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Tesla’s $25k car and dedicated robotaxi will be Cybertruck-inspired: report
Tesla’s $25,000 car and the company’s dedicated robotaxi past will both feature a design that’s inspired by the Cybertruck. This was, at least, according to Musk biographer Walter Isaacson.
Citing an excerpt from Isaacson’s upcoming book, Axios noted that Musk was so focused on self-driving robotaxis that it took the collective effort of Tesla executives to persuade him to pursue an affordable car as well. As noted by the publication, the CEO only relented when his aides revealed a plan to build both the $25,000 car and Tesla’s robotaxi side by side.
Tesla is aiming to reach 20 million vehicles per year in 2030. To achieve such a goal, the company would need a vehicle that it could build quickly at scale. This means that Tesla needs a car that would far exceed the Model 3 sedan and Model Y crossover in output. Tesla’s next-generation platform, which was discussed during Investor Day earlier this year, seems designed for this purpose.
As per Isaacson, Musk gathered his top five lieutenants for dinner in Austin for a brainstorming session in November 2021. The agenda for the day was a basic robotaxi that could be produced in high volumes. Musk and his team would reportedly end up debating for almost a year whether they should play it safe and build a car with traditional controls, or opt for a vehicle that’s all-in on autonomy, with no steering wheel or pedals.
Several Tesla engineers reportedly pushed for a more conservative approach. Tesla Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen, during a meeting on August 18, 2022, even suggested that the robotaxi could be a vehicle with steering wheels and pedals that could be removed later. “If we go down a path of having no steering wheel, and FSD is not ready, we won’t be able to put them on the road,” the Chief Designer said.
Musk, however, was reportedly adamant. “No mirrors, no pedals, no steering wheel. This is me taking responsibility for this decision,” Musk reportedly said. The CEO also highlighted Tesla’s focus on autonomy. “Let me be clear. This vehicle must be designed as a clean robotaxi. We’re going to take that risk. It’s my fault if it f–ks up. But we are not going to design some sort of amphibian frog that’s a halfway car. We are all in on autonomy,” Musk said.
Musk would later relent, however, following a meeting in September 2022. During the meeting, von Holzhausen and several others presented data indicating that a small, “global car” would be needed for Tesla to achieve its ambitious growth targets. The team also convinced the CEO that both the $25,000 car and the robotaxi could be built on the same next-generation platform. Both vehicles could be produced using the same assembly lines as well.
Ultimately, Musk was reportedly convinced of the $25,000 car after von Holzhausen placed models of the $25,000 Tesla and the robotaxi side by side in Tesla’s Design Studio. Both vehicles were unlike other cars on the road today. As per Isaacson, both vehicles had a futuristic design that was inspired by the Tesla Cybertruck. Musk loved the vehicles.
“When one of these comes around a corner, people will think they are seeing something from the future,” Musk said.
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Elon Musk
SpaceX secures win as US labor board drops oversight case
The NLRB confirmed that it no longer has jurisdiction over SpaceX.
SpaceX scored a legal victory after the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) decided to dismiss a case which accused the company of terminating engineers who were involved in an open letter against founder Elon Musk.
The NLRB confirmed that it no longer has jurisdiction over SpaceX. The update was initially shared by Bloomberg News, which cited a letter about the matter it reportedly reviewed.
In a letter to the former employees’ lawyers, the labor board stated that the affected employees were under the jurisdiction of the National Mediation Board (NMB), not the NLRB. As a result, the labor board stated that it was dismissing the case.
As per Danielle Pierce, a regional director of the agency, “the National Labor Relations Board lacks jurisdiction over the Employer and, therefore, I am dismissing your charge.”
The NMB typically oversees airlines and railroads. The NLRB, on the other hand, covers most private-sector employers, as well as manufacturers such as Boeing.
The former SpaceX engineers have argued that the private space company did not belong under the NMB’s jurisdiction because SpaceX only offers services to “hand-picked customers.”
