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Tesla design head reflects on over 16 years with the company

Designing for the future with Tesla’s Franz von Holzhausen.

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Credit: Andrea Conway/X

Tesla’s Senior Design Executive Franz von Holzhausen was interviewed in the 500th episode of the Ride the Lightning podcast over the weekend, talking about topics from the new Model Y Performance to Optimus, and even sharing what has kept him coming back for over 16 years.

In the interview, host Ryan McCaffrey asks von Holzhausen a handful of questions about the executive’s design decisions, what can be expected on upcoming releases, and his own reaction to seeing increasing numbers of Tesla vehicles on the road. When asked about what has kept him at Tesla for so long, however, the design lead points to the company’s mission, noting that his young self would be “shocked” if he saw what he was working on today and how much he has learned.

“The thing that keeps me coming here is the potential for the future and what we’re able to create, and how we’re able to… in a way, we’ve proven that we can steer the future a little bit,” von Holzhausen says.

When asked if it was common for designers to stay at one company for so long, he also says that it “sure doesn’t seem like it,” pointing out that he had previously been on a roughly-four-year rotation prior to starting with Tesla, and adding that he thought he would stay on that path. The design head’s past employers were Mazda, General Motors (GM), and Volkswagen.

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He also explains that some of the exciting projects he’s been able to work on, including vehicles, autonomous robotaxis, and humanoid robots, to name a few, are a major part of what keeps him there, in addition to Tesla’s original mission.

“I wouldn’t be here if we didn’t have the mission,” von Holzhausen says of the company’s mission to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.

“In the early days, the mission was the same, and we didn’t know if we could make an impact. The mission is something that you aim for, right? And we kept aiming for it and kept getting better, and then we subsequently started to see the impact of what we were producing and what we were creating having an impact that was steering, ultimately steering the rest of the world, in this direction.

“And once you realize the impact, you’re like ‘Wow, we can really steer the future for the better.’ And now, we like owe it to ourselves and to everybody and the rest of the world to continue on that path.”

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While McCaffrey suggests that the designer might be the second-longest-tenured employee besides the CEO, von Holzhausen says there actually at least “a handful of other people” who have been with the company for longer. However, he says they would also likely agree about how quickly the time has gone to bring the automaker to this point.

The conversation spans over an hour long, and von Holzhausen goes on to talk about how seeing his own vehicles on the road makes him continually self-critique his work as he aims to make things better and develop the next thing. He also talks about the importance of making great products, and how he and Tesla expect that approach to win customers over, no matter what kind of fear, uncertainty and doubt may be floating around about the company.

Listen to the 500th episode of McCaffrey’s Ride the Lightning podcast below, featuring Tesla’s Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen for his third appearance on the show. You can also see a photo of the two below, as shared in a post on X from McCaffrey.

Credit: Ryan McCaffrey | X

 

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READ MORE ON TESLA’S FRANZ VON HOLZHAUSEN: Tesla redesigned this crucial piece of hardware on the new Model Y

In the podcast, von Holzhausen also talks about speculation that the company’s Glacier Blue could eventually make it to the U.S., as well as if Tesla plans to discontinue Midnight Cherry Red—though he says he can’t comment directly on either.

The executive’s appearance on the podcast also comes after McCaffrey last week interviewed Tesla’s Vice President of Vehicle Engineering, Lars Moravy. It also comes as the latest of appearances from both executives, who were last month featured in a video from Tesla about the new Model Y, along with talking to Jay Leno about the refreshed vehicle.

The two executives also confirmed in the former video that Tesla will indeed be launching a Model Y Performance later this year, along with a seven-seat configuration.

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In December, von Holzhausen also shared some details about the design for the recently unveiled Cybercab, noting in another video with Pedersen Auto Museum that the gold color is a shout-out to New York City’s yellow taxi cabs.

Tesla makes a decision on the future of its flagship Model S and Model X

Zach is a renewable energy reporter who has been covering electric vehicles since 2020. He grew up in Fremont, California, and he currently lives in Colorado. His work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, KRON4 San Francisco, FOX31 Denver, InsideEVs, CleanTechnica, and many other publications. When he isn't covering Tesla or other EV companies, you can find him writing and performing music, drinking a good cup of coffee, or hanging out with his cats, Banks and Freddie. Reach out at zach@teslarati.com, find him on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send us tips at tips@teslarati.com.

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Tesla just unlocked sales to 50,000+ government agencies

It marks a significant step in expanding Tesla’s presence in the public sector, where procurement processes have traditionally slowed electric vehicle adoption.

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Credit: Patrick Bean | X

Tesla just unlocked sales to over 50,000 government agencies by entering a new agreement with Sourcewell, a purchasing cooperative.

Tesla entered a new master purchasing agreement with Sourcewell, the largest government purchasing cooperative in the U.S. This will enable streamlined sales of its EVs to more than 50,000 U.S. public entities. Tesla entered Designated Contract 0813525-TES, and the agreement covers Model 3, Model Y, and Cybertruck, and potentially other vehicles the company could release.

It marks a significant step in expanding Tesla’s presence in the public sector, where procurement processes have traditionally slowed electric vehicle adoption.

The deal allows eligible agencies, including cities, school districts, state governments, and higher-education institutions, to purchase Tesla vehicles directly through Sourcewell without conducting their own lengthy competitive bidding or request-for-proposal (RFP) processes.

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Pricing is pre-negotiated and capped, providing transparency and predictability. Agencies simply register for a Sourcewell account online or by phone and place orders under the existing contract. This cooperative model aggregates demand across thousands of members, reducing administrative costs and time while ensuring compliance with public procurement rules.

