Tesla CEO Elon Musk is pretty good at whetting the public’s appetite, and now fans are anxiously waiting to hear to hear about part two of what his so-called “top secret masterplan” is for the EV maker. Musk tweeted that he would release details on the plan last week, but then he delayed the release until after his other company, SpaceX, completed its launch. And fans continue to wait:
Bit of a distraction yesterday. Working on plan today.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 18, 2016
Awaiting Tesla’s “product plan”
So Musk is apparently working on Tesla’s “product plan” today, and Street Insider noticed something very interesting. The EV maker has migrated its website from Teslamotors.com to Tesla.com, probably to reflect the broader focus on sustainable energy. Web users who turn their browsers to Teslamotors.com are automatically redirected to Tesla.com. Also searching simply for “Tesla” brings up Teslamotors.com, but clicking on it takes you to Tesla.com According to Street Insider, Tesla bought the Tesla.com domain name in February.
Tesla also tweaked its mission statement to replace the phrase “sustainable transport” with “sustainable energy” without making any announcement about the change.
What will Tesla’s next step be?
Wall Street analysts have been offering suggestions on what part two of Tesla’s masterplan might entail, with Morgan Stanley’s Adam Jonas reiterating his call for an announcement about what he’s been referring to as “Tesla Mobility” for quite some time now. However, the change in the domain name away from Tesla Motors and simply to Tesla makes it appear as if Musk might have much more in mind.
Chief among the possibilities is a plan to integrate SolarCity into the company’s operations. The automaker entered a controversial bid to acquire the solar installer recently, triggering several downgrades as Wall Street expressed skepticism about the wisdom of combining two companies that are not yet profitable. Changing the domain name clearly signals a move away from just cars and toward a broader product line which would bring SolarCity products under the same roof as Tesla’s cars.
Investors and analysts alike have been waiting to hear stronger arguments for why a combination of the two companies would be a good thing. As of yet, there has been no real comprehensive plan offered, other than selling SolarCity’s products at Tesla’s locations, which may bring some small synergies in the area of sales, although not in any other areas.
So Musk may release part two of his masterplan tonight, but until then, we’re left guessing.
