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Tesla makes Consumer Reports’ Top 10 Car Brands as lone US carmaker
Tesla has been ranked 8th in Consumer Reports’ 2018 Brand Report Card, making it the sole American automaker that earned a spot in the magazine’s Top 10 rankings. The high rank of the Silicon Valley-based electric car maker was largely influenced by the stellar scores of its Model S luxury sedan, which earned high marks for predicted reliability, owner satisfaction, and road performance.
For its 2018 Brand Report Card, Consumer Reports ranked the average scores of the Model S and the Model X. The Model 3, Tesla’s latest and most disruptive vehicle to date, was not included in the magazine’s scores for the Elon Musk-led firm. Reminiscent of prior year’s reports, CR was particularly impressed with the Model S, while it had some reservations about the Model X.
According to the Brand Report Card, the Model S scored higher than any other car in the magazine’s test, with a 4/5 predicted reliability score, a perfect 5/5 for predicted owner satisfaction, and a perfect 100 rating on the road test. The Model X scored a perfect 5/5 for predicted owner satisfaction and a decent 77 rating on the road test, but the luxury electric SUV’s average scores were pulled down by its low 1/5 predicted reliability score.
Considering the low scores of the Model X’s predicted reliability, Tesla’s place in the magazine’s Top 10 list is quite noteworthy. Being 8th in the list, after all, just emphasized how much dominance the Model S holds over the other vehicles in Consumer Reports’ rankings.
Overall, Consumer Reports’ Top 10 car brands in its 2018 Brand Report Card was a mixture of Asian and European companies, with Hyundai-owned Genesis Motors topping the magazine’s list. Kia, another South Korean car maker, ranked 6th. European automakers Audi, BMW, and Porsche, ranked 2nd, 3rd, and 5th, respectively, while Japanese brands Lexus, Subaru, Honda, and Toyota ranked 4th, 7th, 9th, and 10th. Tesla, being the only American car maker in Consumer Reports’ Top 10, was ranked 8th, though Chrysler, another US-based auto firm, was in 11th place.
Consumer Reports’ Top 10 car brands were evaluated on the merits of the entire lineup of a company’s vehicle offerings. Thus, according to the magazine, even if an individual vehicle is highly rated, it is not an assurance that its maker would have a spot on the Top 10 list.
“Most brands manage to make at least one great car, but not many have what it takes to deliver consistent quality across several models. Our annual brand rankings recognize the ones that do.”
As we noted in a previous report, Consumer Reports and Tesla recently ended up in disagreement, after the magazine released an “average” rating for the Model 3, despite not having tested the mass market electric compact sedan. The magazine, however, maintained that the Model 3’s average rating was decided based on the scores of the company’s other offerings.
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Tesla Diner to transition to full-service restaurant as Chef heads for new venture
“I am leaving the Tesla Diner project to focus on the opening of Mish, my long-desired Jewish deli. Projects like Mish and the Tesla Diner require a sharpness of focus and attention, and my focus and attention is now squarely on Mish.”
Tesla Diner, the all-in-one Supercharging and dining experience located in Los Angeles, will transition to a full-service restaurant in January, staff said, as Chef Eric Greenspan said he would take on a new project.
A report from the Los Angeles Times says Greenspan confirmed through a text that he would leave the Diner and focus on the opening of his new Jewish deli, Mish.
Greenspan confirmed to the paper:
“I am leaving the Tesla Diner project to focus on the opening of Mish, my long-desired Jewish deli. Projects like Mish and the Tesla Diner require a sharpness of focus and attention, and my focus and attention is now squarely on Mish.”
Greenspan took on the job at the Tesla Diner and curated the menu back in March, focusing on locally-sourced ingredients and items that would play on various company products, like Cybertruck-shaped boxes that hold burgers.
Tesla Cybertruck leftovers are the main course at the Supercharger Diner
The Tesla Diner has operated as somewhat of a self-serve establishment, where Tesla owners can order directly from their vehicles through the center touchscreen. It was not exclusive to Tesla owners. Guests could also enter and order at a counter, and pick up their food, before sitting at a booth or table.
