

Lifestyle
Tesla’s 16-year anniversary: A tale of trials, tribulations, and grit that continues to this day
Sixteen years ago, engineer-entrepreneurs Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning incorporated a company that was, for the most part, a legitimate long shot. Named Tesla Motors, the company occupied an office that had three desks and two small rooms in a decrepit building situated at 845 Oak Grove Avenue in Menlo Park, CA. The duo had a crazy business idea: they wanted to make electric cars, and they wanted to turn it into a business. At the time, the idea was practically insane, as EVs were not even part of any legitimate conversations in the auto market. Tarpenning and Eberhard had a concept for a Lotus-based electric sports car, but finding an investor who could pony up the $7 million required to build a prototype was insanely challenging.
Tesla’s Roots
During this time, Elon Musk was still busy looking into the idea of sending mice on a journey into space. Fortunately for Eberhard and Tarpenning, they soon got word that Musk, a multimillionaire who started a private rocket company, was looking to invest in the electric vehicle sphere. The duo flew down to Los Angeles and met with the SpaceX founder on a Friday, and over the course of the following weekend, Musk peppered Tarpenning with a barrage of questions about Tesla Motors’ business model. By the following Monday, Tarpenning and Eberhard were back in LA for another meeting with Musk. At the end of the meeting, Musk simply informed the men, “Okay, I’m in.”
Musk was precisely what Tesla Motors needed. He had the engineering background to understand what the company was trying to build, and his funds from his Silicon Valley fortune were vast. Musk invested $6.5 million into Tesla Motors, making him the largest shareholder and the Chairman of the company. Not long after this, Musk contacted JB Straubel, particularly as Eberhard and Tarpenning were meeting challenges in their vehicle’s batteries. Musk and Straubel had previously formed a kinship after finding common ground in EVs, particularly with the latter’s interest in using lithium-ion batteries to power a car (Musk had also agreed to fund Straubel’s lithium-ion battery ideas). During his meeting with Eberhard and Tarpenning, Straubel told them that he was building the battery they were looking for, also using funding from Musk. “We agreed to join forces and formed this ragtag group,” Straubel said, recalling Tesla Motors’ earliest days.
A lot has happened over the next 16 years. Tesla Inc., as the company is now called, has a market cap of around $40 billion, despite being one of the most shorted companies in the auto industry. The company has also expanded its operations to energy storage systems, a field that Straubel is still incredibly involved with. Elon Musk remains the largest shareholder and stands as the company’s CEO, though he has relinquished his Chairman role to board member Robyn Denholm following a run-in with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Today, Tesla is involved in what could only be described as a battle for the future of transportation, being the undisputed trailblazer in the electric vehicle market. So vast is the potential of the company that legendary investor Ron Baron has predicted that Tesla could eventually be a trillion-dollar company.
From the Tesla Roadster to the Model 3
To say that it took a lot of effort for Tesla to get to this point is an understatement, particularly as every vehicle that the company has released was met with pushback and an immense amount of skepticism. The original Tesla Roadster, the car that Eberhard, Tarpenning, and Straubel were creating since the earliest days of the company, was released in 2008, right in the middle of the US financial crisis. Objectively speaking, a two-seater, all-electric sports car was not a practical purchase then. The original Tesla Roadster had its own fair share of production challenges as well, to the point where auto publication The Truth About Cars actually decided to do a Tesla Death Watch series. Though late, the Roadster became successful nonetheless, forcing the Tesla Death Watch to end and becoming prolific enough to usher in the WhiteStar project, which would eventually become the Model S.
Bringing the Model S to market was just as hard, if not more difficult than the Roadster’s already-painful production ramp. In 2007, Musk showed noted auto designer Henrik Fisker Tesla’s idea for the WhiteStar sedan, a vehicle that must haul a family and cost about half the Roadster’s price. Fisker had a reputation for creating stunning automobiles for Aston Martin, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz, but as noted by Ron Lloyd, the former vice president of Tesla’s WhiteStar project, the designs he submitted for Tesla’s family sedan were strangely substandard. When Musk pushed back, Fisker would blame the physical constraints that Tesla placed on the car. And in 2008, Musk and the Tesla team looked in shock as Fisker started his own car company, Fisker Automotive, and unveiled the Karma, a hybrid vehicle that had all the makings of a well-designed green vehicle. It wasn’t until an established designer from Mazda, Franz von Holzhausen decided to take a leap of faith that project WhiteStar started progressing. Working with Musk on every detail of the car, the results of von Holzhausen’s work was the Tesla Model S, a car that would redefine not just electric vehicles, but cars as a whole.
