Elon Musk asks Tesla shareholders to vote for incorporation move to Texas
Elon Musk is in a full propaganda campaign to gain Tesla shareholder support against the court’s decision to rescind his CEO compensation plan and now announced that he is going to move for a shareholder vote on moving Tesla’s state of incorporation to Texas.
Earlier this week, a judge in Delaware, where Tesla is incorporated, sided with a Tesla shareholder who filed a lawsuit that claimed Tesla’s board misled investors when presenting its 2018 CEO compensation plan.
The judge found irregularities in the way that the plan came about, with board members on the compensation committee having close personal relationships and financial dealings outside of Tesla with Musk and also due to the involvement of Musk and his attorney, who also happened to be Tesla’s General Counsel, in the process.
Therefore, the judge ruled that Tesla misled shareholders when presenting the package for a vote. In short, the judge highlighted some clear governance issues at Tesla in her decision.
Tesla would have to recraft the compensation package while following the rules of a public company and present it in a more transparent way to shareholders for a vote.
Instead of addressing any of the governance issues highlighted in the decision, Musk went into propaganda mode and decided to go on a tweetstorm about how Delaware and the judge are politically motivated, without any serious evidence other than the judge once working for a law firm that gave some money to Joe Biden’s campaign, and that she “took away the shareholder’s right to decide for themselves”.
Musk decided to hold a Twitter poll to ask if Tesla should move its state of incorporation to Texas:
The poll came after Musk made several tweets trashing Delaware and boosting Texas as a pro-corporate state. It’s unsurprising that the poll, which can be voted on by anyone, not just Tesla shareholders, was overwhelmingly in favor of moving the incorporation.
Musk announced that Tesla will quickly hold a shareholder vote on it:
“The public vote is unequivocally in favor of Texas! Tesla will move immediately to hold a shareholder vote to transfer state of incorporation to Texas.”
Why was Tesla in Delaware in the first place? Tesla has nothing to do with Delaware. It was founded in California and now has its headquarters in Texas, but like many other companies, it has incorporated in Delaware.
Many companies decide to do that because of its tax law and unique court system, which is ironically favorable to companies in corporate legal cases.
Electrek’s Take
I think we can let go of our little hope that this court decision would have forced Tesla and Elon to address the governance issues at Tesla.
Elon decided not to address those concerns whatsoever, and instead, he frames this entire conflict as being politically motivated and about removing shareholders’ right to decide for themselves.
First of all, this is completely wrong. The judge’s decision only forces shareholders to vote again on a comp package but one that is crafted following the rules of a public company and not presented to shareholders in a misleading way.
That’s all it does. Who would be against that? Shareholders guiding a public company through voting their shares only works if the company is transparent and doesn’t mislead them. It’s as simple as that. I haven’t seen Elon address any of the clear concerns highlighted in the decision. Instead, he is in full propaganda mode, rallying his troops.
Now, I know it’s frustrating for Musk. He had an incredible performance-based package and delivered on the performance. I’ll be the first to admit that. It has to be frustrating. However, his reaction to the judge’s decision is proving her point.
He completely ignores the governance issue and misleads Tesla shareholders about the nature of the decision ahead of a shareholder vote that stems from her decision. Most of his fans are simply listening to everything he says without even reading the judge’s decision. It’s sad.
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On today’s informative episode of Quick Charge, we’ve got Honda engineers Jason Hwang and Emilio Sanchez to talk us through some of the things that make the GM Ultium-based Honda Prologue EV feel like a real Honda, and why that matters.
Jason and Emilio talk about some of the choices they made to make the Honda Prologue and Acura ZDX feel different from its GM-branded cousins, and explain why this was much more than a case of badge-engineering. Give it a listen, then let us know what you think of the Prologue and ZDX in the comments.
Today’s episode is sponsored by BLUETTI, a leading provider of portable power stations, solar generators, and energy storage systems. For a limited time, save up to 52% during BLUETTI’s exclusive Black Friday sale, now through November 28, and be sure to use promo code BLUETTI5OFF for 5% off all power stations site wide. Learn more by clicking here.
