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Tesla offers Model 3 Performance buyers free unlimited Supercharging in latest referral program update

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Tesla has updated the details for its latest Referral Program to include Model 3 Performance as a vehicle that’s eligible for incentives when purchased through a referral code. In addition, Tesla has extended free unlimited Supercharging to Model S and Model X purchases made between August 1 and September 16, which also includes Model 3 Performance. 

With a new Referral Program in place, owners can give five of their referrals free unlimited Supercharging with the purchase of a Model S, Model X, or Model 3 Performance. Vehicles purchased before September 16 would enjoy the full, unlimited fast-charging perk for the lifetime of the vehicle under its original ownership. After September 16, Tesla would be limiting unlimited Supercharging to one year for the Model S, Model X, and Model 3 Performance. The limits of the new Referral Program also indicate that all Model 3 Performance orders placed before August 1, 2018 would be given unlimited Supercharging, including vehicles not purchased through a referral code. This is the first time Model 3 buyers are being offered free use of the company’s global network of Superchargers.

Tesla has been rolling out a Referral Program for Model 3 owners over the past few months, though some owners were only able to receive their referral codes recently. Ultimately, the updated Referral Program features benefits designed specifically for the growing Model 3 community, but it also comes with a time limit. If the company does follow through and retires the program after September 16, it will only be a matter of time before new owners of Tesla’s vehicles, including its flagship Model S and X, would have to pay for Supercharging.

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Tesla’s introduction of rewards directly linked to the Model 3 Performance appears to be the electric car maker’s latest way of upselling the vehicle to reservation holders. Considering that the company is pushing for profitability this third quarter, every order of the Model 3 Performance, which starts at $64,000, would likely help Tesla become profitable this Q3. The Model 3, after all, has been found to the profitable, with a recent teardown and analysis of the vehicle from Detroit veteran Sandy Munro revealing that the electric car’s Long Range RWD variant exceeds 30% profit. The Model 3 Performance, being priced higher, would most likely give Tesla even more.

Apart from the introduction of free unlimited Supercharging to the Model 3 Performance, Tesla’s updated Referral Program still features much of the same perks as before. The following is a breakdown of referral awards for participating Tesla owners.

1 to 2 Qualifying Referrals

  • Signature Black Wall Connector – This item is only available under the Referral Program. Shipping started in July 2018.
  • Founders Series Tesla Model S for Kids – This item is a miniature version of the Tesla Model S, complete with working headlights, a sound system, and even a working charge port. Anecdotes from the Tesla community note that the large box of the Model S for Kids fits perfectly at the back of the family sedan with the rear seats folded down.

3 Qualifying Referrals

  • Early Access Token for Solar Roof – Customers who opt for this perk would get early access and priority scheduling for Solar Roof installations, which already begun earlier this year. This perk could be given to a friend.

4 Qualifying Referrals

  • 21” Arachnid Wheels for Model S or 22” Turbine Wheels for Model X — Wheels designed to improve the performance of the Model S and X.
  • One Week with Model S or Model X – The Teslas used for this perk could be used on a road trip. Customers who opt to not use this reward can give this to a friend.

5 Qualifying Referrals

  • Tesla Unveiling Invitation – Owners who reach five referral orders will be invited to a future unveiling event. The VIP invitation is valid for the Tesla owner and one guest.
  • Founders Series Powerwall 2 – This home battery storage unit features a unique red color scheme. 

Tesla is also extending its Race an Electric Semi Truck referral award. Just like before, the person who can get the most number of friends to sign up for Tesla’s newsletter would have the opportunity to race the Tesla Semi around the company’s test track.

Referral rewards for Tesla Solar have also been extended with the updated program. Owners could give their referrals a 5-year extended limited warranty on new solar energy system installations. One to four qualifying referrals would give Tesla owners $400 cash of $750 credit per installed referrals. Five qualifying referrals gives owners a free Founders Series Powerwall 2 battery.

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Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

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Tesla just told us twice that Model Y L is coming to the U.S.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla just told us twice that the Model Y L is coming to the U.S., and two social media posts definitely just tipped the company’s hand, as if they wanted it to be any other way.

The two social media posts basically confirm that the slightly longer version of the Model Y will be heading to the United States soon, and many have speculated that the company could launch the vehicle as soon as this weekend.

The first post was directly from Tesla, and it showed an incredibly long Dachshund, with words above that said, “Looking forward to the long weekend.”

Anyone who knows Tesla knows the company loves to troll its fans and have fun, and this is a perfect example of that. While not a direct acknowledgement, Tesla is very involved on social media, especially CEO Elon Musk’s platform X, and the company is well aware of what is being discussed within the community.

