Connect with us
Telsa-elon-musk-ford-f-150-lightning Telsa-elon-musk-ford-f-150-lightning

News

Tesla’s Elon Musk shows support for Ford

(Credit: Ford)

Published

on

Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently supported Ford, a supposed rival, by complimenting the all-electric F-150 Lightning and the legacy automaker’s electric vehicle (EV) strategy. Musk’s support highlights Tesla’s ultimate goal for the auto industry.

Musk replied to a tweet by @realMeetKevin, which compared Ford’s net EV income and projected net EV income to Tesla’s net margin. Meet Kevin noted that Ford’s net EV income is -40%, and its projected net EV income was also negative. The Twitter user complimented Elon Musk and the Tesla team for achieving a positive net margin.

Ford announced a new $1.5-$2 billion restructuring plan to reach EV profitability. Ford plans to exit unprofitable locations, cut its headcount, and establish a new staffing structure to reduce costs and increase output as part of its restructuring efforts.

“Always tough with margins for new vehicle lines, especially when there are major technology shifts,” Musk explained to Meet Kevin. “I think Ford’s overall strategy with EVs is smart. The electric F-150 (Lightning) has high demand.”

Ford CEO Jim Farley recently commented on Elon Musk and Tesla’s price cut strategy, noting that Musk’s ‘aggressive’ pricing strategy might be inspired by Henry Ford and the Model T. Farley echoed Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas’ question during the TSLA Q1 2023 earnings call.

Advertisement
-->

Musk’s recent show of support for Ford and his compliment for the F-150 Lightning suggests that Tesla isn’t worried about the competition and remains focused on its ultimate goal: a sustainable energy economy.

During the last earnings call, Elon Musk emphasized that Tesla does not actively try to “destroy” its competitors.

“Certainly, we want all EVs to succeed too. We just want to say that. We’re not launching malicious attacks to try to crush others. Definitely not. We’re opening up Superchargers. We’ve made our patents available for free,” Musk stated. “We’re trying to be helpful here. We’re not out to destroy competitors or anything like that. We’re trying to help competitors, frankly, in any way that we can,” he explained.

The Teslarati team would appreciate hearing from you. If you have any tips, contact me at maria@teslarati.com or via Twitter @Writer_01001101.

Advertisement
-->

Maria--aka "M"-- is an experienced writer and book editor. She's written about several topics including health, tech, and politics. As a book editor, she's worked with authors who write Sci-Fi, Romance, and Dark Fantasy. M loves hearing from TESLARATI readers. If you have any tips or article ideas, contact her at maria@teslarati.com or via X, @Writer_01001101.

Advertisement
Comments

News

Tesla Robovan’s likely first real-world use teased by Boring Company President

As per the executive, the vehicle will be used to move large crowds through Las Vegas during major events. 

Published

on

Credit: Grok Imagine

The Boring Company President Steve Davis has shared the most likely first real-world use for Tesla’s Robovan.

As per the executive, the vehicle will be used to move large crowds through Las Vegas during major events. 

Tesla Robovan for high-demand events

During a feature with the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Boring Company President Steve Davis stated that the Tesla Robovan will be used in Sin City once the Vegas Loop expands across the Strip and downtown and the fleet grows to about 1,200 Teslas. 

At that scale, Robovans would primarily be deployed during predictable surges, such as game days and large shows, when many riders are traveling to the same destination at the same time.

“The second you have four (passengers) and you have to start stopping, the best thing you can do is put your smallest vehicle in, which is a car. But if you know people are going to the stadium because of a game, you’ll know an hour before, two hours before, that a lot of people are going to a game or a Sphere show, if you are smart about it, that’s when you put a high occupancy vehicle in, that’s when you put the Robovan in,” Davis said.

Advertisement
-->
Credit: Tesla

Vegas Loop expansion

Steve Davis’s Robovan comment comes amid The Boring Company’s efforts to expand the Vegas Loop’s airport service. Phase 1 of rides to Harry Reid International Airport began last month, allowing passengers to travel from existing Loop stations such as Resorts World, Encore, Westgate, and the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Phase 2 will add a 2.2-mile dual-direction tunnel from Westgate to Paradise Road. That section is expected to open within months and will allow speeds of up to 60 mph on parts of the route, while expanding the fleet to around 160 vehicles.

