesla from my car, and from their desk in California the person on the phone checked out my car and told me there wasn’t anything serious going on with it and to continue my trip without worrying. How many people can do that with their car?

It is very important to me that Tesla is a United States company, and that the car is made in America, by Americans. (Even ostensibly U.S. car companies actually build many of their cars in Canada or Mexico.) The Model S, Model X, and Model 3 are the safest cars ever built according to Federal crash tests.

I’ve never had a mechanical problem after six years of owning a Tesla.

The cars accelerate incredibly fast, and as a result it is a thrill to drive it. The power never gets old!

It is incredible to get a software update which makes your car better than it was the night before. What other car can get better after it drives off the showroom floor?

The car can park itself in parallel spaces that I wouldn’t even attempt. And, while Autopilot isn’t yet perfect, I am sure it does a better job than plenty of people who are driving without it, and like everything else Tesla does it is continuously and rapidly improving.

Multiple assessments demonstrate that the total cost of ownership (as opposed to just looking at the purchase price) is absolutely no more than most nice (for example, German) cars.

The cars are fast, silent, and mine is powered by my home’s solar panels. Made in the U.S., non-polluting, and not supporting OPEC. Safe, fast, reliable, American, constantly innovating, and an affordable total cost of ownership.

It’s a no-brainer. Truly. Once you have a Tesla you’ll never go back.

Cody,

My wife just purchased a model 3 two ago and it has transformed our family. The quality of the car as well as how we were treated by the store is unmatched by any car or company I’ve dealt with before. I didn’t get behind the wheel until last night and that was a new experience as well, very fun, very safe, very exciting.

My kids are really into the whole experience and love riding in the car. My 15 yo daughter hangs out in the car with the seat reclined and sings Bohemian Rhapsody when the mood hits her. My 11 yo son thinks the whole fart is hilarious as well. Both kids soccer car pools are wowed beyond belief. The kids from Trump side of the tracks pretend it’s some sort of fad and no big deal, but other kids call them out and tell them why it’s a big deal. Like you said, it’s not just a car, it’s an entertainment vehicle, an electric vehicle, a cool car, an amazing club to be a part of, and much more.

I tried out the SUV when visiting the store in Tyson’s VA area and think that may be my car if the future. A few more good performances like QCOM this week and maybe I’ll jump right in as well.

I could go on but got to head to work and finish up a paper on some of the Cyber tools you have been chatting about recently such as CyberArk, Splunk, Qualys, Tanium, and a couple dozen more. Thinking about doing an ebook.

I love my model S 85d. I’ve owned it for 4 years and wouldn’t drive any other car in the world unless apple comes out with some amazing new car tech 😉

On my second model s and my wife has a model x. Like driving an iPhone when everyone else drives blackberrys. That being said their customer service has declined since rolling out model 3 and the charging stations are getting overcrowded. For example it takes months to get a service appointment.

It’s shocking that other car companies haven’t rolled out electric cars more quickly but it is coming and I wonder if Tesla will survive once that happens. The giant screen is fantastic but the rest of the interiors are inferior to luxury counterparts.

If an established car company had a luxury electric car/suv I’d probably lease/buy from them versus Tesla.

I do own a Tesla car and it is fantastic.

I also own small shares of Tesla stocks – the primary reason is I do not bet against smart, crazy and bold leaders with vision. Musk has all these qualities.

I enjoy my Model 3 only thing I don’t like that my car cost me $59K in Sept but now the same car is 10K cheaper. Musk needs to be more professional.

As far as the car goes is one of the best I ever bought. New features gets added almost every week which no other car provides.

If the CEO matures the TSLA can achieve a lot.

Hi Cody!

I leased the p85d for three years ago and then I bought the 100d in July.

Not quite as fast but great range and still fast. I love the car.

Charging stations have become difficult as now there is a wait..then the wait to get it charged.

The cool factor wasn’t what it was when I got the first one. Still love the look though.

I think the autopilot feature is incredible especially in freeway traffic.

I wish it were fully autonomous because I’m driving mostly in the city and can’t use auto pilot there.

I purchased the extra sensors up front with the new car that are useless until it becomes fully autonomous.

I live in LA. I feel great that my car gets 330 miles to the charge now and like that that it is energy efficient. Wish everyone owned one as I remember growing up as a kid in LA as my lungs hurt with all the smog.

I have owned the stock for a long time.

As you know Cody I have met you in Las Vegas and at a sushi restaurant in Beverly Hills so you know I am a financial advisor. I have been trying to buy more of the stock as it has hit lows for the year and getting push back from my clients. I have been doing this for 25 years and usually never get any push back.

From a contrarian investment it seems incredible. Nonetheless I’m nervous reading some of the analysts reports recently. I hope the negative psychology is baked into the stock at this time and that earnings don’t severely disappoint…any thoughts?

Best.

Hi Cody,

As you know from our talks I have been long Tesla for over 5 years. I have a Model 3 and love it. I have never believed in spending money on cars (I drove a used $16k Prius before this one) but was compelled to get one as I was sick of going to get gas (and the oil industry in general). I paid $50k after my rebate. My job requires driving in traffic and with the Tesla I can use the car pool lane and set it on Auto pilot from San Diego to LA and it drives the car for me. It is so much less stressful in traffic. I don’t have to worry about looking at Text messages and possibly crashing because my attention isn’t on the wheel for those few seconds. Every month I get a new software update that gives me new features, which is super cool. For instance the summon feature- which I have used 4 times to get my car out of a parking spot when some one parked way too close. The torque it delivers can blow away most cars on the road, which makes it fun to drive but also useful in many situations. When I take people in rides and show them the auto pilot they say to me “this is the future.”

