Tesla Surges to 5th on WSB as Deutsche Bank Turns Bullish and FSD Plans Accelerate in China & Europe

Tesla ranks 5th in the latest WSB rankings, rising six places from the previous day. Tesla (TSLA) shares jumped 4.58% on the day, marking a consecutive two-day gain, with a total increase of 7.33% over the two days.

Deutsche Bank, which has been a long-term bear on Tesla's stock, recently released a rare bullish report on Tesla, reinstating a "Buy" rating and naming it as their top pick in the automotive sector. Historically, the bank had maintained a "Neutral" rating for Tesla.

Tesla AI posted a roadmap for the global rollout of its Full Self-Driving (FSD) features on social media platform X, with a particular focus on the Chinese and European markets. The FSD V12.5.2 version is expected to be released in September, and by October, FSD's reversing and parking features will be launched with an improvement in average takeover rates. The company anticipates deploying FSD in China and Europe by the first quarter of 2025, pending regulatory approvals, which they believe will help enhance their sales and maintain a competitive edge.

Tesla's FSD system is an intelligent driving technology aiming to achieve full autonomous driving capabilities. Originally developed in 2014 and officially launched in 2016, the FSD Beta version was renamed to FSD Supervised in 2023, marking its commercialization and accelerated promotion in the North American market. The latest version, V12.4.2, was rolled out earlier this year, and the cumulative mileage driven by FSD users has exceeded 1 billion miles (approximately 1.6 billion kilometers).

Speculation about FSD's rollout in China has been persistent in recent months. Tesla's CEO Elon Musk visited China in April, accelerating the progress, as evidenced by Tesla's inclusion in the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers' compliance list and the subsequent granting of mapping qualifications by Baidu. Tesla China also added Baidu Maps V20 support, enhancing lane-level navigation. Tesla employees hinted that FSD's V12 beta might be under testing in China, and Tesla executive Zhu Xiaotong mentioned that the launch was imminent.

During the latest earnings call in July, Musk expressed optimism about FSD gaining approvals in Europe, China, and other markets by the end of the year. In April, he also hinted on X about the imminent launch in China.

In addition to the technological advancements, Tesla recently announced new financing policies in China, offering zero-interest and low-interest plans for the Model 3/Y to boost sales. These plans significantly reduce the cost of ownership, driving consumer interest and potentially increasing market penetration.

In conclusion, Tesla's recent stock performance and strategic advancements in FSD technology, particularly targeting key markets like China and Europe, underline the company's ongoing efforts to stay ahead in the highly competitive electric vehicle market. The positive outlook from Deutsche Bank also adds to the increasing investor confidence in the company's future prospects.