Recent reports have suggested that Elon Musk will soon be departing his work with the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). 

As per recent comments from U.S. Vice President JD Vance, however, these reports are untrue.

The Claims

In a recent report, Politico claimed that U.S. President Donald Trump had informed his Cabinet that Elon Musk would soon be leaving. The publication claimed that while Trump was pleased with Musk and DOGE, both men have reportedly decided in recent days that it will soon be time for the Tesla CEO to return to his businesses.

Citing a senior administration official, Politico also noted that Musk will still likely retain an informal role as an adviser. Musk’s departure will reportedly correspond to the end of his time as a special government employee, which is expected to expire in late May to early June, the publication claimed, citing insiders.

The Response

In response to the Politico report, the White House noted on Wednesday that Elon Musk would be staying on with DOGE until the department’s work is completed. This was highlighted by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who noted that “Elon Musk and President Trump have both publicly stated that Elon will depart from public service as a special government employee when his incredible work at DOGE is complete.” Musk also noted in a post on social media platform X that the report was “fake news.” 

What VP Vance Says

In a conversation with Fox News, Vice President Vance also stated that the recent reports were erroneous. Similar to the comments of the White House Press Secretary, Vance noted that while Musk took on the challenge of shrinking the bureaucracy, he will still continue as an advisor to the administration. 

“That report I saw was total fake news. Elon came in and we said, ‘We need you to make government more efficient. We need you to shrink the incredible, vast bureaucracy that thwarts the will of the American people but also costs way too much money.’ We said that’s gonna take about six months, and that’s what Elon’s signed up for. But of course, he’s gonna continue to be an advisor,” Vance stated.

The rollout of the new Model Y throttled Tesla’s production and deliveries in the first quarter, as noted by the electric car maker in its Q1 2025 vehicle production and delivery report.

Based on recent images from Giga Texas, however, it appears that the ramp of the revamped all-electric crossover is progressing very well.

New Model Y Non-Launch Series

When Tesla started taking orders for the new Model Y in the United States, only the Launch Series edition was available. The Model Y Launch Series features a special rear lift gate badge, puddle light badge, doorsill plate wordmark, charging console wordmark, premium textile trim, and vegan suede for vehicles ordered with a black interior. They also came with Full Self-Driving (Supervised) and Acceleration Boost.

The new Model Y Launch Series is available for $59,990, making it quite pricey over inventory units of the Model Y classic. A look at Tesla’s order page for the new Model Y in the United States shows that the Launch Series is still the only trim that is available for order, at least as of writing.

New Sightings

As per images shared online by longtime Giga Texas watcher and drone operator Joe Tegtmeyer, Tesla seems to have started the production ramp of new Model Y’s non-Launch Series vehicles. This could be seen in several new Model Y units that were sighted in the Giga Texas complex. 

As could be seen in the images, the vehicles were equipped with a regular “Dual Motor” badge instead of the Launch Series badge on their rear. Interestingly enough, the non-Launch Series new Model Y units all seemed to be equipped with black interior. This is similar to the Launch Series, which is also only available with black interior in the United States. While Tesla has not explained why it has started producing non-Launch Series units of the new Model Y, speculations suggest that regular deliveries of the vehicle may start soon.

Tesla announced in its Q1 2025 vehicle production and delivery report that a total of 323,800 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles were sold in the first quarter. With Giga Texas now producing non-Launch Series units of the new Model Y, there seems to be a good chance that Tesla could see a notable recovery in vehicle deliveries this Q2 2025.

Redwood Materials is expanding into San Francisco by launching a new R&D center.

The battery recycling company unveiled plans for a 15,000-square-foot facility in the Bay Area’s Design District, a hub for advancing cathode production and future product lines. Equipped with cutting-edge lab spaces, Redwood’s new R&D center aims to bolster the company’s engineering muscle.

The San Francisco site opens doors for dozens of new hires, targeting mechanical, electrical, and software engineering roles. However, Redwood Materials will continue to ramp up teams in its Nevada and South Carolina campuses.

“There’s never been a better time to create a circular battery supply chain in the U.S.,” the company noted.

Redwood’s engineers designed systems to recycle most U.S. lithium-ion batteries, recovering over 95% of critical minerals and producing battery components domestically at scale. In the past year, the company recycled 20 GWh of batteries—equivalent to 250,000 EVs. It also launched the first U.S. lithium source and nickel “mine” in over a decade and broke ground on the nation’s first commercial cathode facility. The San Francisco R&D center builds on this momentum.

Redwood’s production is surging with campuses progressing in Nevada and South Carolina. The upcoming new facility in San Francisco sharpens Redwood’s focus on technical innovation, positioning the company to meet rising demand while competitors vie for a slice of the recycling market.