#Tesla

Today's QOTD is quite simple -- would you, if you have the dough, buy a Tesla Cybertruck?

Last night, Tesla finally unveiled the production Cybertruck. Four years after we first saw it -- "we" meaning society. Us TTAC folk weren't at either event.

Elon Musk has no trouble generating words, both the ones that come out of his mouth (and keyboard fingers) and the ones that breathlessly recap the first type. There was the post on X agreeing with an antisemitic statement, though Musk later apologized. More recently, the controversial CEO shared his thoughts (again) on unions, saying that he believes a Tesla employee union would be a mistake, among many other statements.

Tesla has revealed the maximum towing capabilities for the long-anticipated Cybertruck by including it in display materials located at some of the brand’s physical locations. As the company lacks a dedicated PR department, the information comes by way of social media accounts and dedicated forums. While this means Tesla hasn’t confirmed the figures, there is sufficient coverage to deem the number plausible. Until the manufacturer says otherwise, Cybertruck will be capable of towing 11,000 pounds.

A couple in Scotland expressed sticker shock after facing a bill of about 20,000 U.S. dollars to have their Tesla fixed when the battery was damaged by rain.

Tesla is adding seven new colors for Model 3 and Model Y vehicles sold in the United States. However, it’s not new paint you’ll be getting. The automaker has instead decided to utilize urethane-based wraps similar to vinyl wraps available on via aftermarket companies. While this is a convenient way for the automaker to offer new colors without having to upgrade factory paint booths, Tesla is asking quite a bit of money for these wraps.

Listening to pundits and some media outlets, it’d be easy to believe that EVs are nowhere near as popular as their gas-powered counterparts. But, while it’s true that electric vehicles still make up a tiny portion of the overall market, their numbers are growing. The latest data from Experian shows that EV registrations rose 67 percent over 2022’s numbers to an impressive 655,986 vehicles.

Like everything else in the modern era, vehicles have become another polarizing issue. The populace is split between gasoline-loving Luddites, endlessly bemoaning the current regulatory landscape and smug EV adopters who proselytize battery-powered vehicles with all the zealotry of a religious fanatic.

There’s plenty of overlap between the two groups. However, they tend to diverge in terms of disposable income, political preferences, and even geography. J.D. Power looked into the latter issue, hoping to identify purchasing trends around the United States. It found that, while EV adoption rates were increasing nationwide, there are plenty of places in America that now appear to be shunning electrified automobiles. 

Tesla builds cars, sells carbon credits, and operates an extensive EV charging network in the U.S., but its resume could be expanding. CEO Elon Musk hinted at building a diner and drive-in movie theater alongside a Tesla charging station in Southern California years ago, and it now appears the plan could become a reality, as Teslarati reported that the automaker got approval from local officials to proceed.

Tesla often makes news for misbehaving drivers and how they use its technology, but now the automaker is the subject of a different story. Automotive News reported that a data breach impacted the company in May, affecting more than 75,000 people, and was the result of “insider wrongdoing.”

Build Your Dreams, or BYD, is likely one of the largest companies you’ve never heard of. The Chinese giant is one of the world’s busiest EV automakers, with almost 1.9 million units manufactured in 2022. Though enormous, BYD isn’t satisfied with dominating its home market and wants the rest of the Chinese electric auto industry to come with it.

On Wednesday, Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares suggested that Tesla’s profitability was on the decline due to the automaker having to confront some of the issues of a legacy manufacturer.

"They are entering my world, the world of tight pricing, cost competitiveness, and the operational issues that a big company like ours may face," Tavares told the press during a presentation of Stellantis’ half-year financial report. 

Since everyone loves a little industrial drama, the statement became national news. But is Tesla really on the decline because it’s finally on the level of other multinational automakers or is Tavares just coping? 

It will surprise precisely zero of our readers to learn that some carmakers apply optimistic range estimates to their electric vehicles. Prior to EVs taking the stage, it also wasn’t uncommon – especially prior to changes in methods at the EPA – for cars with internal combustion powertrains to bear outsized fuel economy ratings thanks to twisted testing protocols.

Myself and a few other journalists were talking shop over lunch today and one of us wondered which automaker would be next to adopt the North American Charging Standard for electric vehicles. The same standard developed and used by Tesla.

Nissan jumped on the bandwagon last week.

So, B and B, who's next?

Tesla drivers abusing Autopilot and the company’s “full self-driving” tech have almost become a meme at this point, but there are very real consequences when things go wrong. A California man was behind the wheel of a Tesla Model S in 2019 when it collided with another car, killing the two people inside. The Tesla was using Autopilot at the time, and the driver recently pleaded no contest to two counts of vehicular manslaughter.