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Tesla’s best advertisements are the much-hyped ‘Tesla Killers’ from veteran auto

Published

6 years ago

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In one of his recent excursions on Twitter, Elon Musk reaffirmed that Tesla does not advertise. While traditional car companies invest a lot in advertisements, Tesla has mostly relied on word-of-mouth and clever initiatives such as referral programs to promote its vehicles. As the auto industry shifts towards electric transportation with more and more EVs from traditional auto, it is evident that Tesla’s best advertisements can actually come from its vehicles’ rivals in the market.

Take Audi, for example. The German automaker has already released its first all-electric vehicle, the e-tron, an SUV expected to compete against the Tesla Model X. Audi has been promoting the SUV heavily, as shown in physical advertisements such as billboards and social media campaigns. Jaguar’s the same with the I-PACE, and the same is true with Porsche and the Taycan. These veteran carmakers know the auto business, and they are aware that ultimately, advertisements work. And they do.

Back in March, the I-PACE comprised almost 6% of Jaguar’s entire US sales. This is the company’s first all-electric vehicle, and it is competing in the market without a dedicated rapid charging network or the convenience of Tesla’s frequent over-the-air updates. Despite this, the I-PACE appears to be seeing a lot of interest, especially among buyers who are already committed to Jaguar’s brand. Porsche is experiencing something similar with the Taycan. The company is yet to reveal the production version of the high-performance sedan, but the number of paid reservations for the Taycan already exceed the company’s initial estimate for the vehicle’s annual production rate. Audi’s e-tron also appears to be getting a lot of interest from car owners committed to German-made vehicles too, even if the company is reportedly running into issues with the SUV’s production.

These electric cars from veteran auto, while packaged and hyped as potential “Tesla Killers” at some point, actually play a valuable part in Elon Musk’s plan to wean the world away from fossil fuels. Each I-PACE, e-tron, or Taycan that is sold is ultimately not a blow against Tesla; rather, it is a blow against vehicles equipped with the internal combustion engine. Despite this, it is still pertinent to note that even if veteran auto’s much-promoted electric vehicles are designed to take down Tesla’s entries like the Model S and Model X, it might still take some time before these companies can create a compelling EV comparable to one of Tesla’s offerings. This results in one of the most ironic twists for Tesla, as the existence and performance of rival EVs end up becoming the perfect advertisements for its electric cars.

The Audi e-tron will be yet another perfect example to illustrate this point. When the vehicle was unveiled, Audi hinted that the all-electric SUV’s range would be around 300 miles per charge, thanks to its sizable 90 kWh battery. The vehicle was only given a very conservative and almost underwhelming 204 miles of range per charge by the EPA, which is estimated to be caused by the vehicle’s poor efficiency. Ironically, range and efficiency is something that Tesla, which is still learning the challenges of mass producing vehicles, has mastered over the years, as proven by the Model S Long Range, which can travel 370 miles on a single charge. This learning curve that veteran auto is currently traversing with regards to electric vehicles is something that was felt openly by r/TeslaMotors subreddit member u/SilverTangerine5599, who recently took the Audi e-tron on a 260-mile test drive in Europe.

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Similar to the Jaguar I-PACE, the Audi e-tron relies on an existing electric vehicle charging network to recharge its batteries. This became a problem during the test drive, since several public chargers that were compatible with the premium all-electric SUV proved unavailable. Ultimately, the r/TeslaMotors subreddit member noted that he ended up charging the e-tron at a 10 kW connector, which took a very long time to charge the vehicle’s batteries. This proved to be quite frustrating, since several Teslas finished recharging at a nearby Supercharger while the e-tron charged for hours at 10 kW. In a post about the experience, the electric vehicle enthusiast noted that at least for now, Tesla’s best advertisement could very well be a customer’s firsthand experience in an EV that is not a Tesla.

It should be noted that the Jaguar I-PACE and the Audi e-tron are both first-generation vehicles, and thus, are only bound to get better with time. Both carmakers already have their interior and build quality locked in from their experience in producing internal combustion vehicles. In the coming years, Jaguar, Audi, and every other large automaker going all-in on electric cars will have to master ideas that first movers like Tesla have refined over the years, such as software and efficiency.

When Tesla open-sourced its patents, Elon Musk admitted that the company could not transition the transportation sector away from the internal combustion engine on its own. For such a change to happen, other companies would have to join the movement. The arrival of the I-PACE, the e-tron, and other all-electric vehicles like the Taycan show that the electric car movement is now gaining speed.

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Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

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Tesla teases new color while testing refreshed Model S, X

Tesla teased a new color that could be coming to the United States with the new Model S and Model X.

Published

2 weeks ago

on

May 27, 2025

By

Credit: @supergeek18 | X

Tesla appears to be teasing a brand new color while it was testing the refreshed Model S and Model X, which was spotted last week in California.

Tesla currently offers six paint options in the United States, but they are all pretty basic. This has not been a problem for owners as wrapping the vehicles is a common practice, but some people would likely see more versatility from Tesla in terms of their standard paint colors.

This is especially relevant as Europe has been able to have both Midnight Cherry Red and Quicksilver, which were, at one time, exclusive to the market.

Quicksilver made its way to the United States, and Tesla did release a new Red last year with “Ultra Red,” but Midnight Cherry Red never made its way outside the walls of Gigafactory Berlin.

Last week, as the first spy images of the new Model S and Model X were taken and released by The Kilowatts, there was a very noticeable difference with the vehicle, as other changes seemed to be relatively underwhelming: a new paint color.

Many believed this was simply a wrap, but Ryan Levenson of The Kilowatts, a former Tesla employee, dispelled that rumor after several questions about it.

