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Tesla Battery Day vs. Volkswagen Power Day: How Wall Street reacted
Tesla’s Battery Day and Volkswagen’s Power Day were two similar events that showed how the two automakers plan to combat electric vehicle prices within the next few years. Despite the similarities in the events, Wall Street reacted quite differently to both, with Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) seeing a minimal effect on its stock in the days following. However, Volkswagen’s stock (OTCMKTS: VWAGY) is soaring over 12% on the day after the event.
Tesla Battery Day
Tesla’s Battery Day was a marquee event for the electric automaker. While the previous year’s focus was Autonomy, 2020 saw battery cells as Tesla’s main concentration. During the event, CEO Elon Musk revealed how Tesla would combat battery prices by continuing to source cells from third-party suppliers, but also by developing its own 4680 cells that are produced by the company in-house. Additionally, new structural battery packs are being used to house the cells and also provide a more robust crash response in the event of an accident. The rigidity of the new structural battery intends to take Tesla’s safety ratings through the roof, where they already reside.
Tesla also revealed plans for a $25,000 car, a blueprint to manufacture 20 million cars per year, and a roadmap to massive cuts in battery cell production costs.
LIVE BLOG: Tesla Battery Day and Annual Shareholder Meeting 2020 updates
Despite the developments, Tesla didn’t receive a big boost on Wall Street. Interestingly, despite the massive developments and plans that Tesla had revealed during the Battery Day event on September 22nd, 2020, the stock closed at $424.23. The day following saw an 11% drop in the stock, as it closed at $380.36.
Many didn’t understand the reason for the drop. Tesla bull and investor Jim Cramer, who was at one time bearish on the automaker’s stock, stated that the stock fell simply because Tesla didn’t announce what some were expecting. “They’re just bummed the things they hyped didn’t happen,” Cramer said. “Tesla rolls out a plan to create an electric car for the masses and greeted with a yawn because Musk didn’t roll out a magic battery. This is what happens when you let expectations get out of control.”
Volkswagen Power Day
Volkswagen’s Power Day was, in effect, the German automaker’s version of Tesla’s Battery Day. The company held an event outlining their plans for cell cost reductions, along with plans for six total production plants across Europe. VW also has established several partnerships with European energy companies to roll out an expansive charging infrastructure, among many other developments.
“We aim to reduce the cost and complexity of the battery and at the same time increase its range and performance,” Volkswagen Group Board Member for Technology Thomas Schmall said. “We will use our economies of scale to the benefit of our customers when it comes to the battery too. On average, we will drive down the cost of battery systems to significantly below €100 per kilowatt-hour. This will finally make e-mobility affordable and the dominant drive technology.”
Volkswagen’s Power Day: Six new cell plants, new unified battery cell, charging network partnerships
Volkswagen stock began Monday’s trading session at $28.38. After the developments that VW announced, the stock shot up $1.38, a boost of 4.86%. However, the German company’s stock is enjoying massive gains today, just one day after the big event. After closing at $29.76 yesterday, VW stock has increased another 3.48% at the time of writing, for a total gain of 11.69% as of 2:30 PM EST.
The differences in the presentations and how Wall Street has responded to them are unknown. However, the sheer size of Volkswagen’s production figures could be the main reason for the increased investor response. While Tesla’s rollout of 500,000 vehicles in 2020 was a company best, Volkswagen delivered 9.3 million vehicles last year. For context, VW has also been around since 1937, while Tesla has only produced a mass-market vehicle since 2017.
Tesla is undoubtedly the leader in electric vehicles. Volkswagen, while still working out software kinks, could be considered second-place by some because of the successful adaptation of the ID. family of vehicles in Europe so far. However, it is still admittedly ironing out some software issues with its MEB platform, and it seems somewhat odd that VW’s stock received such a healthy boost in the day following its Power Day event.
What do you think? What is the reasoning for the substantial difference in Wall Street’s reaction? Let us know in the comments below, or Tweet me directly.
Disclosure: Joey Klender is a TSLA Shareholder.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk reveals date of Tesla Full Self-Driving’s next massive release
Initially planned for a January or February release, v14.3 aims to add some reasoning and logic to the decisions that Full Self-Driving makes, which could improve a lot of things, including Navigation, which is a major complaint of many owners currently.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk revealed the date of Full Self-Driving’s next massive release: v14.3.
For months, Tesla owners with Hardware 4 have been utilizing Full Self-Driving v14.2 and subsequent releases. Currently, the most up-to-date FSD version is v14.2.2.5, which has definitely brought out mixed reviews. With releases, some things get better, and other things might regress slightly.
For the most part, things are better in terms of overall behavior.
However, many owners have been looking forward to the next release, which is v14.3, about which Musk has said many great things. Back in November, Musk said that v14.3 “is where the last big piece of the puzzle lands.”
He added:
“We’re gonna add a lot of reasoning and RL (reinforcement learning). To get to serious scale, Tesla will probably need to build a giant chip fab. To have a few hundred gigawatts of AI chips per year, I don’t see that capability coming online fast enough, so we will probably have to build a fab.”
Initially planned for a January or February release, v14.3 aims to add some reasoning and logic to the decisions that Full Self-Driving makes, which could improve a lot of things, including Navigation, which is a major complaint of many owners currently.
Tesla Full Self-Driving v14.2 is a considerable improvement from early versions of the suite, but we have written about the somewhat confusing updates that have come with recent versions.
Tesla Full Self-Driving v14.2.2.5 might be the most confusing release ever
They’ve been incredibly difficult to gauge in terms of progress because some things have gotten better, but there seems to be some real regression on a handful of things, especially with confidence and assertiveness.
Musk confirmed today on X that Tesla is already testing v14.3 internally right now. It will hit a wide release “in a few weeks,” so we should probably expect it by late April.
