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What Tesla has in store for 2017: Model 3, Model Y, Solar Roof and more
Tesla CEO Elon Musk revealed his vision of the future through the company’s Master Plan Part Deux on July 20, 2016. Filled with predictions about his complex and detailed plan to marry self-driving electric vehicles covering all segments, with solar rooftops and integrated battery storage units, 2017 should be the year when many of them begin to come into focus in a way the public can visualize.
Tesla Model 3 Deliveries
Arguably the most anticipated product on Tesla’s roadmap is its affordable mass market Model 3 mid-size sedan which will see first deliveries take place at the end of 2017. The car has been in “pencils down mode” since summer, meaning the final design has been locked in and the process of getting it ready for production has begun. Elon has hinted that plans call for a volume production date that would begin sometime near the summer of 2017.
Silver Model 3 seen at Tesla’s employee-only Q3 celebration party in San Jose, CA
Goals should always exceed one’s grasp and Musk recognizes that starting volume production on Model 3 by the end of July is going to be next to impossible. He was chastened a bit by the roll out of the Model X, which began in September, 2015. A number of production glitches delayed full production of that car until well into the second quarter of 2016.
That experience tempered Elon’s irrepressible optimism with a dose of real world experience. Even assuming production did begin next summer, it would result in relatively few cars being produced. Those would get into the hands of customers living near the factory in Fremont, California so that any post-production issues can be addressed quickly and efficiently. The lessons learned would then be used to improve the quality of the cars to come.
Machines That Builds Machines, Come to Life
A main area of focus for Musk and Tesla’s production arm is devising ways to reap significant benefits from a total rethinking of the manufacturing process by “building the machine that builds the machine”. Having recently acquired a leading engineering firm in Germany focused on building advanced automation tools, Tesla believes that a properly designed factory could operate at 5 to 10 times the speed of today’s production facilities.
Drone video of Tesla’s Gigafactory shows the battery factory more than doubling in size
“Tesla engineering has transitioned to focus heavily on designing the machine that makes the machine — turning the factory itself into a product. A first principles physics analysis of automotive production suggests that somewhere between a 5 to 10 fold improvement is achievable by version 3 on a roughly 2 year iteration cycle.”, said Musk at the Tesla Gigafactory Grand Opening celebration.
Plans to nearly double the size of Tesla’s Fremont, Calif. factory were recently approved by the city. Tesla plans to build as many as 500,000 cars a year, most of them Model 3s, by the end of 2018.
Tesla Model Y Compact SUV and Tesla Pickup Truck Unveiling
An electric compact SUV based on the Model 3 chassis, dubbed Model Y, will round out Tesla’s S-E-X-Y range of vehicles. That, along with a Tesla pickup and a Tesla ‘minibus’, will fulfill the major automotive segments the Silicon Valley automaker and energy company aims to cover with its upcoming fleet of electric cars. Expect prototypes to be unveiled sometime in 2017
“In addition to consumer vehicles, there are two other types of electric vehicle needed: heavy-duty trucks and high passenger-density urban transport. Both are in the early stages of development at Tesla and should be ready for unveiling next year.”, reads Tesla’s blog post.
Tesla Model Y Compact SUV rendering [Source: RM Car Design]
Model Y (compact SUV) off Model 3 chassis. Tesla Bus/Minibus/Spacebus off Model X.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 31, 2016
In addition, Tesla is thinking about creating a self driving minibus that could transport up to 10 passengers, according to Musk’s Master Plan Part Deux. It would be based on the Model X chassis. Passengers could summon the bus to their location and it would deliver them to their destination with little or no walking required — something traditional public transportation vehicles cannot do.
Tesla job openings reveal that developments for future vehicles are already being planned for.
Roll Out of Autopilot 2.0 and Self-Driving Features
2017 is also the year when Tesla’s Enhanced Autopilot should become fully operational. All cars produced after October 19 are equipped with the hardware 2 package of cameras, radar, and advanced ultrasound sensors that will allow them to operate without human input. All that remains to be done is accumulate enough human logged driving miles to flush out the confidence level for the company’s self-driving algorithms.
