News
Elon Musk gives nod to Tesla ads that support ‘high quality’ media
It is well known in the electric car community that Elon Musk detests traditional advertisements. The Tesla CEO has emphasized for years that Tesla does not advertise or pay for endorsements. Instead, the company simply utilizes its resources to ensure that its products are great. If a recent comment is any indication, however, it appears that Elon Musk may be softening up a bit when it comes to his stance on advertisements.
The CEO’s comments were recently related as a response to an article from fellow EV news outlet CleanTechnica, which covered the recent price reduction of Tesla’s solar solutions. After commenting that it’s still “better to put the money into the product than sales & marketing,” Elon Musk noted that eventually, Tesla should probably do some advertising to support “high quality media.” This is quite a statement from the CEO, who has been anti advertisement in the past.
Elon Musk’s references about supporting high quality media open a lot of opportunities for the electric car maker. The CEO, after all, is a known supporter of non traditional media sources, as evidenced by his overt support for prolific podcaster Joe Rogan, whose approach to information dissemination is quite different from mainstream media. References to art and entertainment also invoke past programs from the company, such as Project Loveday, where the Tesla community was tapped to create compelling videos featuring the company’s products.
The topic of Tesla advertisements has been expressed for some time now, at one point being discussed directly at an annual shareholders meeting. During the event, some Tesla shareholders even volunteered to utilize their own resources for the company’s advertising push. Musk, for his part, stated that he has reservations about advertising due to the level of trickery that usually goes with the practice. Nevertheless, the CEO did admit later on that Tesla could have “advertising for information to refute misinformation.”
And here lies a key reason behind the push for Tesla’s advertising efforts. The company is in calmer waters now compared to last year, but there is still no shortage of negativity surrounding Tesla and Elon Musk. A lot of the negativity, such as the perception that electric cars are more harmful to the environment, or that Teslas start at over $100,000, or that Elon Musk is a fraud, are surprisingly prevalent until today. The majority of these are easily debunked if Tesla has a serious anti misinformation campaign.
What is quite interesting is that Tesla does not really have to advertise itself in the traditional sense. The company could simply focus on setting the record straight with regards to the negativity that surrounds it. Examples of these could include the proper utilization of Autopilot and the Full Self Driving suite, two of the company’s products that attract a significant amount of ire from critics. These little campaigns could go a long way in ensuring that the right information is available online, and out in the open.
Tesla is now at a point where it has two mass market vehicles that could compete with other reasonably priced premium vehicles on the market. And if reports are accurate, it appears that the company is looking to release an even more affordable vehicle in the future. Tesla is now the largest automaker in the world by market cap, and its growth is unlikely to stop anytime in the near future. With this in mind, it might soon be the right time for the company to push forward even more, even if it has to advertise in the process.
Energy
Tesla launches Cybertruck vehicle-to-grid program in Texas
The initiative was announced by the official Tesla Energy account on social media platform X.
Tesla has launched a vehicle-to-grid (V2G) program in Texas, allowing eligible Cybertruck owners to send energy back to the grid during high-demand events and receive compensation on their utility bills.
The initiative, dubbed Powershare Grid Support, was announced by the official Tesla Energy account on social media platform X.
Texas’ Cybertruck V2G program
In its post on X, Tesla Energy confirmed that vehicle-to-grid functionality is “coming soon,” starting with select Texas markets. Under the new Powershare Grid Support program, owners of the Cybertruck equipped with Powershare home backup hardware can opt in through the Tesla app and participate in short-notice grid stress events.
During these events, the Cybertruck automatically discharges excess energy back to the grid, supporting local utilities such as CenterPoint Energy and Oncor. In return, participants receive compensation in the form of bill credits. Tesla noted that the program is currently invitation-only as part of an early adopter rollout.
The launch builds on the Cybertruck’s existing Powershare capability, which allows the vehicle to provide up to 11.5 kW of power for home backup. Tesla added that the program is expected to expand to California next, with eligibility tied to utilities such as PG&E, SCE, and SDG&E.
Powershare Grid Support
To participate in Texas, Cybertruck owners must live in areas served by CenterPoint Energy or Oncor, have Powershare equipment installed, enroll in the Tesla Electric Drive plan, and opt in through the Tesla app. Once enrolled, vehicles would be able to contribute power during high-demand events, helping stabilize the grid.
