Tesla

The Tesla Cybertruck has been in the wild for less than a year, but there is no shortage of people taking to the internet to showcase their new vehicle’s imperfections. Many have reported loose or detaching trim pieces, and some have complained that the truck’s massive single windshield wiper doesn’t work properly. Those issues have become significant enough for Tesla to issue two recalls for a bed-related trim piece and wiper motor.

Tesla has introduced a long list of weird, questionably useful features over the years, but Dog Mode is one that other automakers could take a lesson from. The tech uses EV batteries to control the interior temperature while the owner is away, keeping dogs and pets comfortable in hot weather. Unfortunately, a recent software update has led some owners to report that Dog Mode no longer works in their cars, with two people taking to social media to complain.

Electric vehicles don’t require the same routine maintenance that gas models do, but they’re not completely repair-free. Tesla has made getting repairs a real headache for some owners, as the automaker hasn’t allowed them to get work done at third-party shops. That policy has led owners to seek class-action status against the company, and a California judge recently gave the group the green light to move forward with a suit.

Years ago, Chevy had its “Heartbeat of America” ad campaign, which highlighted the brand’s impact on the country and its workers. Now, however, General Motors isn’t even in the top ten of the most American-made brands, as the list has been taken over by Tesla and Japanese automakers with domestic production lines.

Tesla recently released the updated Model 3 sedan, but the refreshed model lost eligibility for federal tax credits in all but the top Performance trim. A handful of Reddit users are claiming that the situation has changed, however, stating that the Tesla app reflects the $7,500 credit for the Long Range All-Wheel Drive configuration.

If you’d like to earn $56 billion, a good place to start is to buy your way into an upstart EV manufacturer and then make as much noise as possible. Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently got an even bigger chunk of the company as shareholders approved his controversial pay package, which will make him one of the highest-paid corporate leaders in history.

Tesla has been reticent to allow owners to transfer Full Self-Driving (FSD) tech to a new vehicle, but that stance appears to be softening. CEO Elon Musk recently confirmed that the automaker would allow owners to transfer FSD to a new purchase for “one more quarter.”

Elon Musk has been under scrutiny for the way he handles his duties at Tesla for a while now, and a recently uncovered email won’t help his case. CNBC recently obtained emails that show Musk asking Nvidia to prioritize processor shipments to his social media company, X, over Tesla.

The future of Tesla’s Supercharger team is anyone’s guess at this point, but that hasn’t slowed GM’s march toward adopting the automaker’s North American Charging Standard (NACS). GM will soon join Ford and Rivian as early adopters of the technology, with an official telling InsideEVs that it plans to “stick to the timeline that we previously announced.”

Tesla, already under the NHTSA’s microscope, is facing more scrutiny over reports that some Model 3 and Model Y vehicles lost power steering. The agency posted a letter to its website earlier this week, asking for Tesla’s record on the vehicles by July 24.

Tesla has seen its ups and downs in recent times, though it has felt like more downs. Layoffs, temporary plant closures, and government investigations be damned, however, as CEO Elon Musk is determined to land his proposed record compensation package.

Fleet buyers usually get a better price than individuals because of the large volumes they purchase, but Tesla is offering deeper discounts to some European leasing companies after previous price cuts caused a significant decrease in the values of their vehicles. That, plus expensive repairs, have driven a wedge between the American automaker and its partners on the old continent.

Tesla layoffs and safety investigations are common stories these days, but that hasn’t changed the automaker’s CEO from believing he’s entitled to tens of billions in compensation. While the company resisted marketing for many years, it now appears to have embraced the practice, and one of its most recent campaigns aims to sway shareholders to approve Elon Musk’s $55 billion pay package.

Tesla’s German plant has run into pushback on multiple occasions, as protestors opposed to the automaker’s expansion in the region have been very public with their stance. Most recently, a group of around 800 people gathered at the Tesla plant near Berlin, but the situation quickly went sideways, resulting in multiple injuries and arrests.

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Though Tesla’s future and growth prospects remain to be seen, other companies sense blood in the water after the automaker laid off its entire Supercharger team. British Petroleum (BP) Pulse recently told Bloomberg that it would aggressively pursue an expansion of its charging network with a “heightened focus following the recent Tesla announcement.”

