

News
Tesla and Musk visit to China leaves India shocked: ‘Shoddy ethics or simply business?’
Tesla and CEO Elon Musk’s visit to China last weekend has left people in India “shocked. Musk postponed the visit to India after he said “very heavy Tesla obligations” left him no time to make what was expected to be a firm commitment to the country.
It appears the obligation may have been for Tesla to come to terms with Chinese government officials on the rollout of the company’s Full Self-Driving suite.
However, media outlets in India are confused by the visit to China. Some news stations even ran segments called “Hello China, Goodbye India?” according to a report from Reuters.
Others are asking the question of whether Tesla’s move to meet with Chinese government officials instead of India to discuss a potential Gigafactory was “Shoddy ethics or simply business.”
Tesla has been working with India for the better part of a decade to come to terms on a Gigafactory, and it appeared an announcement would be imminent at one point.
However, Musk postponed the late April meeting, citing “heavy Tesla obligations,” but did not go into further detail regarding what was more important. There have been a lot of new developments in the Tesla space recently, as everything from widespread company layoffs to an adjustment in the automaker’s plans for its next-generation lineup of vehicles has been discussed.
Nobody saw Musk visiting China and coming to an agreement with government officials on a tentative rollout of the Full Self-Driving suite. It is entirely possible that this was the bigger Tesla obligation, as a rollout of Full Self-Driving in foreign countries could be looked at as a bigger priority than another factory, especially in today’s economic conditions.
Tesla is also struggling to keep demand up for its vehicles, just as every other EV maker is. It said in its Q1 2024 Shareholder Deck that more companies were shifting their attention toward hybrid electric vehicles, as consumers seem to want the advantages of both ICE and EV in one car.
Now, Indian political opponents of current Prime Minister Narendra Modi are using Musk’s postponed visit as fuel due to shaky geopolitical tensions between China and India.
“Such is the lack of faith in the Modi govt’s regulatory policies, that big businesses are turning to China over India repeatedly,” Shama Mohamed, the national spokesperson of the opposition Congress party said.
After cancelling his planned visit to India, @elonmusk makes a surprise visit to China.
Such is the lack of faith in the Modi govt’s regulatory policies, that big businesses are turning to China over India repeatedly.
India needs a leader like @RahulGandhi ji who can invoke…
— Dr. Shama Mohamed (@drshamamohd) April 29, 2024
Tesla has not yet rescheduled Musk’s visit to India.
I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.

Elon Musk
Elon Musk roasts owners of this car brand after another Tesla vandalism incident

Elon Musk roasted owners of one specific car brand after yet another incident of a Tesla being vandalized, this time in New York.
Tesla owners have had a bit of a target on their backs in recent months as Musk, CEO of the company, has joined forces with U.S. President Donald Trump in an effort to eliminate excessive and unneeded government spending in the new Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.
Due to Musk’s bold personality and unfiltered political beliefs, he has gained plenty of critics in the last few months. Tesla owners are being targeted as a result, seeing their vehicles be vandalized on nearly a daily basis.
Tesla-owned showrooms across the country have also been the target of some attacks, as one was even damaged in a series of shootings, another lit on fire by a Molotov cocktail.
Nevertheless, Musk has continued to stand firm on his beliefs, and Tesla drivers are getting fed up with the amount of damage being done to their cars. In this particular instance, someone drew a swastika on the side of a New York City Tesla Cybertruck owner. He was able to confront the person who drew the offensive logo, an exchange that was caught on camera:
NEW: Leftist arrested after drawing a swastika on a Cybertruck belonging to a Jewish man in NYC.
The man saw the Cybertruck, got out of his Subaru & then drew the swastika.
He fled the scene without his car & came back an hour later where police were waiting.
The people… pic.twitter.com/F1wCl00tjV
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) March 15, 2025
The video was shared on X, which grabbed the attention of Musk, who was sure to criticize the make of the assailant’s vehicle: a Subaru.
Musk said:
“Crazy people. Naturally, he drives a Subaru …”
Crazy people. Naturally, he drives a Subaru …
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 15, 2025
The playful jab at Subaru drivers likely comes from the stereotype that those vehicles are usually driven by people with intense political and social beliefs. Facetious posts on Reddit claim that Subarus won’t operate without at least ten bumper stickers on them. Subaru’s past marketing and advertising campaigns have attracted those who are “outdoorsy,” Google’s AI description of the drivers states.
Musk has never held back and never will. In an interview with MSNBC, he said he will speak his mind and if his companies lose money because of it, “so be it.” One thing is for sure, Musk is not going to shy away from speaking or posting how he pleases.
News
Tesla stores continue to face anti-Musk protests
Scenes from a protest outside of Tesla’s store in Loveland, Colorado.