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Read more: All my favorite EVs, racecars, and robots from Electrify Expo Austin.
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The first EV charging hub funded by the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Program in the Eastern US is now online in Deerfield, Massachusetts.
The town installed the region’s first DC fast chargers (four ports), along with four Level 2 chargers, at 59 North Main Street in South Deerfield.
These new charging stations, funded with $2.46 million from the CFI program, are conveniently located near Interstate 91 in Franklin County, the most rural county in Massachusetts, which serves drivers from Connecticut up to the Canadian border.
The hub also features local and regional bus stops and designated bike lanes with secure onsite bike racks. The chargers are meant to cater to everyone: from local residents and visitors to municipal EVs and commercial vehicles that service the region’s businesses, like those in food and beverage manufacturing.
Gabe Klein, executive director of the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, sees this as a model for future projects:
Multi-modal charging hubs in communities are key to giving more people the choice to ride and drive electric. The Town of Deerfield is showing leadership in building out convenient charging infrastructure that brings new transportation choices to rural and disadvantaged communities while supporting local commerce.
In recent years, Deerfield has experienced increased climate change-driven flooding from nearby rivers, including the Deerfield River, the Connecticut River, and the Bloody Brook. The project incorporates environmental engineering designed to mitigate and adapt to the effects of flooding and climate, including the installation of permeable asphalt and rain gardens, planting of native trees, grasses, and shrubs, and the creation of new greenspace in the center of Deerfield.
The Biden-Harris administration’s CFI Grant Program is expanding EV infrastructure nationwide. It offers grants for projects that complement and expand upon the initiatives of the NEVI program in urban, rural, and disadvantaged and low-income communities. So far, the CFI Grant Program has allocated over $1 billion to nearly 100 projects across the US, encouraging private investments and expanding the EV charging network to make EV ownership more practical and convenient.
Read more: The US reaches milestone of 200,000+ public EV charging ports
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Kia’s upcoming EV4 electric sedan was just spotted testing in the US for the first time. The low-cost EV is expected to make its big debut by the end of the year. Here’s a look at the new model.
The EV4 will round out Kia’s new “EVs for all” master plan launched last year. Kia showcased three new models, the EV3, EV4, and EV5, during its first annual EV Day in October 2023.
During the event, Kia outlined its new global strategy to “lead and accelerate the EV revolution” with a wide range of models priced from $30,000 to $80,000.
Kia plans to rapidly expand its lineup with a series of smaller, lower-priced models. It launched the EV9, its first three-row electric SUV, which is already proving to be a hot seller in the US. Starting at under $55,000, the EV9 is still a great deal compared to others in its class, but Kia plans to go even lower.
The EV3 and EV4 are expected to be among the most affordable electric vehicles when they arrive in the US.
Kia’s new EV4 is now testing in the US
Ahead of its official debut, Kia’s new EV4 sedan was recently caught driving on US streets for the first time.
The latest image from KindelAuto doesn’t reveal much more than what’s been shown in the past, but the fact that it’s now testing in the US is significant.
Kia’s EV3 is already on sale in Korea, starting at around $30,000 (42.08 million won). Earlier this week, the company said its new compact SUV is now available across Europe, starting at around $38,000 (36,000 euros) with a “segment-leading range” of up to 375 miles (WLTP).
Next up will be the EV4. Kia is expected to officially reveal the new EV by the end of the year, with deliveries starting in 2025. It could be as soon as next week at the 2024 LA Auto Show.
The interior will feature Kia’s advanced new ccNC infotainment system with dual 12.3″ navigation and driver display screens. An otherwise minalimalistic design is expected inside.
Kia’s EV4 will also be available in a hatchback variant. Although the hatch is likely aimed at European buyers, it was also recently spotted testing in the US for the first time.
We will learn official prices closer to launch, but the EV4 is expected to start at around $35,000 to $40,000.
Kia is teasing five new vehicles for the US, at least one being a new EV, that will debut at the LA Auto Show next week. Will it be the EV3? EV4?
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