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Tesla’s Elon Musk and Rivian CEO join legacy auto execs in Motortrend’s Person of the Year list
Tesla CEO Elon Musk ranks on Motortrend’s 2020 list of most crucial players in the automotive industry. Musk has been on the list since 2013 and gained recognition as Person of the Year in 2017.
Motortrend released its list 2020 Person of the Year on November 19, which recognized Hyundai President and Head of Design Management Peter Schreyer as its Person of the Year for 2020. Elon Musk came in the 24th spot in this year’s power rankings, improving from his recognition as the 42nd most influential figure in the auto industry from a year ago.
While Motortrend recognizes Musk as an influential figure for another year, the website’s description of his accomplishments this year takes an interesting approach, leading with a highlight of his lawsuits, conflicts with the SEC, and the successful release of the Model 3. “Another year of drama for Musk with lawsuits and SEC concerns over tweets. But sales continue to grow, affordable Model 3s are on the road, there’s a new plant in China, and promises of a pickup, compact crossover, roadster, and a big rig continue. Ever the boy at heart, his cars can now fart,” Motortrend said about the South African born CEO.
In 2019, Tesla and Musk have unveiled its first crossover, broke ground on Gigafactory 3 in Shanghai, and improved its Full Self-Driving software with the company’s V10 update. A monumental year for the Silicon Valley-based automaker in many regards, Musk’s vision for an environmentally-sustainable future by supplying people with affordable electric cars is becoming more of a reality. Tesla will unveil its Cybertruck on November 21, adding an all-electric pickup truck to its lineup of vehicles.
Musk was not the only Tesla member to make the list. Co-founder and Senior Adviser to the company J.B. Straubel came in at #13. “Straubel, the former chief technical officer at Tesla, has stepped back from day-to-day authority but will continue to apply his genius toward core technologies—especially around batteries, power electronics, and an expanding network of superchargers. He is essential to Tesla’s drive to retain EV tech leadership,” Motortrend said.
Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe was #3 on Motortrend’s 2020 power rankings. It has been a big year for Scaringe’s Rivian. The company gained notable financial backing from e-commerce giant Amazon, who invested $700 million and purchased 100,000 vans from the Plymouth, Michigan-based automaker to begin a more environmentally-conscious delivery process. Rivian also gained help from Ford Motor Company and Cox Automotive, who invested $500 million and $350 million, respectively. Rivian will begin production of the R1T pickup and R1S sport utility vehicle in late-2020.
Motortrend has recognized these three pioneers of the electric vehicle movement on its list of the 50 most crucial players in the industry today. The three sit among executives of legacy automotive groups, like Ford, GM, and Toyota, whose board members have made up Motortrend’s lists since the auto journal wrote its first power rankings in 2005. While those companies are working on electric cars to release as their own, Musk, Straubel, and Scaringe have all contributed toward the transition to make the automotive market geared more toward electric and battery-powered modes of transportation and away from the traditional petrol-powered machines that have dominated the U.S. car industry since its introduction in the 1890s, and they are gaining recognition for their efforts. Tesla and Rivian alike have a vision for the future, and it includes clean transportation for everyone, aimed at saving the Earth from the carbon-emissions that negatively affect the atmosphere and our general well-being.
The Top 10 of Motortrend’s Person of the Year 2020 list is as follows:
- 10. Alan Bethke, Senior VP of Marketing, Subaru of America. 2019: Unranked
- 9. Mate Rimac, Founder, Rimac Automobili. 2019: Unranked
- 8. Charles Gordon-Lennox, Founder, Goodwood Festival of Speed and Goodwood Revival. 2019: Unranked
- 7. Roger Penske, Founder and Chairman, Penske Corporation. 2019: Unranked
- 6. Mary Barra, Chairwoman and CEO, General Motors. 2019: 11
- 5. David Woodhouse, VP Of Nissan Design America, Nissan. 2019: 22
- 4. Tadge Juechter, Corvette Chief Engineer, General Motors. 2019: Unranked
- 3. RJ Scaringe, Founder and CEO, Rivian Automotive. 2019: Unranked
- 2.Kumar Galhotra, President, Ford North America. 2019: Unranked
- 1. Peter Schreyer, President, Head of Design Management, Hyundai Motor Group. 2019: 33
Tesla just gave what is perhaps its biggest signal yet that the launch of the Cybercab, its autonomous ride-hailing-geared car, is imminent.
The Cybercab has been spotted outside of Gigafactory Texas in massive numbers over the past few days, with hundreds of units being stored on property just days after the vehicle received a Certificate of Conformity from the EPA.
Today, things were a bit different.
Cybercabs spotted on Giga Texas property today had an addition: a Cybercab decal on the side, reminiscent of the “Robotaxi” ones that were placed on Model Ys just as the company launched its ride-sharing platform about a year ago.
Giga Texas drone operator Joe Tegtmeyer noticed the change today:
Tesla Cybercabs are now getting “Cybercab” logos on the side of them!
Tesla did the same with Model Ys that were given “Robotaxi” logos: https://t.co/DanANtw1m7 pic.twitter.com/FqOhH0S9Ks
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) June 19, 2026
Tesla could be signaling that the Cybercab is preparing to enter the Robotaxi fleet in the coming weeks or months with this move. It seems more symbolic than anything; Tesla is ready to throw Cybercabs in the ride-hailing platform just as it did with Model Ys last year.
