Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) unveiled its new Plaid Model S last night and rolled out deliveries to those who have been waiting patiently to take delivery of the “Refreshed” version of the company’s flagship sedan. While there were several takeaways from the event that took place at Tesla’s Fremont Factory, Oppenheimer analyst Colin Rusch indicated that his biggest idea from the delivery event was Tesla’s donning of a new, fully autonomous era, and the company is prepping itself, along with its owners, for a future that requires little to no intervention from the driver.
Rusch, who is one of Tesla’s biggest bulls on Wall Street with a massive $1,080 price target, appeared on CNBC’S Squawk Box earlier today to talk about the event and what the major takeaways are. While many automotive enthusiasts, analysts, and spectators were more focused on the lightning-fast performance and 390-mile range of the Model S Plaid, Rusch took away Tesla’s installation of several new features that are evidently preparing drivers to become passengers. Tesla’s Full Self-Driving suite has made tremendous improvements ever since the company rolled out the FSD Beta program in October 2020. While the Beta program features a small group of members, Tesla eventually plans to roll out a more robust version of FSD to owners everywhere. The question is: What will drivers do when they’re not required to pay attention to road conditions at all times?
This is a question Tesla has thought long and hard about, and the evidence of that lies within the software capabilities of the new Model S Plaid. It was revealed several weeks ago that Tesla would be installing AMD processors and GPSs in the Model S and X, giving the two vehicles “PS5 level entertainment computing power,” according to CEO Elon Musk. Musk hinted toward new gamification features in the past. Still, it really came down to the company’s ability to provide robust and well-rounded entertainment and infotainment systems to drivers and passengers. After all, if you’re not going to be driving the vehicle, you’re going to need something to do.
Effectively, this is what catalyzed Rusch’s idea that Tesla is preparing to bring in self-driving cars. While speaking to Squawk Box during the interview this morning, Rusch detailed Tesla’s event last night, focusing on the idea that self-driving, and not blistering performance, is what the event was really the essence of the event.
Rusch said that Tesla’s domination as the most-savvy tech company in terms of powertrain and product design in the automotive sector is important, and that was accomplished last night with the event. However, Rusch maintains that his price target is really based on the company’s ability to deliver autonomous vehicles, and the event proved to him that Tesla is moving in that direction.
Credit: Tesla
“What we saw last night was that they’re preparing for full autonomy in terms of the user experience within the vehicle,” Rusch said. “And, that’s important to see them migrating towards that full autonomous experience inside the car. Between the backseats, the display, and some of the other features within the display. This is preparing folks to not really have their hands on the wheel,” Rusch said.
“What we saw last night was that they’re preparing for full autonomy in terms of the user experience within the vehicle. That’s important,” says Oppenheimer analyst Colin Rusch on @Tesla‘s Model S Plaid $TSLA pic.twitter.com/A6DNgmIVLu
— Squawk Box (@SquawkCNBC) June 11, 2021
Rusch holds an incredible #6 rating on TipRanks out of 7,547 analysts. His price target on TSLA stands at $1,080, and Rusch has a “Buy” rating on the automaker’s stock.
Disclosure: Joey Klender is a TSLA Shareholder.
News
Tesla celebrates 75k Superchargers, less than 5 months since 70k-stall milestone
Tesla’s 75,000th stall is hosted at the South Hobart Smart Store on Cascade Road, South Hobart, Tasmania.
Tesla has crossed another major charging milestone by officially installing its 75,000th Supercharger stall worldwide. The electric vehicle maker chose South Hobart, Tasmania, as the commemorative location of its 75,000th Supercharger.
Tesla’s 75,000th Supercharger
Tesla’s 75,000th stall is hosted at the South Hobart Smart Store on Cascade Road, South Hobart, TAS 7004, as noted in a techAU report. The location features four next-generation V4 Superchargers, which are built with longer cables that should make it easy even for non-Teslas to use the rapid charger. The site also includes simplified payment options, aligning with Tesla’s push to make V4 stations more accessible to a broader set of drivers.
For Tasmanian EV owners, the installation fills an important regional gap, improving long-distance coverage around Hobart and strengthening the area’s appeal for mainland travelers traveling by electric vehicle. Similar to other commemorative Superchargers, the 70,000th stall is quite special as it is finished in Glacier Blue paint. Tesla’s 50,000th stall, which is in California, is painted a stunning red, and the 60,000th stall, which is in Japan, features unique origami-inspired graphics.
