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Tesla gets open invite from Oklahoma to establish its headquarters in state
Tesla has received an invitation to move its headquarters to the Central U.S. state of Oklahoma after CEO Elon Musk hinted last week that his company could be leaving its current Northern California location.
Tesla and Musk have both received a series of offers from multiple U.S. states over the past week. Musk claims Tesla could sever its relationship with California after Alameda County, the jurisdiction that the Fremont factory sits in, overruled State Governor Gavin Newsom’s approval for manufacturing and transportation businesses to resume production.
Oklahoma State Representative Ryan Martinez and Governor Kevin Stitt are among a group of Oklahomans willing to welcome the electric carmaker into their state with open arms, Fox affiliate KOKH in Oklahoma City reported.
After Musk stated Tesla would be moving its company to Nevada and Texas, Rep. Martinez said, “Oklahoma is a wonderful place to do business. We’ve got a low tax base, a low cost of living, great incentives and services, and plenty of space to build a manufacturing headquarters and house all of your people.”
Before the COVID-19 virus ripped through the United States, Musk stated that the company would be exploring lands in the center of the country so it could plan on building a new Gigafactory that would assist in Cybertruck and Model Y production. While Musk posted a poll on his personal Twitter account that specifically mentioned Texas, there is no indication that he or the automaker has settled on the Lone Star State as its next home.
While speculation continues to persist over where Tesla will open its next Gigafactory, Oklahoma is indeed a state that fits all of the company’s needs in terms of land needed, location, and cost of operation.
Oklahoma is a flat and open state located in the center of the United States. When Musk talked about a new facility, he stated it had to be in the middle of the U.S., expediting the delivery process to East Coast customers.
Much of the land in Oklahoma is rural and maintained by farmers or is used for cattle grazing. However, there are large masses that remain unoccupied and would be perfect for Tesla’s newest, and perhaps most expansive, production facility to date.
As Rep. Martinez said, Oklahoma’s tax base, cost of living, and property value are significantly less than California’s. Less expensive operating expenses for the company would increase its profit margins and allow for a more comfortable living experience for employees.
According to bestplaces.net, the average cost of a home in California is $552,800. In Oklahoma, the average house costs just $124,800, making it much more affordable for workers who are on the production lines of Tesla’s factories every day.
Tesla’s invitations to the different U.S. states indicates that many territories recognize the positive economic and environmental impact the automaker would bring. Tesla employs 10,000 people at the Fremont facility. With Musk stating the newest Giga facility would be its largest yet, the company could end up using even more people in its new home.
Elon Musk reopened Tesla’s Fremont facility earlier this week against the wishes of Alameda County. Explicitly focused on getting employees back to work and ramping production, Musk said, “If anyone is arrested, I ask that it only be me.”
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Tesla Diner to transition to full-service restaurant as Chef heads for new venture
“I am leaving the Tesla Diner project to focus on the opening of Mish, my long-desired Jewish deli. Projects like Mish and the Tesla Diner require a sharpness of focus and attention, and my focus and attention is now squarely on Mish.”
Tesla Diner, the all-in-one Supercharging and dining experience located in Los Angeles, will transition to a full-service restaurant in January, staff said, as Chef Eric Greenspan said he would take on a new project.
A report from the Los Angeles Times says Greenspan confirmed through a text that he would leave the Diner and focus on the opening of his new Jewish deli, Mish.
Greenspan confirmed to the paper:
“I am leaving the Tesla Diner project to focus on the opening of Mish, my long-desired Jewish deli. Projects like Mish and the Tesla Diner require a sharpness of focus and attention, and my focus and attention is now squarely on Mish.”
Greenspan took on the job at the Tesla Diner and curated the menu back in March, focusing on locally-sourced ingredients and items that would play on various company products, like Cybertruck-shaped boxes that hold burgers.
Tesla Cybertruck leftovers are the main course at the Supercharger Diner
The Tesla Diner has operated as somewhat of a self-serve establishment, where Tesla owners can order directly from their vehicles through the center touchscreen. It was not exclusive to Tesla owners. Guests could also enter and order at a counter, and pick up their food, before sitting at a booth or table.
