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How Tesla Battery Day can silence critics once and for all
The hype surrounding Tesla’s Battery Day is very real. Enthusiasts and unknowns are talking about the potential findings that Elon Musk and his crew could unveil on September 22nd, and the event could make way for Tesla to become much larger than it already is. However, there is a good chance that the critics of the electric automaker will have little to say after the event, and if Tesla plays it right, it could be the beginning of the end of the Tesla FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt) movement.
It is understandable to assume that Tesla doubters will always exist. Some companies that have the best intentions still have their haters, and that’s just human nature. While Tesla will always have people who will doubt its intentions as a company, Battery Day could be the proverbial duct tape over the lips of the most vocal skeptics.
Tesla still has work to do, and Battery Day’s total appeal comes down to whether the company can manage to live up to the hype. Many rumors are circulating around what Elon Musk could unveil at the event, some related to batteries, and some aren’t. But whatever happens, it really comes down to the “Wow” factor, and whether Tesla can manage to attain that with their findings and unveilings.
To me, the most significant thing Tesla could announce is price parity, and something that is relatively an extra is the possibility that Musk could unveil the Plaid Powertrain. But if the company really wants to make a mark, several things, in my opinion, have to be confronted during the event.
Million-Mile Battery
Tesla’s Million-Mile Battery is almost certainly the most confirmed element of Battery Day. Developments from Jeff Dahn and his team of researchers have come up big for Tesla recently with electrolyte solutions and new studies that show revolutionary energy density measures. Reports across the globe have essentially confirmed that Tesla will unveil this development at the event, and it will be a big win for the electric automaker.
Having a battery that will last as long as two or three vehicle chassis means that when the increased longevity is combined with increasing production, Tesla will have a relatively large-scale supply of batteries available at their disposal. This opens the doors for many things, including price parity and the possibility of becoming a supplier for other electric car companies.
Price Parity…or close to it
Price parity with gas cars wouldn’t only be monumental for Tesla, but for EVs in general. It would prove that gas cars are not always going to be the most economical option for drivers, and the price of battery-powered cars would drop. Having Tesla announce price parity or something close would mean the premium EV brand would have the most affordable vehicles in terms of EV tech and range. It could mean the company’s growth may accelerate much quicker than initially anticipated. If the cars are cheaper, a lot of people will buy them, obviously. While $35,000 is reasonable for the Model 3 Standard Range, many people still are unwilling to spend that much on any car.
Getting the price of batteries down would literally begin the destruction of legacy automakers as if it hasn’t already started. Tesla being the best EV brand and having the best prices per kWh would be so massive, I don’t think many people can begin to fathom the possibilities.
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Status as a cell supplier for other companies
If Tesla can figure out price parity and long lifespan battery cells, the company will be well on its way to becoming a battery supplier. Long term battery life, combined with affordability, will be a big plus for Tesla’s plans to become a supplier for other EV brands. Having cheap batteries that are high-quality and offer an extended lifespan will be a no brainer. Tesla’s most notable competitors will be forced to source their cells from the Silicon Valley-based company.
Plaid Powertrain for the Model S
The Plaid Powertrain has been highly-anticipated for about a year, and there is a good chance Tesla unveils it at Battery Day. It seems that the issue with putting it into production last year was along the same lines as putting the Semi into production too early: battery shortages. The Plaid Powertrain will have a larger pack, meaning more cells, and putting it on Tesla’s menu too early would have spoiled their plans for the cars that are more crucial to the future of the company. The Model 3 is an excellent example of this. It’s a mass-market car, and the batteries should go toward these efforts instead of a sedan that has increased performance.
The Semi was not put into production because battery cells were not plentiful enough. Creating the Semi and fulfilling the preorders that the company had would have been troublesome for Tesla’s mass-market vehicle push, and it certainly wouldn’t have been the smartest strategy. However, Musk said that a “volume production” push of the Semi needed to occur soon, which basically confirms that the shortage is no longer an issue. The Plaid Powertrain will likely be the next piece of Tesla’s puzzle to be announced.
Is there the possibility that Tesla will shock us with something completely unexpected?
