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Tesla’s dominance is causing other companies to adopt a ‘fake it ’til we make it’ strategy
Tesla’s dominance in the automotive sector has proven to be one of the industry’s biggest surprises in its long and storied history. Because of the whirlwind of support that Tesla and its initiatives have received, along with the increasingly dominant numbers that the company displays quarterly, Tesla is undoubtedly the biggest influencer in the car industry today. After the company’s increasingly apparent dominance has been recognized by the long and storied auto manufacturers of the American vehicle market, a “fake it ’til we make it” strategy has been adopted by several of these entities, and it has not always worked out in the most favorable fashion.
Legacy automakers have spent over a hundred years dominating and influencing the look, design, and overall appeal of “the car.” Before 2008, electric cars were never a huge deal. They weren’t available for purchase, and many car buyers figured that buying Hybrid vehicles was enough for the environmental concerns to go away in the short-term. As a result, nobody, including some of the most seasoned and informed automotive executives, figured that for the foreseeable future, business would carry on as usual. People would continue buying gas-powered cars that fit their bill of needs and their finances, and that would be that. People would accept the constantly-rising gas prices and continue to drive cars that were manufactured by companies that have been in business for decades, simply because they’re trustworthy, and that is what was most ideal.
And, who could blame them? In 2007, nobody truly thought that EVs would be a major player in the automotive market within 5-10 years. Nobody knew that a little-known entrepreneur from South Africa had a plan to disrupt the automotive industry as a whole. Nobody knew that eventually, gas-powered cars would be exposed as inferior to battery-powered vehicles because nobody had figured out the innovation.
In reality, when the tech bubble began to burst, it was only a matter of time before cars became less of a transportation means and more of a software device. Tesla really drove this point into fruition with its electric cars, especially when software updates and Over-the-Air upgrades became available to owners. But while Tesla continues to uncover the secrets behind the disruption of the automotive sector, it continues to extend its lead in the development of electric cars. The lead has gotten to a point where car companies are coming up with ways to “fake it until they make it,” and it has cost some of the most notable names in the industry, and some up-and-comers, their spot as potential forces in EV production.
The most notable is Nikola, who was exposed in September 2020 by Hindenburg Research. Earlier this morning, General Motors, who had announced a partnership with Nikola on September 8th, completely scrapped any partnership involving EVs and noted that their jointed effort would only deal with hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles. This ultimately led to Nikola announcing that its all-electric truck, the Badger, had no timetable for completion. Ultimately, the faking strategy paid dividends in the short term, as Nikola had gained some momentum on Wall Street before the Hindenburg report was released. Now, the company has been exposed, and GM bailed out of a multi-billion dollar partnership that would have established Nikola as a player in the EV pickup game.
Other automakers who have promised to initiative efforts to transition to BEV development and production are out there. Ford, GM, and Volkswagen have all worked toward establishing electric vehicle production lines in an effort to move away from petrol-powered engines. However, only time will tell if these companies remain serious about their efforts. While Volkswagen has been extremely vocal about its support for electrification, Ford has also outlined plans to begin battery cell manufacturing efforts, and GM has plans to expand its line of electric cars with the upcoming Hummer EV.
Ultimately, nobody likes to be lagging behind, and the car companies that have long dominated the automotive sector are more than likely not used to being second-fiddle, especially to a company that has only built cars for twelve years. The lesson in the development of EVs is that adopting the technologies must be done efficiently. There is no room for dragging feet. There is no time to delay the efforts. These companies must adopt the realization that EVs are the future of the auto sector. Without a plan in place, Tesla’s lead will continue to widen, and the long-standing American car companies will be, for the first time ever, left in the dust.
Elon Musk
Tesla looks to expand Robotaxi geofence once again with testing in new area
It looks as if Tesla is preparing for its next expansion of the geofence, potentially moving toward a much larger service area that could eclipse 150 square miles.
Tesla looks to be preparing for the potential expansion of the Robotaxi geofence once again, as the company was spotted testing the suite in an area well outside of the Austin service area.
After it first launched the Robotaxi platform on June 22, Tesla has managed to expand its geofence twice, essentially doubling the travel area both times.
The most recent expansion took the size of the geofence from 42 square miles to about 80 square miles, bringing new neighborhoods and regions of the city into the realm of where the driverless vehicles could take passengers.
However, it looks as if Tesla is preparing for its next expansion of the geofence, potentially moving toward a much larger service area that could eclipse 150 square miles.
Over the weekend, one fan noticed a Robotaxi validation vehicle testing in Bee Cave, Texas, which is roughly 25 minutes from the edge of the current geofence:
Tesla spotted doing Robotaxi validation testing in Bee Cave, Texas, about 15 miles west of Austin (20-25 minute drive from current edge of geofence). pic.twitter.com/JCOcoys8SJ
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) August 23, 2025
Tesla has been testing vehicles in the western suburbs of Austin for some time, and it seems the company is laying some groundwork to push its geofence expansion into Plaid Mode as competition with Waymo continues to be at the forefront of the conversation.
