In June 2020, I wrote a newsletter called “How Tesla’s Elon Musk dunks on the competition just as their momentum builds,” where I dissected Tesla’s strategies to derail competition in its footsteps. It seems that anytime a competing automaker is about to make a substantial step forward, Musk or Tesla releases an update that simply takes away any attention from anyone else. In this week’s newsletter, I want to talk about what Elon Musk and Tesla can do in 2021 to combat an expanding EV market, and take momentum away from the companies that claim they are “the next Tesla.”
Rivian
With Rivian coming to the market soon with its R1T pickup and R1S SUV later this year, Tesla has a unique opportunity to halt the oncoming automaker’s momentum. Rivian, headed by CEO RJ Scaringe, has an adventurous, outdoorsy appeal to its consumers and its reservation holders, a strategy that truly speaks to the EV drivers who choose electric powertrains because of their environmental impact. Rivian is likely the first electric car company that will see its products regularly used in offroad settings, just what they’re geared for.
Tesla has always had a relatively luxurious connotation with its name, as its cars are usually sporty, sleek, and perfect for open road driving where the accelerator can occasionally hit the floorboards (not suggested or recommended by me). However, Rivian’s R1T, which sports a traditional pickup truck design, isn’t as talked about or as popular as the Tesla Cybertruck. On frequent occasion, the Cybertruck seems to come out of nowhere with a newly-released modification or design update at the hands of Elon Musk. With Musk revealing that the Cybertruck has been modified and reduced in size by 3%, there is no reason that Tesla won’t show new pictures of the all-electric “Cyberpunk” inspired pickup when Rivian is about to gain momentum. The conversation will almost surely switch back to Tesla because of its name, the truck’s “polarizing” design, and Tesla’s notoriety in the segment.
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The R1S is a little bit tougher of a cookie to crack for Tesla because it doesn’t have anything that really matches the design of Rivian’s SUV. The only thing that could derail attention from the R1S are details about Tesla’s electric van. However, with the Cybertruck, Roadster, and $25k vehicle projects being talked about already and delays due to battery constraints, there isn’t much hope to hearing about the Tesla Van in the near future.
Even still, something simple as renders or Musk even mentioning the possibility of an electric van will drive media into a frenzy. It will likely be one of the only things talked about in the automotive world for several days. While Rivian will release its R1S, it will get coverage, but Musk and Tesla will take priority, I’d assume.
Lucid
Lucid is a company that seems to have the best chance of competing with Tesla in terms of electric car performance. The Lucid Air Dream Edition Limited is one of the premier electric vehicles in terms of performance, and it proved it by setting records at the Laguna Seca raceway in California. Arguably the most sporty electric car since the Model S, the Air has Tesla roots as Lucid’s CEO and CTO is Peter Rawlinson, a former Tesla employee who helped with the Model S project.
The problem for Lucid is that Tesla has the Roadster coming out within the near future. Lucid has already delayed production due to the pandemic, and it won’t come until later this year. Tesla has put the Roadster on hold several times, as it is still in development for a few meteoric features, like hovering, that Elon Musk seems hellbent on figuring out. While the Lucid Air has incredible performance and range that is impressive in its own right, it doesn’t hold a candle to the performance, range, or suspense that Tesla Roadster fans have felt. Updates to the Roadster are unbelievably sought after by enthusiasts, and any small detail is eaten up instantaneously by those who are interested in the vehicle. It is fair to assume that if Lucid announces its initial deliveries of the Air, Tesla could counter it with an update to the Roadster, big or small.
Not to mention, Tesla could singlehandedly take most of Lucid’s appeal away with a quick 10-second clip of the Model S Plaid+ doing a quarter-mile drag. Many people would be interested in the Air’s most robust performance package until they see the 1.7-second 0-60 MPH from Tesla’s new Model S powertrain.
Legacy Automakers and OEMs
There are a lot of advantages here, and one of the biggest could be Tesla’s introduction of Giga Texas later this year. More than a production plant, this facility is set to be an entire experience. A boardwalk, entertainment, tours, you name it. Giga Texas will be a production facility that puts much of its competition to bed simply because of its appeal. It will likely be the most immersive, personal “tour” experience that anyone ever has at a vehicle production plant. Who other than Tesla to make it happen?
Tesla doesn’t have to do much different than what it has done for the past few years to take momentum away from legacy automakers. Continuing to build highly-effective, revolutionary electric cars is all Tesla needs to do to convince people that it is ahead of legacy car companies in this front. Not much needs to change.
Tesla does have its work cut out for it in Europe, though. European EV sales figures are dominated by Volvo, Kia, Renault, BMW, and Volkswagen. Tesla doesn’t have a car in the Top 20 in Europe yet this year, according to the EV Sales Blog. With Giga Berlin coming later this year as well, this will surely change. My guess is the Model Y cracks the Top 5 no later than three months after Giga Berlin’s initial rollout, simply due to demand, the appeal of the crossover body style in Europe, and the distinct advantage Tesla has over legacy car companies in terms of software.
Despite the tumble on Wall Street, Tesla still has plenty of time to turn 2021 around. With the EV sector growing this year as new manufacturers release their first products, Tesla has an opportunity to show that they’re still able to compete with the young guns of the EV industry. Tesla is sure to remain the top dog, and it could take some simple derailing of competition, just like it has done for years.
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Tesla Cybercab is using a unique strategy for picking up the correct rider, which is a crucial part of ride-hailing to ensure people end up in the right place and are charged the correct price.
Cybercab will utilize an RGB strip in its front light bar that will illuminate in a variety of different colors to mark itself.
This identifying mark will also appear in the Robotaxi app, giving riders in the same location a notable distinction in an effort to avoid any confusion regarding who should get in each vehicle.