Tesla stores have been the target of widespread protests and vandalism in recent weeks, after Elon Musk made a controversial gesture in January, and as he and the Trump administration’s newly created government efficiency division continues to gut federal agencies.
On Saturday, I went to the Tesla store in Loveland, Colorado, where demonstrators were already protesting upon my arrival at roughly 12:45 p.m. MT. Walking up to the protest, I could see scattered groups of demonstrators lined up along about two blocks, spanning from the Tesla store to a nearby intersection and Sprouts location. One protestor said he had counted about 230 people at around 1:00 p.m. MT.
The protest felt generally peaceful, with cars driving by and honking, and demonstrators leaving a large space between the front of the Tesla store and the sidewalk, easily allowing workers and customers to go in and out.
You can see a few videos and photos from the site below, along with some of the responses I got from protestors and a prospective customer.
Walking up to the protest, I could see scattered groups of demonstrators lined up along about two blocks, spanning from the Tesla store to a nearby intersection and Sprouts location.
One protestor said he had counted about 230 people at around 1:00 p.m. MT. pic.twitter.com/gbZIuWWej7
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) March 15, 2025
Protests in front of the Tesla store in Loveland, Colorado pic.twitter.com/qLRM9TY0ng
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) March 15, 2025
READ MORE ON TESLA PROTESTS AND VANDALISM:
- U.S. AG Pam Bondi: Tesla Molotov attack suspect facing up to 20 years in prison
- Tesla mulls adding a new feature to fight off vandals as anti-Musk protests increase
- Tesla fire in Germany may be considered a threat to the state
- Tesla showroom in Oregon gets shot up for second time in a week
- Donald Trump pledges Tesla purchase amid anti-Musk protests
- Congress supports probe into ‘domestic terrorism’ of Tesla vandalism
- Anti-Musk protests at Tesla store in New York lead to arrests
- Elon Musk slams MSNBC for relating Trump’s terrorism warning to Tesla ‘protests’
- One dozen Teslas burn in arson attack in France, investigation underway
I spoke to about a dozen protestors about what they were protesting against. Most said they were there to condemn Musk’s recent federal worker and program cuts with the Trump administration, his performance of what some said resembled a Nazi salute at Trump’s inauguration ceremony in January, or the administration’s recent attacks against transgender and queer individuals.
One protestor, Elsa, identified as a former Republican and said she was “highly concerned that our Constitution is being ignored,” especially with regards to the three branches of government and the system of checks and balances.
“It surprises me that, even if you voted for Trump, or you believe in capitalism, which, I didn’t vote for Trump, but I do believe in capitalism — I’m a former Republican, I was a Republican for most of my life — but it’s dangerous to have power rest in a handful of ultra-wealthy people,” Elsa said.
“And our whole country needs to realize that,” she adds. “This to me is not even Republican or Democrat at this point.”
Instead, she says it now comes down to whether people want to give billionaires huge tax breaks, or to use that money to support a range of groups in the U.S., including those who have social security benefits, are veterans, or are 9/11 survivors seeking cancer treatments, as a few examples.
Another protestor, Mary, said she was taking part in the demonstration “because she loves this country and democracy,” adding that she wanted to help preserve democracy for her grandchildren.
Still another protestor, Bryan, said that they were protesting because of the Trump administration and Musk’s attempts to erase transgender, non-binary, and queer people from history, drawing comparisons to the rise of fascism in Nazi Germany, where early human rights violations were lodged against gay and queer communities.
“I’m here because I have to be,” Bryan said. “I’m afraid of the future.”
Yet another person and his family were holding Ukraine flags, saying that they were protesting for a wide range of reasons, but especially for Trump’s recent meeting with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Musk’s claims that the top Ukrainian executive was to blame for what he has called a “forever war.”
While most protestors appeared to be generally friendly, especially with each other, I did hear a few exchanges between demonstrators and those with other opinions. While I heard more cars honking throughout the experience, seemingly in support of the protests, I also noticed a few from which passengers yelled things like “Go Trump.”
“Direct action, we need to stop these fascists with direct action,” one protestor yelled in response.
Additionally, I also talked to a prospective customer, Kristy, who was there for a test drive and said she had a negative experience with the protestors.
“I was test driving a Tesla, and as we pulled in and parked right here, this black one, these people right here in the middle yelled at me, ‘Hope you’re turning in your f*cking Nazi car,’ and I said ‘F*ck you,’” Kristy explained.
“And they’re like ‘F*ck you too, you’re a Nazi, f*cking Nazi lovers.’ And so, they’re just yelling racial slurs at me, and I’m far from a Nazi.”
Tesla store advisers declined to comment on the protests, and so did Loveland police.
Other Saturday protest footage from Tesla stores in California, Texas, and New York
The Loveland Tesla store has also been the site of repeated attacks in recent weeks, with authorities on Friday making a second arrest following multiple incidents. You can see the Department’s press release for the arrest below.
Another arrest has been made by the Loveland Police Department.🚔
The arrest was related to an incident earlier this month, which involved an incendiary device being ignited and thrown at a Tesla location. https://t.co/s1pZjAacD3
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) March 14, 2025
The protest was also part of widespread demonstrations on Saturday, and it’s just the latest in actions targeting Musk’s electric vehicle (EV) company, some of which have included acts of vandalism, graffiti, arson, and even the use of weapons on Tesla storefronts.
Multiple other protests were also captured in footage on Saturday, including one in Santa Rosa, California, as shared by the San Francisco Chronicle, and another attended by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones in Austin, Texas. Still another was captured in New York City, and you can see footage from each of these protests below.
“Hey, hey, ho, ho, Elon Musk has got to go.”
Protesters rally during a protest outside a Tesla showroom against U.S. President Donald Trump and the Tesla CEO in Santa Rosa. 🎥: @stephenlamphoto pic.twitter.com/qpXuuGNghf
— San Francisco Chronicle (@sfchronicle) March 15, 2025
Viciously crazed leftist Tesla protesters in Austin are dumbstruck when I invoke the truth about their movement, calling it a “Pedophile Satan Cult”. pic.twitter.com/WzWPfYup4R
— Alex Jones (@RealAlexJones) March 15, 2025
Another anti-Elon Musk and Tesla protest outside of a showroom in New York City! pic.twitter.com/QLrRfWesG2
— Art Candee 🍿🥤 (@ArtCandee) March 15, 2025
News
Musk sets a date for Starship trip to Mars with Optimus on board
Optimus could be the first humanoid to make it to Mars, and Musk has set a date for when he thinks it’ll happen.