Waymo has been expanding with Tesla for some time, as the pace of expansion for the two companies has been relatively accelerated for the past couple of months.
Tesla’s expansions of the geofence sent a clear message to competitors and doubters, but it is still aiming to keep things safe and not push the envelope too quickly.
The geofence expansion is impressive, but Tesla is also focusing on expanding its vehicle fleet in both Austin and the Bay Area, where it launched a ride-hailing service in July.
Tesla Bay Area autonomous fleet to grow to over 100 units: Elon Musk
Still, safety is the priority at the current time.
“We are being very cautious. We do not want to take any chances, so we are going to go cautiously. But the service areas and the number of vehicles in operation will increase at a hyper-exponential rate,” CEO Elon Musk said during the Q2 Earnings Call.
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Tesla considers making a big move with Model Y pricing as demand is skyrocketing
“Trending toward a need to expedite output even further, which could mean adjusting pricing upward in the coming days. Trying hard not to, will see.”
Tesla is considering making a big move with Model Y pricing as demand is skyrocketing due to the EV tax credit expiring in just over a month.
With the $7,500 EV tax credit set to be removed on September 30, Tesla is experiencing increased demand for its Model 3 and Model Y. Customers are doing whatever they can to take delivery of the car they ordered as soon as possible.
The IRS recently adjusted the EV tax credit’s rules slightly.
Previously, the vehicle had to be delivered by September 30, but a slight tweak the agency made last week will now allow customers to enter a legally binding contract along with a marginal down payment by that date. The delivery can occur after September 30, and the car can still qualify for the credit.
However, demand is getting so crazy for the Model Y that Tesla is considering a price increase on the all-electric crossover, as well as a potential boost in production output to keep up with orders.
Inventory is dwindling in several markets across the United States, a good sign for the company, as it could have one of its best quarters in recent history in terms of deliveries.
However, Tesla is thinking of bumping the price slightly, Raj Jegannathan, the company’s VP of IT, AI Infrastructure, Apps, Infosec, and Vehicle Service Operations, said on X:
Trending toward a need to expedite output even further, which could mean adjusting pricing upward in the coming days. Trying hard not to, will see.
— Raj Jegannathan (@r_jegaa) August 25, 2025
The price adjustment would come as a response to increasing production output, Jegannathan’s response seems to indicate.
The bump would help Tesla’s margins, but the idea that the company could adjust pricing by increasing it would not be popular with potential car buyers. It might encourage some buyers to put their orders in sooner, hoping to avoid a new, higher price.
However, it could also steer some buyers away from putting an order in on a vehicle, especially if the price increase is more than a few hundred dollars.
Tesla boosted the price of the Model S, Model X, and Cybertruck recently, but brought in a “Luxe Package” to help justify it.
It comes with Free Full Self-Driving, Free lifetime Supercharging, four years of premium service, and lifetime Premium Connectivity.
Tesla has produced its 100,000th new Model Y at Gigafactory Berlin. The milestone was announced by the electric vehicle maker through its official Tesla Manufacturing account on social media platform X.
New Tesla Model Y milestone
The milestone was announced by Tesla on X, when the company wrote “Today, we built the 100,000th New Model Y at Giga Berlin!” The announcement was accompanied by an image of a new Model Y coming off the line.
The milestone was received warmly by members of the Tesla community, many of whom expressed excitement at the further progress of the new Model Y program at Giga Berlin. The facility, after all, only produces Model Y units, which would make it the perfect site to produce new variants like the Model Y Performance and possibly even the Model Y L, which was recently launched in China.
New Model Y ramp
As noted in a previous report from electrive, the initial production of the new Model Y started in Giga Berlin around mid-January 2025. Since the new Model Y involved a changeover from the legacy Y to the new variant, the ramp of the new Model Y’s production at the Germany-based facility was likely a gradual process over the past months.
It would then be no surprise if the next 100,000 new Model Y units would be produced in Giga Berlin in a shorter period. Giga Berlin could become an even bigger factor in Tesla’s global sales, after all, especially if it becomes the site that produces the Model Y Performance and the Model Y L for Europe and other territories. Giga Berlin, if any, seems to be quite busy recently, with aerial videos of the facility showing a fleet of mysteriously covered Model Y units being stored within the complex.
Tesla looks to expand Robotaxi geofence once again with testing in new area
Tesla considers making a big move with Model Y pricing as demand is skyrocketing
Tesla produces 100,000th new Model Y in Giga Berlin
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