With recent sightings of Model Y L test mules in California, peeks of the vehicle at Giga Texas, and a large call for the car to come to the U.S., Tesla is simply stoking conversation with this.

However, the company also made another move that was recognized on social media. Tesla has a large gallery that includes photos of its products so media and others can use them. This gallery applies to the U.S. market specifically, unless otherwise specified.

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Tesla uploaded a Model Y L to the Gallery last night:

This seems to be another indication that the Model Y L is coming to the United States.

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Musk said last year that the Model Y L could make its way to the United States late this year, but it was not something that was set in stone by Tesla. The company definitely needs to establish something in the SUV market that is larger than the Model Y, and the Model Y L might be the answer.

Even still, there are consumers out there who would love Tesla to develop something even larger, like a competitor to the Tahoe or Expedition. Tesla has not really given much of an indication that it will go in that direction.

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Tesla is using vehicle microphones to improve build quality: here’s how

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla is using the vehicles’ internal microphones to improve build quality, Vice President of Engineering Lars Moravy revealed recently.

It’s no secret that Tesla is always finding ways to make its manufacturing operations more efficient, accurate, and valuable. Constantly trying to make its cars better, the company has never placed any restrictions on what it will do to improve everything from panel gaps to paint.

As Teslas have been driving autonomously on the property of the Gigafactory Texas plant for a while now, Moravy revealed to Herbert Ong in a new interview that cars rolling off production lines now autonomously navigate themselves through a bumps, squeaks, and rattles (BSR) portion of the line. This helps to identify any loose or improperly installed internal parts.

The cabin’s microphones, which are used for a variety of things in ownership, simultaneously monitor any noises inside the vehicle while it rolls through the BSR portion of the production line. Moravy actually revealed that Tesla is trying to build “Full Self-Hearing,” an AI system that will detect minor imperfections so they can be corrected before delivery.

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It’s no secret that build quality is something that Tesla struggled with as it scaled to a fully massive production operation that manufactures over 1.6 million vehicles per year. However, in recent years, especially, there have not been as many complaints. Tesla has truly improved upon its build quality and paint quality over the past several years, especially in the U.S.

Tesla’s ‘megacasts’ are key to massive build quality improvements

While those improvements have been evident, there are still some complaints; no automaker is perfect with this. But this step will now ensure that every single car that rolls off the production lines at Gigafactory Texas will be void of any creaks, squeaks, or squeals when it leaves the factory.

This measure is one of the most unique we’ve seen in terms of a strategy to avoid build quality issues, but it is not exclusive to Tesla.

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Ford uses acoustic analysis AI to find abnormalities in seat motors, climate control units, and other components. Suppliers and OEMs will also use microphone arrays or particle velocity sensors in end-of-line stations.

The full interview with Lars Moravy is available below:

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Investor's Corner

Tesla crushes Wall Street expectations, beats delivery estimates by over 15 percent

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Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) beat Wall Street expectations of 406,000 vehicles delivered in Q2 by reporting 480,126 deliveries for the three months ending in June.

Tesla reported it delivered 467,762  Model 3 and Model Y units, while 12,364 Model S, Model X, and Cybertrucks switched hands during the quarter. The Model S and Model X were officially sunset this past quarter and will no longer be part of the company’s Production & Delivery reports moving forward.

The quarter is a pleasant surprise and a good rebound from Q1, when Tesla slightly missed the Wall Street consensus of 365,645 cars by reporting 358,023 deliveries for the first three motnhs of the year.

Energy storage deployments also provided some strength in Tesla’s delivery report, hitting 13.5 GWh for Q2. This is a particular division of Tesla’s business that has been overwhelmingly robust over the past few years, truly being a strong point of the company’s overall model.

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For the year, Tesla analysts still predict deliveries to trend in the 1.69 million unit region, a modest 3 to 5 percent increase from the 1.64 million cars the company delivered last year. Tesla will likely return to more sequential and noticeable year-over-year growth as the Cybercab project starts to ramp up considerably in the next few years.

Tesla has some other potential catalysts to spur vehicle deliveries, too. Not only is it expecting Cybercab to truly start making a change in the next few years, but other vehicles could be entering the company’s lineup.

Tesla sends production Cybercab with no steering wheel, pedals to on-road testing

The slightly longer Model Y L has been a highly speculated release candidate in the U.S. It has already done incredibly well in China, and U.S. buyers have been wanting slightly more interior space than the Model Y. Now that the Model X is gone, it is more needed than ever.

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Q2 highlights a pretty stable automotive division within Tesla, and no true concerns arise from these figures, especially considering it managed to beat expectations convincingly.

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