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Volkswagen shares Elon Musk’s test drive of the VW ID.3: ‘It’s pretty good’
One of the more surprising elements in Elon Musk’s recent visit to Germany was his meeting with Volkswagen Group executive Herbert Diess, who hosted the Tesla CEO at the Braunschweig Airport. During their two-hour meeting, the two electric car advocates took a drive in the ID.3, Volkswagen’s first EV from its MEB platform. The news came as a pleasant surprise to the electric car community, many of whom were interested to see Elon Musk’s insights on the ID.3, a car that could rise alongside the Model 3 in the mainstream vehicle market.
Fortunately, a video of Elon Musk’s Volkswagen ID.3 test drive was recently shared by Herbert Diess in his LinkedIn profile. The short video, which was also posted by the Volkswagen Group’s official Twitter account, featured Musk and Diess engaging in friendly conversation while the former was test driving the ID.3. As it turned out, Musk seemed to be pretty optimistic about the vehicle, at one point stating that the ID.3’s steering was “pretty good” for a non-sporty electric car.
Quite amusingly, the recently-shared video included segments of Herbert Diess setting Musk’s expectations about the ID.3 by reminding the Tesla CEO that the hatchback was a mainstream car and “not a race machine.” Laughing in response, Musk lightly stated that he “just wanted to see what the acceleration is like.” Musk could later be seen seemingly flooring the ID.3 while jokingly asking Diess “What’s the worst that could happen?”
In the few segments of the test drive featured in the clip, it could be seen that Musk inquired about several aspects of the ID.3, such as its battery pack and its driver-assist features. Diess, for his part, stated that the ID.3 is equipped with German state-of-the-art lane-keeping and emergency assist systems. The clip ended with Elon Musk and Herbert Diess getting out of the ID.3, with the Tesla CEO seemingly looking over some details of the mainstream EV. The ID.4, an all-electric crossover, could be seen nearby as well.
Diess later commented in his post with some new details about Musk’s Volkswagen ID.3 test drive. According to the Volkswagen Group executive, Musk was a bit critical of the ID.3’s torque at higher speeds. Diess also told Musk that for a true sports car experience, the Tesla CEO should try out the Porsche Taycan, an all-electric high-performance EV that Musk has openly supported in the past.
“Thanks for the visit, Elon! Hope you like the video. It was great driving the ID.3 with you! You were just quite critical with the available torque at higher speed. I told you: ‘Yes, we are on the runway – but no need for takeoff – it’s not a sports car.’ For this, you should try our Porsche Taycan. Looking forward to our next meeting!” Diess wrote.
Elon Musk and Herbert Diess have openly supported each other’s endeavors in the past, with the Tesla CEO recently stating during an interview at Gigafactory Berlin that companies like Volkswagen are putting in a lot of real work to get EVs to the mainstream market. While responding to a rather critical report on the Volkswagen Group executive last year, Musk noted on Twitter that “Herbert Diess is doing more than any big carmaker to go electric. The good of the world should come first. For what it’s worth, he has my support.”
Diess, for his part, has also openly defended Musk. Last October alone, reporters suggested that while the Model 3 was successful, they still view Tesla as a “niche” carmaker capable of making low-volume cars but out of its league in the mass market segment. Diess promptly came to Tesla’s defense, stating that the American carmaker is not a “niche” company in any way. “Tesla is not niche. The Model 3 is a large-series model and they are one of the biggest manufacturers of electric-car batteries. We have a lot of respect for Tesla. It’s a competitor we take very seriously,” the Volkswagen Group executive said.
Elon Musk
SpaceX issues statement on Starship V3 Booster 18 anomaly
The incident unfolded during gas-system pressure testing at the company’s Massey facility in Starbase, Texas.
SpaceX has issued an initial statement about Starship Booster 18’s anomaly early Friday. The incident unfolded during gas-system pressure testing at the company’s Massey facility in Starbase, Texas.
SpaceX’s initial comment
As per SpaceX in a post on its official account on social media platform X, Booster 18 was undergoing gas system pressure tests when the anomaly happened. Despite the nature of the incident, the company emphasized that no propellant was loaded, no engines were installed, and personnel were kept at a safe distance from the booster, resulting in zero injuries.
“Booster 18 suffered an anomaly during gas system pressure testing that we were conducting in advance of structural proof testing. No propellant was on the vehicle, and engines were not yet installed. The teams need time to investigate before we are confident of the cause. No one was injured as we maintain a safe distance for personnel during this type of testing. The site remains clear and we are working plans to safely reenter the site,” SpaceX wrote in its post on X.
