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Opinion: Tesla is working hard to make 'fantasy' into reality Opinion: Tesla is working hard to make 'fantasy' into reality

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Opinion: Tesla is working hard to make ‘fantasy’ into reality

Image credit: JC

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Tesla is working hard to make what Reuters called a fantasy into a reality. In reality, Tesla has already achieved the impossible several times.

Just after the Tesla Q2 2022 earnings call last Wednesday wrapped up, Reuters published this article about Tesla’s investors betting on “recovery and fantasy.”

The article said that Tesla is losing some of its specialness yet its valuation still projects that specialness. To me, the article seemed a bit on the negative side and was trying to match the tone of the headline. It seemed to imply that Tesla’s shareholders who believe in Elon Musk and the company are delusional.

The author didn’t say that, but the tone was there. However, Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk handled the insult pretty well. And it was an insult not just to Tesla’s shareholders, but also to its hardworking employees.

Tesla’s employees are as revolutionary as Tesla itself is

Hiro Mizuno, a member of Tesla’s board of directors, shared his thoughts about the article on Twitter and he is, in my opinion, 100% on point. Hiro pointed out that it’s always those working hard to make the fantasy a reality who change the world.

It’s almost never talked about but Elon Musk is always giving credit to Tesla’s employees. Even during the earnings call itself, Elon made a point to highlight Tesla’s employees.

“I think people will be amazed at what we’re able to show off on AI Day. So basically, there’s a tremendous amount to look forward to in the second half of this year. And I want to thank all of our employees and suppliers for their super hard work during these challenging times. Super appreciate it.”

Tesla has already achieved the impossible

Tesla has already achieved the impossible many times over. One notable achievement that resurfaced in my own Twitter feed was Tesla proving that it could produce 500,000 EVs in 2020.

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I wrote about this in 2021 for CleanTechnica. For Tesla, 2020 was a year that seemed like the company was the lead actor on stage. It had four acts. The first act recapped the 2014 article published in Seeking Alpha that claimed Tesla selling 500,000 cars in 2020 was absurd.

The following two acts were results of the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. First, the newly opened Gigafactory Shanghai was closed down. Then once it opened up, the Fremont factory closed down.

Despite all the challenges that 2020 presented for Tesla as well as the world, Tesla still met its goal.

 

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Tesla is transforming ‘fantasy’ into reality

Tesla has already done the impossible, several times over. And all the while doing it, critics were there, mocking and criticizing every move of Elon Musk. It’s still doing this today.

And it seems to overlook the fact that Tesla has a history of achieving the unachievable. No one thought 6 years ago that EVs would be so popular. We have Tesla to thank for that.

Johnna Crider is a Baton Rouge writer covering Tesla, Elon Musk, EVs, and clean energy & supports Tesla's mission. Johnna also interviewed Elon Musk and you can listen here

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Tesla China focuses on local deliveries as Q1 enters final month

Tesla’s estimated delivery times for all variants of the Model 3 and Model Y in China were listed at just one to three weeks.

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Credit: Tesla Malaysia/X

Tesla’s delivery wait times in China have dropped to some of their shortest levels in years, an apparent hint that Giga Shanghai has largely cleared its order backlog and currently has strong production capacity.

As of February 26, estimated delivery times for all variants of the Model 3 and Model Y in China were listed at just one to three weeks, as per observations of Tesla China’s official webpages by CNEV Post

That marks a notable shift from the several-week or even two-month waits seen late last year.

The one-to-three-week delivery window suggests that Giga Shanghai is likely focusing on the local market, at least for now as the company enters the final month of the first quarter. Tesla China typically spends the first half of the quarter catering to markets that import vehicles from Giga Shanghai. 

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Historically, when Tesla’s wait times in China compress to their shortest levels, the company often follows with fresh market actions.

In past cycles, shortened delivery timelines were followed by promotional activity. After delivery windows narrowed to one to three weeks in early 2024, for example, Tesla later introduced an RMB 10,000 instant discount on Model Y final payments that year.

To spur local demand, Tesla recently extended its seven-year ultra-low-interest and five-year interest-free financing offers through March 31. This marks the second extension of the policy this year.

So far, posts from the Tesla community suggest that interest in the company’s vehicles among consumers in China is still strong. Videos of busy delivery centers across China have been shared on social media.

