Tesla already has a full plate for 2023. Even without the Q4 2022 delivery numbers, the company aims to grow another 50% this year. Below are just a few of Tesla’s biggest goals in 2023.
Tesla Cybertruck Production
Tesla also aims to start the Cybertruck’s initial production at Giga Texas, and might deliver a few Cybertrucks by the end of the year. The company will probably concentrate on Cybertruck production this year, with first deliveries likely starting in the second half.
Cybertruck bodies were spotted at Tesla’s Texas HQ in the weeks leading up to the new year. In early December, a Cybertruck rear megacast was seen at Giga Texas. Later that same month, equipment for the Cybertruck assembly line also started arriving at the Texas HQ.
The EV manufacturer might also be working on a smaller two-door Cybertruck concept. However, it will likely focus on the Cybertruck that it unveiled a few years ago.
Tesla Model 3 Revamp
First on Tesla’s list is the Model 3 revamp, otherwise known as “Project Highland.” The revamped Model 3 is expected to introduce updates to the all-electric sedan’s interior, infotainment system, and other crucial features.
People familiar with the Project Highland noted that Tesla managed to decrease the Model 3’s components. The revamped Model 3 would also get a better display. At the Q3 2022 earnings call, Elon Musk noted that next-generation Tesla vehicles might utilize the company’s smaller platform.
“But at this point, we’ve done the engineering for Cybertrucks and for Semi. So, it’s obviously against what we’re working on, which is the next-generation vehicle, which will be probably about the cost of 3 and Y platform. It will be smaller, to be clear,” Musk said.
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Tesla Gigafactories and Other Projects
Tesla is still ramping up production at Giga Texas, Giga Berlin, and its Megafactory. The company’s other factories, including the Fremont Factory, Giga Nevada, and Giga Shanghai, will likely continue to improve and grow.
Tesla is also expected to announce the location of its next gigafactory. The top contenders seem to be Mexico, Canada, Indonesia, and South Korea.
Besides the Model 3—and possibly work on the company’s smaller vehicle—and the start of Cybertruck production, Tesla is also ramping Semi production. So the company’s gigafactories will be plenty busy year-round.
Tesla China’s Big Boss Gets Bigger Role
Elon Musk may also give Tesla China boss Tom Zhu more responsibilities at the company, which would be a big transition for Tesla. Zhu is expected to take on a bigger role in Tesla as its new Global Operations manager, as per previous reports.
Tesla has not confirmed Zhu’s new role at the company, but he has already stepped down as Tesla China’s main legal representative and some people have bid farewell to him on Weibo.
Zhu and his team of engineers from China have been spending time at the Fremont Factory and Giga Texas. They have also allegedly been working closely on Cybertruck production preparations.
Tesla still has a bunch of products in development, like the Roadster and the humanoid robot Optimus. Plus, Tesla has yet to officially unveil its $25,000 vehicle, dubbed by some in the EV community as the Model 2. Then there are updates for Full Self-Driving and Autopilot and 4680 production. As 2023 continues, Tesla will likely add more events to its packed schedule.
I’d appreciate tips about any of the projects mentioned in this article. Contact me at maria@teslarati.com or via Twitter @Writer_01001101.
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Tesla Energy has introduced the Powerwall Lease in conjunction with Tesla Electric, making the service available in Texas. This new option delivers whole-home backup power using two Powerwall units for a net monthly cost of $35 after credits, accompanied by a low fixed electricity rate.
Under the lease terms, customers pay a one-time order fee of $100. The base lease payment for the two Powerwalls is approximately $122 per month during the first year, subject to a 3 percent annual escalator thereafter. Enrollment in a qualifying Tesla Electric Backup plan or Virtual Power Plant plan provides an $87 monthly credit.
Powerwall Lease is now available with Tesla Electric in Texas
Whole-home backup for $35/month, with a low fixed electricity rate
– Two Powerwalls, $0 installation
– Storm Watch outage protection
– One app to manage it all pic.twitter.com/oTzqc6K3aF— Tesla Energy (@teslaenergy) August 13, 2026
This credit lowers the effective cost to roughly $35 per month plus applicable tax.
Installation of the standard system carries no additional charge. The package features Storm Watch for outage protection and allows complete management through a single Tesla application. The system supplies continuous whole-home backup capability.
The Powerwall system enables households to maintain electricity during severe storms that disrupt the utility grid. When outages occur, the batteries automatically provide seamless backup power to the home.
