logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2020
22m 57s

Are shares in Elon Musk’s Tesla vastly o...

Bbc World Service
About this episode

In 2018, the electric car maker, Tesla, was struggling to get the Model 3 electric vehicle off the production line. Its CEO, tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, was working up to 22 hours a day on the factory floor, trying to solve a host of problems on the car he’d bet the company on. It was close to running out of money. Two years later, the company’s doing better. It says it will grow 30-40% this year.

No surprise then that Tesla’s share price has gone up. But the amount may surprise you – up eight fold in the last year, to $400 a share. Making it the most valuable car company in the world.

It’s now worth more than Toyota, Volkswagen and Honda put together. But yet it still manufactures only a fraction of the cars they make. So are shares in Elon Musk’s Tesla vastly overvalued? Sumant Bhatia finds out from our expert witnesses, who include a Tesla owner who’s a shareholder and superfan, a fund manager who thinks the shares are in a bubble, an investor with millions of dollars in Tesla and an expert in electric vehicles.

Up next
Jan 13
Is nuclear disarmament set to self-destruct?
In February 2026, the last remaining nuclear arms control treaty bilateral between Russia and the United States is set to expire. The aim of the New START agreement was to reduce and limit the number of strategic nuclear warheads, but once this treaty comes to an end it means the ... Show More
24m 12s
Jan 6
Can Kenya answer the call for employment?
Kenya is facing rising public discontent over allegations of political corruption, economic stagnation and a shortage of good quality jobs, particularly for the country’s Gen Z. One of the government’s flagship responses is an ambitious push into digital outsourcing. It argues th ... Show More
23m 56s
Dec 30
How did music megatours become such a money spinner?
Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour shattered records, becoming the highest-grossing concert tour of all time, redefining what’s possible and confirming a new era in the business of touring. As streaming transformed how we listen to music, selling records is no longer the financial centrepi ... Show More
23m 57s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2023
A turning point for Tesla?
<p>Electric vehicle giant Tesla took the automotive industry by storm with its innovative technology, but the company’s stock price has slid significantly since last year. And its chief executive Elon Musk has some Tesla fans rethinking their support given Musk’s moves as the new ... Show More
18m 40s
Apr 2024
Tesla woes and Canada’s big EV bet
Tesla is having its worst year since the pandemic. The company is selling fewer cars, and its stock is plummeting. And it’s not just Tesla. We’re seeing a cool down in North America’s EV industry as a whole. Why is this happening? And as Canada pours billions of dollars into the ... Show More
22m 3s