Porsche’s new all-electric sports car, the Taycan, will have increased production rates after the German automaker said that demand for the vehicle proved higher than expected.
The German automaker stated in March that 20,000 reservations were made for the new Taycan, though Head of Production Albrecht Reimold and Human Resources director Andreas Haffner stated in July that there are over 30,000 reservations for the vehicle. This number has likely grown since the vehicle’s official unveiling. In a press release, Porsche stated that it is responding to these changes by ramping its workforce for the production of the all-electric vehicle.
“Taycan’s original production capacity was 20,000 units. This continues to be the requirement for the first year of production. By increasing its workforce by the end of the second quarter of 2020, Porsche is providing itself with the necessary flexibility to be able to produce more units if necessary. The company increases production in Zuffenhausen for the first purely electrically powered sports car. This is Porsche’s response to the great worldwide demand for the electric sports car, which celebrated its world premiere at the beginning of September,” Porsche wrote.
Critics of the electric vehicle industry have speculated that the increased production of non-petrol cars will eliminate jobs. However, Porsche has explained that the production of the Taycan will create 2,000 more employment opportunities.
“With the Taycan, we are showing that e-mobility is by no means a job killer,” Haffner said. “Rather, we are underlining its future viability, especially in the sports car segment. In addition, more than 32,000 applications show how great the interest is in shaping the future of the sports car together with us.”
The Taycan was unveiled in Toronto in September 2019. The car is equipped with a 93.4 kWh liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery, and is capable of producing 750 horsepower with a top speed of 162 mph. Porsche initially announced two models for the vehicle — the Turbo and Turbo S — which will cost buyers around $150,000 and $185,000, respectively.
Recently, famous automotive tuning house Hennessey announced that they would take on the Taycan as its first electric vehicle project. This opens many possibilities, including the start of dedicated tuning houses improving the capabilities of all-electric vehicles. In its announcement for its Taycan project, the American tuning firm hinted at a potential Tesla project in the future.
“We’ve been planning to do something with electrified vehicles for a while now. We felt that the new Porsche Taycan was the right platform from which to modify our first EV,” John Hennessey said. Finer details are not known currently, but it remains to be seen as to what Hennessey will do in order to make this already blistering-fast vehicle capable of even more power.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk’s Boring Company signs deal to begin Dubai Loop project
The project marks the Boring Company’s first tunneling project outside the United States.
Elon Musk’s Boring Company has signed a definitive agreement with Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority to begin implementing the Dubai Loop.
The project marks the Boring Company’s first tunneling project outside the United States.
The Boring Company signs Dubai Loop agreement
The Boring Company signed a partnership agreement with Dubai Roads and Transport Authority on the sidelines of the World Governments Summit 2026 to start the implementation of the Dubai Loop, as per the tunneling startup in a blog post.
The agreement was signed on behalf of Dubai RTA by Mattar Al Tayer, director general and chairman of the Board of Executive Directors, and on behalf of The Boring Company by James Fitzgerald, the startup’s global vice president of business development. Senior officials from both organizations were present at the signing ceremony.
The Dubai Loop project is intended to improve passenger mobility in high-density urban areas through underground vehicle tunnels designed for faster construction and lower surface disruption than conventional transport systems.
Pilot route and project scope outlined
The first phase of the Dubai Loop will consist of a 4-mile (6.4 km) pilot route with four stations linking the Dubai International Financial Centre and Dubai Mall. The pilot phase is expected to pave the way for a full network extending up to 14 miles (22.5 km) with 19 stations connecting the Dubai World Trade Centre, the financial district, and Business Bay.
The tunnels will have a diameter of 12 feet (3.6 meters) and will be dedicated to vehicle transport. Construction will rely on tunneling methods designed to reduce costs and minimize disruption to existing infrastructure.
The pilot phase is estimated to cost about $154 million, with delivery expected roughly one year after design work and preparatory activities are completed. The full Dubai Loop network is projected to cost approximately $545 million and would take around three years to implement.
Capacity targets and next steps
Mattar Al Tayer shared his excitement about the project, stating that the Loop system will be a qualitative addition to the city’s transportation system. “The project represents a qualitative addition to Dubai’s transport ecosystem, as it enhances integration between different mobility modes and provides flexible and efficient first- and last-mile solutions.
“Studies have demonstrated the project’s efficiency in terms of capacity and operating costs, with the pilot route expected to serve around 13,000 passengers per day, while the full route is projected to have a total capacity of approximately 30,000 passengers per day,” he said.
Steve Davis, president of The Boring Company, highlighted that the partnership aims to deliver safe and efficient tunneling solutions aligned with Dubai’s long-term mobility strategy.
“We are proud to partner with the Roads and Transport Authority, one of the world’s leading entities in adopting innovative solutions in the transport sector. Through this partnership, we look forward to delivering advanced, safe, and highly efficient tunnelling solutions that support Dubai’s vision for sustainable and future mobility,” Davis stated.
