A 2019 automobile accident that claimed the life of a 50-year-old man has resulted in a trial that will call Tesla CEO Elon Musk and National Highway Traffic Safety Advisor Missy Cummings as witnesses. The trial will dial in on Tesla’s Autopilot driver assistance system, which Banner’s family’s lawyers have blamed for the accident.
In March 2019, Banner was involved in a fatal accident when his Tesla Model 3 collided with a semi-truck on a highway in Florida. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) concluded that Banner activated Autopilot just ten seconds before the collision. Tesla, in an email to ABC News in 2019, stated:
“Shortly following the accident, we informed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board that the vehicle’s logs showed that Autopilot was first engaged by the driver just 10 seconds prior to the accident, and then the driver immediately removed his hands from the wheel. Autopilot had not been used at any other time during that drive. We are deeply saddened by this accident and our thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragedy.”
Accidents invovling Teslas are unfortunately some of the most publicized events in the automotive industry due to Autopilot. Anytime a Tesla crashes, media often immediately assumes Autopilot or Full Self-Driving is to blame. However, Tesla never advises drivers to take their hands off the wheel when activating the functionality.
According to a report from Bloomberg, Tesla attorneys can push back against Musk taking the stand as a witness. They have attempted to persuade the judge to deny a request from Banner’s family to have Musk appear before the trial when evidence is gathered.
Additionally, Missy Cummings, who is a vocal skeptic of Autopilot and Tesla in general, will be called to the stand as a witness. Cummings was appointed to the position of Advisor to the NHTSA last month, much to the chagrin of Tesla supporters, who were quick to call out her past biases against Tesla’s semi-autonomous software.
The trial is listed as Banner v. Tesla Inc., 50-2019-CA-0099662, Circuit Court of 15th Judicial Circuit, Palm Beach County, Florida.
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Elon Musk confirms cryptic X post was related to SpaceX, not TSLA stock
Musk shared his update in a post on social media platform X.

Elon Musk has confirmed that a cryptic post he shared earlier this month was related to his private sale enterprise, SpaceX, not electric vehicle maker Tesla.
Musk shared his update in a post on social media platform X.
Musk’s cryptic post
Earlier this month, the CEO posted the cryptic words “You’ll Thank Me Later” on X. The post quickly gained attention on social media, as Tesla watchers and Elon Musk fans speculated on what the words could mean. With the announcement that Musk has purchased $1 billion of TSLA stock in the open market, some speculated that the cryptic post was a teaser of sorts to shareholders.
Musk’s massive TSLA purchase was the biggest in history, and it also stood as a notable vote of confidence for the company as it attempts to enter a new era led by robots, AI, and autonomous driving. This was likely one of the reasons why Tesla stock saw a notable rise on Monday’s trading. In another post, however, Musk confirmed that his cryptic post was not in any way related to his stock purchase.
All SpaceX
Considering that all the words in Musk’s post started with an uppercase letter, some space fans immediately speculated that the CEO was teasing something related to SpaceX. The company’s three drone ships, Just Read the Instructions (JRTI), Of Course I Still Love You (OCISLY), and A Shortfall of Gravitas (ASOG), after all, follow similar naming styles.
This was one of the reasons why some TSLA shareholders noted on X that Musk’s post was likely SpaceX-related. In response to one of these comments, Musk stated that these speculations are “Correct.”
The only question now is what exactly Musk was referring to in his post. Perhaps the CEO really was hinting at the name of the drone ship that will be tasked to retrieve Starship in the middle of the ocean.
News
Tesla Model Y leads as weekly registrations in China hit Q3 high
Out of Tesla China’s 15,350 registrations, the Model Y once again accounted for the majority.

Tesla recorded 15,350 insurance registrations in China during the week of September 8–14, marking a 7.3% increase compared to the prior week. The figure also represents the highest weekly result so far in the third quarter of 2025.
Model Y still leads demand
Out of the 15,350 registrations, the Model Y once again accounted for the majority. Data shows 9,460 registrations for the standard Model Y, complemented by 1,030 units of the newly launched extended wheelbase, six-seat Model Y L. Tesla also logged 4,860 Model 3 sedans for the week as well, as noted in a CNEV Post report.
The Model Y L, which debuted in late August, registered a modest uptick from the 900 registrations it saw the week before. Volumes remain relatively low, suggesting that the variant will not meaningfully change Tesla’s third-quarter sales trajectory. That being said, Tesla China’s previous comments about the Model Y L’s demand suggest that an uptick in registrations may be coming in the next weeks.
The ramp of the Model Y L will likely be a notable topic among Tesla watchers, as its ramp will still be quite a task despite the vehicle being just a new variant of the all-electric crossover. With this in mind, meaningful numbers of Model Y L registrations may hit their pace in the next quarter instead.
Tesla China’s momentum
As per data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA), Tesla’s retail sales in August 2025 totaled 57,152 units. That figure marked a 9.9% decline from August 2024’s 63,456 units, but a significant 40.7% increase from July’s 40,617 deliveries.
Quarter-to-date, Tesla China’s results show a 34.4% gain compared to the previous quarter but remain down 11% year-over-year. Year-to-date, Tesla is down about 7% in China versus the same period in 2024. With only a couple more weeks before the end of the third quarter, Tesla China’s registrations may help determine whether the company could catch up to its 2024 numbers this year.
News
Tesla Supercharger access has proven to be a challenge for one company
Interestingly, it seems to be the Volkswagen brand specifically that is having issues with compatibility with Tesla Superchargers. Other brands under the VW umbrella, like Audi and Porsche, have already gained access to the charging network.

Tesla Supercharger access has proven to be quite the challenge for one company, as it continues to delay the date that it will enable its owners to charge at the most expansive network in the world.
Tesla Superchargers have been opening up to other brands for well over a year, and many car companies that are manufacturing electric vehicles now have access to the vast network that has over 70,000 locations worldwide.
Tesla to launch Supercharger access for VW owners later this year
However, one brand has experienced some issues with what it is calling “technical challenges,” specifically failing to enable cross-compatibility between its vehicles and Tesla Superchargers.
Volkswagen has had to delay its ability to enable customers to charge at Superchargers because there have been some difficulties getting things to run smoothly. A report from PCMag cites a quote from a Volkswagen spokesperson who said there are still plans to deliver this year, but there have been some delays:
“Volkswagen looks forward to making it possible for ID. Buzz and ID.4 vehicle owners to gain access to the Tesla NACS Partner Superchargers. The timeline has been delayed by technical challenges, and we ask for customers’ patience. We still expect to deliver access this year.”
Interestingly, it seems to be the Volkswagen brand specifically that is having issues with compatibility with Tesla Superchargers. Other brands under the VW umbrella, like Audi and Porsche, have already gained access to the charging network.
Volkswagen EV owners will need to use an official VW adapter to access the Tesla Supercharger Network once the issues are resolved. It still plans to launch access to its owners later this year, but its spokesperson did not announce any planned timeline.
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