News
Tesla introduces ‘Annual Awards’ in latest Referral Program: VIP event access, P100D
Not one to waste any time, Tesla is back with a seventh Referral Program this time introducing an ‘Annual Award’ that will be given to Tesla owners who refer the most Model S and Model X sales by the end of the year.
Details for Tesla’s latest Referral Program were posted to the company’s site shortly after the previous incentive program reached its January 15 end of day expiration. Incidentally, January 15 is also the deadline to the Silicon Valley electric car company’s free lifetime Supercharger policy. Model S and Model X vehicles ordered after this date will be given 400 kWh of Supercharger credits, per year, after which usage will be billed under a new fee structure.
Tesla’s new referral program will be broken down into a ‘Current Phase’ – which will reward owners that refer the most sales between January 16 and March 15, 2017, prizes – and an annual award that will gift winning owners with exclusive VIP access to events, VIP concierge service, a complimentary weekend getaway at a Tesla destination charging resort, and more.
The top prize for winning the Annual Award will be given to the first person within each sales region — North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific — that refers 20 sales. The winner will be rewarded a Ludicrous Tesla Model S or Tesla Model X P100D.
Also, worth noting is Tesla’s mention of a ‘Model 3 delivery event’ under the Current Phase program. Existing owners that make 7 or more qualifying referral sales will receive an invitation to attend the Model 3 delivery event.
Full details of Tesla’s seventh referral program, good between January 16 to March 15, 2017, is outlined in its entirety below.
If you’ve enjoyed visiting our site and seeing our live behind the scenes coverage of events, please consider using our referral code for $1,000 off the purchase of your Model S and Model X. Your support helps us with content production. We’re particularly interested in bringing your the first photos of the Elon Musk-signed Red Powerwall 2.0.
Referral Program (Jan. 16 to Mar. 15, 2017)
Customers who order a new Model S or Model X using the referral link of a Tesla owner will get a $1,000 credit towards the purchase price. To show our appreciation, referring owners will be eligible for our Referral Program awards.
Current Phase
Owners can refer up to 8 friends during the current phase of the program, lasting from January 16 to March 15, 2017.
7+ Qualifying Referrals
Owners who make 7 qualifying referrals will receive an invitation for themselves and a guest to attend our Model 3 delivery event.
5+ Qualifying Referrals
Those who make 5 or more qualifying referrals will receive an exclusive red Founders Series Powerwall 2. This limited edition Powerwall is not available to the public.
3+ Qualifying Referrals
Those who make 3 qualifying referrals will receive a Founders Series Tesla Model S for Kids. This miniature driveable electric Model S includes working headlights, sound system, and charge port.
2+ Qualifying Referrals
Those who make 2 or more referrals will receive a rolling Tesla carry-on.
Ludicrous P100D Model S or Model X
Each qualified referral customers make gives them an additional entry into a drawing to win their choice of either a Ludicrous P100D Model S or Model X.
Annual Awards
Owners will now also receive exclusive benefits and awards throughout the year, based on their total number of referrals from January 16, 2017.
First to 20 Per Region – Ludicrous P100D Model S or Model X
The first person to refer 20 friends starting from January 16 in each sales region— North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific — will receive a P100D Model S or Model X. They will be invited to configure their award once all 20 friends have taken delivery of their new Tesla vehicles.
20+ Qualifying Referrals
Those who make 20 qualifying referrals will receive a weekend getaway at a destination charging resort as well as the ability to swap their car with the latest Tesla of their choice for a week.
15+ Qualifying Referrals
Those who make 15 qualifying referrals will receive exclusive priority access and benefits lasting until December 31, 2018, including:
VIP Concierge – 24/7 access via phone for assistance with all ownership matters
VIP access to Tesla events
10 overnight test drive passes for friends and family
10 passes for 4 to tour Tesla’s Fremont Factory
We know that without our customers we would not be where we are today. This is our way of thanking you for your support in building the Tesla community and accelerating the world’s transition to sustainable energy.
Limits
Related order must be placed between January 16, 2017 and March 15, 2017 to qualify for current phase awards, and after January 16, 2017 to qualify for annual awards. Referrals must be delivered before awards are redeemed. Pre-owned vehicles are not eligible. Limit of 8 referrals per owner until March 15, 2017.
Must be at least 18 years old to be eligible for awards. No entry fee, payment or purchase required for the drawing. A random drawing will be held on or around March 31, 2017 to determine the winner. The winner will be contacted thereafter. Awards are non-transferable and not redeemable for cash. The winner is responsible for all taxes and local requirements and fees. Program and awards are conditional on and subject to local laws and regulations. Unfortunately, Ohio and Virginia residents are not eligible for awards.
The customer is not an employee, legal representative or partner of Tesla or any Affiliate of Tesla. Nothing in the Referral Program shall be deemed to create any kind of (commercial) relationship between Supplier and Tesla or any of Tesla’s Affiliates. The customer has no authority to represent or bind Tesla.
Good Faith
We introduce programs such as these in good faith and expect the same good faith in return. Please note that we may withhold awards where we believe customers are acting in bad faith or otherwise acting contrary to the intent of this program. To be clear, commercializing or otherwise selling referral codes is not appropriate, and we will not honor such codes. We cannot cover every nefarious scenario, nor will we attempt to, but we do promise to be fair and reasonable.
