Lifestyle
Tesla vs Porsche: Inside the emerging Nurburgring EV arms race
The results of Tesla’s brief time in Germany’s famed Nürburgring racetrack were impressive. During their stay, Tesla’s two Model S “Plaid” powertrain prototypes showcased great potential, at one point finishing a hand-timed lap of 7 minutes 23 seconds, about 20 seconds faster than the Porsche Taycan, a vehicle that was honed on the historic racecourse. This was made possible by a Silicon Valley-style strategy that allowed the electric car maker to push its vehicles to the limit and establish a presence in the nearly 13-mile track with authority.
The Upstart Newcomer
Elon Musk’s announcement of the Model S’ excursion to the Nürburgring was not universally supported, with some doubting the electric sedan’s capability to take on the “Green Hell,” and others dismissing the proclamation of as plain old “bulls**t.” The Tesla Model S, after all, is known for out-accelerating supercars in a straight line, but the vehicle is prone to throttling its power when driven hard on a closed circuit. To address this, Musk deployed two Model S prototypes, both of which were equipped with a “Plaid Powertrain” setup that featured three electric motors, racing-optimized tires, fenders, a new spoiler, and a slightly different fascia with a bigger air intake. These vehicles were track-worthy.
Tesla’s efforts to set up its Nürburgring sessions was commendable. Not long after Elon Musk’s announcement of the upcoming track runs, a Model S was spotted being transported to the circuit. A Supercharger was set up in the vicinity of the racetrack as well, allowing the prototype vehicles to recharge their batteries in between laps. Tesla seemed to have brought two vehicles, a red prototype accompanied by a blue unit. Reports claim that at least one of the vehicles was stripped of its interior to reduce weight, though images captured of the red Plaid Model S prototype hint that the sedan still had a passenger seat and door trims.
The Old Guard
What is rather ironic is that Tesla’s initiatives at the Nürburgring seemed to be a response to the feat of the Porsche Taycan, which set a record of 7 minutes 42 seconds around the track prior to its official unveiling. Musk has extended his praise for the Taycan on Twitter, stating that the vehicle seems like a good car, and mentioning that its track time at the Green Hell was “great.” While it seemed like Tesla rushed to get the Model S Plaid prototypes to the Nürburgring, it turned out that there was no rush needed at all.
This is because the Taycan’s 7:42 lap record was not officially sanctioned by the Nürburgring. In a statement to Jalopnik, Porsche described the Taycan’s time as “one for ourselves that we use as a point of historical record.” This is the reason that the Taycan’s lap time is not listed among the Nürburgring’s records. That being said, the German carmaker noted that the prototype it utilized for the run was production-spec, which meant that it was not stripped of any unnecessary weight. Porsche even stated that the Taycan it used for its Nürburgring run was actually heavier due to its roll cage, and it had stock tires on.
Quite interestingly, reports have emerged stating that Porsche utilized a Taycan Turbo prototype for its Nürburgring run. This is a rather interesting point, considering that the vehicle used by the company for its record lap was equipped with large yellow brake calipers, which is an option for the higher-end Porsche Taycan Turbo S (the Turbo comes with white calipers). Provided that these reports are true and Porsche did use its less powerful Turbo prototype for its “record attempt” at the nearly 13-mile track, the carmaker’s upcoming rounds with its Taycan Turbo S would be very interesting. The vehicle could definitely raise the stakes if it closes in or beats the Plaid Model S prototype’s 7:23 hand-stopped lap time.
An impending Nürburgring arms race
So what was the result of Tesla’s Silicon Valley-style approach to the Nürburgring? A lot of achievements and respect gained from professionals alike, actually. Professional race driver Robb Holland, who was initially skeptical about Tesla’s Nürburgring attempt, noted in an updated article that he commends Tesla for putting in the right effort, and for achieving a time that is not simply fast for an electric car or a four-door sedan with seven seats; but just plain fast. Tesla’s announcement that its Plaid Model S prototypes will be going for a 7:05 time when they return to the Nürburgring next month hints that more impressive feats could be expected.
