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Tesla’s biggest competition lies within itself

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Tesla’s biggest competition is remarkably similar to the biggest competitors in our day-to-day lives: ourselves. In a way, this seems strange considering we wake up every morning and battle things like motivation, drive, determination, and ailments that can derail us from our goals. A car company has to battle things like product development, economic turmoil, parts shortages (like we saw this week in Fremont), and demand, among several other things. But ultimately, Tesla’s biggest competition in the future is itself because the company’s ability to expand the idea of the EV market is something that will be tough to keep up with, especially when frontman Elon Musk calls it quits.

Yet, headlines of mainstream media and others still suggest Tesla’s biggest competition lies within the hands of another automaker. For the last few years, we’ve all heard it: “This is a Tesla killer,” or “Tesla is doomed.” Here we are, in 2021, still with Tesla sitting atop the EV leaderboard with a considerable distance between gold and silver. In reality, Tesla really has to battle itself to keep growing, and here’s why.


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Tesla has no shortage of innovation. Let’s think about it for a second: a car company with almost no money 13 years ago still ended up creating one car, then another off of the profits of that, and now it is the most valuable car company in the world. It managed to turn the automotive industry’s focus to EVs instead of how the sector could make gas cars better. It turned the widely-successful automakers of the past century into the lost and unguided entities who are struggling to keep up. Lastly, it showed that, while business is serious, it’s not necessarily life or death. Make a good product that people believe in, and people will follow.

Every day when I wake up, one of the first things I do in the morning is go to Google and see what headlines are trending for Tesla. Every morning, at least one suggests that Tesla has met its match, and it is never a surprise to see that it is some legacy automaker who has claimed to have figured out all of the issues that have plagued them for years in terms of their EV development. For Volkswagen, it’s software. For Ford, it is product availability and a plan, and for GM, it’s just getting the ball rolling and expanding past the Chevy Bolt.

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Even when those companies say they’ve figured it out, it is funny how in a span of days or weeks, there ends up being some unexpected bottleneck that ruins their chances of “catching up” to Tesla. It’s not going to happen, at least not anytime soon. These car companies have proven for months and years on end that they are all talk and little to no action. The EV industry ultimately lies within the hands of Tesla and other all-electric automakers once they begin production. Rivian and Lucid are sure to make some noise once their vehicles come out, which have already attracted a pretty loyal following. Tesla fans may not want to hear it, and I get it, but the EV movement isn’t going to be sprung forward by brands like VW and Ford, at least not anytime in the near future.

Tesla’s biggest challenger in the coming years will be itself. It will need to keep developing new and exciting products, like the $25,000 EV that will come in a few years. It will need to develop products that it has announced but haven’t been released yet, like the Cybertruck and the Roadster, and it will need to continue improving upon the already unbelievable foundation that it has built by improving its cars even further through OTA updates. Things like range and performance will get better with time, but it’s not to say that Tesla hasn’t already proven itself a worthy competitor in both of those categories. It is obviously the leader in them. However, technology will continue to develop, especially at the pace Tesla is moving, meaning things are only going to get better down the road.

There isn’t any reason to believe that Tesla will be dethroned by any company within the next 5-10 years. Why? Because nobody has proven that they have the capability to do so, at least in my opinion. While I am supportive of other car companies, there is no denying that Tesla is in first place and it doesn’t seem like any company is going to take that from them at any point within the near future. Until companies like VW and Ford put a sole focus on EVs, they will not make up any ground on Tesla. And until companies like Rivian and Lucid come out and produce cars that prove to be wanted by car buyers, then things will lie in Tesla’s hands for the foreseeable future.

We have learned that it isn’t always about making some fancy new car with a million bells and whistles. Make a product people believe in, make it fun, and make the company about a mission people want to believe in, and the rest will take care of itself.

I use this newsletter to share my thoughts on what is going on in the Tesla world. If you want to talk to me directly, you can email me or reach me on Twitter. I don’t bite, be sure to reach out!

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On behalf of the entire Teslarati team, we’re working hard behind the scenes on bringing you more personalized members benefits, and can’t thank you enough for your continued support!

Joey has been a journalist covering electric mobility at TESLARATI since August 2019. In his spare time, Joey is playing golf, watching MMA, or cheering on any of his favorite sports teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles, Miami Heat, Washington Capitals, and Penn State Nittany Lions. You can get in touch with joey at joey@teslarati.com. He is also on X @KlenderJoey. If you're looking for great Tesla accessories, check out shop.teslarati.com

Lifestyle

EV fans urge Tesla to acquire Unplugged Performance for edge in fleet and security industry

Unplugged Performance has built a name for itself by producing performance upgrades for Tesla vehicles.

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Credit: Unplugged Performance

A growing number of Tesla enthusiasts and longtime community voices are calling on the electric vehicle maker to acquire Unplugged Performance, a California-based aftermarket company best known for tuning Tesla vehicles and developing specialized government fleet solutions under its UP.FIT division.

The idea was once considered a niche proposal among EV fans, but it is now gaining serious attention not just as a performance play but as a strategic move to deepen Tesla’s roots in the fleet and security industry. 

A strategic fit

Unplugged Performance has built a name for itself by producing performance upgrades for Tesla vehicles, from track-optimized components to visual and aerodynamic upgrades. But in recent years, its UP.FIT division has pivoted toward a more functional future by outfitting Tesla vehicles like Model Ys for police, military, and government use.

That work has sparked growing calls for closer collaboration with Tesla, especially as the EV maker increasingly leans into autonomy, AI, and fleet services as core components of its next chapter.

“I posted this four years ago, but I think it’s more true now than ever,” wrote Whole Mars Catalog, a well-known Tesla investor and FSD Beta tester, on X. “Tesla should buy Unplugged. But not just as a Performance division. What they are doing with UP.FIT unlocks large government and commercial fleet purchases that can improve utilization.”