Most of the media and internet pundits have been zeroed in on Tesla’s layoffs and what they could mean for the automaker and industry at large, but there’s another reported change in its operations that could signal a significant shift in how its vehicles are built. After CEO Elon Musk’s poo-pooing of LiDAR technology, Tesla now appears to be buying the sensors and has become a primary customer of a major supplier.

Locals near the town of Chesterfield, Missouri have reported fleets of new Tesla models appearing in the parking lot of a once-bustling shopping mall. But, as usual, there’s more to the story than may be suggested in bombastic headlines.

While the impacts of Tesla recent Supercharger team layoffs remain to be seen, reports have surfaced that it’s giving up on another of its innovations. Reuters sources said the automaker has scrapped plans to further develop its gigacasting efforts, which drastically reduces the complexities involved with manufacturing unibody vehicles.

Yesterday, Tesla laid off the entire team responsible for working on its Supercharger stations. Considering that so many other automakers are in the process of switching to the Tesla charging standard, how is this going to affect the EV charging landscape?

In a shocking move, Tesla laid off its entire Supercharger staff, raising questions about its future and ability to continue offering a superior experience to a growing number of EV owners. InsideEVs reported on the most immediate impact of the layoffs, as it learned that some new charging sites had already been canceled.

Tesla is undergoing layoffs, with Elon Musk confirming the loss of two senior executives and plans to reduce overhead by cutting staff. This has been relatively common within the automotive sector, with legacy manufacturers having engaged in rolling layoffs for years as a way to offset development costs and maximize profits. But Tesla has long been viewed as the vanguard of electrification and the brand most other EV manufacturers hope to embody due to its meteoric rise.

This will come as no surprise to anyone, but Tesla is yet again changing its prices, though this time it’s on a less-than-week-old vehicle. The Model 3 Performance, which only went on sale last week, has already received a $1,000 price bump, making it $53,990 to start.

Late last year, Tesla recalled two million vehicles to add more driver monitoring safeguards to its Autopilot feature, but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is worried it might not have done enough. The NHTSA recently announced that it was opening an investigation into the recall after crashes involving “fixed” vehicles and its early testing on the issue.

Tesla recently slashed the price of its Full Self-Driving assistance feature, and it now appears the automaker is taking steps to expand its reach to other OEMs. CEO Elon Musk recently confirmed the move, saying Tesla was in talks with at least one “major automaker” about a licensing deal for the tech.

Following Tesla has always been a whiplash-inducing experience. The will they, won’t they themes continue in 2024, as the automaker recently reversed its reported decision to nix affordable EV plans, though the flip appears related to less-than-stellar first-quarter performance.

Regardless of how you feel about the tech, the truth has always been that Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) feature has been ridiculously expensive. The good news now, at least for Tesla owners, is that the automaker recently cut the price by 25 percent, making it significantly less expensive, though it’ll still add thousands to a new vehicle’s bottom line.

Remember the Toyota stuck accelerator fiasco? Pepperidge Farm remembers. It’s now Tesla’s turn, as the automaker recently issued a stop-sale for an issue with the Cybertruck’s accelerator pedal. Though unconfirmed, the move could be related to a recent TikTok video from an owner, in which the Cybertruck owner demonstrated that his Tesla’s accelerator pedal cover could come loose and cause it to stick in the open position.

Following a nine-week hold on F-150 Lightning allocations to dealers, Ford has announced it will be resuming shipments. Meanwhile, Tesla reportedly delayed Cybertruck deliveries. The rumor is that it needed to address some quality concerns. But the reasons assumed vary and the company hasn’t said anything about the issue, and likely won’t since it disbanded its PR department years ago. However, this may not be the victory for Blue Oval that it appears.

Things are getting a little bumpy at Tesla. The automaker’s first-quarter delivery numbers raised eyebrows, undercutting even the most critical expectations by a notable margin. Now, rumors are swirling about Tesla’s employee base, with some telling Electrek that the automaker plans to cut as much as 10 percent of its workforce in what would amount to thousands of layoffs.

Yesterday, we covered Tesla boss Elon Musk refuting a Reuters report that the company is canceling its affordable EV. Musk also said that Tesla will be unveiling robotaxis this summer.