Tesla executive Sendil Palani confirmed in a post on social media platform X that Full Self-Driving, despite being the most robust driver assistance program in the United States, still isn’t garnering any interest from lagging competitors.
Tesla has said on several occasions in the past that it has had discussions with a competing carmaker to license its Full Self-Driving suite. While it never confirmed which company it was, many pointed toward Ford as the one Tesla was holding dialogue with.
At the time, Ford CEO Jim Farley and Tesla CEO Elon Musk had a very cordial relationship.
Despite Tesla’s confirmation, which occurred during both the Q2 2023 and Q1 2024 Earnings Calls, no deal was ever reached. Whichever “major OEM” Tesla had talked to did not see the benefit. Even now, Tesla has not found that dance partner, despite leading every company in the U.S. in self-driving efforts by a considerable margin.
Elon Musk says Tesla Robotaxi launch will force companies to license Full Self-Driving
Palani seemed to confirm that Tesla still has not found any company that is remotely interested in licensing FSD, as he said on X that “despite our best efforts to share the technology,” the company has found that it “has not been proven to be easy.”
Licensing FSD has not proven to be easy, despite our best efforts to share the technology. https://t.co/VGYBU7Aduw
— Sendil Palani (@sendilpalani) February 3, 2026
The question came just after one Tesla fan on X asked whether Tesla would continue manufacturing vehicles.
Because Tesla continues to expand its lineup of Model Y, it has plans to build the Cybercab, and there is still an immediate need for passenger vehicles, there is no question that the company plans to continue scaling its production.
However, Palani’s response is interesting, especially considering that it was in response to the question of whether Tesla would keep building cars.
Perhaps if Tesla could license Full Self-Driving to enough companies for the right price, it could simply sell the suite to car companies that are building vehicles, eliminating the need for Tesla to build its own.
While it seems like a reach because of Tesla’s considerable fan base, which is one of the most loyal in the automotive industry, the company could eventually bail on manufacturing and gain an incredible valuation by simply unlocking self-driving for other manufacturers.
The big question regarding why Tesla can’t find another company to license FSD is simply, “Why?”
Do they think they can solve it themselves? Do they not find FSD as valuable or effective? Many of these same companies didn’t bat an eye when Tesla started developing EVs, only to find themselves years behind. This could be a continuing trend.
Tesla executive Lars Moravy appeared today in front of the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee to highlight the importance of modernizing autonomy standards by establishing a federal framework that would reward innovation and keep the country on pace with foreign rivals.
Moravy, who is Tesla’s Vice President of Vehicle Engineering, strongly advocated for Congress to enact a national framework for autonomous vehicle development and deployment, replacing the current patchwork of state-by-state rules.
These rules have slowed progress and kept companies fighting tooth-and-nail with local legislators to operate self-driving projects in controlled areas.
Tesla already has a complete Robotaxi model, and it doesn’t depend on passenger count
Moravy said the new federal framework was essential for the U.S. to “maintain its position in global technological development and grow its advanced manufacturing capabilities.
He also said in a warning to the committee that outdated regulations and approval processes would “inhibit the industry’s ability to innovate,” which could potentially lead to falling behind China.
Being part of the company leading the charge in terms of autonomous vehicle development in the U.S., Moravy highlighted Tesla’s prowess through the development of the Full Self-Driving platform. Tesla vehicles with FSD engaged average 5.1 million miles before a major collision, which outpaces that of the human driver average of roughly 699,000 miles.
Moravy also highlighted the widely cited NHTSA statistic that states that roughly 94 percent of crashes stem from human error, positioning autonomous vehicles as a path to dramatically reduce fatalities and injuries.
🚨 Tesla VP of Vehicle Engineering, Lars Moravy, appeared today before the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee to discuss the importance of outlining an efficient framework for autonomous vehicles:
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) February 4, 2026
Skeptics sometimes point to cybersecurity concerns within self-driving vehicles, which was something that was highlighted during the Senate Commerce Committee hearing, but Moravy said, “No one has ever been able to take over control of our vehicles.”
This level of security is thanks to a core-embedded central layer, which is inaccessible from external connections. Additionally, Tesla utilizes a dual cryptographic signature from two separate individuals, keeping security high.
Moravy also dove into Tesla’s commitment to inclusive mobility by stating, “We are committed with our future products and Robotaxis to provide accessible transportation to everyone.” This has been a major point of optimism for AVs because it could help the disabled, physically incapable, the elderly, and the blind have consistent transportation.
Overall, Moravy’s testimony blended urgency about geopolitical competition, especially China, with concrete safety statistics and a vision of the advantages autonomy could bring for everyone, not only in the U.S., but around the world, as well.
Elon Musk’s Boring Company signs deal to begin Dubai Loop project
Tesla confirms Full Self-Driving still isn’t garnering interest from lagging competitors
