Elon Musk
Elon Musk clarifies Trump tariff effect on Tesla: “The cost impact is not trivial”
The U.S. President has stated that Elon Musk stayed silent and provided no input in the administration’s tariffs.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to implement a 25% tariff on non-U.S.-made vehicles starting next week would affect American electric car maker Tesla.
This was confirmed by CEO Elon Musk in a recent post on social media platform X.
Musk and Trump
While Elon Musk works closely with the Trump administration due to his role in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the U.S. president has emphasized that the Tesla CEO never asks for favors. This was highlighted in his recent comments, when he stated that Elon Musk stayed silent and provided no input in the administration’s 25% auto tariffs.
When asked by reporters if the new tariffs would be good for Tesla, Trump noted that they may be “net neutral or they may be good.” The U.S. president also pointed to Tesla’s automotive plants in Fremont, California and Austin, Texas, which produce vehicles that are sold in the country. “Anybody that has plants in the United States — it’s going to be good for them,” Trump noted.
Tesla Affected
In a post on X, Elon Musk clarified that the Trump administration’s tariffs would affect the prices of vehicle parts that are sourced from other countries. This was a concern that Tesla previously outlined in a letter to the U.S. Trade Representative, which noted that even with “aggressive localization” of its supply chain, “certain parts and components are difficult or impossible to source within the United States.”
As per Musk in his recent post on X, the cost impact of the Trump administration’s tariffs is no joke. “To be clear, this will affect the price of parts in Tesla cars that come from other countries. The cost impact is not trivial,” Musk wrote in his post.
Potential Effects
Reactions to Musk’s comments from users of the social media platform were varied, with some speculating that the Trump auto tariffs could result in Teslas becoming more expensive in the United States. Despite this, the potential increases in Tesla’s vehicle prices might not be as notable as other cars, particularly those that are produced outside the country.
Elon Musk
Tesla Takedown group takes victory lap and aims for Starlink and SpaceX
Following Tesla’s Q1 2025 results, which were below expectations, the Tesla Takedown group celebrated.

The Tesla Takedown movement has taken a victory lap following the release of the electric vehicle maker’s first quarter 2025 earnings. With the group feeling encouraged by its results with the EV maker, Tesla Takedown is now setting its sights at Elon Musk’s other ventures, such as Starlink and SpaceX.
Because high-speed and reliable satellite internet for people in remote areas and the most affordable spaceflight provider for the United States need to be damaged, it seems.
Tesla Takedown’s Victory Lap
Following Tesla’s Q1 2025 results, which were below expectations, the Tesla Takedown group celebrated. “Today’s earnings report sends a very clear message. The Tesla Takedown grassroots pressure is beginning to hit Tesla where it hurts – the company’s bottom line,” the group noted.
Of course, the fact that Tesla did not sell its best-selling car for the majority of the first quarter due to the new Model Y changeover was conveniently left out by the group.
Nevertheless, in a comment to Insider, Tesla Takedown noted that its post-earnings email had an open rate of 53%, far above the 30% open rate of its previous emails. It also noted that it saw more than 30 new anti-Tesla protests added to its Action Network page within about 24 hours of the Q1 earnings’ release. Lastly, its BlueSky follower count rose by 10% to 15%, far above its weekly social media growth of 5%.
New Targets Acquired
Despite its name, Tesla Takedown is really more like an anti-Elon Musk group. Thus, it was no surprise that in a statement, the group noted that it is now setting its sights on Musk’s other ventures. As per Tesla Takedown, it is already making preparations for similar efforts against the CEO’s other ventures, such as SpaceX and Starlink.
“Tesla Takedown has already started laying the groundwork to expand Tesla Takedown efforts to target other Musk businesses including SpaceX, Starlink, X and xAI,” the Tesla Takedown group noted.
Considering the absence of the Model Y in most of Q1 2025, Tesla Takedown’s alleged effects on the company and Elon Musk’s alleged brand damage could be determined more accurately this quarter. This Q2, after all, none of Tesla’s vehicles are paused, and the company seems determined to sell as many cars as possible.
Elon Musk
Kia gains Tesla Supercharger access and issues a big apology
Kia gained Tesla Supercharger access and respect from Tesla fans in the same day.

