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Tesla is finalist in prestigious advocacy and customer experience award

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Tesla Model 3 will be available on March 31st

Tesla Motors, Inc. has been identified as one of three finalists for the Extole Advocacy and Customer Experience (ACE) Award. Extole, the leading advocate marketing platform, recognizes brands that turn customers into advocates with exceptional referral marketing programs. Tesla has one of the world’s most acclaimed refer-a-friend programs, and Extole’s nod to Tesla reflects the view that customers acquired through advocate referral programs spend more, are more loyal, and are more likely to refer their friends to the brand.

“We know that without our customers we would not be where we are today,” Tesla shares on its website. Their Referral Program is a substantial way of thanking customers for their “support in building the Tesla community.”

Extole describes Tesla Motors as follows:

“Tesla Motors created a movement around its innovative products and its mission, and the brand is equally as inspiring with its marketing. The company relies almost exclusively on its community of brand advocates to promote its products and offers one of the most well-known referral programs available to consumers. With a disdain for paid advertising, Tesla Motors is leading the trend of reaching new customers through existing ones.”

The current Tesla Referral Program began October 16 and will run until January 15, 2017. Anyone who orders a new Model S or Model X during this period using the referral link of a Tesla owner will get a $1,000 credit towards the purchase price. Tesla demonstrates its appreciation to referring owners  through a system of Referral Program awards:

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  • 10 Qualifying Referrals: Those who make 10 qualifying referrals will receive an invitation for them and a guest to attend the next Tesla unveiling event;
  • 7+ Qualifying Referrals: Those who make 7 or more qualifying referrals will receive an exclusive red Founders Series Powerwall 2, hand signed by Elon Musk, JB Straubel, and Franz von Holzhausen. This limited edition Powerwall is not available to the public;
  • 5+ Qualifying Referrals: Those who make 5 qualifying referrals will receive an invitation for them and a guest to take an extended VIP tour of the Tesla Factory in Fremont, California, including a Q&A with Franz von Holzhausen, Tesla’s Chief Designer;
  • 3+ Qualifying Referrals: Those who make 3 or more referrals will receive an exclusive thermal Tesla Owners Jacket;
  • 2+ Qualifying Referrals: Those who make 2 or more qualifying referrals will receive a Tesla carry-on.
  • Ludicrous P100D Model S or Model X Drawing:  Each qualified referral a Tesla customer makes gives her or him an additional entry into a drawing to win the choice of either a Ludicrous P100D Model S or Model X.

The annual ACE Award is now in its second year. Along with Tesla, Hanna Andersson and Ulta Beauty have received ACE Award nominations due to their successes as they engage existing advocates in the process of helping to acquire new customers. The criteria for the ACE Award speak to each finalists’ refer-a-friend program with regard to creativity, breadth, and overall success.

“Advocacy goes beyond being nice to your customers,” said Matt Roche, Extole’s founder and CEO. Extole helps brands to harness the power of online sharing to the benefit of their bottom line. It enables marketers to scale word-of-mouth to acquire new customers and increase loyalty using their greatest competitive advantage: their customers. “Customer-centric companies recognize and reward customers, making them part of the brand. Our finalists are exemplars and are all worthy of this award. Only one, however, will win.”

Tweet @teslamotors and congratulate them as finalists for its second annual #ACE award! Tell them #teslarati sent you.

 

Carolyn Fortuna is a writer and researcher with a Ph.D. in education from the University of Rhode Island. She brings a social justice perspective to environmental issues. Please follow me on Twitter and Facebook and Google+

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Tesla brings perhaps the coolest interior feature to cars in latest update

Tesla adds on to the “fun” aspect of its vehicles.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla has brought perhaps the coolest interior feature to its cars in a new update that is rolling out to vehicles now.

The feature will require a newer vehicle that has interior ambient lighting, which is present on the new Model S, Model X, Model 3 “Highland,” and Model Y “Juniper.” The Cybertruck also has ambient lighting strips throughout.

Tesla Model Y’s ambient lighting design changes revealed in leaked video

With the Version 2025.26+ Software Update, Tesla is rolling out a new “Sync Accent Lights w/ Music” feature, which is available on the Tesla Toybox:

To enable the feature, you’ll access the Toybox, choose “Light Sync,” and then choose “Sync Accent Lights w/ Music.”

Although it does not improve the performance of the vehicle, it is yet another example of Tesla making one of the coolest cars out there. This is truly a cool add-on that can be used to impress your friends and family.

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xAI, Musk Foundation helps schools near Memphis supercomputer site

Reports of xAI and the Musk Foundation’s work were recently posted by local news media.

