News
Tesla dominates ‘Luxury Brand’ segment in Kelley Blue Book’s Image Awards
Tesla’s domination is getting felt even more in the luxury vehicle sector, with automotive research and valuation publication Kelley Blue Book (KBB) recently awarding the electric car maker five of its six luxury vehicle awards. Tesla’s performance in the awards indicates that the electric car company’s short but rich history is disrupting some of the most notable brands in the world.
KBB released its 2020 Brand Image Awards on April 7. The award is aimed at recognizing the automakers who “excel in creating and maintaining brand attributes that create excitement about their products.” The results come from over 12,000 new-vehicle shoppers who contribute to the company’s decisions on its awards for carmakers.
Tesla dominated the “Best Luxury Brands” portion of the awards, taking home the titles of Best Overall Luxury Brand, Best Value Luxury Brand, Most Refined Luxury Brand, Best Performance Luxury Brand, and Best Styling Luxury Brand. It fell just short of the Most Trusted award, which was given to Toyota-owned luxury carmaker Lexus.
The latest KBB awards marks the first time Tesla has won the Best Overall Luxury Brand title from the publication. While the automotive firm acknowledges Tesla’s presence as it has been knocking at the door for years, the company has demonstrated that it is “here to stay as a force in the new vehicle market.” Tesla has shown that its products appeal to all car buyers: The Model 3 for the mass-market, Model S for luxury and performance, and Model X for “people-moving.”
Tesla’s ability to offer vehicles with low operating costs is pivotal to KBB’s decision to award the company with its “Best Luxury Value” title. Tesla’s mass-market Model 3 has allowed more people to be able to afford its vehicles, as the Model S and Model X were costly for some. However, the Model 3 sedan and newly-released Model Y crossover have offered performance and spaciousness while offering some degree of affordability at the same time.
The company’s refinement in its vehicle design has deemed it the winner of another award. Tesla’s “clean, minimalist approach to interior design” has made it stand out amongst its competitors. “Tesla’s pioneering approach to consolidate virtually all controls and systems into a single, portrait-oriented center display screen is being copied by mass-market and luxury brands alike,” KBB wrote.
-->
Since Tesla’s introduction into the automotive sector in 2008 with the release of its original Roadster, the company’s electric cars have been known for their raw performance. While continuing its mission of sustainability and unmistakable design, its vehicles’ acceleration and speed puts the electric car maker at the top of the “Best Performing Luxury Brand” list. This is surprisingly the first time Tesla has won the award, despite its vehicles having a reputation for having straight-line performance that rivals that of supercars.
Finally, the “Best Styling Luxury Brand” was Tesla’s final award from KBB this year. Even though their vehicle’s designs have not changed much since their initial launches, KBB said the Model S and Model 3’s “timeless shapes” are sure to catch the attention of car buyers. Not to mention, the Model X’s falcon-wing doors are sure to turn heads, giving the electric car maker its fifth title out of six in 2020.
Tesla’s five out of six “Luxury” awards from KBB this year could mean that the widespread adaptation of electric cars from consumers is at. hand. As luxury brands like Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Lexus, and Infinity have dominated the sector for decades, it appears that a new sheriff may be in town. Tesla has established itself as a surefire competitor in this market by offering affordability, performance, versatility, and groundbreaking design within its vehicles.
Kelley Blue Book’s full list of winners could be accessed here here.
News
Tesla is improving Giga Berlin’s free “Giga Train” service for employees
With this initiative, Tesla aims to boost the number of Gigafactory Berlin employees commuting by rail while keeping the shuttle free for all riders.
Tesla will expand its factory shuttle service in Germany beginning January 4, adding direct rail trips from Berlin Ostbahnhof to Giga Berlin-Brandenburg in Grünheide.
With this initiative, Tesla aims to boost the number of Gigafactory Berlin employees commuting by rail while keeping the shuttle free for all riders.
New shuttle route
As noted in a report from rbb24, the updated service, which will start January 4, will run between the Berlin Ostbahnhof East Station and the Erkner Station at the Gigafactory Berlin complex. Tesla stated that the timetable mirrors shift changes for the facility’s employees, and similar to before, the service will be completely free. The train will offer six direct trips per day as well.
“The service includes six daily trips, which also cover our shift times. The trains will run between Berlin Ostbahnhof (with a stop at Ostkreuz) and Erkner station to the Gigafactory,” Tesla Germany stated.
Even with construction continuing at Fangschleuse and Köpenick stations, the company said the route has been optimized to maintain a predictable 35-minute travel time. The update follows earlier phases of Tesla’s “Giga Train” program, which initially connected Erkner to the factory grounds before expanding to Berlin-Lichtenberg.