🚨 Tesla is using different light bar colors to help riders understand which vehicle is theirs
Pretty cool strategy pic.twitter.com/eGMpEMeRpc
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) August 27, 2026
Other ride-hailing services use similar strategies: Lyft and Uber rides are recognizable through driver identity, vehicle type and color, as well as license plate. Waymo will display the rider’s initials on top of the vehicle, letting them know that the specific vehicle for them has arrived.
Tesla’s strategy is unique and interesting, but there are some flaws. Cybercab’s main purpose is aimed toward being an autonomous ride for all, including those who have disabilities like being blind or even color blind.
Tesla will likely have something in the pipeline for those who cannot see colors or have limited vision. There will definitely be multiple ways to identify which vehicle is the one that “you” specifically ordered.
Cybercab is set to start giving public rides next Thursday, September 3, in Austin, as it announced a dedicated event last week and invited many members of the Tesla community.
Additionally, members of the public will be invited as well. Tesla has been offering employee rides in Cybercab for nearly two months.
Tesla has said goodbye to one customization option for its vehicles: the wrap service it launched several years ago.
After launching an in-house wrap service in August 2020 for the first time in China. In the U.S., it launched in October 2023. Tesla continued to expand the program and adjust it with better pricing and fewer options for the Cybertruck.
By December 2023, it was giving owners of the Model 3, Model Y, and the Cybertruck the opportunity to give their vehicle a fresh look with a vinyl wrap.
Tesla revamps in-house vinyl wrap service with better pricing
It was only available in five locations: Costa Mesa, Oceanside, Santa Clara, West Covina, all in California, and Seattle, Washington.
However, Tesla made some big adjustments to its shop, and the wrap service is officially gone:
Tesla has made a LOT of changes to its online shop recently — price increases, price cuts, new options, and several products being removed entirely.
Some of the biggest increases are wheel covers. 👀
📈 PRICE INCREASES
• 2017-2023 | Model 3 Aero Wheel Cover — Style: Refresh…— Phoenix Self-Driving 🐦🔥 (@PhoenixFSD) August 25, 2026
Wraps are very popular across the Tesla lineup, especially since the company offers relatively few colors. Many choose to wrap their Teslas with interesting colors, patterns, or even finishes, turning their cars from glossy to satin or matte.
However, Tesla’s wrap service was so limited geographically that it never really had a chance to get off the ground or compete with local shops. Every area in the United States is now overflowing with detailing shops, mobile detailers, and other automotive specialists, many of whom perform wrap services.
Tesla’s service was confined to the Pacific time zone and only spanned across two states. It was never going to be something Tesla was a major competitor in, nor was it going to disrupt the wrapping industry. Now that the program has ended, it seems pretty ideal to believe it was always going to be a short-term thing.
Along with the wrap service, Tesla removed several other products, but nothing too crazy. The Model 3 Door Pocket and Cupholder Liners, the Model S 19″ Magnetite Wheel and Winter Tire Package, Model X/Y Ski/Snowboard Carrier for Hitch Rack, Tesla’s Electric Summer Party Tee, and the Electric Summer Tee were the other items the company totally eliminated from its online shop.
News
Tesla Robotaxi fleet gets a brain upgrade ahead of Cybercab launch event
Tesla’s Robotaxi service now runs longer hours nationwide as its unsupervised fleet quietly grows larger.
Tesla’s Robotaxi service just got easier to catch, with the company’s official Robotaxi account noting that rides are now available from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week, across its operating footprint. The account also said its unsupervised fleet is “a lot bigger” than before, though without specifics. The bigger change is what Tesla says upgraded intelligence in vehicle distribution and routing is what’s actually cutting wait times, not a new Full Self-Driving version.
While Tesla did not name the team behind the upgrade, the language points to its AI and fleet software group rather than the driving stack itself. Vehicle distribution and routing in Robotaxi has functioned mostly as a dispatch problem with the software deciding which idle car goes to which rider, and how far it has to travel to get there. “Upgraded intelligence” suggests a smarter version of that dispatch logic, likely using demand forecasting to position idle cars near where riders are about to request them rather than reacting once a request comes in. Tesla’s AI division has built similar prediction systems for other parts of the business, including the neural networks that power FSD itself, so applying that same approach to fleet logistics would be a natural extension rather than a new discipline for the team.
Robotaxi now runs 6am to 10pm, 7 days/week
Unsupervised fleet is a lot bigger
Also, upgraded intelligence in vehicle distribution & routing means you wait less pic.twitter.com/UFZ4bqg2dZ
— Tesla Robotaxi (@robotaxi) August 26, 2026
Tesla is also about a week away from a separate robotaxi milestone. The company plans to launch Cybercab, its purpose built two seat robotaxi with no steering wheel or pedals, in Austin on September 3. Cybercab has been giving employees rides on public and private roads for weeks, and the September event is expected to fold those vehicles into the existing Robotaxi fleet within days of the launch.
Thank you so much @Tesla for inviting us to the Cybercab launch in Austin! 🤠 pic.twitter.com/F1rAR8zd5O
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) August 22, 2026
Austin previously ran Robotaxi from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. as of last September, a schedule set before the service expanded into Dallas, Houston, Miami, Tampa, Orlando and the Bay Area. Wednesday’s post did not specify whether that extended overnight window still applies in Austin specifically or whether 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. is now the standard across every market. Tesla’s post, visible on its official Robotaxi account, framed the change simply as fewer riders waiting around for a car.
Whether the wider hours hold once Cybercab enters the fleet next week is the next thing worth watching. Tesla has tended to expand Robotaxi in increments, first geofence, then hours, then fleet size, and each step so far has arrived without much advance notice.
Tesla Cybercab uses a unique strategy for picking up the right rider
Tesla ends in-house wrap service that always seemed like a short-term program