Tesla’s Nürburgring session this time around ended with a 7:24 lap time and one of its red Plaid Model S prototypes being pushed hard enough that it retired in the middle of a run. With Tesla’s departure, a number of details have emerged about the electric car maker’s vehicle. For one, each Plaid prototype seemed to be capable of running five or six full laps at full speed around the Nürburgring per day, which is already close to that of high-performance ICE cars. Each vehicle was also charged after every lap, though it is unclear if this was due to heating issues or if Tesla was simply topping up lost range.
What is known from eyewitnesses, unofficial track timers, and racing drivers during Tesla’s testing days was that the Plaid Model S prototypes were very, very fast. In an article on auto news site Jalopnik, Holland mentioned that drivers operating other high-performance vehicles at the Nürburgring stated that the Model S Plaid prototypes were frighteningly fast when they ran their laps, to the point where the vehicles would almost vanish from another high-performance car with capable drivers.
Porsche did not establish its reputation by staying still when there is a powerful new challenger in the field. With Tesla establishing that its upcoming Plaid Model S is fast and track-capable, the German carmaker will likely respond with an equally impressive demonstration, perhaps with the Taycan Turbo S (provided that its initial run was conducted with a Turbo unit, of course) or an even more track-worthy car. For Klaus Zellmer, president and CEO of Porsche Cars North America, Tesla’s challenge is something that is more than welcome. “We call ourselves a true sports car manufacturer, and there aren’t that many ways to prove that it is a true sports car,” he said in a statement to CNET Roadshow.
As Elon Musk has said, now it’s game, set, match.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk offers to pay TSA salaries as government shutdown leaves agents without paychecks
Elon Musk offered to personally cover TSA salaries as the DHS shutdown deepens travel chaos nationwide.
Elon Musk says that he is willing to personally cover the salaries of Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers caught in the crossfire of a partial government shutdown that has now dragged on for over a month. “I would like to offer to pay the salaries of TSA personnel during this funding impasse that is negatively affecting the lives of so many Americans at airports throughout the country,” Musk wrote.
I would like to offer to pay the salaries of TSA personnel during this funding impasse that is negatively affecting the lives of so many Americans at airports throughout the country
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 21, 2026
The offer arrives as Congress let funding expire for the Department of Homeland Security on February 14, amid a disagreement over immigration enforcement, leaving most TSA employees classified as essential and on duty but working without pay. The timing could not be more disruptive, as the shutdown is colliding directly with spring break travel season when millions of Americans are in the air.
This is not the first time TSA workers have endured this kind of hardship. TSA agents are being asked to work without pay until congressional action unblocks their paychecks, having previously held out through the longest government shutdown in U.S. history at 43 days. The pattern reveals a systemic failure in how Congress funds critical security infrastructure, and Musk’s offer shines a spotlight on that recurring failure at a moment when the public is directly feeling its effects through long lines and terminal closures.
Whether Musk can legally follow through remains unclear, as federal law generally prohibits government employees from receiving outside compensation related to their official duties.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk launches TERAFAB: The $25B Tesla-SpaceXAI chip factory that will rewire the AI industry
Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI unveiled TERAFAB, a $25B chip factory targeting one terawatt of AI compute annually.
Elon Musk took the stage over the weekend at the defunct Seaholm Power Plant in Austin, Texas, to officially unveil TERAFAB, a $20-25 billion joint venture between Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI that he described as “the most epic chip building exercise in history by far.” The announcement marks the most ambitious infrastructure bet Musk has made since Gigafactory 1 in Sparks, Nevada, and it fuses three of his companies into a single, vertically integrated AI hardware machine for the first time.
TERAFAB is designed to consolidate every stage of semiconductor production under one roof, including chip design, lithography, fabrication, memory production, advanced packaging, and testing. At full capacity, the facility would scale to roughly 70% of the global output from the current world’s largest semiconductor foundry from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC).
Elon Musk’s stated goal is one terawatt of computing power annually, split between Tesla’s AI5 inference chips for vehicles and Optimus robots, and D3 chips built specifically for SpaceXAI’s orbital satellite constellation.
