From Fremont, California to Shanghai, China, Tesla is establishing a production chain that is poised to grow together with the electric vehicle movement. But with CEO Elon Musk’s announcement that Tesla was scoping out locations for a new Cybertruck Gigafactory central United States, Tesla is now seemingly getting ready to enter the Heartland of the country. That’s a place where the internal combustion engine still reigns supreme, and where Teslas are still stereotyped as vehicles that are not for the mainstream.
A Gigafactory in the center of the United States serves several purposes. Logistically, an electric vehicle facility in the area would cut down on vehicle delivery times, especially for the East Coast. It would also allow for a complete focus on the Cybertruck until Model Y production also begins at the plant. But apart from these efficiencies, Tesla’s upcoming facility also has the potential to break the final stereotypes around Tesla’s vehicles once and for all.
In a way, Tesla’s presence in the middle of America establishes the company’s footing in a section of the country that has been an evident battleground for the electric carmaker. Central United States is widely perceived as an area where Silicon Valley-style solutions such as Teslas are not effective, as places where farming, agriculture, and other hard-nosed industries do not seem compatible with the sleek, streamlined electric vehicles from the company. A big part of this is the impression that Tesla’s vehicles are only for those with money, and not for the working man.
Scouting locations for Cybertruck Gigafactory. Will be central USA.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 11, 2020
Interestingly enough, the same people who would benefit the most from a vehicle like the Cybertruck are also stereotyped as a demographic that is far from being able to “afford a Tesla.” While Tesla prices have dropped over the past few years thanks to increased battery production and manufacturing efficiencies, there is still a pervading idea that the company’s electric cars are still out of reach for most car buyers. This is, of course, untrue, with the Model 3, Model Y, and Cybertruck priced aggressively.
It has been speculated that Tesla’s new Cybertruck will need a separate production facility to keep up with demand for the vehicle. The polarizing design of the all-electric pickup with its unmistakeable stainless steel exoskeleton has already amassed an unconfirmed half-a-million reservations. Elon Musk has mentioned in the Q4 2019 earnings call that the Cybertruck is seeing a lot of demand as well.
With Tesla producing the Cybertruck in the heart of the United States, legacy automakers may find themselves surprised once more that a disruptive company has taken hold of their longtime demographic. It could, for one, end up accelerating the efforts of legacy automakers such as Ford and GM with regards to their respective electric vehicle programs. Ford will likely not give up its most loyal customers freely to the Cybertruck, after all, and the best way the veteran carmaker could rival Tesla’s pickup would be to release the Ford F-150 Electric.
There are relatively no tell-tale signs of where the Cyber Gigafactory will be built, though rumors of Nashville being a potential site are abounding. Still, one thing remains certain: the impact of a Tesla production plant in the heart of America would break through the long-lived stereotypes that innovation is confined only in places like California. It would prove that with vehicles like the Cybertruck, the electric transition is reaching all corners of the country.
Elon Musk
Delaware Supreme Court reinstates Elon Musk’s 2018 Tesla CEO pay package
The unanimous decision criticized the prior total rescission as “improper and inequitable,” arguing that it left Musk uncompensated for six years of transformative leadership at Tesla.
The Delaware Supreme Court has overturned a lower court ruling, reinstating Elon Musk’s 2018 compensation package originally valued at $56 billion but now worth approximately $139 billion due to Tesla’s soaring stock price.
The unanimous decision criticized the prior total rescission as “improper and inequitable,” arguing that it left Musk uncompensated for six years of transformative leadership at Tesla. Musk quickly celebrated the outcome on X, stating that he felt “vindicated.” He also shared his gratitude to TSLA shareholders.
Delaware Supreme Court makes a decision
In a 49-page ruling Friday, the Delaware Supreme Court reversed Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick’s 2024 decision that voided the 2018 package over alleged board conflicts and inadequate shareholder disclosures. The high court acknowledged varying views on liability but agreed rescission was excessive, stating it “leaves Musk uncompensated for his time and efforts over a period of six years.”
The 2018 plan granted Musk options on about 304 million shares upon hitting aggressive milestones, all of which were achieved ahead of time. Shareholders overwhelmingly approved it initially in 2018 and ratified it once again in 2024 after the Delaware lower court struck it down. The case against Musk’s 2018 pay package was filed by plaintiff Richard Tornetta, who held just nine shares when the compensation plan was approved.
