Investor's Corner
Tesla Model 3 ramp shows encouraging signs with 16k new VIN registrations in 7 days
Tesla has filed more than 16,000 new Model 3 VIN registrations in the past seven days, in what is yet another encouraging sign that the company is hitting its stride with the production of the electric car. Tesla has been working on sustaining the pace it displayed during its “burst production week” in the last seven days of June, when it manufactured 5,000 Model 3 in one week. These latest VIN registrations, together with updates from Tesla’s executives during the Q2 earnings call, indicate that Tesla is doing just that.
VIN registrations monitored by Twitter group @Model3VINs indicate that Tesla has filed multiple batches equaling more than 16,000 new Model 3 from August 5 to August 12. With the addition of small batches of new VINs this Sunday, Tesla has now registered a total of 98,254 Model 3 since the vehicle’s production started. Together with this notable ramp was an increase in filings corresponding to Dual Motor vehicles, which started picking up in July. Following is a graph showing the rise in Dual Motor VIN registrations as of August 1, 2018.

The Model 3 started production in mid-2017, but its ramp has been nothing but encouraging. When Elon Musk handed over the first 30 vehicles to employees in last year’s Model 3 Handover Party, Musk stated that Tesla would likely hit a production rate equal to 5,000 cars per week by the end of December 2017. Tesla was only able to attain this target on the final week of June 2018, and only by adopting unorthodox strategies such as air-freighting robots from Europe to the United States and building an entirely new assembly line inside a sprung structure on the grounds of the Fremont factory.
Since hitting its 5,000/week goal at the end of Q2, Tesla appears to have attained a breakthrough in the production of the Model 3. This week’s more than 16,000 new Model 3 VIN filings, for example, is roughly equal to the total VIN registrations in the first eight months of the vehicle’s production. VIN registrations over the past few months indicate that Tesla only breached the 16,000-vehicle mark near the end of March 2018.
Even Bloomberg‘s Model 3 production tracker, which has progressively increased its accuracy over the past few months (it was only 2% off Tesla’s actual numbers in Q2), now shows that the company is steadily approaching the 6,000 Model 3 per week mark. As of writing, the publication’s tracker estimates that Tesla is producing 5,824 Model 3 per week.

In Tesla’s Q2 2018 earnings call, Elon Musk stated that the company was able to sustain its optimum production pace during multiple weeks in July. Musk’s statement confirmed speculations last month that Tesla did not let up its push to manufacture the Model 3 at scale since hitting its production milestone at the end of June. These speculations were fueled by initiatives such as the start of test drive programs for the Model 3, a 5-Minute Sign & Drive program, and a ramp in the hiring of employees. The company also registered more than 19,000 new Model 3 VINs in the first two weeks of July.
The news coverage surrounding Tesla over the past week has been dominated by the possibility of the company going private when the stock hits $420 per share. But behind all this is one encouraging sign — the Model 3’s production ramp, which took almost a whole year to hit 5,000/week, finally seems to be going as planned.
Tesla has only released three versions of the Model 3 — the Performance, Dual Motor AWD, and the Long Range RWD variants — but the electric sedan has already made an impact in the US auto market. In July alone, the Model 3 ranked 7th overall in GoodCarBadCar‘s list of America’s Top 20 best-selling vehicles list, which includes popular gas-powered cars like the Toyota Camry and the Honda Accord.
Investor's Corner
Ron Baron states Tesla and SpaceX are lifetime investments
Baron, one of Tesla’s longest-standing bulls, reiterated that his personal stake in the company remains fully intact even as volatility pressures the broader market.
Billionaire investor Ron Baron says he isn’t touching a single share of his personal Tesla holdings despite the recent selloff in the tech sector. Baron, one of Tesla’s longest-standing bulls, reiterated that his personal stake in the company remains fully intact even as volatility pressures the broader market.
Baron doubles down on Tesla
Speaking on CNBC’s Squawk Box, Baron stated that he is largely unfazed by the market downturn, describing his approach during the selloff as simply “looking” for opportunities. He emphasized that Tesla remains the centerpiece of his long-term strategy, recalling that although Baron Funds once sold 30% of its Tesla position due to client pressure, he personally refused to trim any of his personal holdings.
“We sold 30% for clients. I did not sell personally a single share,” he said. Baron’s exposure highlighted this stance, stating that roughly 40% of his personal net worth is invested in Tesla alone. The legendary investor stated that he has already made about $8 billion from Tesla from an investment of $400 million when he started, and believes that figure could rise fivefold over the next decade as the company scales its technology, manufacturing, and autonomy roadmap.
A lifelong investment
Baron’s commitment extends beyond Tesla. He stated that he also holds about 25% of his personal wealth in SpaceX and another 35% in Baron mutual funds, creating a highly concentrated portfolio built around Elon Musk–led companies. During the interview, Baron revisited a decades-old promise he made to his fund’s board when he sought approval to invest in publicly traded companies.
