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Tesla hailed as brand that ‘defines American luxury’ by noted auto magazine
Veteran auto publication Motor Trend has boldly hailed Tesla as the brand that defines American luxury today, overtaking brands like Cadillac and Lincoln in the process. The California-based electric car maker was able to accomplish this simply because among the automakers in the US today, it is the one that is looking forward, not simply looking at what rivals are doing.
During its heyday, Cadillac was esteemed as an American company that stood true to its slogan: “Standard of the World,” as shown in its iconic tailfin designs that ran parallel with the advent of the jet age in the late 1940s. Lincoln, on the other hand, pretty much epitomized the American way of building cars, with big engines, big bodies, and imaginative designs. During these times, Cadillac and Lincoln blazed the trail for American luxury automobiles, and their vehicles were amazing.
That is, until the two brands started emulating European luxury automakers. Over the past three decades, Cadillac’s vehicles pretty much turned into cars that were heavily inspired by companies like BMW. Lincoln ended up building rebadged versions of vehicles from Ford and Mercury. According to the 69-year-old publication, it was at this point that the “soul of American luxury escaped Detroit.” That soul has now settled in California, where electric car maker Tesla produces its vehicles.
Motor Trend notes that similar to Cadillac and Lincoln in their prime, Tesla is an American automaker that foreign rivals are trying to emulate. The publication cited several examples of this, including the Porsche Taycan, the Polestar 2, the Audi e-tron, and the Mercedes EQC. With technology being “the new luxury,” it is difficult to argue against Tesla, which leads the auto industry with tech as shown in its over-the-air software updates.
One thing that truly separates Tesla from the pack is its boldness in turning its back from convention. This is evident in the company’s designs for its vehicles, which were created from a clean sheet of paper, as well as from CEO Elon Musk’s vision of a hyper-automated car factory. Granted, some of these plans have resulted in trouble for the company (the Model 3’s “production hell” comes to mind), but Tesla has nonetheless managed to grow as a carmaker that makes some of the best, no-compromise electric vehicles in the market.
Daring, bold, and unapologetically different, Tesla presents the American auto industry with a company that has every characteristic of a trailblazer. It has earned its own set of scars over the years, and there are bound to be more in the future. But with every vehicle it launches, with every Gigafactory that is built, the company becomes just a bit more experienced, just a bit more refined. It has already forced larger automakers to take electric cars seriously, and if it continues at its current pace, it will likely disrupt other markets like the trucking and ride-sharing industry as well.
Motor Trend has acknowledged Tesla’s electric cars in the past. Back in December 2012, the publication awarded its prestigious Car of the Year Award to the Tesla Model S, noting that the all-electric car (which did not even have features like Autopilot then) was “proof positive that America can still make (great) things. Motor Trend racecar driver Randy Pobst was also instrumental in fine-tuning the capabilities of the “release version” of the Model 3 Performance’s Track Mode. After being tuned by Pobst, the Model 3 Performance was able to beat the track time of the 2011 Ferrari 458 Italia around the “Streets” of Willow Springs International Raceway in CA.
Elon Musk
Delaware Supreme Court reinstates Elon Musk’s 2018 Tesla CEO pay package
The unanimous decision criticized the prior total rescission as “improper and inequitable,” arguing that it left Musk uncompensated for six years of transformative leadership at Tesla.
The Delaware Supreme Court has overturned a lower court ruling, reinstating Elon Musk’s 2018 compensation package originally valued at $56 billion but now worth approximately $139 billion due to Tesla’s soaring stock price.
The unanimous decision criticized the prior total rescission as “improper and inequitable,” arguing that it left Musk uncompensated for six years of transformative leadership at Tesla. Musk quickly celebrated the outcome on X, stating that he felt “vindicated.” He also shared his gratitude to TSLA shareholders.
Delaware Supreme Court makes a decision
In a 49-page ruling Friday, the Delaware Supreme Court reversed Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick’s 2024 decision that voided the 2018 package over alleged board conflicts and inadequate shareholder disclosures. The high court acknowledged varying views on liability but agreed rescission was excessive, stating it “leaves Musk uncompensated for his time and efforts over a period of six years.”
The 2018 plan granted Musk options on about 304 million shares upon hitting aggressive milestones, all of which were achieved ahead of time. Shareholders overwhelmingly approved it initially in 2018 and ratified it once again in 2024 after the Delaware lower court struck it down. The case against Musk’s 2018 pay package was filed by plaintiff Richard Tornetta, who held just nine shares when the compensation plan was approved.
