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Tesla Chief Designer delivers speech at CA State Capitol, pledges support of 5M EV goal by 2030
Tesla Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen recently delivered an address at California’s State Capitol last week. The renowned designer discussed Tesla’s roots in California, its mission to accelerate the world towards sustainable energy, and the company’s plan to help the state reach its goal of having 5 million zero-emission vehicles on the road by 2030.
The video of Franz’s speech was uploaded by Tesla-themed YouTube channel My Tesla Adventure. As noted by the YouTube channel’s host, Eli, the purpose of the event was to let the legislature know what is going on with Tesla and its electric vehicles, as well as to offer test rides to the public. In an emailed statement to Teslarati, Eli stated that people’s reaction to the electric car was one of pleasant surprise, particularly with the vehicle’s range and short charging times.
Franz’s discussion focused on Tesla’s progress as an electric car company over the years and how it intends to support California’s initiatives for sustainable transportation. Franz even noted that with Tesla’s help, CA could achieve its 5-million EV goal sooner than 2030.
“Sustainable is at the heart of everything that we do, so we want to thank you for your support. We also want to thank the governor for his vision on climate change and clean air policy. The governor’s goal of 5 million zero-emission vehicles in California on the roads by 2030, it’s not only achievable, we’re (Tesla) gonna to help make that happen – day by day – and if we build on these successful policies and programs adopted by the legislature in this administration, we can achieve that sooner than 2030.”
California Governor Jerry Brown signed an executive order earlier this year ordering state entities to work with the private sector to put 5 million electric vehicles on the road by 2030. The order states that the transportation sector accounts for 50% of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions and 80% of smog-forming pollutants. The governor wants to increase zero-emission vehicles in order to meet California’s climate goals set in its 2017 climate plan.
Apart from discussing Tesla’s commitment to contributing to CA’s zero-emissions goal for 2030, von Holzhausen also talked about how Tesla is positively impacting communities because of their employees. According to the electric car designer, Tesla is now the leading electric vehicle plant in the world, employing more than 10,000 people in the state and contributing $5 billion to the economy. Ultimately, however, von Holzhausen stated that employees are at the core of Tesla.
“It’s our employees that are at the core of what we do and you can’t find a more passionate mission-driven set of people anywhere else, probably in the world,” he said.
Holzhausen also echoed Musk’s Master Plan for Tesla during his address, stating that Tesla’s mission is to ultimately accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy, and that the company will do it one car at a time.
Ultimately, Tesla has shown its willingness to commit to more than just electric cars. The company’s energy division alone is involved in accelerating the transition to sustainable energy in other countries. In Puerto Rico, Tesla is using its Powerwall and Powerpack battery solutions as a means to help the island nation get back on its feet. In South Australia, Tesla’s Powerpack farm is consistently proving its worth by helping the region’s beleaguered energy grid.
Holzhausen joined Tesla in 2006 and became the Chief Designer in 2010. He is responsible for designing the Model S, X, and 3, as well as the new Roadster and Tesla Semi. Before joining Tesla, Holzhausen worked on vehicles such as the Pontiac Solstice and Volkswagen Beetle.
Watch Franz’s speech at the CA State Capitol in the video below.
A new Tesla patent that has been granted to the company this week has revealed a potential strategy for solving a major issue that could impact both the Full Self-Driving suite and Optimus.
The patent, which is No. 12,636,684, describes a “Lens Cleaning System,” and was submitted by Tesla in May 2025.
The language in the patent details a lens cleaning system that can dispense fluid and wipe it away with a wiper assembly.
Optimus can see you now… 🤖👁️
The patent for @Tesla_Optimus‘s eye structure just dropped. $TSLA pic.twitter.com/Jac4VhDmKH
— SETI Park (@seti_park) May 26, 2026
This would effectively clean any debris that would potentially impact the visibility of the cameras on Tesla automobiles or Optimus’s camera eyes. Perhaps the most pertinent example is through the Full Self-Driving suite, as debris that can accumulate on the vehicle’s exterior cameras can impact the suite’s ability to operate effectively.
This requires a remedy through manual cleaning, but this patent hints that Tesla could be planning to implement this new technology on its upcoming vehicles.
Interestingly, we have started to see it on some Robotaxi vehicles, and it will likely be included in the Cybercab, especially as that vehicle will enable full autonomy.
Back in January, the first Model Y Robotaxi units were spotted with camera washers on the side repeaters, as the video below shows fluid squirting and rinsing off any debris that is limiting visibility.
🚨 Tesla looks to have installed Camera Washers on the side repeater cameras on Robotaxis in Austin
pic.twitter.com/xemRtDtlRR— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) January 23, 2026
This hardware patent does bring up an interesting question for those of us who own Teslas with AI4 and have been told that our cars will one day be capable of full autonomy: Will this washer be available as a retrofit on already-built cars?