Tesla announces 100k Powerwalls are participating in Virtual Power Plants
Tesla Storm Watch monitors weather forecasts and ensures the units are fully charged ahead of anticipated severe weather events so that power remains available throughout the disruption, keeping lights, refrigeration, and other essential systems operating without interruption.
Availability is restricted to select Texas locations where retail electric choice exists. Participants must lease exactly two Powerwall units and maintain continuous enrollment with Tesla Electric. Solar panels cannot be included under this particular lease arrangement.
The monthly credit activates automatically once the system is installed, receives permission to operate, and enrollment is confirmed. To retain the credit, customers are required to stay enrolled in Tesla Electric and fulfill all program conditions.
Nonstandard installations that involve electrical upgrades or special permitting may lead to extra expenses and might impact eligibility for the credit, so be sure to check with either your installer or Tesla to ensure you will still qualify.
Elon Musk continues to tease the unveiling event for the Tesla Roadster, a continuing trend that has grown into a bigger game of “When” for fans who have been waiting years for the car to finally enter production.
A video shared on X of the Joe Rogan Experience podcast that Musk appeared on last year, teasing the Roadster unveiling, was shared once again on the social media platform. The poster said the Roadster event will be “unforgettable.”
Musk agreed:
Yes
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 12, 2026
The timing is interesting because just yesterday, Musk said that we will be getting flying cars, and for years, Tesla has hinted that it could develop a SpaceX cold gas thruster package that would help the car float or fly for a short period of time.
It would be reasonable to assume Tesla’s major delays with this unveiling event are likely caused by the company’s need to break the rules and push the envelope on nearly everything. Last July, Lars Moravy, Tesla’s VP of Vehicle Engineering, said:
“Roadster is definitely in development. We did talk about it last Sunday night. We are gearing up for a super cool demo. It’s going to be mind blowing. We showed Elon some cool demos last week of the tech we’ve been working on and he got a little excited.”
The latest updates that Tesla has given us are that the Roadster is in design development, and it did have several potential dates for an unveiling event this year, including April. It was then pushed to August.
However, there are no clues as to when Tesla will be ready, and fans are certainly getting frustrated with the delays.
For what it is worth, Franz von Holzhausen told Jay Leno this week that the event would be “very soon.”
We sure hope.
Lifestyle
Tesla’s driverless Cybercab just passed a big test with State Governor
Florida’s governor rode Tesla’s Cybercab at a closed test track and called the experience impressive.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis rode in a Tesla Cybercab on a closed test track this week and came away impressed, posting on X that the vehicle “successfully navigated all hazards — a kid running into the street, a crash with police stopping traffic, a Model S cutting us off, etc.” He called the ride “impressive.”
The stop was part of a broader event Monday at SunTrax, a 775 acre state owned proving ground in Auburndale that Florida built specifically to test autonomous and connected vehicles before they reach public roads. Standing next to a gold Cybercab, DeSantis described the car in plain terms: “You go in there and you just sit. You have a screen. There’s no steering wheel, no pedals. Clearly these things could be very beneficial.”
We took a ride on a robotaxi on the Suntrax course and it successfully navigated all hazards — a kid running into the street, a crash with police stopping traffic, a Model S cutting us off, etc.
Impressive! https://t.co/FVAkzFLz3r
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) August 11, 2026
DeSantis paired the praise with a caveat that has followed autonomous vehicles since the category existed. “You don’t want to be in an autonomous vehicle and it drives you into a ditch. That would not be good,” he said, framing safety validation as the gate before wider deployment.
SunTrax, the 2.25 mile oval which the state calls the only high speed autonomous vehicle test track in the Southeast, can simulate rain, pedestrian crossings, hills and crowded urban conditions at highway speeds, letting companies push a car past what an early public rollout would risk. Tesla, Waymo and Beep all use the facility, and Florida’s regulatory approach, among the most permissive for autonomous vehicles in the country, doesn’t require a human operator inside a fully autonomous car.
Tesla has reason to want the blessing of Florida and states beyond, as the Cybercab entered volume production at Gigafactory Texas this spring and has since self certified as SAE Level 4 under Texas law. Public road testing so far has kept a safety monitor in the passenger seat, and Florida is where Tesla has been expanding its existing Model Y based Robotaxi service instead, adding Miami in July and then Orlando and Tampa two weeks later. A closed track endorsement from a sitting governor doesn’t change any of that, but it does put Tesla’s newest hardware in front of a state that has already shown it will move fast on rules.
Tesla launches Powerwall Lease for affordable home backup
Elon Musk teases Tesla Roadster unveiling once again