Tesla Terafab set for launch: Inside the $20B AI chip factory that will reshape the auto industry
The logic behind the merger of these three entities is rooted in a supply chain crisis Musk has been signaling for over a year. At Tesla’s Q4 2025 earnings call, he warned investors that external chip capacity from TSMC, Samsung, and Micron would hit a ceiling within three to four years. “We’re very grateful to our existing supply chain, to Samsung, TSMC, Micron and others,” Musk acknowledged at the Terafab event, “but there’s a maximum rate at which they’re comfortable expanding.” Building in-house was, in his framing, not a strategic option, but a necessity.
The space angle is where the announcement becomes genuinely unprecedented. Musk said 80% of Terafab’s compute output would be directed toward space-based orbital AI satellites, arguing that solar irradiance in space is roughly 5x greater than at Earth’s surface, and that heat rejection in vacuum makes thermal scaling viable. This directly feeds the SpaceXAI vision, which is betting that within two to three years, running AI workloads in orbit will be cheaper than doing so on the ground. The satellites, powered by constant solar energy, would effectively turn low Earth orbit into the world’s largest data center.
Will Tesla join the fold? Predicting a triple merger with SpaceX and xAI
Historically, this announcement threads together every major Musk initiative of the past two years: the xAI-SpaceX merger, Tesla’s $2.9 billion solar equipment talks with Chinese suppliers, the 100 GW domestic solar manufacturing push, the Optimus humanoid robot program, and Starship’s development. TERAFAB is the capstone that ties them into a single coherent architecture — chips made on Earth, launched by SpaceX, powered by Tesla solar, run by xAI, and ultimately extended to the Moon.
“I want us to live long enough to see the mass driver on the moon, because that’s going to be incredibly epic,”Musk said during the presentation.
Announcing TERAFAB: the next step towards becoming a galactic civilization https://t.co/IDKey07mJa
— Tesla (@Tesla) March 22, 2026
Cybertruck
Chattanooga Charge: Tesla and EV fans ready for the Southeast’s wildest Tesla party
From Cybertruck Convoys to Kid-Friendly Fun Zones: The Chattanooga Charge Has Something for Everyone
Hundreds of like-minded Tesla and EV enthusiasts are descending on Chattanooga Charge this weekend for the largest Tesla meet in the Southeast. Taking place on March 20–22, 2026 at the stunning Tennessee Riverpark.
If you were there last year, you’ll know that it’s the ultimate experience to see the wildest Teslas in action, see the best in EV tech, and arguably the most fun – finally put a name to the face and connect with those social media buddies IRL! Oh, and that epic night time Tesla light show is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that will transform the Riverpark into something out of a sci-fi film that’s remarkably unforgettable and must be seen in person.
This year’s event takes everything up a notch, with over 100 Cybertrucks expected to be on display, many sporting jaw-dropping modifications and custom wraps that push the boundaries of what these stainless steel beasts can look like.
Whether you’re a diehard Tesla fan, EV supporter, or just EV-mod-curious, the sheer spectacle is worth the drive.
The Chattanooga Charge doesn’t wait until Saturday morning to get started. The weekend technically kicks off Friday, March 20th, and the venue sets the tone immediately. Come share roadtrip stories over drinks at the W-XYZ Rooftop Bar on the top floor of the Aloft Chattanooga Hamilton Place Hotel, with sunset views over the city.
Come morning, nurse your hangover with a some good coffee, and convoy with hundreds of other Tesla and EV drivers through Chattanooga to the event for some morning meet and greets before the speaker panel starts and the food trucks fire up.
Tesla owner clubs travel from across the country to be here, not just to show off their vehicles,, but to connect, share, and celebrate a shared passion for the future of driving.
Sounds like a plan to me. See you there, guys. Don’t miss it. Get your tickets at ChattanoogaCharge.com and join the charge. 🔋⚡
Chattanooga Charge is a premier Tesla and EV gathering inspired by the X Takeover, known as one of the largest Tesla event gatherings. What began as a bold idea from the team at DIY Wraps/TESBROS, hosted in their hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee, the event quickly became a movement across social media. The first annual Chattanooga Charge united over 16 Tesla clubs from 16 states, proof that the EV community was hungry for something big in the South. Year after year, the event has grown in scale, ambition, and heart.
Tesla launches first ‘true’ East Coast V4 Supercharger: here’s what that means
Tesla reveals various improvements to the Semi in new piece with Jay Leno