Kia has announced that owners of the EV6, EV9, and Niro EVs have officially gained access to over 21,500 Tesla Supercharger locations in North America.
However, its announcement also contained an apology to Tesla.
First, Kia said that its three EV offerings will have access to Tesla’s expansive Supercharger Network. More than 40,000 DC fast chargers are available to Kia EV drivers, a major uptick as Tesla Supercharger access nearly doubles the number of accessible piles.
Sean Yoon, President of Kia North America and Kia America, said:
“Kia is committed to an exceptional ownership experience, and expanding the network of available DC fast chargers to our EV customers is an important component to maintaining the brand’s leadership in electrified mobility. Now, with access to the Tesla Supercharger network of DC fast chargers, our EV owners can feel even more confident in their decision to purchase or lease a fully electric Kia vehicle.”
Kia owners who have a CCS1 Charging Port will have access to an NACS adapter through dealerships. This will enable compatibility, as current inlets are not NACS, the port that Tesla utilizes.
However, Kia will eliminate the need for this adapter starting with the 2025 EV6 and 2026 EV9. These will come standard with NACS inlets.
We mentioned Kia included somewhat of an apology to Tesla, which is related to social media posts from “certain Nordic distributors,” as the company puts it:
Kia paid for a front page ad on Finland’s largest newspaper to mock Elon Musk and Tesla.
Translation: “Oh, These Days of Life. If you’re unsure about driving an american electric car, welcome to the Helsinki Exhibition Centre to admire the cars of the new age.”
It’s a play on… pic.twitter.com/XfwOJVIGll
— Nic Cruz Patane (@niccruzpatane) April 5, 2025
Kia said in its announcement:
“Kia America is aware of marketing posts by certain Nordic distributors. These initiatives were developed entirely independently by those distributors, without direction from Kia America, Kia Europe or Kia Global. We want it to be clear that these posts do not reflect the position of Kia America, and we remain committed to clear and professional communication that reflects our values.”
The company also said that it “condemns the recent attacks that disrupt the availability of convenient and affordable charging for our customers.”
Elon Musk
Tesla adds new child protection feature to mobile app
Tesla is rolling out within its mobile app a new feature that aims to save the lives of those forgotten in the car.

Tesla is bolstering its in-car safety system with the addition of a new feature that aims to protect children left in the vehicle, an extension of a feature it introduced with the addition of 4D radar systems.
Children are, unfortunately, victims of accidents even when a vehicle is not in motion. A report from 2024 noted that 37 children under the age of 15 die each year because they are left in cars, usually dying from heatstroke.
Tesla has made a few attempts to eliminate the possibility of this happening. Back in September, coding from Software Update 2024.32 noted that the company would be using an alert system to warn people of children left behind:
Tesla set to roll out new child safety and navigation features, coding shows
This was enabled by the use of a wave sensor within the cabin, a piece of tech Teslarati found in a filing back in 2021 with the FCC.
The entire idea behind this addition to the vehicles was to alert owners if there were passengers left in the car.
Now, Tesla is adding another level of this to its mobile app, according to a decompile of the Version 4.44.0 update, which is rolling out to customers now.
Tesla App Updates on X revealed a “Child Left Alone Detection” feature in the new app version, which has a few strings from a software perspective:
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Cannot turn off climate when Child Left Alone Detection is active
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Climate failed to start. Climate is unavailable when Child Left Alone Detection is active.
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Climate controls are disabled when Child Left Alone Detection is active
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Unable to start software update while a child is detected in your vehicle
It appears that, if the vehicle detects a child or another occupant in the car, climate controls will be disabled through the app in an attempt to maintain a proper cabin temperature. Turning the temperature up or even turning climate control off from the app will not be possible.
This is a major update to this feature as it only bolsters the safety of the occupants in the event that they are left behind. Of course, many of us might ask, “How do you leave a child in the car?”
However, it happens, as past events have shown, and this is a great way to eliminate it from happening in Tesla vehicles.
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