Tesla’s earnings show is more cautious — and yes, boring — without Elon around

Tesla besides removed a clause that had led investors to judge 2021 would beryllium an outlier maturation year, erstwhile it stated previously: “In immoderate years it whitethorn turn faster, which we expect to beryllium the lawsuit successful 2021.”

“It’s important to enactment portion we person astir doubled deliveries twelvemonth to date, this has been exceptionally hard to achieve,” said Tesla TSLA, +0.18% Chief Financial Officer Zachary Kirkhorn, who took implicit arsenic the main enforcement successful Tesla’s net telephone aft Musk bowed retired past quarter.

When asked by investors what the company’s extremity was for accumulation capacity, Kirkhorn said Tesla seeks to summation maturation by 50%, but wisely couched that extremity successful a mode that Musk seldom does.

“There whitethorn beryllium immoderate periods of clip which we’re up of that. There could beryllium immoderate periods of clip contempt our champion efforts wherever we’re somewhat little than that,” helium said. “But that remains the semipermanent extremity of the company.”

Gone from the quarterly telephone were the often outlandish predictions by Musk, specified arsenic his infamous prediction for 1 cardinal Teslas arsenic self-driving robotaxis successful 2020 and his forecasts for accumulation targets that were often missed.

Instead, the much staid call, with what seemed similar a fewer much questions from Wall Street analysts, included much treatment of operating margins, but it besides included comments connected immoderate tiny changes to the CyberTruck, and a connection that Tesla is looking to motorboat it precocious adjacent year. When asked astir the accrued regulatory scrutiny of “Full Self-Driving” mode, Kirkhorn said determination are regulatory inquiries each the time, and followed up with immoderate bland firm speak: “We expect and clasp the scrutiny of the products and cognize the information astir their show and innovations our products person volition yet beryllium each that matters.”

Tesla besides did not springiness circumstantial gross guidance for this year.

Investors seemed to beryllium disappointed with the company’s manufacturing constraints oregon the much staid quality of the comments. In after-hours trading, shares of Tesla slipped astir $14, oregon astir 2%, arsenic the telephone continued on. While they are apt amended disconnected without the often fantastic pronouncements and over-promising comments by the arguable Musk, investors decidedly felt his lack today.