The Enchanting Model 3 by Tesla

Enchanting.  Sexy.  Sleek.  Simple.  Powerful.  These are a few adjectives that come to mind after the unveiling of the Model 3 in Hawthorne, California at 8:30 PST on March 31, 2016 (https://www.teslamotors.com/en_CA/model3).  The much anticipated launch, which in some respects, resembled the unveiling of Apple products, the affordable price, and high-volume car seemed an instant hit not only with the guests present to witness this historic event but with audiences around the globe that watched the live stream via the Tesla website.  It resulted in orders north of 276,000 units within 48 hours!

EM 3 as I like to refer to the Tesla Model 3 (differentiated from BMW’s M3) has a WOW factor of a hundred.  This is because of its looks, functionality, affordability and energy efficiency.  Although, the base model is priced at USD 35,000, Tesla’s CEO, Elon Musk, tweeted about it having an ‘average price of USD 42,000.’  So, I am assuming that the company is expecting consumers to pay at least USD 7,000 in additional options like AWD dual motor, colour upgrade (somebody on Twitter eluded to a matte black choice), roof design (metal, all glass), tow hitch etc. to mention just a few. 

In CAD equivalent terms, the base value totals 45,500 at an exchange rate of 1.30.  This price does not include the incentive programme offered to electric vehicle owners by the Ministry of Transportation in Ontario (http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/vehicles/electric/electric-vehicle-incentive-program.shtml).  Although, Tesla’s Model 3 is nowhere to be found on the most recent Electric Vehicle Incentive Programme released on February 10, 2016 for obvious reasons, my hunch is that there would be a rebate of about CAD 6,000 to 13,000 on the MSRP (for instance, the BMW i3 has CAD 13,000).  If this is indeed the case, then the price of the Model 3 comes to about CAD 39,500 considering the lower bound of the incentive.  Of course, there are additional costs involved such as the installation of a charging station which will cost another CAD 1,000 to 2,000. 

However, just to put this price into perspective, I leased a brand new Honda Civic EX in 2006 for $400 per month on a 60 month term and had to pay another CAD 10,000 to buy it out for a total value of $34,000.  In time value of money terms, this would perhaps be equivalent to Tesla’s MSRP less the rebate.  But, in terms of functionality, it will be a lot more than my Civic (which, by the way, I still love to drive) – the autopilot and potential summon/self-drive features alone would make it worthwhile to buy such a vehicle.  Wait until PART 2 of the ‘unveil’ which will occur closer to the delivery date of the Model 3 but, in the meantime, some other advantages [1] include:

i) Lower maintenance costs because of fewer moving parts 20 versus the gas guzzling ones that can contain at least 2,000.  
ii) Auto-steering like ‘spaceship controls’, traffic aware cruise control, lane changing, automated parking, driver warning systems and automated braking functions.
iii) If your Tesla Model 3 has a problem, they are designed in such a way that the data is wirelessly uploaded via the on-board system allowing the team to troubleshoot and fix the problem remotely.  Just imagine saving a trip to the dealership not to mention a charge for ascertaining the problem – a win-win!
iv) Service on a Tesla can also be performed via the Tesla Rangers or the mobile service team in the comfort of your own home. 

Some risks that must be considered prior to buying the Model 3:

Ø   Final price of the vehicle.

Ø   Features, options and corresponding price charts.
Ø   The contour and final design.

All said, this model will mark an inflection point for Tesla because it will give them the requisite sales volume to achieve economies of scale.  To me, personally, Model 3 represents a foray into the unknown.  It represents the beginning of a new end for electric automobiles for the masses.   And, Tesla is the company that will create this future and bring the whole industry forward.

[1]  Some words and phrases were taken from the Tesla financial statements and MD&A.  The ‘spaceship controls’ phrase was taken directly from the tweet of Elon Musk.

  

My Values and Guiding Principles

To be honest, fair and objective
To live with integrity and a strict code of ethics that will preserve my reputation
To always do the right thing
To follow my heart and mind
To be polite and sincere in all I do for others
To leave politics at the doorstep because it is counterproductive and harmful to relationships
To be the light that He wants me to be
To be open minded and to try new things
To stand up tall for what I believe in
To achieve excellence in everything I do
To treasure and live each moment since life is short
To challenge the status quo if there is room for improvement
To do things with my whole heart
To rise to the occasion and tackle challenges head on because they only test one’s patience and values
To empower others so that my reservoir of happiness is forever full
To not underestimate the importance of saying please and thank you
To realize that even though life is not a bed of roses – it is filled with opportunities that are waiting to be discovered
To be the voice for the meek
To transcend borders to achieve my purpose in life
To love and give unconditionally

