Lifestyle
EV prices are coming within reach of Millennials, but are they buying?
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The younger adult generations are significantly on board with environmental causes that have car-centric responses, namely climate change, but ironically enough they are also the generations with the least financial capability of purchasing EVs.
A study recently published by Cox Automotive showed that only 10% of EV buyers are between the ages of 25 and 34, and the reason purported is price. The same study showed that some 70% of EV buyers have incomes of $100k and above, which might be a more common take home pay in Silicon Valley for young people, but not so much everywhere else.
Despite these observations, however, there seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel with the cost gap between ICE and electric cars finally starting to narrow. EV battery prices have reduced about 70% since 2010, and the overall price of vehicles like the Nissan LEAF have decreased by about 2.5% since 2012 while similar ICE vehicles such as the Nissan Maxima have increased by 7.5%. Another interesting point about this consumer demographic is the awareness about EV benefits. Cox Automotive found that 65% of young consumers know charging costs less than gasoline, and I’d toss in my own observation that Tesla has an enthusiastic fan base comprising a large number of young people as well.
But the old bogeyman is still as big a concern for this crowd as any other: Range anxiety. Sure, Tesla is doing a great job getting rid of this particular worry monster, but then we run into the issue of purchase price. And that’s not the only thing.
Another issue exists that deters young buyers: Urban living. If you’re a resident of, say, New York City, car buying is a ridiculous expense that makes cost of living even more impossible. What’s more, access to public transportation (itself another response to environmental concerns) is pretty decent. Throw in the cost of auto insurance, and yikes! When I worked in NYC as an early 20-something, my insurance alone was over twice what my car payment is today, and I only used the darn car to get myself to the train station in the morning. Yes, Tesla is also working on this, but Tesla’s cars are also more expensive than similar ICE vehicles, bringing us back to square one.
Then there’s another complication for most young people who do have the $100k+ income to buy a “standard” EV a la Tesla: Student debt. Even with today’s income-based repayment plans to ease the burdens, young single people with high incomes usually don’t get any relief at all, which then eats away at their expendable income, which means less money for a car payment. Well, you may say, they make a lot of money and therefore shouldn’t complain. But most of them make that much money while living in a place that’s very expensive to exist in.
You may make a “good” income in the city number wise, but the cost of living often leaves you with less expendable income than if you lived elsewhere making much less. While working at an NYC law firm, for example, I noticed that the common practice for young attorneys was to live with several roommates in small apartments for a year or two working at a big firm solely to pay off their student loans. Many of them wanted to be doing something else they were more passionate about – public law, criminal law, etc. Those jobs just didn’t pay enough for them to live while owing on their loans. Then after the loans were paid, they could finally afford their own place, but what would the point be of purchasing a pricey EV when walking (or a subway hop) was the most practical commute option? Parking garages can be another car payment in themselves in those areas, too. At that point, gasoline is the price of lunch and a beer in the city – not really the deciding factor for these buyers.
Altogether, EV ownership doesn’t make sense for the majority of young people it seems, at least on the surface. If they can afford one to begin with, it’s not really a practical use for their money. Yes, many cities in California have more ideal brews for these customers: high income professions, less access to reliable public transportation, slightly better parking (same terrible traffic though), and plenty of EV charging stations. That’s not really a big picture motivation for car companies to build and sell EVs, though.
So, what’s an EV manufacturer to do? Prices may (or will, rather) eventually come within reach for lower income buyers (a problem that’s widespread over many demographics), but the other issues still exist regarding practicality and the expenses surrounding car ownership in places where large populations of young people tend to live and work. There’s also the question of whether young buyers as a demographic will matter overall if everyone can afford EVs, right? At that point, the uphill climb is less a “Millennial” customer and more an overall “big city” customer. After those customers move into the suburbs and have a better reason to own an EV, they’re easier to attract… They also won’t really fit that young person demographic, anymore.
I think Tesla has a good strategy with the upcoming Tesla Network for reaching absolutely everyone. When a car is no longer an expense, but transportation solution that’s also an income generator, young city dwellers might have a better reason to buy. If their car can be summoned when needed, parked somewhere cheap, making money when not being used by them, it’s a big win-win. And hey, every bit counts when a cocktail at happy hour averages around $20.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk offers to pay TSA salaries as government shutdown leaves agents without paychecks
Elon Musk offered to personally cover TSA salaries as the DHS shutdown deepens travel chaos nationwide.
Elon Musk says that he is willing to personally cover the salaries of Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers caught in the crossfire of a partial government shutdown that has now dragged on for over a month. “I would like to offer to pay the salaries of TSA personnel during this funding impasse that is negatively affecting the lives of so many Americans at airports throughout the country,” Musk wrote.
I would like to offer to pay the salaries of TSA personnel during this funding impasse that is negatively affecting the lives of so many Americans at airports throughout the country
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 21, 2026
The offer arrives as Congress let funding expire for the Department of Homeland Security on February 14, amid a disagreement over immigration enforcement, leaving most TSA employees classified as essential and on duty but working without pay. The timing could not be more disruptive, as the shutdown is colliding directly with spring break travel season when millions of Americans are in the air.
This is not the first time TSA workers have endured this kind of hardship. TSA agents are being asked to work without pay until congressional action unblocks their paychecks, having previously held out through the longest government shutdown in U.S. history at 43 days. The pattern reveals a systemic failure in how Congress funds critical security infrastructure, and Musk’s offer shines a spotlight on that recurring failure at a moment when the public is directly feeling its effects through long lines and terminal closures.