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(Credit: xAI)

Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence startup xAI and the Musk Foundation have been supporting Memphis-Shelby County Schools with HVAC repairs and facility upgrades, while also funding youth programs for students in the area. 

Reports of xAI and the Musk Foundation’s work were recently posted by local news media.

xAI’s school visits lead to facility repairs

Representatives from xAI visited John P. Freeman Optional School, Fairley High School, and Westwood High School, all of which are located near its Colossus supercomputer site, to assess HVAC systems, plumbing, gym facilities, and athletic fields. The visits resulted in a list of priority repairs, some of which were completed in April and May.

In addition to the repairs, xAI also shared a number of initiatives that are planned for students in the area, as stated in a Commercial Appeal report.

“xAI is working on providing STEM workshops for local students, donating equipment to technical training programs, and supporting job fairs to boost employment opportunities. These initiatives reflect xAl’s commitment to fostering education and economic growth in Memphis,” xAI noted in a statement.

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Musk Foundation donation

Apart from xAI, the Musk Foundation also donated $350,000 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis, enabling the reopening of two club sites located at Booker T. Washington High School and Westwood High School. Both locations had closed earlier this year due to lapses in funding. As per xAI, the Musk Foundation’s donation allows clubs to reopen for almost 1,000 students. 

The donation will fund staffing, supplies, and transportation, among others. “Kids are the future of humanity,” Elon Musk said in a statement, adding that students need “every chance to shoot for the stars.”

“We’re honored to support the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis in reopening these sites, giving kids in underserved communities the tools to build brighter futures,” Musk said.

The gift was praised by local officials, including Boys & Girls Clubs board chair Michael Garriga, who stated that the “commitment will ensure the youth of our community have the opportunities they need to develop their skills and talents to become successful students and future citizens.”

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EV fans urge Tesla to acquire Unplugged Performance for edge in fleet and security industry

Unplugged Performance has built a name for itself by producing performance upgrades for Tesla vehicles.

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Credit: Unplugged Performance

A growing number of Tesla enthusiasts and longtime community voices are calling on the electric vehicle maker to acquire Unplugged Performance, a California-based aftermarket company best known for tuning Tesla vehicles and developing specialized government fleet solutions under its UP.FIT division.

The idea was once considered a niche proposal among EV fans, but it is now gaining serious attention not just as a performance play but as a strategic move to deepen Tesla’s roots in the fleet and security industry. 

A strategic fit

Unplugged Performance has built a name for itself by producing performance upgrades for Tesla vehicles, from track-optimized components to visual and aerodynamic upgrades. But in recent years, its UP.FIT division has pivoted toward a more functional future by outfitting Tesla vehicles like Model Ys for police, military, and government use.

That work has sparked growing calls for closer collaboration with Tesla, especially as the EV maker increasingly leans into autonomy, AI, and fleet services as core components of its next chapter.

“I posted this four years ago, but I think it’s more true now than ever,” wrote Whole Mars Catalog, a well-known Tesla investor and FSD Beta tester, on X. “Tesla should buy Unplugged. But not just as a Performance division. What they are doing with UP.FIT unlocks large government and commercial fleet purchases that can improve utilization.”

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Tesla fans such as shareholder Sawyer Merritt echoed the sentiment, calling Unplugged a “great fit within Tesla.” adding, “They are literally located directly next to Tesla’s design studio in Hawthorne.”

Enabling the next wave

Supporters of the idea noted that integrating Unplugged into Tesla’s corporate structure could help accelerate the adoption of autonomous technologies in government sectors. With UP.FIT patrol cars already in use across some U.S. police departments, Tesla fans envisioned a future where self-driving Teslas could potentially revolutionize law enforcement, search-and-rescue, and public service logistics.

“Just imagine how autonomous patrol cars could transform policing and bring us into a safer future,” the veteran FSD tester wrote.

The benefits could also extend to Tesla’s existing consumer base. “They also have some incredible products in the works that I think will appeal to many ordinary Tesla drivers — not just those looking for performance or mods. Stuff that’s so good it should have come straight from the design studio next door,” Whole Mars Catalog noted.

Unplugged Performance, founded in 2013, shares not just a product vision with Tesla, but also geography. Its Hawthorne headquarters sits directly adjacent to Tesla’s design studio, and the two companies have maintained a close working relationship over the years. The aftermarket firm has long positioned itself as a “mission-aligned” partner to Tesla.

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In response to the recent calls for acquisition, Unplugged Performance acknowledged the support from the community. “Our very existence is to support the Tesla mission with @UpfitTesla and @UnpluggedTesla,” Unplugged CEO Ben Schaffer posted on X. “We love working with Tesla and are grateful for the community’s support since 2013!”

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