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Tesla’s Splashy Event May Underwhelm as Battery Doubts Loom

  • Thursday spectacle to kick off deliveries of Model S Plaid
  • Investors to watch for battery technology updates; stock rises

Model S Plaid.

Source: Tesla

Tesla Inc.’s glitzy marketing event Thursday to showcase its quickest car yet may not be the catalyst for shares such spectacles have been in the past.

The electric-vehicle market leader, whose eightfold ascent last year helped boost the stock of many newcomers in the space, has seen the tables turn in 2021. With a drop of 15% through Wednesday’s close, Tesla’s stock is headed for its steepest first-half tumble since 2019 and has significantly lagged behind the S&P 500 Index, as well as some smaller peers.