It’s in testing right now. Wide release in a few weeks.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 19, 2026
Overall, there are high hopes that v14.3 could be a true game changer for Tesla Full Self-Driving, as many believe it could be the version that Robotaxis in Austin, Texas, some of which are driverless and unsupervised, are running.
It could also include some major additions, including “Banish,” also referred to as “Reverse Summon,” which would go find a parking spot after dropping occupants off at their destination.
What Tesla will roll out, and when exactly it arrives, all remain to be seen, but fans have been ready for a new version as v14.2.2.5 has definitely run its course. We have had a lot of readers tell us their biggest request is to fix Navigation errors, which seem to be one of the most universal complaints among daily FSD users.
Cybertruck
Chattanooga Charge: Tesla and EV fans ready for the Southeast’s wildest Tesla party
From Cybertruck Convoys to Kid-Friendly Fun Zones: The Chattanooga Charge Has Something for Everyone
Hundreds of like-minded Tesla and EV enthusiasts are descending on Chattanooga Charge this weekend for the largest Tesla meet in the Southeast. Taking place on March 20–22, 2026 at the stunning Tennessee Riverpark.
If you were there last year, you’ll know that it’s the ultimate experience to see the wildest Teslas in action, see the best in EV tech, and arguably the most fun – finally put a name to the face and connect with those social media buddies IRL! Oh, and that epic night time Tesla light show is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that will transform the Riverpark into something out of a sci-fi film that’s remarkably unforgettable and must be seen in person.
This year’s event takes everything up a notch, with over 100 Cybertrucks expected to be on display, many sporting jaw-dropping modifications and custom wraps that push the boundaries of what these stainless steel beasts can look like.
Whether you’re a diehard Tesla fan, EV supporter, or just EV-mod-curious, the sheer spectacle is worth the drive.
The Chattanooga Charge doesn’t wait until Saturday morning to get started. The weekend technically kicks off Friday, March 20th, and the venue sets the tone immediately. Come share roadtrip stories over drinks at the W-XYZ Rooftop Bar on the top floor of the Aloft Chattanooga Hamilton Place Hotel, with sunset views over the city.
Come morning, nurse your hangover with a some good coffee, and convoy with hundreds of other Tesla and EV drivers through Chattanooga to the event for some morning meet and greets before the speaker panel starts and the food trucks fire up.
Tesla owner clubs travel from across the country to be here, not just to show off their vehicles,, but to connect, share, and celebrate a shared passion for the future of driving.
Sounds like a plan to me. See you there, guys. Don’t miss it. Get your tickets at ChattanoogaCharge.com and join the charge. 🔋⚡
Chattanooga Charge is a premier Tesla and EV gathering inspired by the X Takeover, known as one of the largest Tesla event gatherings. What began as a bold idea from the team at DIY Wraps/TESBROS, hosted in their hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee, the event quickly became a movement across social media. The first annual Chattanooga Charge united over 16 Tesla clubs from 16 states, proof that the EV community was hungry for something big in the South. Year after year, the event has grown in scale, ambition, and heart.
News
Tesla Full Self-Driving gets latest bit of scrutiny from NHTSA
The analysis impacts roughly 3.2 million vehicles across the company’s entire lineup, and aims to identify how the suite’s degradation detection systems work and how effective they are when the cars encounter difficult visibility conditions.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has elevated its probe into Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) suite to an Engineering Analysis.
The analysis impacts roughly 3.2 million vehicles across the company’s entire lineup, and aims to identify how the suite’s degradation detection systems work and how effective they are when the cars encounter difficult visibility conditions.
The step up into an Engineering Analysis is often required before the NHTSA will tell an automaker to issue a recall. However, this is not a guarantee that a recall will be issued.
🚨 The NHTSA said it was upgrading a probe into Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) platform to an “engineering analysis”
It will examine 3.2 million vehicles and aims to determine its effectiveness in evaluating degraded road conditions pic.twitter.com/2dkrv1mR8o
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) March 19, 2026
The NTHSA wants to examine Tesla FSD’s ability to assess road conditions that have reduced visibility, as well as detect degradation to alert the driver with sufficient time to respond.
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) will evaluate the performance of FSD in degraded roadway conditions and the updates or modifications Tesla makes to the degradation detection system, including the timing, purpose, and capabilities of the updates.
Tesla routinely ships software updates to improve the capabilities of the FSD suite, so it will be interesting to see if various versions of FSD are tested. Interestingly, you can find many examples from real-world users of FSD handling snow-covered roads, heavy rain, and single-lane backroads.
However, there are incidents that the NHTSA has used to determine the need for this probe, at least for now. The agency said:
“Available incident data raise concerns that Tesla’s degradation detection system, both as originally deployed and later updated, fails to detect and/or warn the driver appropriately under degraded visibility conditions such as glare and airborne obscurants. In the crashes that ODI has reviewed, the system did not detect common roadway conditions that impaired camera visibility and/or provide alerts when camera performance had deteriorated until immediately before the crash occurred.”
It continues to say in its report that a review of Tesla’s responses revealed additional crashes that occurred in similar environments showed FSD “did not detect a degraded state, and/or it did not present the driver with an alert with adequate time for the driver to react. In each of these crashes, FSD also lost track of or never detected a lead vehicle in its path.”
The next steps of the NHTSA Engineering Analysis require the agency to gather further information on Tesla’s attempts to upgrade the degradation detection system. It will also analyze six recent potentially related incidents.
The investigation is listed as EA26002.
Elon Musk reveals date of Tesla Full Self-Driving’s next massive release
Chattanooga Charge: Tesla and EV fans ready for the Southeast’s wildest Tesla party
