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Tesla Model S road warrior passes 1.2 million miles in 10 years

Credit: Watt Energy/YouTube

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Ten years ago, Hansjörg von Gemmingen-Hornberg purchased a second-hand Tesla Model S with 18,641 miles on its odometer. Since then, Gemmingen-Hornberg has driven his all-electric sedan consistently across several continents. And in a recent update on social media, the Tesla owner revealed that his Model S has now passed the 1.2 million mile mark. 

Gemmingen-Hornberg’s recent milestone was posted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. As could be seen in his post, the Model S has now reached a very impressive 1,960,000 km (1,217,887 miles) on its odometer. This effectively makes Gemmingen-Hornberg’s Model S the highest mileage Tesla in the world today. 

The fact that Gemmingen-Hornberg started his journey with his Model S way back in 2014 is extremely impressive, especially if one were to consider the fact that electric vehicles were not as prevalent back then as they are today. The charging infrastructure in 2014 was also nowhere near as robust as it is today, so traveling long distances was not as simple. 

Despite this, Gemmingen-Hornberg has steadily established himself as the driver of the world’s highest-mileage Tesla. It should be noted that the Model S has received several battery and electric motor replacements over its 1.2 million-mile journey. As noted by Gemmingen-Hornberg during an interview with YouTube’s Watt Energy channel in November, his Model S is currently on its fourth battery and its 13th electric motor. 

Gemmingen-Hornberg noted that his Model S, being one of the first performance Teslas built with a large electric motor, tends to have issues with its drive unit. His recent electric motor seems to be holding up fairly well, however, and so is his vehicle’s battery. To be fair, Gemmingen-Hornberg is particularly careful with his Model S, as he closely monitors his charging sessions and drives very carefully. 

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Quite unfortunately, Gemmingen-Hornberg’s accomplishments have not really gotten much attention from Tesla. In his conversation with the Watt Energy host, the Model S driver noted that Elon Musk did congratulate him on social media when his car passed the 1 million km mark, but it was 11 months after his vehicle achieved the milestone. Tesla was also silent when Gemmingen-Hornberg passed the record-setting 1 million mile mark

Gemmingen-Hornberg joked that Musk is probably not very interested in his accomplishment considering his Model S’ multiple battery and electric motor replacements. When the YouTube channel host joked that he might get a new car for driving 1.2 million miles, Gemmingen-Hornberg stated “We’ll have to look. He’s not so interested, but he heard of the 13 engines and he’s a special man who doesn’t like critique… So I think he has this little problem with me at the moment,” he said. 

The YouTube channel host’s joke about a free car is likely a reference to Volvo, which gifted a brand new 2022 Volvo S60 sedan to a driver who passed the million-mile barrier with his Volvo 740 GLE. It took 30 years for the Volvo 740 GLE to achieve the milestone, but it was extremely impressive nonetheless. 

Watch Gemmingen-Hornberg’s November 2023 interview with Watt Energy in the video below.

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

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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.

Investor's Corner

Tesla Robotaxi execution should lead to valuation ‘far exceeding current levels’: analyst

RBC Capital bumped its price target on Tesla stock slightly from $319 to $325.

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Credit: @TerrapinTerpene/X

Tesla’s Robotaxi platform is the primary focus for the automaker currently, and based on what has been outlined by the company as goals for the project, one firm is saying that the company’s valuation should “far exceed even current levels.”

The Robotaxi is a self-driving ride-hailing service that Tesla plans to implement in current and future vehicle builds. CEO Elon Musk and other executives have said that “the vast majority of the Tesla fleet that we’ve made is capable of being a Robotaxi,” thanks to its development of Over-the-Air software updates that increase the capability of the vehicle with a simple download.

Currently, the Robotaxi platform is only active in a portion of Austin, Texas, but Tesla is expanding to other markets, including California, Nevada, Arizona, and Florida. California will be the next market to open its doors to the Tesla Robotaxi platform.

But the name of the game is execution, and that’s what Tesla is aiming for in a timely fashion. If it can come through on all of its current goals, its valuation could explode, and one firm is holding steady on that narrative as Tesla continues to work toward expanding Robotaxi.

On Tuesday, RBC Capital analysts bumped their price target on Tesla shares (NASDAQ: TSLA) to $325 from $319, primarily due to the Robotaxi expansion and its success:

“Should Tesla be successful on all of its goals, its valuation could far exceed even current levels. The Austin Robotaxi launch has been better than many feared, and the company is looking to expand in more cities.”

