Forbes Senior Editor Alan Ohnsman joins Forbes Talks to dissect Tesla's disappointing Q1 2025 earnings report. Tuesday, Tesla announced their profits plummeted 70%, missing analyst expectations in revenue and earnings per share. This is Tesla's worst performance in four years, with vehicle sales and automotive revenue declining significantly.
Alan also discuss the impact of Elon Musk's political activities on Tesla's brand and his planned return to a more active CEO role.
00:00 – Intro: Tesla’s Profits Drop 70%
00:39 – What the Earnings Report Revealed
02:26 – Tesla’s Worst Quarter in Four Years
04:11 – Musk’s Politics and Tesla’s Brand Blowback
05:47 – Elon’s Absence and Return as CEO
07:19 – Tesla’s Product Pipeline Problem
08:25 – Robo Taxi vs. Affordable Cars Debate
10:45 – $25K Tesla? Still Not Here
11:58 – Can Tesla Handle Tariffs and Rising Costs?
13:39 – The Real Brand Problem: Elon vs. Tesla
15:09 – Is Elon Aware of the Damage?
16:12 – Why Tesla Stock Jumped Despite Bad Numbers
17:10 – Tesla vs. Waymo: Risky Robo Taxi Strategy
19:24 – “We’re an AI Company Now”
20:19 – What Analysts Are Watching Next
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