I Believe

I believe that faith, hope and love are the pillars of a solid foundation

I believe in igniting our passions, illuminating our dreams and living a meaningful and fulfilling life

I believe that each human being is worthy of love and connection

I believe in equal opportunities for women and men

I believe that women are thinking and feeling beings capable of making a positive contribution to their families and communities

I believe that by engaging women to become independent and self-sufficient, they will return this favor to a multitude of human beings surrounding them.  This drop in the ocean will transform itself into a tidal wave of economic prosperity and development

I believe that true happiness comes from within, from doing the things that you truly love, from being around the people who love you and whom you love

I believe that winning together is more meaningful than reaching the finish line alone

I believe that courage, compassion and perseverance are the antidote to failure

I believe that letting go neutralizes negative emotions and builds bridges

I believe that communication is a two-way street and the conduit to peace in the world

I believe that poverty can be eradicated by raising literacy and self-awareness

I believe that positive energy and enthusiasm are infectious and can spread like a wildfire to create a self-sustaining pattern of success

I believe that conquering our fears sets us free and helps us step outside our comfort zone

I believe that every human being is blessed with unique abilities; it is a privilege to find and use these creatively and wisely

I believe that power transcends titles and rank – it is the energy that unites us with a purpose higher than ourselves



Role of Education, Knowledge, Creativity in Decision Making

In Einstein: His Life and Times (Page 185), P. Frank quotes the great maestro as stating, “The value of an education in a liberal arts college is not the learning of many facts, but the training of the mind to think something that cannot be learned from textbooks.”

Education is neither a means to an end nor an end unto itself as many people believe it to be.  Rather, it is just the beginning for something bigger to come later in life.  As Einstein said, education is not the regurgitation of facts alone, in fact, it is the training of the mind.  Education should give an individual the ability to think independently and ask questions to learn, hypothesize and thence to form their own opinions.  I believe it to be the beginning of a journey of living, doing, learning and growing.  It provides that foundational layer on which you base your knowledge, analysis and, ultimately, judgment in making decisions. 

When you superimpose experience/exposure onto education – you are blessed with knowledge.  But, it is this mixture of education; knowledge and your own creativity that actually helps you make sound decisions.  How you use these three ingredients to problem solve is like a Monte Carlo simulation because the iterations are many, and the outcomes infinite. 

So, which path will determine your success in overcoming an adversity? Or, in achieving that goal you’ve set your heart on?  Or, even to find that one cause that you will so passionately work for?  If the present moment does not know the landscape, the answer cannot be known in advance.  However, that does not mean that there is no answer.  You just have to seek it, within you.  As a human being you cannot exist in a vacuum for the rest of your life because life is not discrete, it is a continuous pattern of emergence and unraveling of events.  It is an endless process of questioning, seeking, finding and modifying, amalgamating, and sequencing the facts that will help you overcome a challenge, or bring you one step closer to your goal. 

The search starts with facts so always lay them out in plain sight, preferably on a white board as if you were going to start painting a picture.  Interweave these facts together and spread them out by drilling down into details if necessary so that the gaps between them are minimized.  Once this activity is done reasonably well, you can then start filling out the blanks with guesstimates or opinions of people that are experts in the field.  A story starts to unfold.  Some actions come into focus.  And, eventually, a hazy path emerges. 

What do you do?  Take the risk of going down this unknown path that may lead to nothingness?  Or, go back to the drawing board once again?  If you feel like you should keep going then reject this option and repeat the iteration with varying quantities of creativity and knowledge.  Keep trying until you get what you were looking for – as they say, ‘perseverance commands success.’  Your self-awareness will be your guiding light. 

Perfection in good decision making will only come when you can find this delicate balance between your head and heart.  That is why people give some weight to their intuition because it has averted many a disaster for them in the past.  Mind you, intuition should only be considered once you have looked at all the relevant facts and if, and only if, your gut has a better than average batting rate.  If the historical record for your sixth sense is tainted, one reason could be a lack of emotional intelligence (one of the ingredients for wisdom).  In this case, carefully review and revisit all the facts along with the estimates – it is probably that the estimates are too lousy.  Seek guidance from experts or mentors, consider opposing viewpoints and try to reconcile the differences.  Once you’ve done this and narrowed the options to a few, then score each option on various dimensions.  Compare, contrast and, finally, connect the dots not looking backward but on an ex-ante basis.  After all, your decision today will affect your path tomorrow so you better ensure that it is well thought out and thoroughly explored.

#PeshawarAttack

On December 16^th, I woke up to hash tag PeshawarAttack which was one of the most trending phrases on Twitter delivering about 20-40 tweets per second.  Upon further examination, the story unfolded like this.