“I told the board, ‘If you let me invest a certain amount of money, then I will promise that I won’t sell any of my stock. I will be the last person out of the stock,’” he said. “I will not sell a single share of my shares until my clients sold 100% of their shares. … And I don’t expect to sell in my lifetime Tesla or SpaceX.”
Watch Ron Baron’s CNBC interview below.
@teslarati :rotating_light: This is why you need to use off-peak rates at Tesla Superchargers! #tesla #evcharging #fyp ♬ Blue Moon – Muspace Lofi
Elon Musk
‘You chose ambition’: Tesla Chair hails shareholders for backing Elon Musk’s vision
Denholm stated that the vote highlighted TSLA investors’ continued confidence in both Musk’s leadership and Tesla’s vision for an autonomous, AI-driven future.
Tesla Chair Robyn Denholm has issued a letter to shareholders celebrating what she described as “overwhelming support” at this year’s Annual Meeting, framing the approval of Elon Musk’s trillion-dollar pay plan as a defining moment in Tesla’s mission.
Denholm stated that the vote highlighted TSLA investors’ continued confidence in both Musk’s leadership and Tesla’s vision for an autonomous, AI-driven future.
Denholm hails shareholder confidence
In her letter, which was posted by the electric vehicle maker on X through Tesla’s official handle, Denholm thanked investors for backing Proposals One, Three, and Four, items she said reaffirm Tesla’s “Master Plan Part IV” and its broader mission to accelerate sustainable prosperity. She characterized the shareholder vote as “a vote of confidence in our visionary leader, Elon,” crediting Musk with transforming Tesla into one of the most valuable companies in history.
“In a year when many tried to sow doubt and negativity, you chose a better future,” Denholm wrote. “You chose ambition. You chose to see what is possible. You chose to back the people who have been in the room since the earliest days, fighting for the mission that first brought us all together—a better world for humanity,” she wrote in her letter.
Her comments framed Musk’s pay package approval not only as a governance milestone but as a symbolic endorsement of Tesla’s long-term trajectory across autonomy, AI, and energy innovation.
“A whole new book” of innovation
Denholm highlighted Tesla’s push toward autonomy as the company’s next major growth phase, citing the Robotaxi program and Optimus humanoid robot as examples of bringing artificial intelligence “into the physical world.” She described this period as potentially “the largest value-creation event in Tesla’s history, and quite possibly in the history of humanity.”
The letter reaffirmed the board’s commitment to direct engagement with shareholders through Tesla’s online platform and live events. Denholm emphasized that feedback from investors “informs our strategy and strengthens us” as Tesla prepares for new technology rollouts and expanded AI capabilities.
“You, our shareholders, have given us the mandate and the runway to execute. We are humbled, and rest assured that we do not take that responsibility lightly… Thank you for believing in Tesla. Thank you for standing with us. We look forward to years of bold leadership and pioneering innovation, fueled by our commitment to creating a better future for all,” she wrote.
Elon Musk
Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey endorses Elon Musk Tesla pay package
Dorsey framed the pay package as an engineering and governance crossroads for Tesla.
Twitter co-founder and Square CEO Jack Dorsey has publicly backed Elon Musk’s leadership ahead of Tesla’s pivotal shareholder vote, which is expected to be decided later today at the company’s 2025 annual meeting.
Dorsey framed the pay package as an engineering and governance crossroads for Tesla.
Dorsey’s public nod framed as an engineering defense of Musk
In a post on X, Dorsey weighed in on Tesla’s post about being in a “critical inflection point.” As per the Twitter-co-founder, the vote on Musk’s 2025 performance award is not about compensation. Instead, it’s about ensuring the path for the company’s engineering in the coming years.
“This is not about compensation. it’s about ensuring a principled (and exciting!) engineering approach to the company’s future,” Dorsey wrote on his post, later stating that users of Cash app with TSLA shares would be able to vote for the CEO’s proposed 2025 performance award.
Elon Musk appreciated Dorsey’s endorsement, responding to the Twitter co-founder’s post with a heart emoji. Musk has been pretty thankful for the support for is fellow tech executives, also thanking Michael Dell recently, who also advocated for its proposed 2025 performance award.
Musk’s support
While Elon Musk’s 2025 performance award has received opposition from proxy advisors such as Glass Lewis and ISS, it has received quite a lot of support from longtime bulls such as ARK Invest, and, more recently, Schwab Asset Management following calls from TSLA retail shareholders.
“Schwab Asset Management’s approach to voting on proxy matters is thorough and deliberate. We utilize a structured process that focuses on protecting and promoting shareholder value. We apply our own internal guidelines and do not rely on recommendations from Glass Lewis or ISS. In accordance with this process, Schwab Asset Management intends to vote in favor of the 2025 CEO performance award proposal. We firmly believe that supporting this proposal aligns both management and shareholder interests, ensuring the best outcome for all parties involved,” Charles Schwab told Teslarati.
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