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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
Cybertruck
Tesla confirms date when new Cybertruck trim will go up in price
Tesla has officially revealed that this price will only be available until February 28, as the company has placed a banner atop the Design Configurator on its website reflecting this.
Tesla has confirmed the date when its newest Cybertruck trim level will increase in price, after CEO Elon Musk noted that the All-Wheel-Drive configuration of the all-electric pickup would only be priced at its near-bargain level for ten days.
Last week, Tesla launched the All-Wheel-Drive configuration of the Cybertruck. Priced at $59,990, the Cybertruck featured many excellent features and has seemingly brought some demand to the pickup, which has been underwhelming in terms of sales figures over the past couple of years.
Tesla launches new Cybertruck trim with more features than ever for a low price
When Tesla launched it, many fans and current owners mulled the possibility of ordering it. However, Musk came out and said just hours after launching the pickup that Tesla would only keep it at the $59,990 price level for ten days.
What it would be priced at subsequently was totally dependent on how much demand Tesla felt for the new trim level, which is labeled as a “Dual Motor All-Wheel-Drive” configuration.
Tesla has officially revealed that this price will only be available until February 28, as the company has placed a banner atop the Design Configurator on its website reflecting this:
NEWS: Tesla has officially announced that the price of the new Cybertruck Dual-Motor AWD will be increasing after February 28th. pic.twitter.com/vZpA521ZwC
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) February 24, 2026
Many fans and owners have criticized Tesla’s decision to unveil a trim this way, and then price it at something, only to change that price a few days later based on how well it sells.
Awful way to treat customers – particularly when they already sent out a marketing email announcing the $59,990 truck…with zero mention of it being a limited-time offer.
— Ryan McCaffrey (@DMC_Ryan) February 24, 2026
It seems the most ideal increase in price would be somewhere between $5,000 and $10,000, but it truly depends on how many orders Tesla sees for this new trim level. The next step up in configuration is the Premium All-Wheel-Drive, which is priced at $79,990.
The difference between the Dual Motor AWD Cybertruck and the Premium AWD configuration comes down to towing, interior quality, and general features. The base package is only capable of towing up to 7,500 pounds, while the Premium can handle 11,000 pounds. Additionally, the seats in the Premium build are Vegan Leather, while the base trim gets the textile seats.
It also has only 7 speakers compared to the 15 that the Premium trim has. Additionally, the base model does not have an adjustable ride height, although it does have a coil spring with an adaptive damping suspension package.
Cybertruck
Tesla set to activate long-awaited Cybertruck feature
Tesla will officially activate the Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) feature on Cybertruck soon, as the company has officially added the feature to its list of features by trim on its website.
Tesla is set to activate a long-awaited Cybertruck feature, and no matter when you bought your all-electric pickup, it has the hardware capable of achieving what it is designed to do.
Tesla simply has to flip the switch, and it plans to do so in the near future.
Tesla will officially activate the Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) feature on Cybertruck soon, according to Not a Tesla App, as the company has officially added the feature to its list of features by trim on its website.
Tesla rolls out Active Road Noise Reduction for new Model S and Model X
The ANC feature suddenly appeared on the spec sheet for the Premium All-Wheel-Drive and Cyberbeast trims, which are the two configurations that have been delivered since November 2023.
However, those trims have both had the ANC disabled, and although they are found in the Model S and Model X, and are active in those vehicles, Tesla is planning to activate them.
In Tesla’s Service Toolbox, it wrote:
“ANC software is not enabled on Cybertruck even though the hardware is installed.”
Tesla has utilized an ANC system in the Model S and Model X since 2021. The system uses microphones embedded in the front seat headrests to detect low-frequency road noise entering the cabin. It then generates anti-noise through phase-inverted sound waves to cancel out or reduce that noise, creating quieter zones, particularly around the vehicle’s front occupants.
The Model S and Model X utilize six microphones to achieve this noise cancellation, while the Cybertruck has just four.
Tesla Cybertruck Dual Motor AWD estimated delivery slips to early fall 2026
As previously mentioned, this will be activated through a software update, as the hardware is already available within Cybertruck and can simply be activated at Tesla’s leisure.
The delays in activating the system are likely due to Tesla Cybertruck’s unique design, which is unlike anything before. In the Model S and Model X, Tesla did not have to do too much, but the Cybertruck has heavier all-terrain tires and potentially issues from the aluminum castings that make up the vehicle’s chassis, which are probably presenting some challenges.
Unfortunately, this feature will not be available on the new Dual Motor All-Wheel-Drive configuration, which was released last week.
News
Tesla Model S and X customization options begin to thin as their closure nears
Tesla’s Online Design Studio for both vehicles now shows the first color option to be listed as “Sold Out,” as Lunar Silver is officially no longer available for the Model S or Model X. This color is exclusive to these cars and not available on the Model S or Model X.
Tesla Model S and Model X customization options are beginning to thin for the first time as the closure of the two “sentimental” vehicles nears.
We are officially seeing the first options disappear as Tesla begins to work toward ending production of the two cars and the options that are available to those vehicles specifically.
Tesla’s Online Design Studio for both vehicles now shows the first color option to be listed as “Sold Out,” as Lunar Silver is officially no longer available for the Model S or Model X. This color is exclusive to these cars and not available on the Model S or Model X.
🚨 Tesla Model S and Model X availability is thinning, as Tesla has officially shown that the Lunar Silver color option on both vehicles is officially sold out
To be fair, Frost Blue is still available so no need to freak out pic.twitter.com/YnwsDbsFOv
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) February 25, 2026
Tesla is making way for the Optimus humanoid robot project at the Fremont Factory, where the Model S and Model X are produced. The two cars are low-volume models and do not contribute more than a few percent to Tesla’s yearly delivery figures.
With CEO Elon Musk confirming that the Model S and Model X would officially be phased out at the end of the quarter, some of the options are being thinned out.
This is an expected move considering Tesla’s plans for the two vehicles, as it will make for an easier process of transitioning that portion of the Fremont plant to cater to Optimus manufacturing. Additionally, this is likely one of the least popular colors, and Tesla is choosing to only keep around what it is seeing routine demand for.
During the Q4 Earnings Call in January, Musk confirmed the end of the Model S and Model X:
“It is time to bring the Model S and Model X programs to an end with an honorable discharge. It is time to bring the S/X programs to an end. It’s part of our overall shift to an autonomous future.”
Fremont will now build one million Optimus units per year as production is ramped.
Tesla confirms date when new Cybertruck trim will go up in price
Tesla set to activate long-awaited Cybertruck feature