Tesla’s next vehicles were no less challenging. The Model X was dismissed as an impossible vehicle to make due to its Falcon Wing Doors. While significantly delayed, the all-electric SUV nevertheless entered production, though it took extreme measures, such as Musk sleeping in the Fremont factory, to get the vehicle’s manufacturing underway. Fortunately for Tesla, it appears that the Model X became a lesson for the company, as evidenced by the more straightforward design of the Model 3, and later on, the Model Y. After coming to terms with its own hubris and creating what Elon Musk aptly described as the Fabergé egg of cars in the Model X, Tesla appears to have matured. This could be seen in the similarity of the company’s two mass-market vehicles.
Into the Future
Led by arguably one of the most relentless innovators alive today, Tesla remains engaged in battle every step of the way. Yet, despite the emergence of competitors that are generously dubbed “Tesla Killers,” and despite the persistently negative narrative surrounding the company, the electric car maker continues to grow. Tesla has even expanded its operations in China, where Gigafactory 3 is being built at a record pace. Once that is completed, Tesla could tap into China’s lucrative electric vehicle market without any unnecessary restraints. Other vehicles in the company’s lineup, from the new Tesla Roadster to the Tesla Semi to the Tesla Truck, are expected to be just as disruptive as every other electric car that the company has released.
Tesla’s electric cars are by no means the first EVs on the market. But they are the vehicles that forced the auto industry to recognize that there is a legitimate demand for compelling, well-designed electric cars. The presence of EVs such as the Porsche Taycan, which the German automaker expects will likely be practically as important as the 911, is proof that Tesla has and is succeeding in its mission to accelerate the world’s transition to renewable energy. A lot has happened in 16 years, but if Tesla’s character is any indication, it would seem that the company’s story is still just beginning.
Watch a Tesla enthusiast’s tribute video to Tesla’s 16 years in the video below.
Lifestyle
Tesla Model S Plaid battles China’s 1500 hp monster Nurburgring monster, with surprising results
There is just something about Tesla’s tuning and refinement that makes raw specs seem not as game-changing.

The Tesla Model S Plaid has been around for some time. Today, it is no longer the world’s quickest four-door electric sedan, nor is it the most powerful. As per a recent video from motoring YouTube channel Carwow, however, it seems like the Model S Plaid is still more than a match for some of its newer and more powerful rivals.
The monster from China
The Xiaomi SU7 Ultra is nothing short of a monster. Just like the Model S Plaid, it features three motors. It also has 1,548 hp and 1,770 Nm of torque. It’s All Wheel Drive and weighs a hefty 2,360 kg. The vehicle, which costs just about the equivalent of £55,000, has been recorded setting an insane 7:04.957 at the Nurburgring, surpassing the previous record held by the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT.
For all intents and purposes, the Model S Plaid looked outgunned in Carwow’s test. The Model S Plaid is no slouch with its three motors that produce 1,020 hp and 1,420 Nm of torque. It’s also a bit lighter at 2,190 kg despite its larger size. However, as the Carwow host pointed out, the Model S Plaid holds a 7:25.231 record in the Nurburgring. Compared to the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra’s record, the Model S Plaid’s lap time is notably slower.
Real-world tests
As could be seen in Carwow’s drag races, however, Tesla’s tech wizardry with the Model S Plaid is still hard to beat. The two vehicles competed in nine races, and the older Model S Plaid actually beat its newer, more powerful counterpart from China several times. At one point in the race, the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra hit its power limit due to its battery’s temperature, but the Model S Plaid was still going strong.
The Model S Plaid was first teased five years ago, in September 2020 during Tesla’s Battery Day. Since then, cars like the Lucid Air Sapphire and the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra have been released, surpassing its specs. But just like the Model Y ended up being the better all-rounder compared to the BYD Sealion 7 and the MG IM6, there is just something about Tesla’s tuning and refinement that makes raw specs seem not as game-changing.