Tesla has already accumulated more than 1.2 billion miles of driving history and is adding 3 million more miles every day. Elon believes it will require a total of 6 billion miles of driving experience before autonomous driving is reliable enough to convince regulators to allow self-driving cars to be allowed on public roads. He is also aware that approval will vary widely from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, both within the United States and in other countries.
Tesla demonstrates the capabilities of a Full Self-Driving Model X
Musk plans to showcase a fully autonomous trip from Los Angeles to New York by the end of 2017. According to Musk, the cross country journey in a Full Self-Driving Tesla would take place “without the need for a single touch” from a human driver, including recharging the car’s battery.
“Our goal is, we’ll to be able to do a demonstration drive of full autonomy all the way from LA to New York,” According to Musk, the trip would be “from home in LA, to dropping you off in Times Square, and then the car will go park itself.”
Tesla Will Begin Solar Roof Sales
Now that SolarCity has officially become part of Tesla Motors, the Solar Roof products introduced in October will become available next year to customers throughout the US. Tesla is revamping its retail stores to include information about its solar products and the Powerwall 2, its latest residential energy storage product. Musk envisions a seamless, pain-free process that will allow solar customers to order a Solar Roof and all the details are handled completely by Tesla.
Combining energy production with local energy storage will permit more homeowners to reduce their reliance on the local utility company, which will insulate them against future rate hikes. It will also mean fewer carbon emissions from generating electricity, reinforcing Musk’s goal of a sustainable future.
The Solar Roof will be offered in four styles and the anticipated to go on sale during the summer of 2017, starting with the most popular style first. Other styles will become available at the rate of one additional style every three months.
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Tesla opens first public Tesla Semi Megacharger site in Los Angeles
The development was highlighted in a post on social media platform X by the official Tesla Semi account.
Tesla has opened its first public Tesla Semi Megacharger site in Los Angeles. The station reportedly offers up to 750 kW charging speeds and is open to Tesla Semi customers.
The development was highlighted in a post on social media platform X by the official Tesla Semi account.
Tesla Semi Megachargers
The Los Angeles site seems to be the first public Tesla Semi Megacharger that is not located at a Tesla factory. It is also the third Megacharger site currently visible on Tesla’s map.
The Megacharger system is designed specifically for the Tesla Semi and is capable of delivering extremely high charging speeds to support long-haul trucking operations. Infrastructure such as this will likely play a key role in making the Semi competitive with diesel-powered transport trucks.
Tesla’s progress with the Semi has also drawn attention in recent days after Elon Musk biographer Ashlee Vance shared photos from inside the Tesla Semi factory near Giga Nevada. The images suggested that preparations for higher production volumes may be underway, hinting that a broader ramp of the Tesla Semi’s production indeed be approaching.
New deployment strategies
Tesla has continued expanding its broader charging network through several new strategies aimed at accelerating infrastructure deployment. One of these initiatives is the Supercharger for Business program, which allows third parties to purchase Tesla Supercharger equipment and deploy charging stations while still integrating with Tesla’s network.
The program recently marked a milestone in Alpharetta, Georgia, where the city deployed four 325 kW city-branded Superchargers near the Alpharetta Department of Public Safety on Old Milton Parkway. The chargers support the city’s Tesla Model Y police vehicles while also remaining accessible to the public.
As per a report from EVwire, the project was designed not only to support fleet charging but also to generate economic returns that could offset the city’s investment. Tesla’s Supercharger for Business program has already attracted several participants, including businesses and charging providers such as Suncoast Charging, Pie Safe bakery in Idaho, Francis Energy in Oklahoma, and Wawa convenience stores.
Elon Musk
The Boring Company’s Vegas Loop moves 82k riders during CONEXPO
The Loop’s feat was highlighted by The Boring Company in a post on its official account on social media platform X.
The Boring Company said its Vegas Loop system transported roughly 82,000 passengers during the recent CONEXPO-CON/AGG construction trade show in Las Vegas. The event was held at the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) from March 3-7, 2026.
