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Tesla is becoming the company of choice for next-generation auto workers

The Made-in-China Model . (Credit: Tesla China)

Published

7 years ago

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Tesla’s first handover ceremony for its Made-in-China Model 3 in Gigafactory 3 was memorable for a variety of reasons. For one, it proved that Tesla could meet or even exceed the already-ambitious goals of CEO Elon Musk. It was also an event that was made extra special when a young GF3 worker decided to propose to his partner with his blue MIC Model 3. 

The scene is representative of a trend that seems to be present in Tesla’s ranks: the company is becoming the de facto carmaker of choice for the next generation of auto workers. Gigafactory 3’s workers who were present at the handover ceremony were mostly young. This extends to the company’s executives as well. Unlike conventional executives from legacy auto, who are populated by veterans who have been in the business for decades, Tesla’s executives are young, aggressive, and even a tad bit ambitious. 

This observation was mentioned by Tesla owner-enthusiast @Ray4Tesla in a tweet following the handover event in Shanghai. Several executives from Tesla attended the MIC Model 3 delivery event, and all of them were in their 30s and 40s. They were articulate, energetic, and seemingly very motivated. In a way, the energy exuded by Tesla China’s executives was fitting for a company whose mission is literally to accelerate the advent of sustainability. 

Tesla’s allure for young professionals is not just limited to China. Recent comments from Jorg Steinbach, the Economics Minister of Brandenburg, suggested that Germany may be looking to Tesla to attract young talent as well. “I am optimistic that young people from all over Germany and far beyond want to take part in this project,” he said, adding that the arrival of the electric car maker could allow the region’s workers to future-proof their jobs. 

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Perhaps it’s Tesla’s disruptive nature, or its startup nature, but the company continues to rank high among young job seekers. Working at Tesla is notoriously challenging, filled with long hours and hyper-ambitious targets. It’s essentially a Silicon Valley startup, but instead of a mobile app or an internet-based service, the company’s product happens to be electric cars and battery storage devices. Stories from former workers at Tesla tell of intense work environments and sudden changes of pace. Yet, it is also one that the best and brightest find very difficult to pass up. 

Credit: Tesla

Employer branding specialist Universum’s 2019 survey found that Tesla and SpaceX, two of CEO Elon Musk’s companies, are perceived by engineering students as the best employers in the country. For many young workers, particularly those whose idealism is still intact, there are few companies in the world worth working for, and one of them happens to be Tesla. Overall, it appears that for many of these young workers, the challenges that come with a job at Tesla are well worth it. 

Another reason for this is likely Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Bold and daring, Musk has been compared by the media to billionaire-genius-superhero Tony Stark/Iron Man. Just like the fictional Stark, Musk barrels through his projects with an intensity that’s near-obsessive, and at times, with seemingly little regard for his personal safety. While conventional auto CEOs are thought to spend their days behind a desk and at meetings, Musk is out on the roads testing the limits of Autopilot and Full Self-Driving on his personal vehicle. Musk is also known to get his hands dirty when needed, with the CEO being spotted torquing bolts with Tesla’s workers during the buildout of Tesla’s GA4 line for the Model 3 in the Fremont factory. 

Ultimately, it is quite inspiring to work for a company whose goal is not just to make money every quarter, but one that fights a far more important battle. It is also inspiring to work under a leader who puts himself in the front lines. This certainly seems to be the case, with a survey from job search marketplace Hired indicating that Musk is currently perceived by job seekers as the most inspiring leader in tech. This is something that has been noticed by veteran Shark Tank judge Kevin O’Leary, better known by his tongue-in-cheek nickname, Mr. Wonderful, as well. 

Elon Musk giving YouTube tech reviewer Marques Brownlee a tour of the Fremont factory. [Credit: MKBHD/YouTube]

Prior to being a TSLA investor, O’Leary had been critical of the electric car maker. But one of the tipping points for the investing veteran came after watching electric vehicle races that involve engineering students from various schools. Automakers would usually send their HR teams to these races, in an effort to attract up-and-coming talent. But after each race, the Shark Tank judge realized that the winning teams all head over to one company: Tesla. This, according to O’Leary, is a big advantage for the electric car maker. 

“Every one of these engineers, the smoking hot kids that sit with their cars, the men and women that sleep with them for 24 hours a day; it’s an unusual culture I’ve never seen before. They all want to work at Tesla. Why? Because the teams are six to eight people. If they go to a legacy car company, they get drowned out in the back somewhere. These smart, young, men and women make a big difference as interns. I can’t believe the access to talent they have,” O ‘Leary said. 

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With this in mind, it appears that Tesla’s future as an electric car maker is secured, at least with regards to its talent pool. Provided that the company maintains its course, and its leadership remains as motivated, there is very little doubt that the disruptor from Silicon Valley could attract the best and brightest workers when needed.

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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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Investor's Corner

Lucid denies rumors of bankruptcy after over 40% stock drop

Published

5 hours ago

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July 14, 2026

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Credit: Lucid

Electric vehicle maker Lucid Group has denied rumors of an imminent bankruptcy after a report from this morning sent the stock on a dramatic drop on Wall Street, seeing losses of more than 40 percent during trading hours.

Lucid’s Director of Communications, Nick Twork, responded to the report from Eletric-Vehicles.com, which stated the company’s restructuring advisor, AlixPartners, was asked to review two decisions: taking Lucid shares private or filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

The report also claims AlixPartners told the Lucid board to “concentrate on Gravity production while improving its quality, and to temporarily hold back the Lucid Air, the sedan that has defined the company since its launch.”