Future phases are expected to extend tunnels closer to airport terminals and add multiple stations along University Center Drive. At this point, the system’s fleet is expected to grow close to 300 Teslas. The final phase, an underground airport station, was described by Davis as the system’s “holy grail.” This, however, has no definite timeframe as of yet. 

Continue Reading

News

Tesla seeks engineer to make its iOS Robotaxi app feel “magical”

It appears that Tesla is hard at work in ensuring that users of its Robotaxi service are provided with the best user experience possible.

Published

on

Credit: Grok Imagine

Tesla is hiring an iOS Engineer for its Robotaxi app team, with the job posting emphasizing the creation of polished experiences that make the service not just functional, but “magical.”

Needless to say, it appears that Tesla is hard at work in ensuring that users of its Robotaxi service are provided with the best user experience possible.

Robotaxi App features

As observed by Tesla community members, Tesla has gone live with a job listing for an iOS Engineer for its Robotaxi App. The job listing mentions the development of a “core mobile experience that enables customers to summon, track, and interact with a driverless vehicle. From requesting a ride to enabling frictionless entry, from trip planning to real-time vehicle status and media control.”

Interestingly enough, the job listing also mentioned the creation of polished experiences that make the Robotaxi more than just functional. “You will take full ownership of features—from architecture design to robust implementation—delivering delightful and polished experiences that make Robotaxi not just functional, but magical,” Tesla noted in its job listing.

Apple’s “magical” marketing

Tesla’s use of the word “magical” when referring to the Robotaxi app mirrors the marketing used by Apple for some of its key products. Apple typically uses the word when referring to products or solutions that transform complex technology into something that feels effortless, simple, and natural to daily life. Products such as the AirPods’ seamless pairing with the iPhone and FaceID’s complex yet simple-to-use security system have received Apple’s “magical” branding. 

Advertisement
-->

With this in mind, Tesla seems intent on developing a Robotaxi app that is sophisticated, but still very easy to use. Tesla already has extensive experience in this area, with the Tesla App consistently being hailed by users as one of the best in its segment. If Tesla succeeds in making the Robotaxi app worthy of its “magical” branding, then it wouldn’t be a surprise if the service sees rapid adoption even among mainstream consumers. 

Continue Reading

News

Tesla is coming to Estonia and Latvia in latest European expansion: report

Tesla seems to be accelerating its regional expansion following its recent launch in Lithuania.

Published

on

Credit: Grok Imagine

Recent reports have indicated that Tesla has taken a step toward entering the Baltic states by registering new subsidiaries in Latvia and Estonia.

Filings suggest that Tesla is accelerating its regional expansion following its recent launch in Lithuania, with service centers likely coming before full sales operations.

Official entities in Latvia and Estonia

Tesla has established two new legal entities, Tesla Latvia SIA and Tesla Estonia OÜ, both owned by Tesla International B.V., as noted in an EV Wire report. Corporate records show the Estonian entity was formed on December 16, 2025, while the Latvian subsidiary was registered earlier, on November 7.

Both entities list senior Tesla executives on their boards, including regional and finance leadership responsible for new market expansion across Europe. Importantly, the entities are registered under “repair and maintenance of motor vehicles,” rather than strictly vehicle sales. This suggests that Tesla service centers will likely be launched in both countries.

The move mirrors Tesla’s recent Baltic rollout strategy. When Tesla entered Lithuania, it first established a local entity, followed by a pop-up store within weeks and a permanent service center a few months later. It would then not be surprising if Tesla follows a similar strategy in Estonia and Latvia, and service and retail operations arrive in the first half of 2026.

Advertisement
-->

Tesla’s European push

Tesla saw a drop in sales in Europe in 2025, though the company is currently attempting to push more sales in the region by introducing its most affordable vehicles yet, the Model 3 Standard and the Model Y Standard. Both vehicles effectively lower the price of entry into the Tesla ecosystem, which may make them attractive to consumers.

Tesla is also hard at work in its efforts to get FSD approved for the region. In the fourth quarter of 2025, Tesla rolled out an FSD ride-along program in several European countries, allowing consumers to experience the capabilities of FSD firsthand. In early December, reports emerged indicating that the FSD ride-along program would be extended in several European territories until the end of March 2026. 

Continue Reading