However, the report indicates Tesla is planning to push it toward a sit-down restaurant, full of waiters, waitresses, and servers, all of which will come to a table after you are seated, take your order, and serve your food.
It will be more of a full-featured restaurant experience moving forward, which is an interesting move from the company, but it also sounds as if it could be testing for an expansion.
We know that Tesla is already considering expanding locations, as it will be heading to new areas of the country. CEO Elon Musk has said that Tesla will be considering locations in Palo Alto near the company’s Engineering HQ, and in Austin, where its HQ and Gigafactory Texas are located.
Musk said that the Diner has been very successful in its first few months of operation.
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Tesla adds new surprising fee to Robotaxi program
“Additional cleaning was required for the vehicle after your trip. A fee has been added to your final cost to cover this service. Please contact us if you have any questions.”
Tesla has added a new and somewhat surprising fee to the Robotaxi program. It’s only surprising because it was never there before.
Tesla shocked everyone when it launched its Robotaxi platform and offered riders the opportunity to tip, only to tell them they do not accept tips. It was one of the company’s attempts at being humorous as it rolled out its driverless platform to people in Austin.
As it has expanded to new cities and been opened to more people, as it was yesterday to iOS users, Tesla has had to tweak some of the minor details of the Robotaxi and ride-hailing platforms it operates.
First Look at Tesla’s Robotaxi App: features, design, and more
With more riders, more vehicles, and more operational jurisdictions, the company has to adjust as things become busier.
Now, it is adjusting the platform by adding “Cleaning Fees” to the Robotaxi platform, but it seems it is only charged if the vehicle requires some additional attention after your ride.
The app will communicate with the rider with the following message (via Not a Tesla App):
“Additional cleaning was required for the vehicle after your trip. A fee has been added to your final cost to cover this service. Please contact us if you have any questions.”
The cost of the cleaning will likely depend on how severe the mess is. If you spill a soda, it will likely cost less than if you lose your lunch in the back of the car because you had a few too many drinks.
This is an expected change, and it seems to be one that is needed, especially considering Tesla is operating a small-scale ride-hailing service at the current time. As it expands to more states and cities and eventually is available everywhere, there will be more situations that will arise.
The messes in vehicles are not a new situation, especially in a rideshare setting. It will be interesting to see if Tesla will enable other fees, like ones for riders who request a ride and do not show up for it.
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Tesla Model Y sold out in China for 2025
Customers who wish to get their cars by the end of the year would likely need to get an inventory unit.
It appears that the Model Y has been sold out for 2025 in China. This seems to be true for the four variants of the vehicle that are currently offered in the country.
Tesla China’s order page update
A look at Tesla China’s order page for the Model Y shows a message informing customers that those who wish to guarantee delivery by the end of the year should purchase an inventory unit. This was despite the Model Y RWD and Model Y L showing an estimated delivery timeline of 4-8 weeks, and the Model Y Long Range RWD and Model Y Long Range AWD showing 4-13 weeks.
As per industry watchers, these updates on the Model Y’s order page suggest that Tesla China’s sales capacity for the remainder of 2025 has been sold out. The fact that estimated delivery timeframes for the Model Y Long Range RWD and AWD extend up to 13 weeks also bodes well for demand for the vehicle, especially given strong rivals like the Xiaomi YU7, which undercuts the Model Y in price.
Tesla China’s upcoming big updates
What is quite interesting is that Tesla China is still competing in the country with one hand partly tied behind its back. So far, Tesla has only been able to secure partial approval for its flagship self-driving software, FSD, in China. This has resulted in V14 not being rolled out to the country yet. Despite this, Tesla China’s “Autopilot automatic assisted driving on urban roads,” as the system is called locally, has earned positive reviews from users.
As per Elon Musk during the 2025 Annual Shareholder Meeting, however, Tesla is expecting to secure full approval for FSD in China in early 2026. “We have partial approval in China, and we hopefully will have full approval in China around February or March or so. That’s what they’ve told us,” Musk said.
Tesla Diner to transition to full-service restaurant as Chef heads for new venture
Tesla adds new surprising fee to Robotaxi program
