News
Tesla to dominate 2021, but other winners and losers in EVs to be determined
It is no secret that Tesla is expected to dominate 2021’s electric vehicle market as the company begins to show it has the robust nature it takes to grow in such a competitive market. After delivering just shy of 500,000 vehicles, according to its own Shareholder Deck via its Investor Relations website, Tesla is poised to increase that number even more this year, especially as two new Gigafactories are expected to take shape and begin rolling out EVs later this year.
Tesla’s undeniable dominance in the EV sector has been accredited to several things: hard work, strategy, luck, and seeing that EVs would be the future well before anyone really knew. Tesla has truly caused an entire industry to rethink its future strategies regarding the development of its products. Instead of slight revisions to an ICE model that has been in production for 40 years, automakers are scrapping the old-faithful vehicles that once ruled production processes for all-electric cars that are supplying the world’s brightest engineers and manufacturing experts with constant headaches.
But past the overwhelming importance for automakers to adopt EV strategies moving forward, 2021 will likely be a “make or break” year for some of the biggest names in vehicle production. While there are undoubtedly going to be winners who will join Tesla on the upward trend toward EV adoption, there are others that will fade away. Unfortunately, there is no way to look into the future and see who will win and who will lose, but the writing that currently appears on the wall will tell many investors of the EV movement who is making a commendable effort of trying to adopt new strategies and move toward sustainable transport. However, others are still stuck with the notion that there is time. However, the longer these companies wait, the further the lead will be for Tesla, who once sat in the shadows of automotive legacy, waiting for its chance to pounce.
Credit: teslaphotographer/Instagram
Deutsche Bank analyst Emmanuel Rosner upped his price target on Tesla stock on Thursday from $705 to $890, The Street reported. After already upgrading Tesla’s outlook once in 2021, Rosner is still convinced of the automaker’s dominance moving forward, looking at 2021 as the year of the EV.
But it’s not all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for Rosner because he believes that some automakers will eventually phase themselves out of the race to EV dominance. Although nearly every company in the world that makes cars has mentioned a possible adoption to electric transport, there are still some that sit with very vague plans. Interestingly, these companies claim that Tesla will eventually fall and that scalability and software will only last so long. Sure, but Tesla has software nearly perfected, while some of the most robust and refined companies in the world are still stuck with head-scratching as their only outlet to vent their frustration.
Rosner’s note says that 2021 “should indeed see a material acceleration of electric vehicle roll-outs, and provide much clarity on winners and losers from electrification.” It’s true. We will see more EV plans this year than ever before. Companies like Rivian and Lucid plan to launch their first deliveries later this year, Tesla will be opening Giga Berlin and Giga Texas, only increasing production outputs from the automaker, and Ford will eventually begin rolling out Mach-E models after an unexpected delay of hundreds of models. But as most of us know, there is a fine line between launching a product and launching a product successfully.
What will 2021 entail for the EV sector? Mostly good things if you believe that President Joe Biden will replace an emphasis on climate control and pollution reduction. The President reactivated the U.S.’ inclusion in the Paris Agreement yesterday, a move that will excite many of the environmentalists out there. EVs undoubtedly contribute to a cleaner world, but can automakers contribute to the global transition to sustainable passenger transport? Who will win and who will lose?
What do you think? Leave a comment down below. Got a tip? Email us at tips@teslarati.com or reach out to me at joey@teslarati.com.
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Tesla Energy has introduced the Powerwall Lease in conjunction with Tesla Electric, making the service available in Texas. This new option delivers whole-home backup power using two Powerwall units for a net monthly cost of $35 after credits, accompanied by a low fixed electricity rate.
Under the lease terms, customers pay a one-time order fee of $100. The base lease payment for the two Powerwalls is approximately $122 per month during the first year, subject to a 3 percent annual escalator thereafter. Enrollment in a qualifying Tesla Electric Backup plan or Virtual Power Plant plan provides an $87 monthly credit.
Powerwall Lease is now available with Tesla Electric in Texas
Whole-home backup for $35/month, with a low fixed electricity rate
– Two Powerwalls, $0 installation
– Storm Watch outage protection
– One app to manage it all pic.twitter.com/oTzqc6K3aF— Tesla Energy (@teslaenergy) August 13, 2026
This credit lowers the effective cost to roughly $35 per month plus applicable tax.
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Installation of the standard system carries no additional charge. The package features Storm Watch for outage protection and allows complete management through a single Tesla application. The system supplies continuous whole-home backup capability.
The Powerwall system enables households to maintain electricity during severe storms that disrupt the utility grid. When outages occur, the batteries automatically provide seamless backup power to the home.