A hard-fought victory
As noted in a Reuters report, Tesla’s win avoids a potential $26 billion earnings hit from replacing the award at current prices. Tesla, now Texas-incorporated, had hedged with interim plans, including a November 2025 shareholder-approved package potentially worth $878 billion tied to Robotaxi and Optimus goals and other extremely aggressive operational milestones.
The saga surrounding Elon Musk’s 2018 pay package ultimately damaged Delaware’s corporate appeal, prompting a number of high-profile firms, such as Dropbox, Roblox, Trade Desk, and Coinbase, to follow Tesla’s exodus out of the state. What added more fuel to the issue was the fact that Tornetta’s legal team, following the lower court’s 2024 decision, demanded a fee request of more than $5.1 billion worth of TSLA stock, which was equal to an hourly rate of over $200,000.
Delaware Supreme Court Elon Musk 2018 Pay Package by Simon Alvarez
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Tesla Cybercab tests are going on overdrive with production-ready units
Tesla is ramping its real-world tests of the Cybercab, with multiple sightings of the vehicle being reported across social media this week.
Tesla is ramping its real-world tests of the Cybercab, with multiple sightings of the autonomous two-seater being reported across social media this week. Based on videos of the vehicle that have been shared online, it appears that Cybercab tests are underway across multiple states.
Recent Cybercab sightings
Reports of Cybercab tests have ramped this week, with a vehicle that looked like a production-ready prototype being spotted at Apple’s Visitor Center in California. The vehicle in this sighting was interesting as it was equipped with a steering wheel. The vehicle also featured some changes to the design of its brake lights.
The Cybercab was also filmed testing at the Fremont factory’s test track, which also seemed to involve a vehicle that looked production-ready. This also seemed to be the case for a Cybercab that was spotted in Austin, Texas, which happened to be undergoing real-world tests. Overall, these sightings suggest that Cybercab testing is fully underway, and the vehicle is really moving towards production.
Production design all but finalized?
Recently, a near-production-ready Cybercab was showcased at Tesla’s Santana Row showroom in San Jose. The vehicle was equipped with frameless windows, dual windshield wipers, powered butterfly door struts, an extended front splitter, an updated lightbar, new wheel covers, and a license plate bracket. Interior updates include redesigned dash/door panels, refined seats with center cupholders, updated carpet, and what appeared to be improved legroom.
There seems to be a pretty good chance that the Cybercab’s design has been all but finalized, at least considering Elon Musk’s comments at the 2025 Annual Shareholder Meeting. During the event, Musk confirmed that the vehicle will enter production around April 2026, and its production targets will be quite ambitious.
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Tesla gets a win in Sweden as union withdraws potentially “illegal” blockade
As per recent reports, the Vision union’s planned anti-Tesla action might have been illegal.
Swedish union Vision has withdrawn its sympathy blockade against Tesla’s planned service center and showroom in Kalmar. As per recent reports, the Vision union’s planned anti-Tesla action might have been illegal.
Vision’s decision to pull the blockade
Vision announced the blockade in early December, stating that it was targeting the administrative handling of Tesla’s facility permits in Kalmar municipality. The sympathy measure was expected to start Monday, but was formally withdrawn via documents sent to the Mediation Institute and Kalmar Municipality last week.
As noted in a Daggers Arbete report, plans for the strike were ultimately pulled after employer group SKR highlighted potential illegality under the Public Employment Act. Vision stressed its continued backing for the Swedish labor model, though Deputy negotiation manager Oskar Pettersson explained that the Vision union and IF Metall made the decision to cancel the planned strike together.
“We will not continue to challenge the regulations,” Petterson said. “The objection was of a technical nature. We made the assessment together with IF Metall that we were not in a position to challenge the legal assessment of whether we could take this particular action against Tesla. Therefore, we chose to revoke the notice itself.”
The SKR’s warning
Petterson also stated that SKR’s technical objection to the Vision union’s planned anti-Tesla strike framed the protest as an unauthorized act. “It was a legal assessment of the situation. Both for us and for IF Metall, it is important to be clear that we stand for the Swedish model. But we should not continue to challenge the regulations and risk getting judgments that lead nowhere in the application of the regulations,” he said.
Vision ultimately canceled its planned blockade against Tesla on December 9. With Vision’s withdrawal, few obstacles remain for Tesla’s long-planned Kalmar site. A foreign electrical firm completed work this fall, and Tesla’s Careers page currently lists a full-time service manager position based there, signaling an imminent opening.
Delaware Supreme Court reinstates Elon Musk’s 2018 Tesla CEO pay package
Tesla Cybercab tests are going on overdrive with production-ready units