However, the report indicates Tesla is planning to push it toward a sit-down restaurant, full of waiters, waitresses, and servers, all of which will come to a table after you are seated, take your order, and serve your food.
It will be more of a full-featured restaurant experience moving forward, which is an interesting move from the company, but it also sounds as if it could be testing for an expansion.
We know that Tesla is already considering expanding locations, as it will be heading to new areas of the country. CEO Elon Musk has said that Tesla will be considering locations in Palo Alto near the company’s Engineering HQ, and in Austin, where its HQ and Gigafactory Texas are located.
Musk said that the Diner has been very successful in its first few months of operation.
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Tesla adds new surprising fee to Robotaxi program
“Additional cleaning was required for the vehicle after your trip. A fee has been added to your final cost to cover this service. Please contact us if you have any questions.”
Tesla has added a new and somewhat surprising fee to the Robotaxi program. It’s only surprising because it was never there before.
Tesla shocked everyone when it launched its Robotaxi platform and offered riders the opportunity to tip, only to tell them they do not accept tips. It was one of the company’s attempts at being humorous as it rolled out its driverless platform to people in Austin.
As it has expanded to new cities and been opened to more people, as it was yesterday to iOS users, Tesla has had to tweak some of the minor details of the Robotaxi and ride-hailing platforms it operates.
First Look at Tesla’s Robotaxi App: features, design, and more
With more riders, more vehicles, and more operational jurisdictions, the company has to adjust as things become busier.
Now, it is adjusting the platform by adding “Cleaning Fees” to the Robotaxi platform, but it seems it is only charged if the vehicle requires some additional attention after your ride.
The app will communicate with the rider with the following message (via Not a Tesla App):
“Additional cleaning was required for the vehicle after your trip. A fee has been added to your final cost to cover this service. Please contact us if you have any questions.”
The cost of the cleaning will likely depend on how severe the mess is. If you spill a soda, it will likely cost less than if you lose your lunch in the back of the car because you had a few too many drinks.
This is an expected change, and it seems to be one that is needed, especially considering Tesla is operating a small-scale ride-hailing service at the current time. As it expands to more states and cities and eventually is available everywhere, there will be more situations that will arise.
The messes in vehicles are not a new situation, especially in a rideshare setting. It will be interesting to see if Tesla will enable other fees, like ones for riders who request a ride and do not show up for it.
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Tesla Model Y sold out in China for 2025
Customers who wish to get their cars by the end of the year would likely need to get an inventory unit.
It appears that the Model Y has been sold out for 2025 in China. This seems to be true for the four variants of the vehicle that are currently offered in the country.
Tesla China’s order page update
A look at Tesla China’s order page for the Model Y shows a message informing customers that those who wish to guarantee delivery by the end of the year should purchase an inventory unit. This was despite the Model Y RWD and Model Y L showing an estimated delivery timeline of 4-8 weeks, and the Model Y Long Range RWD and Model Y Long Range AWD showing 4-13 weeks.
As per industry watchers, these updates on the Model Y’s order page suggest that Tesla China’s sales capacity for the remainder of 2025 has been sold out. The fact that estimated delivery timeframes for the Model Y Long Range RWD and AWD extend up to 13 weeks also bodes well for demand for the vehicle, especially given strong rivals like the Xiaomi YU7, which undercuts the Model Y in price.
Tesla China’s upcoming big updates
What is quite interesting is that Tesla China is still competing in the country with one hand partly tied behind its back. So far, Tesla has only been able to secure partial approval for its flagship self-driving software, FSD, in China. This has resulted in V14 not being rolled out to the country yet. Despite this, Tesla China’s “Autopilot automatic assisted driving on urban roads,” as the system is called locally, has earned positive reviews from users.
As per Elon Musk during the 2025 Annual Shareholder Meeting, however, Tesla is expecting to secure full approval for FSD in China in early 2026. “We have partial approval in China, and we hopefully will have full approval in China around February or March or so. That’s what they’ve told us,” Musk said.
Tesla Diner to transition to full-service restaurant as Chef heads for new venture
Tesla adds new surprising fee to Robotaxi program