Tesla announces 100k Powerwalls are participating in Virtual Power Plants
Tesla Storm Watch monitors weather forecasts and ensures the units are fully charged ahead of anticipated severe weather events so that power remains available throughout the disruption, keeping lights, refrigeration, and other essential systems operating without interruption.
Availability is restricted to select Texas locations where retail electric choice exists. Participants must lease exactly two Powerwall units and maintain continuous enrollment with Tesla Electric. Solar panels cannot be included under this particular lease arrangement.
The monthly credit activates automatically once the system is installed, receives permission to operate, and enrollment is confirmed. To retain the credit, customers are required to stay enrolled in Tesla Electric and fulfill all program conditions.
Nonstandard installations that involve electrical upgrades or special permitting may lead to extra expenses and might impact eligibility for the credit, so be sure to check with either your installer or Tesla to ensure you will still qualify.
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Elon Musk continues to tease the unveiling event for the Tesla Roadster, a continuing trend that has grown into a bigger game of “When” for fans who have been waiting years for the car to finally enter production.
A video shared on X of the Joe Rogan Experience podcast that Musk appeared on last year, teasing the Roadster unveiling, was shared once again on the social media platform. The poster said the Roadster event will be “unforgettable.”
Musk agreed:
Yes
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 12, 2026
The timing is interesting because just yesterday, Musk said that we will be getting flying cars, and for years, Tesla has hinted that it could develop a SpaceX cold gas thruster package that would help the car float or fly for a short period of time.
It would be reasonable to assume Tesla’s major delays with this unveiling event are likely caused by the company’s need to break the rules and push the envelope on nearly everything. Last July, Lars Moravy, Tesla’s VP of Vehicle Engineering, said:
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“Roadster is definitely in development. We did talk about it last Sunday night. We are gearing up for a super cool demo. It’s going to be mind blowing. We showed Elon some cool demos last week of the tech we’ve been working on and he got a little excited.”
The latest updates that Tesla has given us are that the Roadster is in design development, and it did have several potential dates for an unveiling event this year, including April. It was then pushed to August.
However, there are no clues as to when Tesla will be ready, and fans are certainly getting frustrated with the delays.
For what it is worth, Franz von Holzhausen told Jay Leno this week that the event would be “very soon.”
We sure hope.
Lifestyle
Tesla’s driverless Cybercab just passed a big test with State Governor
Florida’s governor rode Tesla’s Cybercab at a closed test track and called the experience impressive.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis rode in a Tesla Cybercab on a closed test track this week and came away impressed, posting on X that the vehicle “successfully navigated all hazards — a kid running into the street, a crash with police stopping traffic, a Model S cutting us off, etc.” He called the ride “impressive.”
The stop was part of a broader event Monday at SunTrax, a 775 acre state owned proving ground in Auburndale that Florida built specifically to test autonomous and connected vehicles before they reach public roads. Standing next to a gold Cybercab, DeSantis described the car in plain terms: “You go in there and you just sit. You have a screen. There’s no steering wheel, no pedals. Clearly these things could be very beneficial.”
We took a ride on a robotaxi on the Suntrax course and it successfully navigated all hazards — a kid running into the street, a crash with police stopping traffic, a Model S cutting us off, etc.
Impressive! https://t.co/FVAkzFLz3r
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) August 11, 2026
DeSantis paired the praise with a caveat that has followed autonomous vehicles since the category existed. “You don’t want to be in an autonomous vehicle and it drives you into a ditch. That would not be good,” he said, framing safety validation as the gate before wider deployment.
SunTrax, the 2.25 mile oval which the state calls the only high speed autonomous vehicle test track in the Southeast, can simulate rain, pedestrian crossings, hills and crowded urban conditions at highway speeds, letting companies push a car past what an early public rollout would risk. Tesla, Waymo and Beep all use the facility, and Florida’s regulatory approach, among the most permissive for autonomous vehicles in the country, doesn’t require a human operator inside a fully autonomous car.
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Tesla has reason to want the blessing of Florida and states beyond, as the Cybercab entered volume production at Gigafactory Texas this spring and has since self certified as SAE Level 4 under Texas law. Public road testing so far has kept a safety monitor in the passenger seat, and Florida is where Tesla has been expanding its existing Model Y based Robotaxi service instead, adding Miami in July and then Orlando and Tampa two weeks later. A closed track endorsement from a sitting governor doesn’t change any of that, but it does put Tesla’s newest hardware in front of a state that has already shown it will move fast on rules.
Tesla launches Powerwall Lease for affordable home backup
Elon Musk teases Tesla Roadster unveiling once again