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China’s competitive EV landscape has evolved as of late. With regulators discouraging aggressive price wars, automakers are increasingly leaning on financing incentives instead of direct price cuts. Major players including BYD, NIO, XPeng, and Li Auto have introduced similar loan extensions and promotional financing packages.

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Elon Musk

Elon Musk’s The Boring Company closes Tunnel Vision Challenge

The Tunnel Vision Challenge invited individuals, companies, and governments to propose a tunnel project up to one mile long.

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Credit: The Boring Company/X

Elon Musk’s The Boring Company has officially closed submissions for its Tunnel Vision Challenge, confirming that a total of 487 entries were received before the deadline.

In a post on X, the company wrote, “Tunnel Vision Challenge is closed! 487 entries received – TBC team is excited to go through them all!” The company added that “We will select the top ~15 in the next week, and reach out with follow-up questions,” and that an “overall winner will be announced on March 23.”

The Tunnel Vision Challenge invited individuals, companies, and governments to propose a tunnel project up to one mile long with a 12-foot inner diameter. The winning entry will have its tunnel constructed free of charge.

Submissions could range from Loop passenger tunnels to freight, pedestrian, utility, or water tunnels. The only requirement was that the project clearly demonstrate how tunneling would meaningfully improve transportation or infrastructure between two points.

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Just days before the deadline, the company provided an interim update noting that 407 entries had already been received. “Update on the Tunnel Vision Challenge – 1 mile of free tunnel! With 3 days left to submit, 407 entries have been received. Great to see enthusiasm for tunnels!” The Boring Company wrote at the time on X. By the close of submissions, the total had grown closer to 500 entries, hinting at strong interest in underground transportation solutions.

Entries are being evaluated on usefulness, stakeholder engagement, and technical, economic, and regulatory feasibility. Applicants were required to quantify projected benefits, such as time saved per rider or cost savings per shipment, and provide maps showing proposed alignments and other details. Submissions that included geotechnical or subsurface data are expected to receive additional consideration.

The Boring Company will fund the tunnel’s construction itself, though related infrastructure costs may be discussed with the winning team. The company also retains discretion to modify or cancel the challenge.

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Cybertruck

Tesla confirms date when new Cybertruck trim will go up in price

Tesla has officially revealed that this price will only be available until February 28, as the company has placed a banner atop the Design Configurator on its website reflecting this.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla has confirmed the date when its newest Cybertruck trim level will increase in price, after CEO Elon Musk noted that the All-Wheel-Drive configuration of the all-electric pickup would only be priced at its near-bargain level for ten days.

Last week, Tesla launched the All-Wheel-Drive configuration of the Cybertruck. Priced at $59,990, the Cybertruck featured many excellent features and has seemingly brought some demand to the pickup, which has been underwhelming in terms of sales figures over the past couple of years.

Tesla launches new Cybertruck trim with more features than ever for a low price

When Tesla launched it, many fans and current owners mulled the possibility of ordering it. However,  Musk came out and said just hours after launching the pickup that Tesla would only keep it at the $59,990 price level for ten days.

What it would be priced at subsequently was totally dependent on how much demand Tesla felt for the new trim level, which is labeled as a “Dual Motor All-Wheel-Drive” configuration.

Tesla has officially revealed that this price will only be available until February 28, as the company has placed a banner atop the Design Configurator on its website reflecting this:

Many fans and owners have criticized Tesla’s decision to unveil a trim this way, and then price it at something, only to change that price a few days later based on how well it sells.

It seems the most ideal increase in price would be somewhere between $5,000 and $10,000, but it truly depends on how many orders Tesla sees for this new trim level. The next step up in configuration is the Premium All-Wheel-Drive, which is priced at $79,990.

The difference between the Dual Motor AWD Cybertruck and the Premium AWD configuration comes down to towing, interior quality, and general features. The base package is only capable of towing up to 7,500 pounds, while the Premium can handle 11,000 pounds. Additionally, the seats in the Premium build are Vegan Leather, while the base trim gets the textile seats.

It also has only 7 speakers compared to the 15 that the Premium trim has. Additionally, the base model does not have an adjustable ride height, although it does have a coil spring with an adaptive damping suspension package.

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