Elon Musk has shared when he expects to take Starship to Mars for its first uncrewed mission, and he also says Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robot will be on board for the flight.
On Friday, Musk wrote on X that SpaceX’s reusable Starship rocket will take Optimus to Mars at the end of 2026, with human landings expected to commence a few years later.
“Starship departs for Mars at the end of next year, carrying Optimus,” Musk said. “If those landings go well, then human landings may start as soon as 2029, although 2031 is more likely.”
Hold on
— Tesla Optimus (@Tesla_Optimus) March 15, 2025
Last year, the SpaceX and Tesla head also said he expected that SpaceX would be able to begin uncrewed launches in 2016, with early launches including both Optimus and a Cybertruck unit.
Musk also followed up the announcement with a post on X on Saturday morning, noting that he expects SpaceX to launch more than 90 percent of Earth’s payload mass to orbit this year. Meanwhile, he says China will make up just around 5 percent, while the rest of the world, including other parts of America, would also make up just 5 percent.
He also predicted that the number would go up even further to nearly 100 percent, once SpaceX’s reusable rocket is being launched more frequently.
“When Starship is launching at high rate, SpaceX will probably carry >99 percent of Earth’s payload mass to orbit. This is necessary to make Mars a self-sustaining civilization,” Musk added.
READ MORE ABOUT SPACEX’S STARSHIP: Texas awards SpaceX $17.3M grant to expand Bastrop tech hub
To be sure, Musk has been known to make ambitious claims about when his companies’ products would achieve certain milestones. For example, Musk predicted in 2018 that SpaceX could launch a rocket to Mars with humans aboard by 2024, though SpaceX only began testing the company’s reusable Starship in 2023.
Still, the company has been routinely testing Starship since then, and with increasing frequency, and in October, SpaceX performed the first catch of the Starship’s Super Heavy booster after liftoff to demonstrate the concept that a reusable rocket could be possible. In a launch earlier this month, SpaceX again successfully caught the Super Heavy Booster, though it lost the upper stage to a “rapid unscheduled disassembly,” effectively meaning that it had exploded in air and showered surrounding areas with rocket parts.
The explosion was the second consecutive launch in which debris from Starship reigned down, highlighting the continued importance of testing as SpaceX aims to make the rocket a viable product for reusable space travel.
On Friday, SpaceX also launched its Crew Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS) to rescue astronauts that have been stuck on the orbital craft, after a Boeing Starliner craft was originally intended to bring them back to Earth. While SpaceX attempted to rescue the two astronauts in September, issues with the Crew Dragon craft’s thrusters discovered upon arrival made NASA hold off on approving the return mission.
Update 3/16/25: Edited final paragraph after incorrectly saying that Starliner had been a SpaceX craft, rather than one owned by Boeing.
-
News1 week ago
Tesla at risk of 95% crash, claims billionaire hedge fund manager
-
News2 weeks ago
SpaceX announces Starship Flight 8’s new target date
-
News1 week ago
Tesla contract with Baltimore paused after city ‘decided to go in a different direction’
-
News2 weeks ago
Tesla launches fresh U.S. promotions for the Model 3
-
Elon Musk2 weeks ago
Tesla mulls adding a new feature to fight off vandals as anti-Musk protests increase
-
Elon Musk5 days ago
President Donald Trump buys a Tesla at the White House – Here’s which model he chose
-
Elon Musk1 week ago
Tesla UK sales up over 20% despite Elon Musk backlash
-
News5 days ago
Elon Musk comments on Tesla’s massive Monday stock slide