In an opinion, however, the NMB stated that SpaceX was under its jurisdiction because “space transport includes air travel” to get to outer space. The mediation board also noted that anyone can contact SpaceX to secure its services.
SpaceX had previously challenged the NLRB’s authority in court, arguing that the agency’s structure was unconstitutional. Jennifer Abruzzo, the NLRB general counsel under former United States President Joe Biden, rejected SpaceX’s claims. Following Abruzzo’s termination under the Trump administration, however, SpaceX asked the labor board to reconsider its arguments.
SpaceX is not the only company that has challenged the constitutionality of the NLRB. Since SpaceX filed its legal challenge against the agency in 2024, other high-profile companies have followed suit. These include Amazon, which has filed similar cases that are now pending.
News
Tesla accuses IG Metall member of secretly recording Giga Berlin meeting
The union has denied the electric vehicle maker’s allegations.
Police seized the computer of an IG Metall member at Tesla Giga Berlin on Tuesday amid allegations that a works council meeting was secretly recorded.
The union has denied the electric vehicle maker’s allegations.
In a post on X, Gigafactory Berlin plant manager André Thierig stated that an external union representative from IG Metall attended a works council meeting and allegedly recorded the session. Thierig described the event as “truly beyond words.”
“What has happened today at Giga Berlin is truly beyond words! An external union representative from IG Metall attended a works council meeting. For unknown reasons he recorded the internal meeting and was caught in action! We obviously called police and filed a criminal complaint!” Thierig wrote in his post on X.
Police later confirmed to local news outlet rbb24 that officers did seize a computer belonging to an IG Metall member at the Giga Berlin site on Tuesday afternoon. Tesla stated that employees had contacted authorities after discovering the alleged recording.
IG Metall denied Tesla’s accusations, arguing that its representative did not record the meeting. The union alleged that Tesla’s claim was simply a tactic ahead of upcoming works council elections.
The next works council election at Giga Berlin is scheduled for March 2 to 4, 2026. The facility’s management had confirmed the dates to local news outlets. The official announcement marks the start of the election process and campaign period.
Approximately 11,000 employees are eligible to participate in the vote.
The previous works council election at the plant took place in 2024, and it was triggered by a notable increase in workforce size. Under German labor law, regular works council elections must be held every four years between March 1 and May 31.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk’s xAI plants flag in Bellevue AI hotspot
The lease places xAI’s new office in one of the region’s fastest-growing tech hubs.
Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company xAI has leased a full floor at Lincoln Square South in downtown Bellevue, WA, as per city permit filings.
The lease places xAI’s new office in one of the region’s fastest-growing tech hubs.
Public records indicate that xAI leased roughly 24,800 square feet in Lincoln Square South. The location was previously occupied by video game company Epic Games. Lincoln Square South is part of the Bellevue Collection, which is owned by Kemper Development Co.
The lease was first referenced in January by commercial real estate firm Broderick Group, which noted that an unnamed tenant had secured the space, as stated in a report from the Puget Sound Business Journal. Later filings identified xAI as the occupant for the space.
xAI has not publicly commented on the lease.
xAI hinted at plans to open an office in the Seattle area back in September, when the startup posted job openings with salaries ranging from $180,000 to $440,000. At the time, the company had narrowed its location search to cities on the Eastside but had not finalized a lease.
xAI’s Bellevue expansion comes as Musk continues consolidating his businesses. Last week, SpaceX acquired xAI in a deal that valued the artificial intelligence startup at $250 billion. SpaceX itself is now valued at roughly $1.25 trillion and is expected to pursue an initial public offering (IPO) later this year.
Musk already has a significant presence in the region through SpaceX, which employs about 2,000 workers locally. That initiative, however, is focused largely on Starlink satellite development.
Bellevue has increasingly become a center for artificial intelligence companies. OpenAI has expanded its local office footprint to nearly 300,000 square feet. Data infrastructure firms such as Crusoe and CoreWeave have also established offices downtown.
SpaceX secures win as US labor board drops oversight case
Tesla accuses IG Metall member of secretly recording Giga Berlin meeting