Elon Musk
xAI’s Grok approved for Pentagon classified systems: report
Under the agreement, Grok can be deployed in systems handling classified intelligence analysis, weapons development, and battlefield operations.
Elon Musk’s xAI has signed an agreement with the United States Department of Defense (DoD) to allow Grok to be used in classified military systems.
Previously, Anthropic’s Claude had been the only AI system approved for the most sensitive military work, but a dispute over usage safeguards has reportedly prompted the Pentagon to broaden its options, as noted in a report from Axios.
Under the agreement, Grok can be deployed in systems handling classified intelligence analysis, weapons development, and battlefield operations.
The publication reported that xAI agreed to the Pentagon’s requirement that its technology be usable for “all lawful purposes,” a standard Anthropic has reportedly resisted due to alleged ethical restrictions tied to mass surveillance and autonomous weapons use.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is scheduled to meet with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei in what sources expect to be a tense meeting, with the publication hinting that the Pentagon could designate Anthropic a “supply chain risk” if the company does not lift its safeguards.
Axios stated that replacing Claude fully might be technically challenging even if xAI or other alternative AI systems take its place. That being said, other AI systems are already in use by the DoD.
Grok already operates in the Pentagon’s unclassified systems alongside Google’s Gemini and OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Google is reportedly close to an agreement that will result in Gemini being used for classified use, while OpenAI’s progress toward classified deployment is described as slower but still feasible.
The publication noted that the Pentagon continues talks with several AI companies as it prepares for potential changes in classified AI sourcing.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk denies Starlink’s price cuts are due to Amazon Kuiper
“This has nothing to do with Kuiper, we’re just trying to make Starlink more affordable to a broader audience,” Musk wrote in a post on X.
Elon Musk has pushed back on claims that Starlink’s recent price reductions are tied to Amazon’s Kuiper project.
In a post on X, Musk responded directly to a report suggesting that Starlink was cutting prices and offering free hardware to partners ahead of a planned IPO and increased competition from Kuiper.
“This has nothing to do with Kuiper, we’re just trying to make Starlink more affordable to a broader audience,” Musk wrote in a post on X. “The lower the cost, the more Starlink can be used by people who don’t have much money, especially in the developing world.”
The speculation originated from a post summarizing a report from The Information, which ran with the headline “SpaceX’s Starlink Makes Land Grab as Amazon Threat Looms.” The report stated that SpaceX is aggressively cutting prices and giving free hardware to distribution partners, which was interpreted as a reaction to Amazon’s Kuiper’s upcoming rollout and possible IPO.
In a way, Musk’s comments could be quite accurate considering Starlink’s current scale. The constellation currently has more than 9,700 satellites in operation today, making it by far the largest satellite broadband network in operation. It has also managed to grow its user base to 10 million active customers across more than 150 countries worldwide.
Amazon’s Kuiper, by comparison, has launched approximately 211 satellites to date, as per data from SatelliteMap.Space, some of which were launched by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. Starlink surpassed that number in early January 2020, during the early buildout of its first-generation network.
Lower pricing also aligns with Starlink’s broader expansion strategy. SpaceX continues to deploy satellites at a rapid pace using Falcon 9, and future launches aboard Starship are expected to significantly accelerate the constellation’s growth. A larger network improves capacity and global coverage, which can support a broader customer base.
In that context, price reductions can be viewed as a way to match expanding supply with growing demand. Musk’s companies have historically used aggressive pricing strategies to drive adoption at scale, particularly when vertical integration allows costs to decline over time.
News
Tesla Giga Berlin makes a statement of solidarity amid IG Metall conflict
The display comes as tensions between Tesla and IG Metall continue to escalate.
Tesla Giga Berlin is sending a strong message of solidarity amid its ongoing legal dispute with German union IG Metall.
In a post on social media platform X, Giga Berlin plant manager André Thierig shared an image of the facility’s lobby covered with a large banner that reads: “Progress. Innovation. Success.” He added that the slogan reflects what the facility has stood for since Day One.
“Our lobby at Giga Berlin covered in a huge banner these days. Progress. Innovation. Success – this is what we stand for since we started production in 2022 and how we will go into our future!” Thierig wrote in his post on X.
The display comes as tensions between Tesla and IG Metall continue to escalate.
The dispute began after Tesla accused a union representative of secretly recording a works council meeting at Giga Berlin. Tesla stated that it filed a criminal complaint after the alleged incident. Police later confirmed they had seized a computer belonging to an IG Metall member as part of their investigation.
“What has happened today at Giga Berlin is truly beyond words! An external union representative from IG Metall attended a works council meeting. For unknown reasons he recorded the internal meeting and was caught in action! We obviously called police and filed a criminal complaint!” Thierig wrote on X at the time.
IG Metall denied the accusation and characterized Tesla’s move as an election tactic ahead of upcoming works council elections. The union subsequently filed a defamation complaint against Thierig. Authorities later confirmed that an investigation had been opened in connection with the matter.
Giga Berlin began production in 2022 and has since become one of Tesla’s key European manufacturing hubs, producing the Model Y, the company’s best-selling vehicle. The facility has expanded capacity over the past years despite environmental protests, labor disputes, and regulatory scrutiny.
xAI’s Grok approved for Pentagon classified systems: report
Elon Musk denies Starlink’s price cuts are due to Amazon Kuiper