In northwest Pakistan, in the city of Peshawar located in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – nearly 140 children and adults were shot in cold blood at an Army Public school by militants.  The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, better known as TTP has taken responsibility for the incident.  It was distressing and disheartening to see so many families lose their innocent children in the blink of an eye.  Just imagine, on a sunny Tuesday morning, the parents had merrily dropped off their kids only to see them return in a coffin.  The emotions that this news evoked were one of silent rage, anger and pain. 

Once I slowly detached myself from this brutal reality, I went back to being at the centre of my being with the question, what had just happened?  In order to answer this, I called upon a friend who is a peace building and conflict resolution expert.  I asked her to explain to me why the Taliban did what they did.  And, the crux of our discussion highlighted that the Taliban are individuals who are socio-economically displaced with severe misconceptions about their religious beliefs. 

Their only means of earning money and hope is to become “freedom fighters.”  God only knows what that means to them.  Out of economic desperation, they have resorted to becoming blind to the consequences that their actions elicit.  This ill can be cured and reversed if we only show them that there is a way out of their sad situation.  Give them hope and show them how good life can be without taking any more lives.  And, that those guns are not the answer.  I think if we engage their wives and daughters and show them that there are ways of making money honestly and fairly, and that it does not have to involve senseless killings and revenge – in other words, appeal to their good side, we might be able to help stop this brutal cancer from spreading and causing so much human pain and suffering.

“My boy was a dream and my dream was shot dead” – From Twitter - a parent who lost his son in the Peshawar attack

The Power to Change

We all have the power to change.  Be it our own situation or another's circumstance - our lives are full of daily challenges and adversities.  Only their degree and intensity vary. However, by being positive and optimistic that "all is well" - we still have the chance to rise above those challenges. Instead of focusing on what is not, let your mind see the endless possibilities of what can be.  We are prisoners of our own limiting thoughts and, largely, of fear of the unknown which keeps us from realizing who we truly are and what we can be. 

As they say, "a rut is a self dug grave."  You are not dead yet so step outside your comfort zone.  Try and experiment with new things, new ways of doing old things.  Break away from the norms (not in terms of being unethical or by disregarding the law) and see things in a different light - there is no one right way of reaching your goal.  Or, for that matter, no one right truth that will lead to your salvation.  However, I do believe that all roads lead to Rome (not literally) - you just have to figure out the one that entails your deepest passion.  Find that one thing that only you, as a unique individual, can offer.  If you find this love of yours, you are all set to be One with this Energy and to receive the abundance that abounds in this universe.

I will share with you one of my life stories that made me realize that only I had the power to change.  Ever since I was in college in an "emerging market" I had a dream of going to a top school (of course, at the time I had the least idea that I'll choose finance as my field and that I'll land in Canada!). When my husband and I did emigrate to this wonderful country in the year 2000, we had nothing - we started our lives from zero as many immigrants do.  Coming from a third-world country - it was not easy.  All we had was "hope." And, the "desire" and "will" to survive.  After several years of unwavering hard work, we were able to achieve a certain professional level that took care of our basic necessities of life.

All this while it was unclear to me how I was going to make my dream of going to a top university a reality.  In 2004, I emailed a distinguished professor at Rotman, to see if I could audit one of his courses in Derivatives.  It was possible but not financially feasible.   Plus, I did not want to pursue another degree just for the sake of getting a piece of paper.  Three years later, my friend, Joanne Hung, forwarded me an email for an information session for a brand new programme being launched by Rotman called the Master of Finance.  Bingo! I thought to myself - this could be the opportunity that I had unconsciously been waiting for.  Unfortunately, I was late for taking the GMAT and getting all my transcripts from the previous educational institution in order.  However, the following year, I did everything in my power to make it work.  And, left it up to chance to take care of the rest! 

What are the chances of getting admitted to a top business school in Canada? I would say quite low.  Lady luck was on my side – I got in.  Had I focused on the negative and let my left side (rational thinking) of the brain decide my fate, my dream would have remained a figment of my imagination.  I was excited beyond words to have turned my dream into reality.  My enthusiasm soared to extraordinary levels and helped me to go through the rigorous programme while being employed full-time, having my second child and looking after the house.  Who says that you have to sacrifice your goals for your families - that is such a huge excuse for inaction! 

So, folks, seize the day.  Time passes just like that.  If you are not doing what your heart has always dreamed of - then take courage and take risks.  Figure out the steps that will take you directly to your most sought after wishes. Only you have the power to make them a reality.  Don't settle for anything less than what you are capable of accomplishing.