Of course, we’re talking about Elon Musk. The guy that unveiled the next-Gen Roadster as a surprise and the guy that rolled off a Cyberquad after the Cybertruck unveiling. While those are just a vehicle and a four-wheeler, we’re talking about Tesla’s most anticipated event, perhaps ever. There is a lot of potential for groundbreaking announcements next Tuesday, and there is no shortage of things that Musk could announce.
He has said on numerous occasions that Battery Day is going to be insanity and that it will likely blow a lot of minds. But what will transpire exactly, only a few people really know, and there is little sense in trying to guess what Musk will have for us on September 22nd.
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Tesla Supercharging is getting yet another layer of gamification, as the company is rolling out a new competition that could win Free Supercharging miles.
Tesla is ramping up its efforts to make vehicle ownership more engaging through gamification. In June 2026, the company announced the 2026 Free Supercharging Competition, building on the Charging Passport feature introduced the previous year. This initiative turns Supercharging into a competitive, collectible adventure while offering substantial real-world incentives.
🚨 Tesla is taking its gamification of Supercharging a step further with the launch of the 2026 Free Supercharging Contest:
“In January 2027, Tesla will celebrate nine outstanding Supercharger users from 2026 by awarding them free Supercharging for their Tesla vehicle for as… pic.twitter.com/CPPYJLJwFD
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) June 23, 2026
The Charging Passport, rolled out late last year, functions like a digital travel log or a year-in-review for Tesla owners. These types of things are used by many platforms, including Spotify and Apple Music, which show listeners what type of taste they had for the year.
Accessed in the Tesla App under the ‘Charging’ section, it displays a map of visited Superchargers, key stats, such as total energy charged (kWh), number of unique sites, total charging sessions, top charging day, and miles added. Owners earn collectible Charging Badges in categories, which include:
- Charging Milestones – for total energy, consecutive weeks of Supercharging, or unique sites visited
- Iconic Chargers – for Flagship Locations or stations near famous landmarks
- Special Events – limited-time badges for specific experiences. These badges appear within 24 hours of qualifying activity and provide a fun, shareable recap of an owner’s Supercharging journeys. Milestone progress resets annually, allowing fresh challenges each year
The 2026 contest elevates this gamification by rewarding top performers with lifetime free Supercharging. All Supercharging sessions from January 1 to December 31, 2026, count toward the competition. To participate, owners must enable “Share Charging Data with Tesla App” in vehicle settings and open the 2026 Charging Passport in the app at least once before January 1, 2027.
Nine winners will be selected — three per region (Americas, Asia-Pacific, and EMEA, with some countries excluded for regulatory reasons) — one in each of three categories:
- Longest Trip: Longest continuous streak of unique Supercharger locations where each new site is visited within 24 hours of the previous session’s start time
- Most Unique Supercharger Sites Visited: Highest number of distinct locations
- Most Energy Supercharged: Highest total in kWh charged at Superchargers
A unique site is defined as shown in the Tesla app or vehicle navigation. Repeat visits during a streak are allowed but do not extend the count. Ties are broken by total energy charged. Ineligible participants include vehicles already receiving free Supercharging, commercial-use vehicles (taxi, rideshare, delivery), Tesla employees and their immediate families, and residents of certain excluded countries.
Winners receive free Supercharging on the winning vehicle for as long as they own or lease it.
This contest is part of Tesla’s broader gamification strategy. The Safety Score has long rewarded safe driving habits with a numerical rating that can influence insurance rates or feature access. The referral program incentivizes owners with credits or free Supercharging months for successful referrals.
In-app statistics, streaks, and community features further encourage engagement. Older third-party apps even awarded “mayor” titles for frequenting specific Superchargers.
By combining digital badges, competitive leaderboards, and high-value rewards, Tesla boosts network utilization, gathers usage data, and fosters deeper owner loyalty. The 2026 Free Supercharging Competition invites enthusiasts to plan epic road trips while turning everyday charging into a rewarding pursuit. With the Passport already proving popular, expect heightened activity across the Supercharger network throughout the year.
Tesla is atop the American-Made Index from Cars.com for the sixth-straight year, as the Model 3 and Model Y took the top two spots, respectively.