Twork said:

Shares rebounded after the response to the report, halving its losses as the trading day neared 3 p.m. Eastern.

Lucid has struggled to get its sales off the ground and into more respectable numbers, but the company is in its early years, when things are hard to begin with. It is also backed by several notable investors, including the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), which has nearly limitless money and likely would not ditch an investment of this size so soon.

Lucid shares were down just 14 percent at the time of publication, a far cry from the 55 percent its losses topped out at during the day.

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Tesla owner attempts resale of Model S Signature Edition for over $260k

Published

8 hours ago

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July 14, 2026

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Credit: Tesla

A Tesla owner who purchased a Model S Signature Edition, one of the final 250 units of the all-electric flagship vehicle that the company discontinued earlier this year, is attempting to sell the car despite a no-resale clause that prohibits reselling for the first year.

The car is being sold by J&S Autohaus in Ewing, New Jersey, and is priced at $260,490, well above the $159,420 that Tesla sold it for earlier this year.

To those who do not know, the Model S Signature was a highly exclusive, limited-run farewell variant of the Model S Plaid that was produced this year to mark the end of production of both the Model S and Model X, Tesla’s two flagship vehicles.

Limited to just 250 units with invite-only sales, it serves as a collector’s item celebrating the legacy of the Model S, which helped pioneer Tesla’s electric vehicle success since its 2012 launch.

It bundles top-tier performance with bespoke cosmetic and luxury upgrades, plus Tesla’s Luxe Package. Here’s what the Model S Signature has over the typical Model S Plaid:

  • Exclusive Exterior – Unique Garnet Red Paint, matching door handles, gold Tesla “T” badges upfront, gold Plaid and Signature badging at the rear.
  • Premium Interior – White Alcantara upholstery with gold piping/accents, gold Plaid seat badges, Signature-marked door sills, individually numbered dashboard plaque, gold puddle lights, special interior lighting sequence, and a custom Signature key fob.
  • Performance Upgrades – Carbon-ceramic brakes with gold calipers
  • Bundled Luxe Package – Full Self-Driving (Supervised), four years of Premium Connectivity, free lifetime Supercharging
  • Performance Metrics – ~1,020 horsepower, sub-2-second 0-60 MPH, ~390-mile range

Tesla quickly introduced a No Resale Agreement for the Signature Editions of the Model S and Model X, which would penalize the seller for “the amount of $50,000 or the value received as consideration for the sale or transfer, whichever is greater.”

The company continues:

“If you sell or otherwise transfer the ownership of your Model S or Model X, the remainder of the Recommended Maintenance, Wheel and Tire Protection Plan, and Windshield Protection Plan will transfer automatically to the buyer. The Full Self-Driving (Supervised), Free Supercharging and Premium Connectivity will not transfer with the vehicle and will terminate once the ownership of the Model S or Model X is transferred.”

Tesla will likely come after the seller, especially as it has been about two months since Tesla launched deliveries.

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Tesla Full Self-Driving v14.3.5 Early Impressions: new features and early performance

Published

11 hours ago

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July 14, 2026

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Credit: TESLARATI

Tesla rolled out Full Self-Driving (Supervised) v14.3.5 yesterday, and about fifty miles of driving on the new version has given me enough time to highlight what seems to be strong about the release and what is not.

Additionally, Tesla has added a few new features with this specific update, which we’ll highlight as well.

Tesla Full Self-Driving v14.3.5 Performance

The new update is business as usual. Things seem to be running completely normal and necessary, but there are a few things that we’ve seemed to pick up on based on our own experience with v14.3.5, as well as what other users are seeing.

Initially, it seems to be more aware of its surroundings, making moves that are incredibly courteous to other drives and operating just a tad more reserved than what the suite might have done previously.

We had two instances where it showed this, the first being FSD needing to pass a Flagger Force vehicle that was placing down signage for the day. Their work truck was right at the front corner of a right-hand turn; typically where most cars travel when they take that turn.

FSD v14.3.5 recognized this, slowed down, and took the turn wide with no issues:

Additionally, v14.3.5 backed up for a semi truck that was making a wide turn onto a road my car was on. This is not new, but it seemed to be backing up for courtesy; it didn’t seem completely necessary, but it might have put some peace of mind in the truck driver’s head:

X user Mike P, also a Pennsylvania native like myself, shared three clips of his Tesla running v14.3.5 performing similar maneuvers. He said:

“FSD turns right into a small alley that only fits one car at a time, sees oncoming car, reverses out of alley to make space, realizes oncoming car is actually parking, re-enters alley.”
Check it out here:

It seems like Speed Profiles are still in need of some tweaking; I am adjusting what Speed Profile I’m in frequently, constantly changing it to get it to travel at the correct speed. This was an issue for me on v14.3.4. It seems like they’re just a little inconsistent.

Terrible Parking

Parking attempts on v14.3.5 were not good. There are quite a few people who have said this:

David Moss, the Tesla owner who has taken multiple coast-to-coast drives without any interventions, also has had some issues with parking early on with v14.3.5:

New Features

Tesla has added the ability to open Camera Preview at any time. Previously, it was only available in Park. Here’s what that feature looks like in action:

Check back later this week for a longer review of what we’ve noticed on Full Self-Driving v14.3.5.

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