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Tesla Cybertruck giving test rides at Los Angeles unveiling event, Nov. 21, 2019 (Photo: Teslarati) Tesla Cybertruck giving test rides at Los Angeles unveiling event, Nov. 21, 2019 (Photo: Teslarati)

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Tesla asks Cybertruck reservation holders to lease S3XY lineup for End-of-Year push

Tesla Cybertruck giving test rides at Los Angeles unveiling event, Nov. 21, 2019 (Photo: Teslarati)

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Tesla is looking to get a two-for-one with some of its Cybertruck reservation holders. An email to those who have preordered the all-electric truck from Tesla has revealed that it is encouraging them to lease one of the currently-available cars before accepting delivery of the Cybertruck in 2021 or 2022.

The email was originally reported by Electrek, who received several tips from readers about the possibility of leasing another vehicle before receiving their Cybertruck within the next two years, depending on the variant. Tesla is looking to increase its sales figures ahead of the end of the year. As the Cybertruck will not begin production until late 2021 for the Dual and Tri-Motor variants, there is the possibility that some owners will want to get into an all-electric Tesla before then.

Tesla is reaching out to owners and testing the waters.

The email stated:

“I saw you have a Cybertruck reservation with us, so I wanted to give a courtesy update and provide myself as a resource.

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The single motor configuration is currently scheduled to begin production in late 2022 with delivery projected to take place in early 2023.

The dual and tri-motor configurations are currently scheduled to begin production in late 2021 with delivery projected to take place in early 2022. 

In the meantime, a lot of Cybertruck reservation holders have been doing 24-36 month leases on our current vehicles to bridge the gap and experience Tesla ownership! 

We are currently offering a $1,500 California Clean Fuel Reward eligible for California residents registering their car in-state on top of other California state incentives that you could apply before the end of the year. 

If you are interested in securing pricing on our current S3XY models, please respond ‘Yes’ and I will be happy to give you a call.”

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Tesla set a goal to produce 500,000 cars this year. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, which shut down the company’s Fremont production facility in Northern California for a month and a half, Tesla has surged with three quarters that have beaten Wall Street estimates. Its most recent quarter proved to be the most successful in company history as Tesla marked 145,036 cars produced, and 139,593 cars delivered. To reach its goal, Tesla will need to build 170,020 cars, and it will only build a vehicle if the demand is present. The company rarely has inventory.

Tesla’s End-of-Year push is always particularly intense and the company has called on help from owners in past years to assist in the efforts. Reaching out to Cybertruck pre-orderers is a good strategy considering the fact that the vehicle won’t be ready for around a year, so some reservation holders may be antsy about getting a Tesla in their driveway.

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

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Tesla won’t implement strange Grok character as Musk dispels rumor

It is nice to see that Tesla is not forcing this kind of character upon owners of their vehicles, especially considering that many people had a real problem with it.

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Tesla is not going to implement a strange character as a Grok assistant in its vehicles, as CEO Elon Musk dispelled the rumor, which seemed to truly invoke some quite polarizing reactions.

Yesterday, there was some controversy within the Tesla community as rumors of a Grok assistant, named Mūn (pronounced like Moon), being implemented into the vehicles started to circulate.

It had some legitimacy. It was initially posted by an employee, and it appeared to be a relatively confirmed development.

However, it really did rub some people the wrong way. Mūn was an Anime-style female dressed in promiscuous clothing, so it was not everyone’s style, and I’m sure not everyone’s significant other’s cup of tea. It seemed a very strange decision to add it, especially considering that, at the time, there was no confirmation to dispel the arrival of the Grok assistant.

That was until Tesla CEO Elon Musk stepped in to put the speculation to bed once and for all.

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It was somewhat strange that this type of issue arose in the first place, but given that it was initially released by an employee, the entire situation is self-explanatory.

It is nice to see that Tesla is not forcing this kind of character upon owners of their vehicles, especially considering that many people had a real problem with it. Many owners did not shy away from the fact that they would like the option to opt out:

For now, Grok remains a part of Tesla vehicles, and personally, it is very nice to have in my Model Y to answer some quick questions I might have or even to entertain some people in the car.

Nevertheless, I am relieved I won’t have this character forced upon me in my vehicle.

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U.S. Judge dismisses lawsuit against SpaceX Starship Boca Chica launch site

The ruling found that the FAA had met its obligations in reviewing the potential environmental effects of Starship launches.