He said that this is absolutely a factory paint color and not a wrap:

More images were shared by @supergeek18 on X:

Tesla released a new color earlier this year, but it was just a revision to Black, now called “Diamond Black,” featuring speckles that give a reflection and refraction of light as a diamond would.

However, this new color is certainly quite different than anything Tesla has previously offered in the U.S. before. It is relatively similar to Glacier Blue, a color Tesla launched in Asia. Earlier this year, Franz von Holzhausen, Tesla’s Chief Designer, talked about bringing the color to the U.S.:

“Glacier Blue is just a color that we’ve been talking about with our team — the team is like right through that window by the way — and we were looking at the impact of silver, how do we get pigment into silver and really add a little bit of personality to it. If you look at our palette, you know it was either darks or white, and so we were looking for something in between. Blue is always a fairly popular color.”

It would be a refreshing addition to the options Tesla currently offers, and a breath of fresh air for those who have been wanting a different look altogether.

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Tesla’s new Model S and X spotted, but they leave a lot to be desired

The Model S and Model X testing mules spotted by The Kilowatts have few minor visual changes.

Published

3 weeks ago

on

May 23, 2025

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla has been hinting for a few months now that the flagship Model S and Model X would be getting some attention in 2025 as the vehicles continue to be sold in extremely low volumes.

Both models seem to be under the knife, especially as their newest versions were spotted in California earlier this week.

However, images of the vehicles seem to show that Tesla is not planning a major overhaul, which begs the question: why even do it in the first place?

Tesla makes a decision on the future of its flagship Model S and Model X

The Model S and Model X are grouped with the Cybertruck in Tesla’s quarterly delivery releases, and Q1 saw just 12,881 units of the three cars delivered. The Cybertruck likely made up the majority of this number, as some outlets reported around 6,400 deliveries of the all-electric pickup in Q1.

This is unconfirmed.

The Model S and Model X have stuck around for “sentimental reasons,” according to CEO Elon Musk, who said back in 2021:

“I mean, they’re very expensive, made in low volume. To be totally frank, we’re continuing to make them more for sentimental reasons than anything else. They’re really of minor importance to the future.”

However, the cars seem to be in need of a serious refresh. As Tesla changed up the exterior aesthetic on both the Model 3 and Model Y, recent images captured of the Model X by The Kilowatts seem to show this is not the strategy with the Model X or Model S:

As we can see, the overall aesthetic of the X, if this is what Tesla plans to release, has literally no changes from a purely visual standpoint. There is the addition of the front bumper camera, which was first implemented on the Cybercab unveiled in October 2024, and then on the new Model Y this year.

There are some new 20″ wheels, and the interior has been fitted with ambient lighting.

The Model S looked to be relatively the same, other than these few hardware changes, including a rear diffuser on this Plaid that was spotted:

While these changes are welcome and should be beneficial, they don’t seem like they will encourage major sales growth, which might be something Tesla is okay with.

Admitting the two cars are low volume and not contributors to the company’s long-term goals, Musk is likely willing to just upgrade things to make these more compatible and better functioning with the Full Self-Driving suite.

Earlier this year, VP of Vehicle Engineering Lars Moravy said the S and X were not going anywhere and would get “some love” before the end of 2025:

“Just give it a minute. We’ll get there. The upgrade a couple of years ago was bigger than most people thought in terms of architecture and structure of the car got a lot better, too. But, we’ll give it some love later this year and make sure it gets a little bit…you know, with the stuff we’ve been putting in 3 and Y. Obviously, with 3 and Y, the higher volume stuff, you’ve gotta focus there.”

It seems these strategies have held true — the S and X appear to be getting what the 3 and Y got with the ambient lighting and front bumper camera (at least on the Model Y).

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Elon Musk

President Donald Trump buys a Tesla at the White House – Here’s which model he chose

Published

3 months ago

on

March 11, 2025

By

Credit: cb_doge | X

U.S. President Donald Trump was greeted by a convoy of Tesla electric vehicles today at the White House after he said last evening he would be buying one of the company’s cars in support of Elon Musk.

A variety of Tesla EVs, including the Model S, Cybertruck, and Model Y, all arrived in Washington on Tuesday around lunch time where the President sat in, examined, and mulled over which car he would choose. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters today that President Trump would be paying “full market price” for the vehicle.

CEO Elon Musk was alongside Trump to help make his decision:

Which Tesla did President Trump Choose?

After mulling the decision for several minutes, President Trump seemed to have gravitated toward the Tesla Model S Plaid in Deep Red, the company’s quickest and most luxurious offering, suitable for the leader of the U.S.

Trump said:

“The one I like is that one (Model S). And I want that same color. I’m going to give [Tesla] a check. I don’t want a discount.”

According to images shared from Washington, it seems Musk brought two Model S vehicles — one in Deep Red and another in Deep Blue Metallic — knowing that the President would probably choose that vehicle, but was unsure about the color.

Tesla makes a decision on the future of its flagship Model S and Model X

President Trump’s Comments on Tesla and Elon Musk

President Trump has truly gained a meaningful working relationship with Musk, who he has called “a genius” and “brilliant” on several occasions. Regarding Tesla, the President said:

“Tesla’s a great company; They’re American cars, it’s American made. He employs thousands of people. He has the most modern plants in the world.”

In regards to the Tesla lineup, President Trump said:

“I know people that have these cars; It blows them away. They love them.”

When talking about the polarizing design of the Cybertruck, he said:

“In terms of imagination, and I think I have a pretty great imagination, who else but this guy would design this and everybody on the road is looking at it. As soon as I saw it, I said, ‘That’s the coolest design.’ You gotta give him (Elon) credit.”

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