

Lifestyle
Tesla’s competitors aren’t perfect, but they could help usher in a new EV crowd
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Taking Tesla head-on as a car maker these days certainly appears to be a formidable task, but perhaps it’s not sacrilege to applaud the various efforts along the way. Elon Musk has mentioned how the California brand can’t achieve its sustainability mission alone on several occasions, as most Tesla fans are aware, but the big picture is not just about pure numbers of electric vehicle (EV) players. It’s also about consumer taste and finances.
For one, big cars are pretty popular in Tesla’s home market, the United States. Sure, Tesla has the Model X for anyone looking for an SUV. But in some parts of the US, it’s on par with the price of a home mortgage and out of financial reach for many (most?) larger families. I actually tried promoting the idea of a Tesla to my best friend who happens to be a lawyer and whose partner has a well-paying IT job; they sounded like the ideal income bracket for the brand’s larger offering to me. Her immediate response was, “Ha! We could never afford a Tesla!” We spoke about the Model 3 and upcoming Model Y, but with 3 kids in day care (and all with large car seats), she couldn’t take on ‘another mortgage’ just to drive them from place to place regardless of the other advantages.
By the way, I’m sure Tesla will address this consumer gap eventually, but for now I’m making a point about their competitors finding a market niche that could be a boon for Tesla in the long run.
Audi could potentially have another all-electric option for someone like my friend in the e-tron. The $70,000+ price tag doesn’t quite compare to the $30,000 or so she paid for her Honda Pilot, but if you lined up gas and maintenance costs AND presented the e-tron 50, my bargain-loving bestie might bite. Audi recently launched this 71 kWh, shorter-range version of the larger e-tron SUV in Norway, and it runs about $55,000 with somewhere around 150 miles of range. As her kids get older (and car seats become smaller boosters), she might get used to the whole ‘just plug your car in at night’ perk and be open to something a little more entertaining a la Tesla.
Then there’s the Jaguar I-PACE. Despite its troubles with range estimates and charge point access, this all-electric luxury brand crossover does have one advantage over Tesla to some consumers: It’s not a Tesla. Now, I don’t mean that in a derogatory way. I’m more so saying that there are plenty of consumers that are used to admiring the style of certain brands and grew up dreaming of owning one some day. My co-worker’s husband comes to mind, actually.
While he thinks Tesla has some amazing performance stats, he’s a ‘hot hatch’ kind of guy. He simply likes the style of the I-PACE a bit more than a Tesla right now, and would also prefer his first EV to come from a brand whose other models have caught his attention for decades. If he were to take up his old pastime of hobby racing using the I-PACE though, which would certainly be tempting after experiencing the immediate torque and horsepower from an EV, he’d probably see the light surrounding Tesla ownership after being smoked by a few Model 3 Performances.
Finally, there are the budget buyers (myself included) who see the $35,000-ish Model 3, but then also see the $15,000 used Nissan LEAF. Since I have a few kids, this purchase would be purely an ‘errand runner’ as my main car needs to be larger and not cost more than my future land and farmhouse combined. If the price of a used Tesla comes down to that sort of bargain, which is unlikely given the Tesla Network plans for the Model 3, I would certainly bite. But the LEAF does something useful: It gets people like me into an electric car that I can afford, which is part of the big picture isn’t it? And kids do grow up and buy their own cars eventually, meaning I can one day trade in my mini van for something a little more…Tesla.
Lifestyle
Tesla brings perhaps the coolest interior feature to cars in latest update
Tesla adds on to the “fun” aspect of its vehicles.

Tesla has brought perhaps the coolest interior feature to its cars in a new update that is rolling out to vehicles now.
The feature will require a newer vehicle that has interior ambient lighting, which is present on the new Model S, Model X, Model 3 “Highland,” and Model Y “Juniper.” The Cybertruck also has ambient lighting strips throughout.
Tesla Model Y’s ambient lighting design changes revealed in leaked video
With the Version 2025.26+ Software Update, Tesla is rolling out a new “Sync Accent Lights w/ Music” feature, which is available on the Tesla Toybox:
Turn your Tesla into a rave cave with the new Light Sync feature 🎶
Rolling out now in software update 2025.26+ pic.twitter.com/IIsQxZ9jDP
— Tesla (@Tesla) July 29, 2025
To enable the feature, you’ll access the Toybox, choose “Light Sync,” and then choose “Sync Accent Lights w/ Music.”
Although it does not improve the performance of the vehicle, it is yet another example of Tesla making one of the coolest cars out there. This is truly a cool add-on that can be used to impress your friends and family.
Elon Musk
xAI, Musk Foundation helps schools near Memphis supercomputer site
Reports of xAI and the Musk Foundation’s work were recently posted by local news media.

Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence startup xAI and the Musk Foundation have been supporting Memphis-Shelby County Schools with HVAC repairs and facility upgrades, while also funding youth programs for students in the area.
Reports of xAI and the Musk Foundation’s work were recently posted by local news media.
xAI’s school visits lead to facility repairs
Representatives from xAI visited John P. Freeman Optional School, Fairley High School, and Westwood High School, all of which are located near its Colossus supercomputer site, to assess HVAC systems, plumbing, gym facilities, and athletic fields. The visits resulted in a list of priority repairs, some of which were completed in April and May.
In addition to the repairs, xAI also shared a number of initiatives that are planned for students in the area, as stated in a Commercial Appeal report.
“xAI is working on providing STEM workshops for local students, donating equipment to technical training programs, and supporting job fairs to boost employment opportunities. These initiatives reflect xAl’s commitment to fostering education and economic growth in Memphis,” xAI noted in a statement.
Musk Foundation donation
Apart from xAI, the Musk Foundation also donated $350,000 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis, enabling the reopening of two club sites located at Booker T. Washington High School and Westwood High School. Both locations had closed earlier this year due to lapses in funding. As per xAI, the Musk Foundation’s donation allows clubs to reopen for almost 1,000 students.
The donation will fund staffing, supplies, and transportation, among others. “Kids are the future of humanity,” Elon Musk said in a statement, adding that students need “every chance to shoot for the stars.”
“We’re honored to support the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis in reopening these sites, giving kids in underserved communities the tools to build brighter futures,” Musk said.
The gift was praised by local officials, including Boys & Girls Clubs board chair Michael Garriga, who stated that the “commitment will ensure the youth of our community have the opportunities they need to develop their skills and talents to become successful students and future citizens.”
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.

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.”
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.
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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