The Loop’s feat was highlighted by The Boring Company in a post on its official account on social media platform X.
CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2026
CONEXPO-CON/AGG is one of the largest construction trade shows in North America. This year’s event was quite impressive, attracting more than 140,000 construction professionals from 128 countries across the world.
Considering the number of this year’s attendees, the LVCC Loop seemed to have proven itself to be a very useful transportation solution. A video posted by The Boring Company on its official X account featured attendees expressing their enthusiasm for the underground transport system, with some stating that they would like to see similar tunnels across Las Vegas.
The LVCC Loop is only part of the greater Vegas Loop network, which is actively under construction.
New Vegas Loop extensions
One of the newest additions is a station at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas resort on the Strip. The station is located on level V-1 of the resort’s south valet area, according to a report from the Las Vegas Review-Journal. From the Fontainebleau, passengers can travel free of charge to stations serving the Las Vegas Convention Center, as well as to Loop stations at Encore and Westgate.
The system is also expanding beyond the Strip corridor. In December, The Boring Company began offering Vegas Loop rides to and from Harry Reid International Airport. These trips include a limited above-ground segment after receiving approval from the Nevada Transportation Authority to allow surface street travel tied to Loop operations.
The Boring Company President Steve Davis previously told the Review-Journal that the University Center Loop segment, which is currently under construction, is expected to open in the first quarter of 2026. The extension would allow Loop vehicles to travel beneath Paradise Road between the convention center and the airport, with a planned station just north of Tropicana Avenue.
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Tesla preps to build its most massive Supercharger yet: 400+ V4 stalls
The project will be an expansion of the current Eddie World Supercharger in Yermo, California, and will take place in several stages.
Tesla is preparing to build its most massive Supercharger yet, as it recently submitted plans for an over 400-stall Supercharging station in California, which would dwarf its massive 168-stall location in Lost Hills, California.
The project will be an expansion of the current Eddie World Supercharger in Yermo, California, and will take place in several stages.
The expansion, adjacent to the existing Eddie World Supercharger, which is currently comprised of 22 older V2 and V3 stalls limited to 150 kW, unfolds across six phases.
Construction on Phase 1 begins later this year with 72 V4 stalls. Subsequent stages will progressively add hundreds more, culminating in over 400 next-generation chargers. Site plans label expansive parking arrays across Phases 1–5 along Calico Boulevard, with Phase 6 design still to be determined.
Tesla is planning an absolutely massive Supercharger expansion in Yermo, California!!
Over the course of 6 phases, Tesla is set to add over 400 V4 stalls in a commercial development known as Eddie World 2.
The first phase, which should begin construction sometime this year,… pic.twitter.com/ks5Y5dE8lR
— MarcoRP (@MarcoRPi1) March 6, 2026
The project was first flagged by MarcoRP, a notable Tesla Supercharger watcher.
Strategically located midway on I-15 between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, the station targets heavy EV traffic on this high-demand corridor.
The surrounding 20-mile stretch already hosts over 200 high-power stalls (including 40 at 250 kW, 120 at 325 kW, and more), plus 96 in nearby Baker—yet bottlenecks persist during peak travel.
In scale, it eclipses all existing Tesla Superchargers. The current record holder, the solar- and Megapack-powered “Project Oasis” in Lost Hills, California, offers 164 stalls. Barstow’s former leader had 120. Eddie World 2 will be more than double that size, cementing Tesla’s dominance in ultra-high-capacity charging.
Tesla finishes its biggest Supercharger ever with 168 stalls
Development blends charging with convenience. Architectural drawings show integrated retail: a 10,100 square foot Cracker Barrel, a 4,300 square foot McDonald’s, a 3,800 square foot convenience store, additional restaurants, drive-thrus, outdoor dining, and lease space.
EV-centric features include pull-through bays for Cybertrucks and trailers, ensuring accessibility for larger vehicles and future Semi trucks.
Tesla opens first public Tesla Semi Megacharger site in Los Angeles
The Boring Company’s Vegas Loop moves 82k riders during CONEXPO