Tesla has been involved in multiple court cases alleging that its Autopilot system was responsible for sometimes-deadly crashes, but it recently settled a similar case before it could reach the courtroom. Even with its track record of success, the automaker’s attorneys settled with Walter Huang’s family’s legal team, which could be related to the unique angle it took in approaching the case.

Last week, reports surfaced that Tesla had canceled its affordable car project as CEO Elon Musk pivoted to focus on autonomous taxis. Though he called the reports fake news, Musk is pressing ahead with his plan to develop Robotaxis, but said the company would reveal the taxi project on August 8.

Affordable EVs seem to be a nut that no automaker can crack, as every promise of a “sub-$30,000” model or similar has fallen through in favor of higher prices. It now seems that Tesla is following suit, despite repeated promises that it would develop a mass-market EV at a reasonable price. Earlier today, Reuters reported that the automaker had ditched its efforts to develop the car and would look instead at developing autonomous taxis on the platform that would have underpinned it.

Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving” (FSD) tech might be under scrutiny from several angles, but the automaker is pushing forward with a plan to bring the system out of beta and into the mainstream. The latest FSD release, version 12, included a name change for the feature, from Full Self-Driving Beta to Full Self-Driving (Supervised), but Tesla’s lack of a public relations department means we don’t have much to go on outside of the name.

Tesla has long faced questions about the driver monitoring systems it employs to keep people in line when using its advanced assistance systems. Despite that, CEO Elon Musk has mandated that all new Tesla models come with a Full Self-Driving (FSD) Beta demo, seemingly ignoring the scrutiny in favor of selling more services to customers.

The world does not need another way for Tesla superfans to show their love for the company. Beyond the endless legions of people (or bots) willing to spring into action online anytime someone speaks ill of the company, it has released novelty products, like liquor, to adoring fans. The company is now offering another way to show Tesla love. Head designer Franz von Holzhausen recently tweeted images of the CyberHammer, an actual sledgehammer available through Tesla’s referral program as a reward.

Almost all of us have made a boneheaded purchase or three in our lives. But few are notable as the debacle at Hertz, a company which most gearheads know decided to buy tens of thousands of electric vehicles only to bin them at severely subvented prices. Now, the CEO is stepping down from his role.

Tesla presented the “new” Roadster back in 2017, but the car isn’t expected to officially launch until next year. CEO Elon Musk has made some big promises about the car, including that it could break the one-second 0-60 mph time barrier. We’re now hearing more grandiose claims about the car, with Musk saying that it would feature rocket technology thanks to a partnership with his other company, SpaceX.

The Tesla Model Y is a wildly popular EV on the global stage, but the automaker is still looking for ways to boost sales and keep it relevant. As we approach the end of the first quarter of 2024, Tesla is pushing the Model Y with a message that prices will increase on April 1 in hopes that the threat of higher purchase price s will drive buyers to act in the next two weeks.

Security researchers have found numerous vulnerabilities in some of today’s most popular vehicles, including finding ways to access owner data, take control of vehicle systems, and more. Tesla’s vehicles aren’t immune, and a team of researchers recently showed how easy accessing one of the advanced EVs with a simple electronic device can be.

For a long time, Tesla’s Superchargers only supported its vehicles, but the automaker has recently opened the network to outside brands. While some challenges, such as delays and crowded locations, were expected, there have been a few issues relating to the fact that some automakers don’t install their vehicles’ charging ports in places where they can be reached by a Supercharger cable. To remedy that issue, Tesla is working on an extension cable that would allow non-Tesla EVs to charge without hassle.

Tesla released a new Model 3 for 2024, but keen eyes immediately noticed that the automaker had only refreshed two of the car’s three previous configurations. The standard range rear-drive model remained, along with the Model 3 Long Range, but the Performance was nowhere to be found. That could be changing, though, in typical Tesla fashion, there are no official confirmations.

We’ve heard of automakers shuttering factories for production issues and parts shortages over the last few years, but Tesla’s recent shutdown is a new one. The automaker said it shut down production at its Gigafactory Berlin due to a potential sabotage attack, which left the facility without power.

After a decade-long project that saw changes in approach, multiple delays, staff changes, planning and replanning, and conflicting reports, Apple’s Titan autonomous electric car project is dead. The company made an internal announcement on February 27th, 2024 which leaked to the press immediately via several Apple employees. The project’s cancellation created our most recent Abandoned History subject matter to date. Let’s start at the beginning, in 2014.