Incident and aftermath
Livestream footage from LabPadre showed Booster 18’s lower half crumpling around the liquid oxygen tank area at approximately 4:04 a.m. CT. Subsequent images posted by on-site observers revealed extensive deformation across the booster’s lower structure. Needless to say, spaceflight observers have noted that Booster 18 would likely be a complete loss due to its anomaly.
Booster 18 had rolled out only a day earlier and was one of the first vehicles in the Starship V3 program. The V3 series incorporates structural reinforcements and reliability upgrades intended to prepare Starship for rapid-reuse testing and eventual tower-catch operations. Elon Musk has been optimistic about Starship V3, previously noting on X that the spacecraft might be able to complete initial missions to Mars.
Investor's Corner
Tesla analyst maintains $500 PT, says FSD drives better than humans now
The team also met with Tesla leaders for more than an hour to discuss autonomy, chip development, and upcoming deployment plans.
Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) received fresh support from Piper Sandler this week after analysts toured the Fremont Factory and tested the company’s latest Full Self-Driving software. The firm reaffirmed its $500 price target, stating that FSD V14 delivered a notably smooth robotaxi demonstration and may already perform at levels comparable to, if not better than, average human drivers.
The team also met with Tesla leaders for more than an hour to discuss autonomy, chip development, and upcoming deployment plans.
Analysts highlight autonomy progress
During more than 75 minutes of focused discussions, analysts reportedly focused on FSD v14’s updates. Piper Sandler’s team pointed to meaningful strides in perception, object handling, and overall ride smoothness during the robotaxi demo.
The visit also included discussions on updates to Tesla’s in-house chip initiatives, its Optimus program, and the growth of the company’s battery storage business. Analysts noted that Tesla continues refining cost structures and capital expenditure expectations, which are key elements in future margin recovery, as noted in a Yahoo Finance report.
Analyst Alexander Potter noted that “we think FSD is a truly impressive product that is (probably) already better at driving than the average American.” This conclusion was strengthened by what he described as a “flawless robotaxi ride to the hotel.”
Street targets diverge on TSLA
While Piper Sandler stands by its $500 target, it is not the highest estimate on the Street. Wedbush, for one, has a $600 per share price target for TSLA stock.
Other institutions have also weighed in on TSLA stock as of late. HSBC reiterated a Reduce rating with a $131 target, citing a gap between earnings fundamentals and the company’s market value. By contrast, TD Cowen maintained a Buy rating and a $509 target, pointing to strong autonomous driving demonstrations in Austin and the pace of software-driven improvements.
Stifel analysts also lifted their price target for Tesla to $508 per share over the company’s ongoing robotaxi and FSD programs.
Elon Musk
SpaceX Starship Version 3 booster crumples in early testing
Photos of the incident’s aftermath suggest that Booster 18 will likely be retired.
SpaceX’s new Starship first-stage booster, Booster 18, suffered major damage early Friday during its first round of testing in Starbase, Texas, just one day after rolling out of the factory.
Based on videos of the incident, the lower section of the rocket booster appeared to crumple during a pressurization test. Photos of the incident’s aftermath suggest that Booster 18 will likely be retired.
Booster test failure
SpaceX began structural and propellant-system verification tests on Booster 18 Thursday night at the Massey’s Test Site, only a few miles from Starbase’s production facilities, as noted in an Ars Technica report. At 4:04 a.m. CT on Friday, a livestream from LabPadre Space captured the booster’s lower half experiencing a sudden destructive event around its liquid oxygen tank section. Post-incident images, shared on X by @StarshipGazer, showed notable deformation in the booster’s lower structure.
Neither SpaceX nor Elon Musk had commented as of Friday morning, but the vehicle’s condition suggests it is likely a complete loss. This is quite unfortunate, as Booster 18 is already part of the Starship V3 program, which includes design fixes and upgrades intended to improve reliability. While SpaceX maintains a rather rapid Starship production line in Starbase, Booster 18 was generally expected to validate the improvements implemented in the V3 program.
Tight deadlines
SpaceX needs Starship boosters and upper stages to begin demonstrating rapid reuse, tower catches, and early operational Starlink missions over the next two years. More critically, NASA’s Artemis program depends on an on-orbit refueling test in the second half of 2026, a requirement for the vehicle’s expected crewed lunar landing around 2028.
While SpaceX is known for diagnosing failures quickly and returning to testing at unmatched speed, losing the newest-generation booster at the very start of its campaign highlights the immense challenge involved in scaling Starship into a reliable, high-cadence launch system. SpaceX, however, is known for getting things done quickly, so it would not be a surprise if the company manages to figure out what happened to Booster 18 in the near future.
SpaceX issues statement on Starship V3 Booster 18 anomaly
Tesla analyst maintains $500 PT, says FSD drives better than humans now
