News
Ford Mustang Mach-E will have more intuitive and less complicated controls than a Tesla: CEO
Among the upcoming entries to the all-electric vehicle market, the Ford Mustang Mach-E stands as one of the most exciting. The vehicle, after all, features Mustang-worthy performance at a price that’s competitive with EVs like the Tesla Model Y. It’s also a crossover, which means that it is competing in one of the automotive market’s most lucrative segments.
That being said, the electric vehicle market, especially in the United States, is pretty much Tesla’s territory. Tesla dominates the EV segment to such an insane degree that in states like California, the company’s futuristic all-electric cars are becoming ubiquitous. Ford CEO Jim Farley, however, believes that this status quo is open for change, especially when the Mustang Mach-E comes to market.
In a recent statement to the Detroit Free Press, the Ford CEO stated that the Mach-E is the first “true” competitor for Tesla’s electric cars. That’s not all, either, as Farley noted that the Mach-E would have an advantage over its California-made competitor. “The vehicle is a game-changer. For me, the Mach-E is the first true competitor with Tesla. It’s got Detroit swagger. It’s a Mustang. Tesla is not a Mustang,” Farley remarked.
Farley also noted that the Mach-E would feature technology that’s more intuitive and less complicated than what Tesla offers in its vehicles. The CEO took a particular focus on the Mach-E’s controls, which feature a blend of Tesla-esque touchscreen features, traditional buttons, and interestingly enough, a physical knob fitted in the center display. These, according to Farley, will offer drivers an experience that is as familiar and safe as it is convenient.
“We have an (additional) small screen in front of the driver, which we think is a lot safer. You don’t have to move your attention to the center of the car, away from the road. You can hit a button and pick driver modes with one click. You still have traditional buttons,” he said.
The Ford CEO added that in a Tesla, drivers would have to go through different screen menus to perform basic tasks such as turning on the defroster or adjusting the car’s side mirrors. This suggests that Tesla, in its decision to embed a lot of controls in the display, sacrificed usability over design. Farley noted that for the Mach-E, Ford wants to ensure that drivers could perform vehicle-related actions quicker and easier.
Ford is putting in a lot of effort into ensuring that the Mustang Mach-E will not be just another compliance car. The vehicles, for example, will not just fill Ford dealerships. Instead, they will be made to order, just like Tesla’s electric cars. This marks the first time in Ford’s history that it is launching a product through a reservation process. The company is also conducting a full press initiative to push the Mach-E to as many potential customers as possible.
So far, initial reactions to the Mach-E have been positive. During a dealership event on October 23, for example, the vehicle attracted so many interested onlookers that Ford had to turn away some visitors over social distancing rules. Ford Chairman Bill Ford, known for his love of loud-roaring Mustangs, also reportedly enjoyed the vehicle so much that he practically refused to give back a Mach-E unit that he was using, at least until the vehicle’s production and design teams pleaded with him to return the all-electric crossover.
Investor's Corner
Elon Musk confirms SpaceX IPO is on the way
However, it appears Musk is ready for SpaceX to go public, as Ars Technica Senior Space Editor Eric Berger wrote an op-ed that indicated he thought SpaceX would go public soon. Musk replied, basically confirming it.
Elon Musk confirmed through a post on X that a SpaceX initial public offering (IPO) is on the way after hinting at it several times earlier this year.
It also comes one day after Bloomberg reported that SpaceX was aiming for a valuation of $1.5 trillion, adding that it wanted to raise $30 billion.
Musk has been transparent for most of the year that he wanted to try to figure out a way to get Tesla shareholders to invest in SpaceX, giving them access to the stock.
He has also recognized the issues of having a public stock, like litigation exposure, quarterly reporting pressures, and other inconveniences.
However, it appears Musk is ready for SpaceX to go public, as Ars Technica Senior Space Editor Eric Berger wrote an op-ed that indicated he thought SpaceX would go public soon.
Musk replied, basically confirming it:
As usual, Eric is accurate
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 10, 2025
Berger believes the IPO would help support the need for $30 billion or more in capital needed to fund AI integration projects, such as space-based data centers and lunar satellite factories. Musk confirmed recently that SpaceX “will be doing” data centers in orbit.
AI appears to be a “key part” of SpaceX getting to Musk, Berger also wrote. When writing about whether or not Optimus is a viable project and product for the company, he says that none of that matters. Musk thinks it is, and that’s all that matters.
