Anticipation had constructed for days. Tesla was poised to unveil a brand new strategic plan at its Investor Day, solely the third time the corporate has laid out a “grasp plan” that might information its future.

Analysts had been desperate to see a brand new Tesla mannequin — particularly, a less expensive Tesla, one that would make the most well-liked electrical car model in America accessible to a far broader swath of consumers.

However at its Investor Day on Wednesday, Tesla didn’t reveal that car.

Elon Musk’s new grasp plan? Ending fossil fuels.

As an alternative of a shiny new automotive, the corporate went big-picture on local weather change, making the case for an aggressive world transition away from fossil fuels — one with an enormous variety of electrical autos and batteries, Tesla’s core merchandise, as the important thing elements.

Good for an organization that has all the time touted its inexperienced credentials, however Wall Road would have most popular a brand new automotive. Tesla inventory dropped markedly in after-hours buying and selling.

Musk had loads in his thoughts about planet Earth

In some methods although, it was classic Tesla.

Tesla has already radically reshaped the local weather dialog, by spurring the auto trade to embrace electrical autos.

The brand new “grasp plan” prolonged past the auto sector to speak about decarbonizing the worldwide electrical grid in addition to all trade, delivery and air journey, too.

Musk opened the occasion by arguing the world can quickly pivot to renewable vitality with the assistance of batteries (to retailer solar energy to make use of at evening, as an illustration) and, after all, battery-powered electrical autos. This new “grasp plan” additionally nodded to warmth pumps and hydrogen for industrial makes use of.

A number of researchers, analysts and nonprofit teams have charted out paths to fight local weather change. Most emphasize that point is operating out, and the size of change required is daunting.

Musk’s tone was extra optimistic. He mentioned Tesla had carried out the maths and the swap would value $10 trillion, lower than the world would spend on fossil fuels over the identical timeframe. Totally $7 trillion of that might be for electrical autos — the market Tesla revolutionized, and intends to dominate worldwide.

“At this time isn’t just for buyers of Tesla, however anybody who’s an investor in Earth,” Musk mentioned. “Earth can and can transfer to sustainable vitality, and it’ll accomplish that in your lifetime.”

Making the case for innovation, regardless of no large reveal

With no model new car to drive out on stage, Tesla executives and engineers shared details about how the following technology of autos might be designed and constructed.

The corporate claims to have a radically reinvented meeting course of, which includes making the back and front of the automotive individually, that would reduce manufacturing prices by 50%. Tesla additionally says future autos would require no uncommon earth parts and will incorporate any battery chemistry, making it simpler to supply uncooked supplies.

To bolster its fame as an revolutionary firm, Tesla additionally bombarded buyers with examples of the way it has developed new options and reduce prices.

Tesla boasted of a software program replace to routinely regulate air suspension mid-drive, primarily based on knowledge from different autos about the place the highway is tough, and a technique to chop prices on Supercharger stations by preassembling whole stations and dropping them down from a crane, as an alternative of putting in every charger individually on location.

A head begin within the race for electrification

The investor day got here as buyers had been feeling extra optimistic about Tesla’s future, regardless of rising competitors.

Each main automaker now believes that zero-emissions autos are the trade’s future, and they’re racing to meet up with Tesla. That makes it probably that Tesla’s share of EV gross sales will shrink, as extra competitors is available in. That was one motive for the corporate’s precipitous drop in share costs final 12 months.

However Tesla is producing autos at the next quantity than its rivals, and it just lately reduce costs sharply. That has elevated curiosity in Tesla autos, and the transfer was well-received by Wall Road.

And Teslas stay widespread with drivers. The corporate simply gained the highest award for “Total Loyalty” to a make in S&P International Mobility’s Automotive Loyalty Awards. Typically, returning automotive consumers follow their earlier model about 50% of the time. For Tesla consumers, a strong two-thirds return to Tesla.

“Tesla had a really, very sturdy 12 months,” says Vince Palomarez of S&P International Mobility. “They’ve produced a product that’s enticing to a shopper … They lowered their value. They’re additionally having access to the tax credit score once more.”

Palomarez additionally notes that Tesla homeowners typically set up a Tesla charger at their residence. That could possibly be an added incentive to stay with the model, as an alternative of needing to swap out gear or use an adapter each cost. He in contrast it to Apple’s proprietary chargers.

“When you’ve got an iPhone and you’ve got an iPad and you’ve got a MacBook, you understand, you are going to get the Apple Watch …. the infrastructure is constructed there,” he says.