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Tesla fans such as shareholder Sawyer Merritt echoed the sentiment, calling Unplugged a “great fit within Tesla.” adding, “They are literally located directly next to Tesla’s design studio in Hawthorne.”

Enabling the next wave

Supporters of the idea noted that integrating Unplugged into Tesla’s corporate structure could help accelerate the adoption of autonomous technologies in government sectors. With UP.FIT patrol cars already in use across some U.S. police departments, Tesla fans envisioned a future where self-driving Teslas could potentially revolutionize law enforcement, search-and-rescue, and public service logistics.

“Just imagine how autonomous patrol cars could transform policing and bring us into a safer future,” the veteran FSD tester wrote.

The benefits could also extend to Tesla’s existing consumer base. “They also have some incredible products in the works that I think will appeal to many ordinary Tesla drivers — not just those looking for performance or mods. Stuff that’s so good it should have come straight from the design studio next door,” Whole Mars Catalog noted.

Unplugged Performance, founded in 2013, shares not just a product vision with Tesla, but also geography. Its Hawthorne headquarters sits directly adjacent to Tesla’s design studio, and the two companies have maintained a close working relationship over the years. The aftermarket firm has long positioned itself as a “mission-aligned” partner to Tesla.

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In response to the recent calls for acquisition, Unplugged Performance acknowledged the support from the community. “Our very existence is to support the Tesla mission with @UpfitTesla and @UnpluggedTesla,” Unplugged CEO Ben Schaffer posted on X. “We love working with Tesla and are grateful for the community’s support since 2013!”

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Elon Musk

X account with 184 followers inadvertently saves US space program amid Musk-Trump row

Needless to say, the X user has far more than 184 followers today after his level-headed feat.

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Joel Kowsky, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

An X user with 184 followers has become the unlikely hero of the United States’ space program by effectively de-escalating a row between SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and President Donald Trump on social media.

Needless to say, the X user has far more than 184 followers today after his level-headed feat.

A Near Fall

During Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s fallout last week, the U.S. President stated in a post on Truth Social that a good way for the United States government to save money would be to terminate subsidies and contracts from the CEO’s companies. Musk responded to Trump’s post by stating that SpaceX will start decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft immediately. 

Musk’s comment was received with shock among the space community, partly because the U.S. space program is currently reliant on SpaceX to send supplies and astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). Without Dragon, the United States will likely have to utilize Russia’s Soyuz for the same services—at a significantly higher price.

X User to the Rescue

It was evident among X users that Musk’s comments about Dragon being decommissioned were posted while emotions were high. It was then no surprise that an X account with 184 followers, @Fab25june, commented on Musk’s post, urging the CEO to rethink his decision. “This is a shame this back and forth. You are both better than this. Cool off and take a step back for a couple days,” the X user wrote in a reply.

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Much to the social media platform’s surprise, Musk responded to the user. Even more surprising, the CEO stated that SpaceX would not be decommissioning Dragon after all. “Good advice. Ok, we won’t decommission Dragon,” Musk wrote in a post on X.

Not Planned, But Welcomed

The X user’s comment and Musk’s response were received extremely well by social media users, many of whom noted that @Fab25june’s X comment effectively saved the U.S. space program. In a follow-up comment, the X user, who has over 9,100 followers as of writing, stated that he did not really plan on being a mediator between Musk and Trump. 

“Elon Musk replied to me. Somehow, I became the accidental peace broker between two billionaires. I didn’t plan this. I was just being me. Two great minds can do wonders. Sometimes, all it takes is a breather. Grateful for every like, DM, and new follow. Life’s weird. The internet’s weirder. Let’s ride. (Manifesting peace… and maybe a Model Y.)” the X user wrote.

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Lifestyle

Tesla Cybertruck takes a bump from epic failing Dodge Charger

The Cybertruck seemed unharmed by the charging Charger.

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Credit: Hammer_of_something/Reddit

There comes a time in a driver’s life when one is faced with one’s limitations. For the driver of a Dodge Charger, this time came when he lost control and crashed into a Tesla Cybertruck–an absolute epic fail. 

A video of the rather unfortunate incident was shared on the r/TeslaLounge subreddit.

Charging Charger Fails

As could be seen in the video, which was posted on the subreddit by Model Y owner u/Hammer_of_something, a group of teens in a Dodge Charger decided to do some burnouts at a Tesla Supercharger. Unfortunately, the driver of the Charger failed in his burnout or donut attempt, resulting in the mopar sedan going over a curb and bumping a charging Cybertruck.

Ironically, the Dodge Charger seemed to have been parked at a Supercharger stall before its driver decided to perform the failed stunt. This suggests that the vehicle was likely ICE-ing a charging stall before it had its epic fail moment. Amusingly enough, the subreddit member noted that the Cybertruck did not seem like it took any damage at all despite its bump. The Charger, however, seemed like it ran into some trouble after crashing into the truck.

Alleged Aftermath

As per the the r/TeslaLounge subreddit member, the Cybertruck owner came rushing out to his vehicle after the Dodge Charger crashed into it. The Model Y owner then sent over the full video of the incident, which clearly showed the Charger attempting a burnout, failing, and bumping into the Cybertruck. The Cybertruck owner likely appreciated the video, in part because it showed the driver of the Dodge Charger absolutely freaking out after the incident.

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The Cybertruck is not an impregnable vehicle, but it can take bumps pretty well thanks to its thick stainless steel body. Based on this video, it appears that the Cybertruck can even take bumps from a charging Charger, all while chilling and charging at a Supercharger. As for the teens in the Dodge, they likely had to provide a long explanation to authorities after the incident, since the cops were called to the location.

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