Check out Carwow’s Model S Plaid vs Xiaomi SU7 drag race video below.
Lifestyle
500-mile test proves why Tesla Model Y still humiliates rivals in Europe
On paper, the BYD Sealion 7 and MG IM6 promised standout capabilities against the Model Y.

BYD is seeing a lot of momentum in Europe, so much so that mainstream media has taken every opportunity to argue that the Chinese automaker has beaten Tesla in the region. But while BYD sales this year in Europe are rising and Tesla’s registrations remain challenged, the raw capabilities of vehicles like the Model Y are difficult to deny.
This was highlighted in a 500-mile challenge by What Car? magazine, which showed that the new Tesla Model Y is more efficient, cheaper to run, and more reliable than rivals like the BYD Sealion 7, and even the nearly 400 KW-charging MG IM6.
Range and charging promises
On paper, the BYD Sealion 7 and MG IM6 promised standout capabilities against the Model Y. The Sealion 7 had more estimated range and the IM6 promised significantly faster charging. When faced with real-world conditions, however, it was still the Model Y that proved superior.
During the 500-mile test, the BYD nearly failed to reach a charging stop, arriving with less range than its display projected, as noted in a CarUp report. MG fared better, but its charging speeds never reached its promised nearly-400 kW charging speed. Tesla’s Model Y, by comparison, managed energy calculations precisely and arrived at each stop without issue.
Tesla leads in areas that matter
Charging times from 25% to 80% showed that the MG was the fastest at 17 minutes, while Tesla and BYD were close at 28 and 29 minutes, respectively. Overall efficiency and cost told a different story, however. The Model Y consumed 19.4 kWh per 100 km, compared to 22.2 for MG and 23.9 for BYD. Over the full trip, Tesla’s charging costs totaled just £82 thanks to its supercharger network, far below BYD’s £130 and MG’s £119.
What Car? Magazine’s testers concluded that despite BYD’s rapid sales growth and the MG IM6’s seriously impressive charging speeds, Tesla remains the more compelling real-world choice. The Model Y just offers stability, efficiency, and a proven charging infrastructure through its Supercharging network. And as per the magazine’s hosts, the Model Y is even the cheapest car to own among the three that were tested.
Watch What Car? Magazine’s 500-mile test in the video below.
Lifestyle
Tesla Cybertruck slapped with world’s least intimidating ticket, and it’s pure cringe
One cannot help but cringe and feel second-hand embarrassment at the idea of a person just driving around with a stack of these babies.

A Cybertruck parked at Stanford Shopping Center in California was recently hit with what might be the most try-hard piece of paper ever slipped under a wiper blade: a “fake citation” accusing the driver of supporting a “fascist car.”
The note, shared on X by Tesla staff program manager Ryan Torres, quickly made the rounds on X, where it quickly gained attention as an example of how not to protest.
The world’s least intimidating ticket
According to the citation, the supposed “violation” was “driving a fascist car.” The remedial action? Take the bus, call an Uber, or ride a bike. The note also dubbed Elon Musk a “chainsaw-wielding Nazi billionaire.” Now, protests against Tesla and Elon Musk have become commonplace this year, but one cannot help but cringe and feel second-hand embarrassment at the idea of a person just driving around with a stack of fake anti-Tesla/Musk citations.
Torres pointed out the irony himself in his post on X. Tesla currently employs over 140,000 Americans, and SpaceX has put the U.S. firmly back at the top of space technology. As Torres put it, maybe the person behind the world’s least intimidating ticket should “read a book on innovation before vandalizing” other people’s property.
Peak performative clownery
Not to mention that the fake ticket’s logic collapses under its own weight. EVs like the Cybertruck are literally designed to reduce emissions, not “destroy the economy.” If anything, Tesla has bolstered the United States’ economy by fueling jobs in engineering, manufacturing, and clean energy. It’s not the first time a Tesla has been the target of vandalism or politically charged notes, but this one stands out for sheer cringe value.
Torres summed it up neatly: “Peak clownery.” On that point, at least, the citation earns full marks. In a way, though, perhaps cringe fake tickets are not as bad as the literal firebombs that were being thrown at Tesla stores and cars earlier this year because some critics were gleefully misinformed about Elon Musk.
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