Tesla's value drops $50 billion as Musk's promised cheaper battery 3 years away
The HinduInvestors slashed $50 billion from Tesla Inc's market value on Tuesday despite CEO Elon Musk's promise to cut electric vehicle costs so radically that a $25,000 car that drives itself will be possible, but not for at least three years. “There was nothing tangible.” Investors had expected two significant announcements at Musk's oft-touted “Battery Day”: The development of a “million mile” battery good for 10 years or more, and a specific cost reduction target -- expressed in dollars per kilowatt-hour -- that would finally drop the price of an electric vehicle below that of a gasoline car. Tesla's new larger cylindrical cells will provide five times more energy, six times more power and far greater driving range, Musk said, adding that full production is about three years away. To help reduce cost, Musk said Tesla planned to recycle battery cells at its Nevada “gigafactory,” while reducing cobalt -- one of the most expensive battery materials -- to virtually zero.