Accelerating Supercharger milestones
The Tesla Supercharger’s pace of expansion shows no signs of slowing. Tesla celebrated its 70,000th stall at a 12-stall site in Burleson, Texas late June 2025. Just eight months earlier, Tesla announced that it had celebrated the buildout of its 60,000th Supercharger, which was built in Enshu Morimachi, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan.
Tesla’s Supercharger Network also recently received accolades in the United Kingdom, with the 2025 Zapmap survey naming the rapid charging system as the Best Large EV Charging Network for the second year in a row. Survey respondents praised the Supercharger Network for its ease of use, price, and reliability, which is best-in-class. The fact that the network has also been opened for non-Teslas is just icing on the cake.
News
Luminar-Volvo breakdown deepens as lidar maker warns of potential bankruptcy
The automaker stated that Luminar failed to meet contractual obligations.
Luminar’s largest customer, Volvo, has canceled a key five-year contract as the lidar supplier warned investors that it might be forced to file for bankruptcy. The automaker stated that Luminar failed to meet contractual obligations, escalating a dispute already unfolding as Luminar defaults on loans, undergoes layoffs, and works to sell portions of the business.
Volvo pulls back on Luminar
In a statement to TechCrunch, Volvo stated that Luminar’s failure to deliver its contractual obligations was a key driver of the cancellation of the contract. “Volvo Cars has made this decision to limit the company’s supply chain risk exposure and it is a direct result of Luminar’s failure to meet its contractual obligations to Volvo Cars,” Volvo noted in a statement.
The rift marked a notable turn for the two companies, whose relationship dates back several years. Volvo invested in Luminar early and helped push its sensors into production programs, while Luminar’s technology bolstered the credibility of Volvo’s safety-focused autonomous driving plans. Volvo’s partnership also supported Luminar’s 2020 SPAC listing, which briefly made founder Austin Russell one of the youngest self-made billionaires in the industry.
Damaged Volvo relations
The damaged Volvo partnership comes during a critical period for Luminar. The company has defaulted on several loans and warned investors that bankruptcy remains a possibility if restructuring discussions fall through. To conserve cash, Luminar has cut 25% of its workforce and is exploring strategic alternatives, including partial or full asset sales.
One potential buyer is founder Austin Russell, who resigned as CEO in May amid a board-initiated ethics inquiry. The company is also the subject of an ongoing SEC investigation.
Luminar, for its part, also noted in a filing that it had “made a claim against Volvo for significant damages” and “suspended further commitments of Iris” for the carmaker. “The Company is in discussions with Volvo concerning the dispute; however, there can be no assurance that the dispute will be resolved favorably or at all,” the lidar maker stated.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk says he’s open to powering Apple’s Siri with xAI’s Grok
Siri, one of the first intelligent AI assistants in the market, has become widely outdated and outperformed by rivals over the years.
Elon Musk says he’s willing to help Apple overhaul Siri by integrating xAI’s Grok 4.1, igniting widespread excitement and speculations about a potential collaboration between the two tech giants.
Siri, one of the first intelligent AI assistants in the market, has become widely outdated and outperformed by rivals over the years.
Musk open to an Apple collaboration
Musk’s willingness to team up with Apple surfaced after an X user suggested replacing Siri with Grok 4.1 to modernize the AI assistant. The original post criticized Siri’s limitations and urged Apple to adopt a more advanced AI system. “It’s time for Apple to team up with xAI and actually fix Siri. Replace that outdated, painfully dumb assistant with Grok 4.1. Siri deserves to be Superintelligent,” the X user wrote.
Musk quoted the post, responding with, “I’m down.” Musk’s comment quickly attracted a lot of attention among X’s users, many of whom noted that a Grok update to Siri would be appreciated because Apple’s AI assistant has legitimately become terrible in recent years. Others also noted that Grok, together with Apple’s potential integration of Starlink connectivity, would make iPhones even more compelling.
Grok promises major Siri upgrades
The enthusiasm stems largely from Grok 4.1’s technical strengths, which include stronger reasoning and improved creative output. xAI also designed the model to reduce hallucinations, as noted in a Reality Tea report. Supporters believe these improvements could address Apple’s reported challenges developing its own advanced AI systems, giving Siri the upgrade many users have waited years for.
Reactions ranged from humorous to hopeful, with some users joking that Siri would finally “wake up with a personality” if paired with Grok. Siri, after all, was a trailblazer in voice assistants, but it is currently dominated by rivals in terms of features and capabilities. Grok could change that, provided that Apple is willing to collaborate with Elon Musk’s xAI.