Perhaps the “Lens Cleaning System” patent is a good look at one way Tesla plans to combat one of the most obvious issues of autonomy that utilizes a camera-based system. For Optimus, it could be less needed as it could be manually cleaned by owners. For cars, it seems like a bigger necessity, especially as autonomy nears and Tesla gets close to launching a feature-complete FSD suite.
SpaceX’s Starlink product has just gotten its latest airline adoptee, and the move marks the successful partnership of three of the “Big Four” U.S. airlines.
American Airlines announced on Tuesday that it would utilize Starlink in more than 500 narrowbody aircraft beginning in the first quarter of 2027. These include the Airbus aircraft in its fleet, including the new A321XLR and A321neo.
With the new partnership with American Airlines, Starlink is now present on three of the largest airlines in the country: American, United, and Southwest.
Starlink gets its latest airline adoptee for stable and reliable internet access
Starlink’s VP of Enterprise Sales, Jason Fritch, said:
“We are proud to bring Starlink on board American Airlines, delivering fast and reliable internet to passengers and crew. Whether traveling for leisure or business, Starlink enables a fully connected experience gate to gate, making every flight smoother and more enjoyable.”
Additionally, American Airlines Chief Customer Officer, Heather Garboden, said:
“As a premium global airline, we are continuously seeking out world-class partners like Starlink to deliver what our customers need and want. The addition of Starlink solidifies American as a leading airline in keeping passengers connected in flight.”
Starlink has been on a tear over the past year, as it has continued to be adopted by a wide variety of airlines as a more consistent and reliable way to provide WiFi to its passengers. It has already gained a great reputation among residential users, but its biggest commercial application appears to be how it is being used in the air.
American Airlines will adopt Starlink on more than 500 of its narrowbody aircraft beginning in Q1 2027
“As a premium global airline, we are continuously seeking out world-class partners like Starlink to deliver what our customers need and want,” said American Airlines Chief… pic.twitter.com/XY2wflycc0
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) May 26, 2026
The only airline of the Big Four not to adopt Starlink thus far is Delta, which chose to opt for the alternative, which is Amazon Leo. CEO Ed Bastian said to Bloomberg that Delta chose Amazon’s product over Starlink’s because “the opportunities, in terms of the improved bandwidth with a much lower price point than what we’ve ever seen from Starlink, will make a big difference.”
Delta will not start installing Amazon Leo until 2028.
“Of course, we expect Starlink will be warning people that we’re going to go with an inferior product,” Bastian said. “But I’m not too worried about partnering with Amazon.”
Tesla Cybertruck’s newest trim level is nearing its first deliveries just a few months after being offered for an incredible deal.
Back in February, Tesla officially launched a new trim of the Cybertruck, the All-Wheel-Drive, starting at just $59,990. It was a lot of truck for the money, especially considering what it offered the Rear-Wheel-Drive variant for last year, which was a total flop.
The $59,990 price that was offered initially was a deal due to its 325-mile range rating, powered tonneau, three bed outlets, Powershare capability, coil springs with adaptive damping for a refined suspension feel, Steer-by-Wire and four-wheel steering, a 6′ x 4′ composite bed, towing capacity of 7,500 pounds, and a powered frunk.
Tesla is now nearing deliveries of this trim, according to watcher Sawyer Merritt, as Tesla has officially started assigning VINs to people who ordered the vehicle initially:
I can confirm that Tesla has officially started assigning VINs to people who initially ordered the $59,990 Cybertruck Dual-Motor AWD, which means first deliveries should start in the coming weeks!
• 325 mile range
• 7,500 lb towing capacity
• 0-60mph: 4.1s
• Bed with… pic.twitter.com/PQwVYbZf6j— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) May 24, 2026
Earlier this month, we reported on units of the trim being spotted outside Gigafactory Texas by Joe Tegtmeyer.
Tesla Giga Texas buzzing as new Cybertruck appears to enter production
This Cybertruck trim was interesting because it was released basically out of nowhere, priced incredibly well, and gathered many orders in a small amount of time. However, CEO Elon Musk noted just days afterward that the vehicle would only be priced at this bargain level for ten days.
Tesla fans were not happy.
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
However, the issues with the pricing strategy have blown over since the February unveiling event, and now that deliveries are near, Tesla fans are anticipating the truck making its way to their driveways soon.
The truck is currently priced at $69,990, and deliveries for new orders are slated for between August and September 2026.
Tesla patent reveals strategy for solving major Full Self-Driving, Optimus issue
SpaceX Starlink gets its latest airline adoptee, grabbing three of the ‘Big Four’