-->Tesla pushes for majority rail commuting
Tesla began production at Grünheide in March 2022, and the factory’s workforce has since grown to around 11,500 employees, with an estimated 60% commuting from Berlin. The facility produces the Model Y, Tesla’s best-selling vehicle, for both Germany and other territories.
The company has repeatedly emphasized its goal of having more than half its staff use public transportation rather than cars, positioning the shuttle as a key part of that initiative. In keeping with the factory’s sustainability focus, Tesla continues to allow even non-employees to ride the shuttle free of charge, making it a broader mobility option for the area.
News
Tesla Model 3 and Model Y dominate China’s real-world efficiency tests
The Tesla Model 3 posted 20.8 kWh/100 km while the Model Y followed closely at 21.8 kWh/100 km.
Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y once again led the field in a new real-world energy-consumption test conducted by China’s Autohome, outperforming numerous rival electric vehicles in controlled conditions.
The results, which placed both Teslas in the top two spots, prompted Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun to acknowledge Tesla’s efficiency advantage while noting that his company’s vehicles will continue refining its own models to close the gap.
Tesla secures top efficiency results
Autohome’s evaluation placed all vehicles under identical conditions, such as a full 375-kg load, cabin temperature fixed at 24°C on automatic climate control, and a steady cruising speed of 120 km/h. In this environment, the Tesla Model 3 posted 20.8 kWh/100 km while the Model Y followed closely at 21.8 kWh/100 km, as noted in a Sina News report.
These figures positioned Tesla’s vehicles firmly at the top of the ranking and highlighted their continued leadership in long-range efficiency. The test also highlighted how drivetrain optimization, software management, and aerodynamic profiles remain key differentiators in high-speed, cold-weather scenarios where many electric cars struggle to maintain low consumption.
Xiaomi’s Lei Jun pledges to continue learning from Tesla
Following the results, Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun noted that the Xiaomi SU7 actually performed well overall but naturally consumed more energy due to its larger C-segment footprint and higher specification. He reiterated that factors such as size and weight contributed to the difference in real-world consumption compared to Tesla. Still, the executive noted that Xiaomi will continue to learn from the veteran EV maker.
“The Xiaomi SU7’s energy consumption performance is also very good; you can take a closer look. The fact that its test results are weaker than Tesla’s is partly due to objective reasons: the Xiaomi SU7 is a C-segment car, larger and with higher specifications, making it heavier and naturally increasing energy consumption. Of course, we will continue to learn from Tesla and further optimize its energy consumption performance!” Lei Jun wrote in a post on Weibo.
-->Lei Jun has repeatedly described Tesla as the global benchmark for EV efficiency, previously stating that Xiaomi may require three to five years to match its leadership. He has also been very supportive of FSD, even testing the system in the United States.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk reveals what will make Optimus’ ridiculous production targets feasible
Musk recent post suggests that Tesla has a plan to attain Optimus’ production goals.
Elon Musk subtly teased Tesla’s strategy to achieve Optimus’ insane production volume targets. The CEO has shared his predictions about Optimus’ volume, and they are so ambitious that one would mistake them for science fiction.
Musk’s recent post on X, however, suggests that Tesla has a plan to attain Optimus’ production goals.
The highest volume product
Elon Musk has been pretty clear about the idea of Optimus being Tesla’s highest-volume product. During the Tesla 2025 Annual Shareholder Meeting, Musk stated that the humanoid robot will see “the fastest production ramp of any product of any large complex manufactured product ever,” starting with a one-million-per-year line at the Fremont Factory.
Following this, Musk stated that Giga Texas will receive a 10 million-per-year unit Optimus line. But even at this level, the Optimus ramp is just beginning, as the production of the humanoid robot will only accelerate from there. At some point, the CEO stated that a Mars location could even have a 100 million-unit-per-year production line, resulting in up to a billion Optimus robots being produced per year.
Self-replication is key
During the weekend, Musk posted a short message that hinted at Tesla’s Optimus strategy. “Optimus will be the Von Neumann probe,” the CEO wrote in his post. This short comment suggests that Tesla will not be relying on traditional production systems to make Optimus. The company probably won’t even hire humans to produce the humanoid robot at one point. Instead, Optimus robots could simply produce other Optimus robots, allowing them to self-replicate.
-->The Von Neumann is a hypothetical self-replicating spacecraft proposed by the mathematician and physicist John von Neumann in the 1940s–1950s. The hypothetical machine in the concept would be able to travel to a new star system or location, land, mine, and extract raw materials from planets, asteroids, and moons as needed, use those materials to manufacture copies of itself, and launch the new copies toward other star systems.
If Optimus could pull off this ambitious target, the humanoid robot would indeed be the highest volume product ever created. It could, as Musk predicted, really change the world.
Tesla is improving Giga Berlin’s free “Giga Train” service for employees
Tesla Model 3 and Model Y dominate China’s real-world efficiency tests