Tesla noted that events may occur with little notice, so participants are encouraged to keep their Cybertrucks plugged in when at home and to manage their discharge limits based on personal needs. Compensation varies depending on the electricity plan, similar to how Powerwall owners in some regions have earned substantial credits by participating in Virtual Power Plant (VPP) programs.
News
Samsung nears Tesla AI chip ramp with early approval at TX factory
This marks a key step towards the tech giant’s production of Tesla’s next-generation AI5 chips in the United States.
Samsung has received temporary approval to begin limited operations at its semiconductor plant in Taylor, Texas.
This marks a key step towards the tech giant’s production of Tesla’s next-generation AI5 chips in the United States.
Samsung clears early operations hurdle
As noted in a report from Korea JoongAng Daily, Samsung Electronics has secured temporary certificates of occupancy (TCOs) for a portion of its semiconductor facility in Taylor. This should allow the facility to start operations ahead of full completion later this year.
City officials confirmed that approximately 88,000 square feet of Samsung’s Fab 1 building has received temporary approval, with additional areas expected to follow. The overall timeline for permitting the remaining sections has not yet been finalized.
Samsung’s Taylor facility is expected to manufacture Tesla’s AI5 chips once mass production begins in the second half of the year. The facility is also expected to produce Tesla’s upcoming AI6 chips.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently stated that the design for AI5 is nearly complete, and the development of AI6 is already underway. Musk has previously outlined an aggressive roadmap targeting nine-month design cycles for successive generations of its AI chips.
Samsung’s U.S. expansion
Construction at the Taylor site remains on schedule. Reports indicate Samsung plans to begin testing extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography equipment next month, a critical step for producing advanced 2-nanometer semiconductors.
Samsung is expected to complete 6 million square feet of floor space at the site by the end of this year, with an additional 1 million square feet planned by 2028. The full campus spans more than 1,200 acres.
Beyond Tesla, Samsung Foundry is also pursuing additional U.S. customers as demand for AI and high-performance computing chips accelerates. Company executives have stated that Samsung is looking to achieve more than 130% growth in 2-nanometer chip orders this year.
One of Samsung’s biggest rivals, TSMC, is also looking to expand its footprint in the United States, with reports suggesting that the company is considering expanding its Arizona facility to as many as 11 total plants. TSMC is also expected to produce Tesla’s AI5 chips.
News
Anti-Tesla union leader ditches X, urges use of Threads instead
Tesla Sweden and IF Metall have been engaged in a bitter dispute for over two years now.
Marie Nilsson, chair of Sweden’s IF Metall union and a prominent critic of Tesla, has left X and is urging audiences to follow the union on Meta’s Threads instead.
Tesla Sweden and IF Metall have been engaged in a bitter dispute for over two years now.
Anti-Tesla union leader exits X
In a comment to Dagens Arbete (DA), Nilsson noted that her exit from X is not formally tied to IF Metall’s long-running labor dispute with Tesla Sweden. Still, she stated that her departure is affected by changes to the platform under Elon Musk’s leadership.
“We have stayed because many journalists pick up news there. But as more and more people have left X, we have felt that the standard has now been reached on that platform,” she said.
Jesper Pettersson, press officer at IF Metall, highlighted that the union’s departure from X is only indirectly linked to Tesla Sweden and Elon Musk. “Indirectly it does, since there is a lot of evidence that his ownership has caused the change in the platform to be so significant.
“We have nevertheless assessed that the platform had value for reaching journalists, politicians and other opinion leaders. But it is a microscopic proportion of the public and our members who are there, and now that value has decreased,” Petterson added.
IF Metall sees Threads as an X alternative
After leaving X, IF Metall has begun using Threads, Meta’s alternative to the social media platform. The union described the move as experimental, noting that it is still evaluating how effective the platform will be for outreach and visibility.
Pettersson acknowledged that Meta also does not operate under Sweden’s collective bargaining model, but said the union sees little alternative if it wants to remain visible online.
“In a perfect world, all large international companies would be supporters of the Swedish model when they come here. But unfortunately, the reality is not like that. If we are to be visible at all in this social media world, we have to play by the rules of the game. The alternative would be to become completely invisible, and that would not benefit our members,” he said.
Tesla launches Cybertruck vehicle-to-grid program in Texas
Samsung nears Tesla AI chip ramp with early approval at TX factory