A hard-fought victory
As noted in a Reuters report, Tesla’s win avoids a potential $26 billion earnings hit from replacing the award at current prices. Tesla, now Texas-incorporated, had hedged with interim plans, including a November 2025 shareholder-approved package potentially worth $878 billion tied to Robotaxi and Optimus goals and other extremely aggressive operational milestones.
The saga surrounding Elon Musk’s 2018 pay package ultimately damaged Delaware’s corporate appeal, prompting a number of high-profile firms, such as Dropbox, Roblox, Trade Desk, and Coinbase, to follow Tesla’s exodus out of the state. What added more fuel to the issue was the fact that Tornetta’s legal team, following the lower court’s 2024 decision, demanded a fee request of more than $5.1 billion worth of TSLA stock, which was equal to an hourly rate of over $200,000.
Delaware Supreme Court Elon Musk 2018 Pay Package by Simon Alvarez
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Tesla Cybercab tests are going on overdrive with production-ready units
Tesla is ramping its real-world tests of the Cybercab, with multiple sightings of the vehicle being reported across social media this week.
Tesla is ramping its real-world tests of the Cybercab, with multiple sightings of the autonomous two-seater being reported across social media this week. Based on videos of the vehicle that have been shared online, it appears that Cybercab tests are underway across multiple states.
Recent Cybercab sightings
Reports of Cybercab tests have ramped this week, with a vehicle that looked like a production-ready prototype being spotted at Apple’s Visitor Center in California. The vehicle in this sighting was interesting as it was equipped with a steering wheel. The vehicle also featured some changes to the design of its brake lights.
The Cybercab was also filmed testing at the Fremont factory’s test track, which also seemed to involve a vehicle that looked production-ready. This also seemed to be the case for a Cybercab that was spotted in Austin, Texas, which happened to be undergoing real-world tests. Overall, these sightings suggest that Cybercab testing is fully underway, and the vehicle is really moving towards production.
Production design all but finalized?
Recently, a near-production-ready Cybercab was showcased at Tesla’s Santana Row showroom in San Jose. The vehicle was equipped with frameless windows, dual windshield wipers, powered butterfly door struts, an extended front splitter, an updated lightbar, new wheel covers, and a license plate bracket. Interior updates include redesigned dash/door panels, refined seats with center cupholders, updated carpet, and what appeared to be improved legroom.
There seems to be a pretty good chance that the Cybercab’s design has been all but finalized, at least considering Elon Musk’s comments at the 2025 Annual Shareholder Meeting. During the event, Musk confirmed that the vehicle will enter production around April 2026, and its production targets will be quite ambitious.
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Tesla gets a win in Sweden as union withdraws potentially “illegal” blockade
As per recent reports, the Vision union’s planned anti-Tesla action might have been illegal.
Swedish union Vision has withdrawn its sympathy blockade against Tesla’s planned service center and showroom in Kalmar. As per recent reports, the Vision union’s planned anti-Tesla action might have been illegal.
Vision’s decision to pull the blockade
Vision announced the blockade in early December, stating that it was targeting the administrative handling of Tesla’s facility permits in Kalmar municipality. The sympathy measure was expected to start Monday, but was formally withdrawn via documents sent to the Mediation Institute and Kalmar Municipality last week.
As noted in a Daggers Arbete report, plans for the strike were ultimately pulled after employer group SKR highlighted potential illegality under the Public Employment Act. Vision stressed its continued backing for the Swedish labor model, though Deputy negotiation manager Oskar Pettersson explained that the Vision union and IF Metall made the decision to cancel the planned strike together.
“We will not continue to challenge the regulations,” Petterson said. “The objection was of a technical nature. We made the assessment together with IF Metall that we were not in a position to challenge the legal assessment of whether we could take this particular action against Tesla. Therefore, we chose to revoke the notice itself.”
The SKR’s warning
Petterson also stated that SKR’s technical objection to the Vision union’s planned anti-Tesla strike framed the protest as an unauthorized act. “It was a legal assessment of the situation. Both for us and for IF Metall, it is important to be clear that we stand for the Swedish model. But we should not continue to challenge the regulations and risk getting judgments that lead nowhere in the application of the regulations,” he said.
Vision ultimately canceled its planned blockade against Tesla on December 9. With Vision’s withdrawal, few obstacles remain for Tesla’s long-planned Kalmar site. A foreign electrical firm completed work this fall, and Tesla’s Careers page currently lists a full-time service manager position based there, signaling an imminent opening.
Delaware Supreme Court reinstates Elon Musk’s 2018 Tesla CEO pay package
Tesla Cybercab tests are going on overdrive with production-ready units
