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Porsche welcomes Taycan buyers with official “certificate of participation” as first production nears
Porsche Taycan reservation holders are starting to receive the first of several welcome packages and promotional material, as the company gears up to deliver its first all-electric car later this year. “Certificates of Participation in the Taycan Deposit Option Program” have been mailed to enthusiastic buyers from across the world who landed spots on the Taycan waiting list with their local dealership.
Porsche has reported a warm reception to the reservation program on the highly-anticipated electric sports car, specifically citing customer reaction as “fantastic”, well before the final version of the production model has been revealed. In an interview with CNET’s Roadshow in December last year, Porsche Cars North America CEO Klaus Zellmer would not provide specific pre-order amounts but hinted at a promising number by saying, “If all the people [who placed reservations] buy this car, then we are sold out for the first year.” A further review of discussions taking place in Taycan forums reveals customer placements in line anywhere from number 20 to over 150 across a sample of dealerships in North America and Europe.
After patiently watching the Taycan’s (formerly Mission E) development over the last year, including high-speed track testing on the famed Nurburgring and the promise of an ultra-fast charging network, Porsche’s sign of appreciation is, as one certificate recipient described it, a “nice little gesture to tide us over.”
In Porsche’s participation package, a logo-and-signature adorned certificate greets recipients under the document’s title along with the words, “In recognition of your support in helping us write the next chapter of Porsche, this certificate is issued to:” followed by the reservation holder’s name. A beveled outline of a Taycan sketch above the vehicle logo is beneath that and above the signature of Klaus Zellmer, CEO of Porsche Cars North America. The black folder securing the certificate has a white print version of the same sketch on the left side and the words “Welcome to an Electric New Era” also printed in white on the right side. According to related comments made in Internet forums dedicated to the Taycan, certain customers in Europe also received silhouetted color photos of the car in the tri-fold and a neon yellow-green charging cord with their participation packages.
Also of interest in the Taycan development world is the background of reservation holders. Zellmer commented on this point as well: “More than half of the people that are signing up for the Taycan have not owned or do not own a Porsche…Typically, if we look at our source of business, people coming from other brands, it’s Audi, BMW, or Mercedes. The number one brand now is Tesla,” he stated. The findings certainly make sense considering Tesla’s reputation as a manufacturer of electric luxury performance vehicles versus Porsche’s longstanding position in the automotive industry as the maker of high-performance vehicles with a similar reputation amongst their peers. Additionally, a comparison of the core metrics of Tesla’s Model S and the Taycan makes them likely to appeal to the same customer base.
“Welcome to an Electric New Era”
Some Taycan buyers-in-waiting have directly expressed this connection. In a statement to Teslarati, Mike, a former Tesla Model 3 reservation holder who traded his place in line for the opportunity to own Porsche’s first electric car, detailed the specifics of his journey from one electric vehicle to the other.
“I was a day one, 9 AM March 31, 2016, Tesla Model 3 reservation holder…So I held a very early Model 3 reservation for over 18 months before falling out of love with the delays, price, and looks,” he explained as a reason for canceling his reservation. Mike’s lifelong support of the German automaker prompted him to join Porsche’s online deposit program for the Taycan as soon as it was made available. “I drove a restored Porsche 914 in high school and have been a huge fan of the brand ever since. Early 2018 I found a nice used Porsche 991 that matched (ok, slightly stretched) the projected Model 3 budget.”
The tri-fold mailer combo received is reminiscent of the “token of appreciation” gifts sent by Tesla to early Model 3 reservation holders containing sketches of the vehicle and a note from CEO Elon Musk.
Mike, who provided Teslarati with the participation certificate images, regularly posts photos related to his automotive hobbies and projects on Instagram. The electric car enthusiast wanted to make it clear that there were no hard feelings in the choice, just a decision made from personal preference. “I’m still a huge fan of Tesla and Elon for the record.”