Last year, the Model 3, Model Y, Model S, and Model X took the top four spots, respectively. The company has routinely performed well in the Index. However, Tesla discontinued its flagship Model S and Model X earlier this year, which took the two cars out of the ranking.
Cybertruck is not considered due to its curb weight being above the 8,500-pound threshold, which eliminates it from being required to have more detailed assembly information.
Cars.com uses five main categories to develop its rankings:
- Location(s) of final assembly
- Percentage of U.S. and Canadian parts
- Countries of origin for all available engines
- Countries of origin for all available transmissions
- U.S. manufacturing workforce
These five major factors are then put into a 100-point scale. The vehicles with the highest scores sit atop the list. The Model 3 edged out the Model Y.
🇺🇸 The Tesla Model 3 and Tesla Model Y have been put atop the American-Made Index from https://t.co/PXZ0g1pPb6, meaning they are the most American vehicles you can possibly buy.
This is the SIXTH-STRAIGHT year a Tesla has been listed as the most American-made vehicle: pic.twitter.com/HyraOmaxSL
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) June 23, 2026
Tesla uses a strong domestic strategy to build its cars and parts domestically. It relies on intense vertical integration that reduces its dependence on global suppliers, keeping more value and jobs in the United States.
This strategy has helped Tesla gain a strong reputation for domestically produced vehicles and parts. However, it helps it with more than just awards like this one. Keeping a supply chain local has also helped insulate Tesla more than others from tariffs and supply chain disruptions.
This year’s American-Made Index from Cars.com studied nearly 400 vehicles from the 2026 model year. Tesla was the only manufacturer to have an EV inside the Top 10. The Kia EV9 was the next EV to make the list, scoring the 17th position.
The Hyundai IONIQ 5 was 21st, and the final EV to make the list was the Cadillac LYRIQ in 77th.
Tesla has finally clarified the situation regarding the viral crash in Texas where a Model 3 slammed into a home.
CEO Elon Musk replied to reports on Monday that stated the crash was due to the company’s Full Self-Driving or Autopilot suite, which seemed unlikely to those who are familiar with it. Video showed the car slamming into a house at an excessive rate of speed, making it highly unlikely the crash was due to the suite’s operation, as it does not travel at those speeds in residential areas.
Musk said:
“This makes no sense. FSD drives slowly through neighborhood streets, and this was a high-speed crash!”
Tesla’s Head of AI, Ashok Elluswamy, added context, revealing that the company’s data shows the driver “manually overrode self-driving by pressing the accelerator all the way to 100%.”
He revealed the speed reached by the car was 73 MPH, and the accelerator was still pressed “even after the crash.”
Yup. In this case, the driver manually overrode self-driving by pressing the accelerator all the way to 100% of the accel pedal in this residential area. They reached a speed of 73 mph during the crash, and had the accelerator pressed even after the crash.
— Ashok Elluswamy (@aelluswamy) June 22, 2026
Authorities are reportedly investigating “whether Tesla’s Autopilot system played a role after a Model 3 left the roadway…slammed through a brick house at high speed and fatally struck Matha Avila as she sat inside,” the New York Post reported.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is now investigating the crash. Tesla will work with the agency to provide them with whatever information they need in order to clarify the cause of the crash.
Similarly, Tesla had claims of a fatal accident in Harris County, Texas, a few years ago. Early reports indicated that Full Self-Driving was the cause of the crash. After the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) worked with Tesla, the agency proved there was “no use of the Autopilot system at any time during this ownership period of the vehicle, including the time frame up to the last transmitted timestamp on April 17, 2021.”
Tesla alleged “driverless” crash in Texas: What is known so far
“Application of the accelerator pedal was found to be as high as 98.8 percent,” the NTSB said in their findings. The highest recorded speed in the five seconds leading up to the impact was 67 miles per hour. The area where the crash occurred is residential, and Texas State laws have default speed limits of 30 MPH in residential streets.
This appears to be a similar situation. However, an investigation will prove what happened for sure.
Tesla gets another layer of gamification with Free Supercharging on the line
Tesla tops American-Made Index for sixth-consecutive year