For Tesla, the agreement removes major barriers to government fleet sales. Public-sector procurement cycles often stretch 12 to 18 months due to bidding requirements and committee reviews.

Tesla buyers in the U.S. military can get $1,000 off Cybertruck purchases

By securing the master contract, Tesla gains immediate, simplified access to a massive customer base that previously faced friction in adopting EVs. The company highlighted in its announcement that the partnership will help these 50,000-plus agencies “save thousands of $$$ in operating costs for their vehicle fleet over time” through lower maintenance, energy efficiency, and the elimination of tailpipe emissions.

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The initial four-year term runs through November 13, 2029, with options for up to three one-year extensions, offering long-term stability for both parties.

Sourcewell’s role is central to execution. As a cooperative purchasing organization, it negotiates and manages vendor contracts on behalf of its members, then makes them available nationwide. Participating entities contact Tesla’s dedicated fleet team or Sourcewell representatives to complete purchases, bypassing redundant paperwork.

This structure accelerates fleet electrification while maintaining fiscal accountability—agencies receive pre-vetted pricing and terms without reinventing the wheel for each vehicle order.

The partnership positions Tesla to capture a larger share of the public fleet market, where total cost of ownership often favors electric vehicles once procurement hurdles are removed.

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For government buyers, it translates to faster deployment of sustainable fleets, reduced long-term expenses, and alignment with environmental mandates. As more agencies transition, the contract could contribute to broader EV infrastructure growth and taxpayer savings across the country.

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Elon Musk

How much of SpaceX will Elon Musk own after IPO will surprise you

SpaceX’s IPO filing confirms Musk will maintain his voting power to make key decisions for the company.

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Rendering of Elon Musk overlooking a Starship fleet (Credit: Grok)

Elon Musk will retain dominant voting control of SpaceX after it goes public, according to the company’s IPO prospectus that was filed with the SEC. The filing reveals a dual-class equity structure giving Class B shareholders 10 votes each, concentrating power with Musk and a handful of other insiders, while Class A shares sold to public investors carry one vote.

Musk holds approximately 42% of SpaceX’s equity and controls roughly 79% of its votes through super-voting shares. He will simultaneously serve as CEO, CTO, and chairman of the nine-member board after the listing. Beyond that, the filing includes provisions that may limit shareholders’ influence over board elections and legal actions, forcing disputes into arbitration and restricting where they can be brought.

The case for Musk holding this level of control is grounded in SpaceX’s actual history. The company’s most important bets, from reusable rockets to a global satellite internet constellation, were decisions that ran against conventional aerospace thinking and would likely have faced resistance from a board accountable to investor gains. Fully reusable rockets were considered economically irrational by established industry players for years. Starlink, which now generates over $4 billion in annual operating profit, was widely dismissed as financially unviable when it was proposed. The argument for concentrated founder control seems straightforward, and the decisions that built SpaceX into what it is today required someone willing to ignore consensus and absorb years of losses.

SpaceX files confidentially for IPO that will rewrite the record books

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For context, Musk’s position is significantly more dominant than Zuckerberg’s at Meta. The comparison with Tesla is also worth noting. When Tesla did its IPO in 2010, it did not issue dual-class shares. Musk has only recently pushed for enhanced voting protection, proposing at least 25% control at Tesla in 2024 after selling shares to fund his Twitter acquisition left him with around 13%.

SpaceX has clearly learned from that experience and structured the IPO differently by planning to allocate up to 30% of shares to retail investors, roughly three times the typical norm for a large offering. The roadshow is expected to begin the week of June 8, with a Nasdaq listing rumored to be a $1.75 trillion valuation and a $75 billion raise.

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Tesla bolsters App with new safety, insurance, and storage features

The Tesla Smartphone App is one of the biggest and best features and advantages owners have. Everything from moving the vehicle with Summon, to getting Navigation sent to the car, to preconditioning the cabin can be done with the Tesla App.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla is bolstering its smartphone App with a series of new features to streamline operations for owners. The new additions include fixes to safety, its in-house insurance offering, and storage management for Dashcam clips.

The Tesla Smartphone App is one of the biggest and best features and advantages owners have. Everything from moving the vehicle with Summon, to getting Navigation sent to the car, to preconditioning the cabin can be done with the Tesla App.

But in classic Tesla fashion, the company is aiming to improve the offerings of the app, and it is doing so with a handful of new features. They were first discovered by Tesla App Updates.

Tesla Insurance – Safety Score 3.0

This is truly part of the Spring 2026 Update, but Tesla has now given more transparency on how FSD has saved people money on their premiums.

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Tesla intertwines FSD with in-house Insurance for attractive incentive

Additionally, Tesla is now automatically awarding a Safety Score of 100 for every mile traveled on Full Self-Driving (Supervised).

Update Tracking

Updates traditionally appear on the App or on the Center Touchscreen in the car. There is nothing better than seeing that Green Arrow at the top of the screen, or opening your app and seeing that there is a Software Update available.

Now, there will be no need to manually check the app and initiate the download. Tesla is enabling a new feature that will automatically download updates for you.

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Storage Management

Your USB drive can now be remotely formatted, and old Dashcam clips can be deleted straight from the phone. When you record a lot of things using the Dashcam feature, that storage fills up pretty quickly.

Now, manually deleting the Dashcam videos is easier than ever.

Trailer Light Test

This is perhaps the coolest and most crucial addition to the Tesla App, as those who tow and haul will now be able to trigger a diagnostic light sequence from the app while standing behind your trailer to ensure the brake lights work.

Verifying your trailer lights are connected properly and operating normally and as intended is normally a massive hassle.

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Now, a new trigger will be available to initiate a diagnostic light sequence directly from your phone.

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