Porsche originally revealed the Taycan in 2015 at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Originally called “Mission E”, the name has since been broadened to refer to the global project for the company’s developing line of electric vehicles while the vehicle itself adopted an artificial name devised from a Eurasian word meaning “young wild horse.” Porsche has also teamed up with the BMW Group, Daimler AG, Ford, and the Volkswagen Group in a project to develop the IONITY fast-charging network in Europe, and there are further plans to install 500 ultra-fast chargers in the United States.
The letter mailed to Porsche Taycan reservation holders reads as follows:
We’d like to personally thank you for enrolling in the Porsche Taycan Depositor Option Program.
For over 70 thrilling years, Porsche’s mission has been driven by one question: What does the sports car of the future look like? This pursuit of innovation and embrace of the unexpected is what pushes us to bring concepts like the Taycan to fruition, and it wouldn’t be possible without the continuing support of enthusiasts like you.
The Taycan marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for us: the very first all-electric sports car with a Porsche soul. It is the embodiment of a marriage of electricity and emotion that could only be found in a Porsche.
We’ll continue to be in touch in the coming months as we eagerly await the arrival of the Taycan. Additionally, please find enclosed a certificate marking your official status as a participant in this program. We thoroughly appreciate your continued commitment to the future of sports cars.
Sincerely,
Klaus Zellmer
CEO, Porsche Cars North America
Pedro Mota
VP, Marketing, Porsche Cars North America
Just hours after Starship Flight 13 achieved a successful soft splashdown of its upper stage in the Indian Ocean on July 24, Elon Musk announced an ambitious next step for the company’s next launch of the rocket.
“Unless we discover problems after mission data review, SpaceX will attempt to catch the ship with the tower on [the] next flight,” the SpaceX CEO posted on X on Friday.
That “next flight” is expected to be Flight 14. The plan involves returning the Starship upper stage, commonly called the “ship,” to the Starbase launch tower in Texas and catching it mid-air using the same mechanical “chopsticks” arms that have already proven themselves with the Super Heavy booster.
Unless we discover problems after mission data review, SpaceX will attempt to catch the ship with the tower on next flight
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 25, 2026
A successful catch would mark the first time an orbital-class upper stage has been recovered this way, advancing SpaceX’s goal of full and rapid reusability for the entire vehicle.
SpaceX has already demonstrated the tower-catch technique multiple times with Super Heavy. The first successful catch came on Flight 5 in October 2024, when Booster 12 was plucked from the sky by the Mechazilla arms. Subsequent flights, including those involving Boosters 14 and 15, repeated the feat. Several of those recovered boosters were later inspected, refurbished, and flown again, proving the system’s viability for quick turnaround.
Traditional reusable rockets, such as SpaceX’s own Falcon 9 or Blue Origin’s New Shepard, land on legs either on land or droneships. Rocket Lab has recovered its small Electron first stages by helicopter, but those are far lighter vehicles.
SpaceX Starship just nailed something it’s never done before
The China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), a subsidiary of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. (CASC), completed a catch of its booster on July 10. They are the only entity besides SpaceX to attempt and complete the feat.
Flight 13 provided encouraging data. The ship executed a controlled reentry, flipped, and soft-landed intact in the ocean after deploying Starlink satellites, offering the first clear post-splashdown views of an undamaged heat shield. The Super Heavy booster, meanwhile, experienced a harder splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.
Musk has previously stressed that ship catches would only follow multiple successful soft ocean landings to minimize risk of debris over land.
If Flight 14 succeeds, SpaceX would take a major stride toward routine, rapid reuse of both stages—critical for lowering launch costs and supporting ambitious plans for lunar and Mars missions. For now, teams are reviewing the Flight 13 data. Should everything check out, the next Starship flight could deliver one of the most spectacular recoveries in aerospace history.
In a move echoing its earlier commitment to open innovation, Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced recently that the company plans to make the design and software of its Model S and Model X fully open source.
This follows the same approach Tesla took with its original Roadster, releasing all available design, engineering, and diagnostic materials in November 2023 so that “whatever we have, you now have.”