It seems like Musk has certainly mulled something this big for a very long time, and the idea of taking SpaceX public is not just likely; it is necessary for the company to get to Mars.
The details of when SpaceX will finally hit that public status are not known. Many of the reports that came out over the past few days indicate it would happen in 2026, so sooner rather than later.
But there are a lot of things on Musk’s plate early next year, especially with Cybercab production, the potential launch of Unsupervised Full Self-Driving, and the Roadster unveiling, all planned for Q1.
Tesla has added the 15th automaker to the growing list of companies whose EVs can utilize the Supercharger Network this year, as BMW is the latest company to gain access to the largest charging infrastructure in the world.
BMW became the 15th company in 2025 to gain Tesla Supercharger access, after the company confirmed to its EV owners that they could use any of the more than 25,000 Supercharging stalls in North America.
Welcome @BMW owners.
Download the Tesla app to charge → https://t.co/vnu0NHA7Ab
— Tesla Charging (@TeslaCharging) December 10, 2025
Newer BMW all-electric cars, like the i4, i5, i7, and iX, are able to utilize Tesla’s V3 and V4 Superchargers. These are the exact model years, via the BMW Blog:
- i4: 2022-2026 model years
- i5: 2024-2025 model years
- 2026 i5 (eDrive40 and xDrive40) after software update in Spring 2026
- i7: 2023-2026 model years
- iX: 2022-2025 model years
- 2026 iX (all versions) after software update in Spring 2026
With the expansion of the companies that gained access in 2025 to the Tesla Supercharger Network, a vast majority of non-Tesla EVs are able to use the charging stalls to gain range in their cars.
So far in 2025, Tesla has enabled Supercharger access to:
- Audi
- BMW
- Genesis
- Honda
- Hyundai
- Jaguar Land Rover
- Kia
- Lucid
- Mercedes-Benz
- Nissan
- Polestar
- Subaru
- Toyota
- Volkswagen
- Volvo
Drivers with BMW EVs who wish to charge at Tesla Superchargers must use an NACS-to-CCS1 adapter. In Q2 2026, BMW plans to release its official adapter, but there are third-party options available in the meantime.
They will also have to use the Tesla App to enable Supercharging access to determine rates and availability. It is a relatively seamless process.
News
Tesla adds new feature that will be great for crowded parking situations
This is the most recent iteration of the app and was priming owners for the slowly-released Holiday Update.
Tesla has added a new feature that will be great for crowded parking lots, congested parking garages, or other confusing times when you cannot seem to pinpoint where your car went.
Tesla has added a new Vehicle Locator feature to the Tesla App with App Update v4.51.5.
This is the most recent iteration of the app and was priming owners for the slowly-released Holiday Update.
While there are several new features, which we will reveal later in this article, perhaps one of the coolest is that of the Vehicle Locator, which will now point you in the direction of your car using a directional arrow on the home screen. This is similar to what Apple uses to find devices:
Interesting. The location arrow in the Tesla app now points to your car when you’re nearby. pic.twitter.com/b0yjmwwzxN
— Whole Mars Catalog (@wholemars) December 7, 2025
In real time, the arrow gives an accurate depiction of which direction you should walk in to find your car. This seems extremely helpful in large parking lots or unfamiliar shopping centers.
Getting to your car after a sporting event is an event all in itself; this feature will undoubtedly help with it:
The nice little touch that Tesla have put in the app – continuous tracking of your vehicle location relative to you.
There’s people reporting dizziness testing this.
To those I say… try spinning your phone instead. 😉 pic.twitter.com/BAYmJ3mzzD
— Some UK Tesla Guy (UnSupervised…) (@SomeUKTeslaGuy) December 8, 2025
Tesla’s previous app versions revealed the address at which you could locate your car, which was great if you parked on the street in a city setting. It was also possible to use the map within the app to locate your car.
However, this new feature gives a more definitive location for your car and helps with the navigation to it, instead of potentially walking randomly.
It also reveals the distance you are from your car, which is a big plus.
Along with this new addition, Tesla added Photobooth features, Dog Mode Live Activity, Custom Wraps and Tints for Colorizer, and Dashcam Clip details.
🚨 Tesla App v4.51.5 looks to be preparing for the Holiday Update pic.twitter.com/ztts8poV82
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) December 8, 2025
All in all, this App update was pretty robust.
Elon Musk confirms SpaceX IPO is on the way
Tesla adds 15th automaker to Supercharger access in 2025