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(Credit: SpaceX)

A U.S. district court judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought by conservation groups challenging the Federal Aviation Administration’s approval of SpaceX’s expanded rocket launch operations in Boca Chica, Texas. 

The ruling, issued Monday, found that the FAA had met its obligations in reviewing the potential environmental effects of Starship launches.

FAA review withstands legal challenge

The lawsuit centered on whether the FAA properly assessed the impact of SpaceX’s operations on endangered wildlife, including ocelots, jaguarundis, and Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles, as noted in a report from The Guardian. The plaintiffs argued that noise, light pollution, and construction activity degraded the surrounding habitat, which also serves as nesting grounds for threatened shorebirds.

The lawsuit cited SpaceX’s April 2023 Starship test, which destroyed its launchpad and scattered debris across a large area. The blast reportedly ignited a grassfire and damaged wildlife habitats, including a bobwhite quail nest.

Judge Carl Nichols, for his part, ruled that the FAA had satisfied its obligation“to take a hard look at the effects of light on nearby wildlife.” The decision effectively cleared a regulatory hurdle for SpaceX, which has been working to expand Starship launch activity at its Boca Chica facility.

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A continued ramp

SpaceX continues to scale its operations nationwide. Beyond Starship, the company is also seeking approval to nearly double Falcon rocket launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, from 50 annually to 95. 

Former President Trump has also shared his intention to increase U.S. launch capacity, setting a target for substantial growth by 2030. Considering that SpaceX is by far the world’s dominant launch provider, Trump’s support for more launches will likely benefit the private space company.

For now, at least, the ruling should allow continued expansion at a time when Starship remains central to long-term goals such as Mars missions and NASA’s Artemis program.

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Pope Leo XIV slams Elon Musk’s pay package due to misinformation (Opinion)

The Pope’s comments seem to be guided by a misunderstanding of what Elon Musk’s pay package entails.

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Edgar Beltrán, The Pillar, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Pope Leo XIV has voiced sharp criticism of corporate pay structures, singling out Tesla CEO Elon Musk and other business leaders as examples of the widening gap between executives and ordinary workers. The pontiff warned that excessive wealth concentration could erode societal values and fuel global polarization.

Pope Leo XIV’s comments seem to be guided by a misunderstanding of what Elon Musk’s pay package entails, and the net positive it would result to TSLA shareholders and the world as a whole.

Pope Leo XIV’s comments

In his first interview since becoming pope in May, Leo XIV, the first US-born head of the Catholic Church, pointed to reports that Musk could become the world’s first trillionaire. As noted in a report from the Financial Times, Pope Leo XIV singled out Elon Musk as an example of the type of wealth that was undermining “the value of human life, of the family, of the value of society.”

“Yesterday, the news (arrived) that Elon Musk is going to be the first trillionaire in the world. What does that mean, and what’s that about? If that is the only thing that has any value any more, then we are in big trouble,” the pontiff stated. 

Musk was not the only executive who caught the ire of the leader of the Catholic Church. He noted that while Musk’s pay was problematic, it was only an example of the “continuously wider gap between the income levels of the working class and the money that the wealthiest receive.” 

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“CEOs that 60 years ago might have been making four to six times what the workers are receiving, the last figure I saw, it’s 600 times what average workers are receiving,” he stated.

Borne out of misrepresentation

A look at Pope Leo XIV’s comments surrounding Elon Musk’s wealth suggests that he may not necessarily be familiar with how the CEO earns his net worth. Musk’s wealth is tied to his stakes in his companies, with a good portion of it coming from Tesla and SpaceX. Thus, quite unlike what the mainstream media narrative might suggest, Elon Musk does not necessarily have a giant vault of gold coins he is hoarding somewhere.

If one were to look at Elon Musk’s pay package, which would result in him becoming a trillionaire, one would see that the CEO could only earn his keep if he proves immense value to Tesla and its shareholders. 

His payout might be notable, but he would have to lead Tesla into becoming an $8.5 trillion company first. At this level, Tesla would likely be a notable force of good that would provide a net benefit for people worldwide. Ultimately, it appears that Pope Leo XIV’s comments about Musk may be borne from information gathered only through mainstream sources, some of which tend to have a notable slant against the CEO.

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