Tesla has this awesome habit of announcing a vehicle and then waiting several years to start selling it. The Cybertruck just went on sale in late 2023, four years after its reveal, but it’s not the worst offender on Tesla’s “Is it really coming?” list. That honor goes to the Tesla Roadster.

Announced in late 2017, the car was initially scheduled for release in 2020, but CEO Elon Musk pushed the date back, citing the need to focus on developing other models. Musk first set the date in 2023, but in a post on X this morning, he moved the goalpost again, this time to 2025.

On today's podcast, we ponder if plug-in hybrids are the future, talk Tesla and Ram, and ruminate on our first races attended as fans.

At this point, the Tesla Cybertruck has made so many headlines that it’s impossible to keep track of them all. Good or bad, the EV gets a ton of attention, most recently for reports that some owners noticed its stainless steel body rusting in places.

The claims immediately went viral, with people across the internet chiming in to poke fun or offer support for Tesla. Now, a Tesla engineer has stepped up to defend the truck, and it appears that the “rust” might be easily cleaned.

Tesla made news on several occasions last year for cutting prices on the Model 3 sedan, but the automaker appears to have reversed course with the introduction of the car’s 2024 refresh. The Model 3 is now the same cost as the Model Y, moving it away from the impressive price point it had for much of last year.

Super Bowl commercials are lots of fun, but they sometimes spur controversy instead of lighthearted giggles. The Dawn Project, founded and helmed by billionaire CEO Dan O’Dowd, sponsored an anti-Tesla ad during the Super Bowl last weekend, but the group’s claims were almost immediately called out by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), whose logo The Dawn Project used without permission.

The Tesla Model Y is the world’s best-selling electric vehicle, but that hasn’t stopped the automaker from exploring new ways to boost buyer interest. Though it’s eligible for federal tax credits, Tesla is temporarily decreasing pricing on the SUV, dropping it to $42,990 for the base model and $47,990 for the Long Range model.

Tesla has the best-selling EV in the world, but that hasn’t made the automaker immune to cost-cutting measures. A recent report describes an internal memo that asked managers to justify their teams’ employment.

Ford was the first company to announce a move to Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS), explaining that its vehicles would soon be able to seamlessly charge at Supercharger locations across the country. The automaker hadn’t detailed the transition and steps owners need to take to charge until recently, when it confirmed that owners would be able to charge using the FordPass app instead of needing a separate Tesla app.

For a long time, Tesla took criticism for bypassing the recall process in favor of issuing over-the-air software updates. That practice has changed, and the automaker has issued several recalls in recent months, including the most recent one, which covers 2.2 million vehicles for an issue with the size of its warning lights.

Tesla recently recalled almost every vehicle it has sold to update the Autopilot system with new driver monitoring features and safeguards. We’re now learning of another significant recall, this time involving almost 200,000 cars for issues with the backup camera software that could obstruct visibility.

Tesla was recently overtaken by Chinese automaker BYD as the world’s largest EV builder, but the American company had the world’s best-selling vehicle overall last year. According to a new report from data company JATO Dynamics, the Model Y sold 1.23 million vehicles, making it the global best-seller by a large margin.

The long-rumored affordable, entry-level Tesla is almost here – maybe. Four years after the automaker first said it would build a cheaper EV, it appears things are in motion. Tesla reportedly alerted suppliers that it would start building a mass-market compact crossover in the middle of 2025, which would become one of the most affordable electric models on sale if it becomes a reality.

We’ve been hearing about attacks on shipments on the Red Sea for a while now, but the violence has probably felt like an isolated problem to many people. Shipping delays and logistics challenges have real consequences, though, and Tesla is finding that out the hard way.

After several months of spy shots and looking at the updated Tesla Model 3 in European markets, the car is finally available in North America. Tesla added the car to its online configurator without much fanfare, but there are plenty of changes to the automaker’s popular sedan.

Marijuana is legal in several states, and you can even order ketamine from a Facebook ad. What you do behind closed doors is, in most cases, your business, but what about if you’re the CEO of several companies with combined values in the hundreds of billions of dollars? That’s a question Tesla’s board members are facing, as CEO Elon Musk’s alleged drug use has been plastered across the internet and news stations everywhere.