The addition of the Certificate of Conformity awarded to the Cybercab is another major factor working to Tesla’s advantage. The company now has permission from the EPA to allow the vehicle to operate on public roads and enter the chain of commerce. It’s officially street legal.
Tesla Cybercab specs revealed: range, curb weight, range ratings, and more
The big question that remains is whether Tesla will be able to operate the car without a safety monitor, especially considering it plans to put the car out there without a steering wheel or pedals. With the Cybercab only having a seating capacity of two, it is hard to believe Tesla will even consider putting a Safety Monitor in the car.
It did recently self-certify as Level 4 and has the ability to operate driverless vehicles in the State of Texas under a law that took effect on May 28. You can read more about that here:
Tesla’s Robotaxi dreams just took a massive step toward reality
We’d imagine Cybercabs will be on the roads as soon as July, but August will likely be a better estimate of when the car will be entered into the Cybercab fleet. It all depends at where Tesla is, as they’ve truly prioritized safety with the rollout of the Robotaxi platform.
Elon Musk has publicly questioned Moody’s credit assessments following the rating agency’s decision to assign SpaceX a Baa1 investment-grade rating, two notches above Tesla’s Baa3. The comments came amid discussions comparing the two companies’ financial profiles.
SpaceX earned its first-time Baa1 rating with a stable outlook from Moody’s. The agency highlighted the company’s leadership in orbital launches, the growing recurring revenue from its Starlink satellite network, strong vertical integration, U.S. government contracts, and emerging opportunities in AI infrastructure.
These factors were cited as supporting robust cash flows, margin expansion, and financial flexibility.
Musk responded directly: “Tesla’s credit rating is ridiculously low tbh,” and added, “Yeah, makes no sense. Tesla has over $40B in cash, no debt, and is consistently profitable!” His remarks underscored Tesla’s balance sheet strength and profitability at a time when many traditional automakers continue to report losses in the shift to electric vehicles.
Yeah, makes no sense.
Tesla has over $40B in cash, no debt and is consistently profitable!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 19, 2026
Tesla maintains a leading position in the global EV market, with diversification into energy and storage, battery technology, and robotics through projects like Optimus. Recent financial updates show the company generated positive free cash flow of $1.4 billion in Q1 2026, supported by operating cash flow of $3.9 billion. Cash and short-term investments stood at approximately $44.7 billion.
Moody’s has affirmed Tesla’s Baa3 issuer rating with a stable outlook in periodic reviews, acknowledging the company’s EV leadership, technology strengths, including AI for autonomous vehicles, solid profitability, and strong liquidity.
Tesla (TSLA) scores Baa3 Moody’s rating for ‘stable’ outlook
However, the agency has also noted challenges in the automotive segment and expectations for margin pressures.
Musk’s critique highlights a common debate about how traditional rating methodologies apply to high-growth, capital-intensive technology companies. SpaceX benefits from long-term government-backed contracts and diversified, recurring revenue streams, while Tesla’s valuation reflects heavy investment in future technologies such as autonomy and robotics.
Both ratings remain investment-grade, yet the one-notch difference has fueled online discussion about potential inconsistencies in evaluating innovative firms.
The exchange comes as SpaceX explores financing options following its recent valuation milestones, while Tesla continues executing on its multi-year roadmap. Musk’s pointed response serves as a reminder that credit ratings, though influential for borrowing costs, represent one lens through which markets assess corporate strength—and that company leaders often view their financial positions through the lens of long-term innovation and cash generation rather than short-term risk metrics alone.
A new report from Reuters claims that a transport authority in Sweden is pushing back against the approval of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving suite because it will travel over speed limits.
The report says the Swedish Transport Administration (TRV) recommends the European Union votes against FSD’s approval. TRV believes it should not be approved until Tesla disables FSD’s ability to speed.
TRV sent a letter to the European Union’s Technical Committee on Motor Vehicles (TCMV), which is set to meet on June 30 to discuss the potential approval of the Tesla FSD suite in the country. Tesla, which has received various approvals in Europe over the past two months, has not provided a comment.
Teslas operating on FSD do travel over the speed limit, depending on the Speed Profile that is chosen. Drivers have the ability to disengage FSD at any point; Tesla specifically states that those supervising the suite are responsible for its actions.
Let’s cut to the chase: humans operating any vehicle speed almost daily in the United States. Realistically, speed limits in the U.S. are more frequently treated as speed minimums. However, other countries are different, and driving behaviors are less aggressive.
TRV believes that “allowing automated systems to systematically exceed legal speed limits…risks undermining both the legal framework and the expected safety benefits of vehicle automation,” the report stated. It’s surprising that Tesla has not received this claim from other countries previously.
This could be a good argument to bring Max Speed back, the setting that previously allowed the driver to choose the absolute fastest the car would travel.
This would still put the responsibility of supervision in the hands of the driver. It would allow the driver to choose whether the car would travel over the speed limit or not, acknowledging that they set the speed, and if they get pulled over, there would be no ability to argue it.
However, it does not seem as if this is something Tesla will do, especially considering many U.S. drivers have requested the feature in an effort to eliminate speeding or at least tone it down. The company has not shown any interest in bringing it back.
Tesla has approvals for FSD in Europe in Estonia, Lithuania, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Belgium.
Tesla Cybercab launch is imminent after latest sighting at Giga Texas
Elon Musk says this part of Tesla ‘makes no sense’