The fact that my car will be able to drive itself (fully autonomous) in a couple years was also a huge plus for me. When I look at the cost to value I get for my money- especially compared to gas cars that are $50k and up, I feel like it is an amazing value. I get the quickness of a Porsche, mileage of any gas car at 300 miles, save money compared to gas, drive in car pool lane with the car driving itself, it’s one of the safest cars on the road, and is way cooler from a tech perspective than an iPhone, which says a lot. The Tesla supercharging is convenient and only takes 20 min to get full charge. No other electric car company can do that. Which is Tesla’s moat.

Hope that helps. I would suggest getting the model Y or the pickup truck when that comes out. Invest $50k now in Tesla and you can pay for the whole car with your profits in 2-3 years. That’s how I got mine.

Hi,

I own a Tesla Model X and it is the best driving experience I have ever had by far. It’s also very convenient for me to charge it in my garage and I have never had any problems traveling long distances due to the excellent super charger network.

I am a huge fan of Tesla overall but note my perspective is skewed as I have a lot of extra money to be an early adopter of this computer on wheels and I am an environmentalist who invests heavily to be carbon negative even if it is not in my economic interest.

I have a model X; my wife a model S. We think they are a joy to use with difficulties (in Indiana) of a lack of Superchargers.

Hey Cody, my friend just bought a new Tesla and we’ve been driving it around. Amazing car! The acceleration is awesome, there’s a huge monitor screen in it with all kinds of controls and it self-drives itself. He put it on auto-pilot for a while and even though that scared the crap out of me, the car handled everything. I felt like I was in a car of the future.

I own the Model 3 Dual Motor.

I love the car-the acceleration is fantastic, it drives and handles very well.

My only complaint is the range is not as advertised. The 280 mile range is really 220-230 or so-not sure if that is

because of air/heat or other things that drain the battery.

I would definitely buy again.

These subscribers are not Tesla owners but provided additional commentary:

Hi Cody, I don’t own one, but have taken a ride. The finish isn’t to the standard of the Mercedes.

I’m in Amsterdam for Easter and half the taxis at the airport were either X or S Tesla. Unfortunately we ended up in a VW.

Kind regards.

Hi Cody,

My ex wife has one and I drive it occasionally as well. It’s a model S. Here’s some feedback.

– drives great

– love the hatchback design

– big screen is nice but don’t love the interior overall

– biggest issues are with the software

— sometimes goes backwards when you put it in drive (amazing that isn’t in the news. They said it was a bug)

— sometimes won’t start and you need to “re-boot” the car. Not good…

— overall she’s had more issues than with other cars

My ten cents is that I like it but prefer my Audi and am waiting for the eTron Audi’s.

I’m a bit surprised you added Tesla to the list given their current valuation, debt load, and how competitive the auto market is — but I know you’re way better at company valuation than I am : )

Thanks for the newsletter, chats, and updates. Good stuff!

I do not own a Tesla but I asked 3 friends that do, 2 Model S and 1 Model 3. They all tell me that they do not have any regrets purchasing the Tesla. One friend says that this is the best car he’s owned, however he’s only owned 4 cars, (he’s pretty young).

They enjoy the software updates, new features and bug fixes seem to be released every month. They also like the low maintenance and usage cost. And they obviously like the torque.

Two of my friend have been using the autopilot more often and for the most part, trust it. The other friend is still scared of it.

Some minor dislikes:

One friend doesn’t like the audio system. All of them wish it had more driving range. And one friend doesn’t like the cup holder placement. That same friend says there are some holes in the supercharge network, especially if you take the scenic route.

Other than mass media and youtube channels, I really haven’t heard anything really bad about Tesla.

All of my friends are middle class but we do live in the Bay Area, so you should take that with a grain of salt.

I’m personally waiting for the range to be 1000 miles per charge.

One of my golfing partners bought a Tesla about 6 months ago. He loves it!

Greetings sir

Never owned a Tesla.

Daughter-in-law does. Impressed with the maybe 5 year old technology technology, smoothness of Drive acceleration. Worried about landfills in battery recycling.

I’ve been in the backseat of a model 3 while my friend was taught how to drive with autopilot. Very impressed with the one-year-old technology. Realized it is a new way of driving while still forced to mentally engage during autopilot. Learning challenges are switching autopilot on and off adjusting many settings like speed limit, acceleration limit, proximity sensors, delay times , on and off, separation distance…. and more while driving. This is an instructive marketing hump to get over. All just part of the acceleration of the singularity approaching. Have you been in one?

Take care.

My father in law has one and loves it. He’s a car guy who can afford it so it’s a perfect fit for him. He typically leases a really nice BMW or equivalent but splurged and bought a Tesla Model S a year or two ago and still gets excited to talk about it and drive it. He loves the design, look, feel, and performance. He also really likes the fully electric component and not needing gas, etc. He likes the prestige of it all and feeling like a privileged first mover as an EV owner.

As for me, I drive a 2013 Honda CRV 🙂

I do not own one but two of my friends do. They like the car but they have both had repeated maintenance issues especially with the large touch screen display inside the car.