There are some risks to Tesla’s narrative, but they fall outside the scope of what the company can control. In relation to Robotaxi, regulatory hurdles remain. Some regions may be slower than others to give Tesla the proper licensing to operate in their jurisdiction. This could slow the pace of Robotaxi expansion, bringing some overhang to the story.

Additionally, Tesla is fending off narratives of slowing demand, and the White House’s decision to revoke the $7,500 EV tax credit from consumers could temper sales past Q3.

Nevertheless, Robotaxi is where Tesla’s true value seems to be focused. Successfully launching a driverless ride-sharing platform is where the company is putting all of its eggs, and revolutionizing passenger travel is where the focus lies.

RBC Capital’s note continued:

“Regulatory hurdles remain, however. Further, we expect the end of IRA credits and high levels of used EV inventory to pressure the auto business for the next several quarters.”

The slight price target bump puts RBC Capital’s expectations near where the stock is trading, as it is currently priced at around $320 at 9:54 a.m. on the East Coast.

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Tesla China sees new vehicle registrations rise to 10,700 last week

This represented a 7.6% increase from the 9,900 units that were registered in the previous week.

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Credit: Tesla Asia/X

Tesla China saw 10,700 new vehicle registrations in the week of July 21-27, 2025. This represented a 7.6% increase from the 9,900 units that were registered in the previous week, and it suggests that domestic demand for vehicles like the Model Y and Model 3 are holding steady. 

Tesla China’s Registrations

Despite the increase in weekly registrations, Tesla China’s current insurance registrations are still down 21.1% year over year. That being said, Q3 2025 is seeing quite a lot of momentum for Tesla, with the current quarter being 45.2% higher than Q2 2025. With 10,700 new vehicle registrations, the week ending July 27 also represented the second-highest registrations in the quarter so far. 

Tesla China does not report its weekly sales figures, though the company’s overall performance in the electric vehicle sector could be inferred from the new vehicle registrations. Fortunately, these registration figures are tracked closely by industry watchers and even automakers such as Li Auto.

Upcoming Developments

Tesla China sold a total of 71,599 vehicles wholesale in June, as per data from the China Passenger Car Association. This represents a small 0.83% increase from the 71,007 vehicles that were sold in the same period last year, and a 16.12% increase from the 61,662 vehicles that were sold wholesale in May, as noted in a CNEV Post report. Domestic sales in June were at 61,484, the second highest this year.

Tesla China’s sales in the coming months may see some improvement considering that the company is currently preparing to launch a six-seat, extended wheelbase version of its best-selling all-electric crossover called the Model Y L. The Model Y L is expected to be a true family hauler, allowing Tesla to compete more aggressively against rivals in the domestic auto market.

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Energy

Tesla Shanghai Megafactory produces 1,000th Megapack for export to Europe

The Shanghai Megafactory was able to hit this milestone less than six months after it started producing the Megapack. 

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Credit: Tesla Asia/X

Tesla Energy has announced a fresh milestone for its newest Megapack factory. As per the electric vehicle maker, the Shanghai Megafactory has successfully produced its 1,000th Megapack battery. 

The facility was able to hit this milestone less than six months after it started producing the grid-scale battery system. 

New Tesla Megapack Milestone

As per Tesla Asia in a post on its official accounts on social media platform X, the 1,000th Megapack unit that was produced at the Shanghai Megafactory would be exported to Europe. As noted in a CNEV Post report, Tesla’s energy products are currently deployed in over 65 countries and regions globally. This allows Tesla Energy to compete in energy markets that are both emerging and mature.

To commemorate the 1,000th Megapack produced at the Shanghai Megafactory, the Tesla China team posted with the grid-scale battery with celebratory balloons that spelled “Megapack 1000.” The milestone was celebrated by Tesla enthusiasts on social media, especially since the Shanghai Megafactory only started its operations earlier this year.

Quick Megafactory Ramp

The Shanghai Megafactory, similar to Tesla’s other key facilities in China, was constructed quickly. The facility started its construction on May 23, 2024, and it was hailed as Tesla’s first entry storage project outside the United States. Less than a year later, on February 11, 2025, the Shanghai Megafactory officially started producing Megapack batteries. And by March 21, 2025, Tesla China noted that it had shipped the first batch of Megapack batteries from the Shanghai plant to foreign markets.

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While the Shanghai Megafactory is still not at the same level of output as Tesla’s Lathrop Megafactory, which produces about 10,000 Megapacks per year, its ramp seems to be quite steady and quick. It would then not be surprising if Tesla China announces the Shanghai Megafactory’s 2,000th Megapack milestone in the coming months.

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