Whether Musk can legally follow through remains unclear, as federal law generally prohibits government employees from receiving outside compensation related to their official duties.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk launches TERAFAB: The $25B Tesla-SpaceXAI chip factory that will rewire the AI industry
Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI unveiled TERAFAB, a $25B chip factory targeting one terawatt of AI compute annually.
Elon Musk took the stage over the weekend at the defunct Seaholm Power Plant in Austin, Texas, to officially unveil TERAFAB, a $20-25 billion joint venture between Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI that he described as “the most epic chip building exercise in history by far.” The announcement marks the most ambitious infrastructure bet Musk has made since Gigafactory 1 in Sparks, Nevada, and it fuses three of his companies into a single, vertically integrated AI hardware machine for the first time.
TERAFAB is designed to consolidate every stage of semiconductor production under one roof, including chip design, lithography, fabrication, memory production, advanced packaging, and testing. At full capacity, the facility would scale to roughly 70% of the global output from the current world’s largest semiconductor foundry from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC).
Elon Musk’s stated goal is one terawatt of computing power annually, split between Tesla’s AI5 inference chips for vehicles and Optimus robots, and D3 chips built specifically for SpaceXAI’s orbital satellite constellation.
Tesla Terafab set for launch: Inside the $20B AI chip factory that will reshape the auto industry
The logic behind the merger of these three entities is rooted in a supply chain crisis Musk has been signaling for over a year. At Tesla’s Q4 2025 earnings call, he warned investors that external chip capacity from TSMC, Samsung, and Micron would hit a ceiling within three to four years. “We’re very grateful to our existing supply chain, to Samsung, TSMC, Micron and others,” Musk acknowledged at the Terafab event, “but there’s a maximum rate at which they’re comfortable expanding.” Building in-house was, in his framing, not a strategic option, but a necessity.
The space angle is where the announcement becomes genuinely unprecedented. Musk said 80% of Terafab’s compute output would be directed toward space-based orbital AI satellites, arguing that solar irradiance in space is roughly 5x greater than at Earth’s surface, and that heat rejection in vacuum makes thermal scaling viable. This directly feeds the SpaceXAI vision, which is betting that within two to three years, running AI workloads in orbit will be cheaper than doing so on the ground. The satellites, powered by constant solar energy, would effectively turn low Earth orbit into the world’s largest data center.
Will Tesla join the fold? Predicting a triple merger with SpaceX and xAI
Historically, this announcement threads together every major Musk initiative of the past two years: the xAI-SpaceX merger, Tesla’s $2.9 billion solar equipment talks with Chinese suppliers, the 100 GW domestic solar manufacturing push, the Optimus humanoid robot program, and Starship’s development. TERAFAB is the capstone that ties them into a single coherent architecture — chips made on Earth, launched by SpaceX, powered by Tesla solar, run by xAI, and ultimately extended to the Moon.
“I want us to live long enough to see the mass driver on the moon, because that’s going to be incredibly epic,”Musk said during the presentation.
Announcing TERAFAB: the next step towards becoming a galactic civilization https://t.co/IDKey07mJa
— Tesla (@Tesla) March 22, 2026
Cybertruck
Chattanooga Charge: Tesla and EV fans ready for the Southeast’s wildest Tesla party
From Cybertruck Convoys to Kid-Friendly Fun Zones: The Chattanooga Charge Has Something for Everyone
Hundreds of like-minded Tesla and EV enthusiasts are descending on Chattanooga Charge this weekend for the largest Tesla meet in the Southeast. Taking place on March 20–22, 2026 at the stunning Tennessee Riverpark.
If you were there last year, you’ll know that it’s the ultimate experience to see the wildest Teslas in action, see the best in EV tech, and arguably the most fun – finally put a name to the face and connect with those social media buddies IRL! Oh, and that epic night time Tesla light show is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that will transform the Riverpark into something out of a sci-fi film that’s remarkably unforgettable and must be seen in person.
This year’s event takes everything up a notch, with over 100 Cybertrucks expected to be on display, many sporting jaw-dropping modifications and custom wraps that push the boundaries of what these stainless steel beasts can look like.
Whether you’re a diehard Tesla fan, EV supporter, or just EV-mod-curious, the sheer spectacle is worth the drive.
The Chattanooga Charge doesn’t wait until Saturday morning to get started. The weekend technically kicks off Friday, March 20th, and the venue sets the tone immediately. Come share roadtrip stories over drinks at the W-XYZ Rooftop Bar on the top floor of the Aloft Chattanooga Hamilton Place Hotel, with sunset views over the city.
Come morning, nurse your hangover with a some good coffee, and convoy with hundreds of other Tesla and EV drivers through Chattanooga to the event for some morning meet and greets before the speaker panel starts and the food trucks fire up.
Tesla owner clubs travel from across the country to be here, not just to show off their vehicles,, but to connect, share, and celebrate a shared passion for the future of driving.
Sounds like a plan to me. See you there, guys. Don’t miss it. Get your tickets at ChattanoogaCharge.com and join the charge. 🔋⚡
Chattanooga Charge is a premier Tesla and EV gathering inspired by the X Takeover, known as one of the largest Tesla event gatherings. What began as a bold idea from the team at DIY Wraps/TESBROS, hosted in their hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee, the event quickly became a movement across social media. The first annual Chattanooga Charge united over 16 Tesla clubs from 16 states, proof that the EV community was hungry for something big in the South. Year after year, the event has grown in scale, ambition, and heart.
Elon Musk’s TERAFAB project: Everything you need to know
Elon Musk offers to pay TSA salaries as government shutdown leaves agents without paychecks