Just as Tesla made the original Roadster design & software open source, we plan to do the same with Model S & X
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 24, 2026
The Model S, introduced in 2012, was Tesla’s first mass-produced vehicle and a groundbreaking luxury electric sedan. It offered impressive range, rapid acceleration, and over-the-air software updates that redefined expectations for electric cars.
The Model X, launched in 2015, built on that foundation as a high-performance electric SUV notable for its distinctive falcon-wing doors, spacious interior, and advanced safety features. Both models served as flagships that helped establish Tesla as a leader in the EV industry and popularized long-range battery-electric vehicles.
Production of the Model S and Model X was wound down earlier in 2026, with manufacturing ending in the second quarter. Tesla redirected the Fremont factory space previously used for these vehicles toward higher-priority projects, including Optimus humanoid robots and the Cybercab autonomous vehicle.
By the time of Musk’s open-source announcement, custom orders had closed and only remaining inventory was available.
Open-sourcing the designs and software offers several clear advantages. Owners of these aging but still capable vehicles gain better access to technical documentation, diagnostic tools, and software resources, making independent repairs and modifications easier and more affordable.
Independent repair shops and third-party specialists can support the large existing fleet without relying solely on Tesla’s service network. Enthusiasts and engineers can study real-world implementations of Tesla’s battery, powertrain, and software systems, potentially accelerating broader industry progress in electric mobility.
The step aligns with Tesla’s 2014 patent pledge and its overall mission to advance sustainable transport by sharing hard-won knowledge rather than locking it behind proprietary walls.
By releasing these materials now that the models have left production, Tesla ensures continued support for its early adopters while freeing internal resources for future technologies. The open-source release of the original Roadster already enabled simulations, community projects, and deeper technical understanding.
Extending that practice to the Model S and Model X should deliver similar benefits on a larger scale, helping keep these influential vehicles relevant and repairable for years to come
Tesla flexed one incredible Robotaxi metric during the Q2 Earnings Call that skeptics have to hate to hear. The company’s platform has already driven more than 380,000 miles of unsupervised ride-hailing across several states with no notable incidents.
During the company’s Q2 Earnings Call on Wednesday, Vice President of AI, Ashok Elluswamy, said:
“First of all, I’d like to state that the Robotaxi program has been operating extremely well. Especially in terms of safety, the program has had an impeccable safety record. We have driven more than 380,000 miles of unsupervised Robotaxi, now across six cities in two different states. We have had zero notable incidents. Any reports have been of other actors impacting us when we were stationary. I like to emphasize how safe the operation has been so far. Zero notable incidents over 380,000 miles.”
Elluswamy’s claim over Robotaxi miles is a significant milestone for Tesla in the grand scheme, especially considering this is a sizeable number of miles without any incident.
0 notable incidents across over 380,000 miles traveled by Robotaxi
— Tesla (@Tesla) July 22, 2026
Tesla’s self-driving approach is much different than that of other companies. Tesla has maintained that vision is the only thing needed to have a solid and effective self-driving suite. Many self-driving companies utilize things like LiDAR, sensors, and other elements to improve performance, but Elluswamy sent a jab at those who believe it’s needed.
“Historically, the so-called experts have always claimed that you need LiDARs, radars, HD maps, and the entire kitchen sink to drive safely. Here we show that such is not true. You can have safe, comfortable, and affordable autonomy with just cameras. This record should be a huge validation of Tesla’s entire AI approach.”
The feat of accumulating this many miles without any driver behind the wheel is impressive. The thing is, Tesla is also doing this across several different locations, with varying traffic rules, pedestrian levels, weather patterns, and other important factors.
While Tesla is not ready to roll out an unsupervised platform completely, it is a slow but steady indication that the company is well on its way to figuring things out.
The company’s attitude toward expansion is slow, safe, and controlled, and despite this huge milestone, it will still be some time until we see Tesla truly unleash unsupervised rides more aggressively.
SpaceX wants to catch Starship for launch 14, Elon Musk says
Tesla to open source Model S and Model X designs and software
