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
Tesla ditches India after years of broken promises
Tesla has ditched its plans to build a factory in India after years of failed negotiations.
Tesla’s long-running effort to establish a manufacturing presence in India is officially over. India’s Minister of Heavy Industries H.D. Kumaraswamy confirmed on May 19, 2026 that Tesla has informed authorities it will not proceed with a manufacturing facility in the country.
Tesla first signaled serious interest in India around 2021, when it began hiring local staff and lobbying the Indian government for lower import tariffs. The ask was straightforward: reduce duties enough for Tesla to test the market with imported vehicles before committing capital to a local factory. India’s position was equally firm, with an ask of Tesla to commit to manufacturing first, then receive tariff relief. Neither side moved, and the talks quietly collapsed.
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India had offered a policy that would reduce import duties from 110% down to 15% on EVs priced above $35,000, provided companies committed at least $500 million toward local manufacturing investment within three years. Tesla declined to participate. The tariff standoff was only part of the problem. Analysts pointed to significant gaps in India’s local supply chain, inadequate industrial infrastructure, and a mismatch between Tesla’s premium pricing and the purchasing power of India’s automotive market as additional factors that made the investment difficult to justify.
First signs of an unraveling relationship came in April 2024, when Musk abruptly cancelled a planned trip to India where he was set to meet Prime Minister Modi and announce Tesla’s market entry. By July 2024, Fortune reported that Tesla executives had stopped contacting Indian government officials entirely. The government at that point understood Tesla had capital constraints and no plans to invest.
The more fundamental issue is that Tesla’s existing factories are currently operating at approximately 60% capacity, making a commitment to building new manufacturing capacity in a new market difficult to defend to investors. Tesla will continue selling imported Model Y vehicles through its existing showrooms in Mumbai, Delhi, Gurugram, and Bengaluru, but local production is no longer part of the plan.
Elon Musk
Trump’s invite for Elon just reshuffled Tesla’s big Signature Delivery Event
Tesla rescheduled its final Model S farewell to May 20 after Musk joined Trump in China.
Tesla has rescheduled its Model S and Model X Signature Edition delivery event to Wednesday, May 20, 2026, after abruptly calling off the original May 12 celebration. The event will take place at Tesla’s factory at 45500 Fremont Boulevard in Fremont, California, the same location where the Model S first rolled off the line in 2012. Invitees received a follow-up email asking them to reconfirm attendance and download a new QR code ticket, with Tesla noting that all travel and accommodation expenses remain the buyer’s responsibility.
The reason behind the original cancellation came into focus the same day it was announced. President Trump invited Elon Musk, Apple’s Tim Cook, BlackRock’s Larry Fink, Boeing’s Kelly Ortberg, and executives from Goldman Sachs, Blackstone, Citigroup, and Meta to join his trip to China this week for a summit with President Xi Jinping. The agenda covers trade, artificial intelligence, export controls, Taiwan, and the Iran war, following weeks of escalating friction between Washington and Beijing over AI technology, sanctions, and rare earth exports. Trump wrote on Truth Social, “I am very much looking forward to my trip to China, an amazing Country, with a Leader, President Xi, respected by all.”
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The vehicles at the center of all this are the last Model S and Model X units Tesla will ever build. Priced at $159,420 each, the 250 Model S and 100 Model X Signature Edition units come finished in Garnet Red with a one-year no-resale agreement, giving Tesla right of first refusal if the owner decides to sell. As Teslarati reported, the Model S defined Tesla’s early identity as a serious luxury automaker, and the Fremont factory line that built it is now being converted to manufacture Optimus humanoid robots.
Musk’s inclusion in the China delegation drew attention given his very public relationship with Trump, and the invitation signals the two have moved past and past grievances. Trump originally brought Musk on to lead the Department of Government Efficiency following his inauguration, and despite a sharp public dispute in mid-2025, the two have appeared together repeatedly in recent months. A seat on the China trip, the most diplomatically consequential visit of Trump’s current term, puts Musk back at the table on U.S. economic policy at a moment when Tesla’s China revenue remains one of the company’s most important financial pillars.
Lifestyle
Tesla Semi hauls fresh Cybercab batch as Robotaxi era takes hold
A Tesla Semi was filmed hauling Cybercab units out of Giga Texas for the first time.
A Tesla Semi loaded with Cybercab units was recently filmed leaving Gigafactory Texas, marking what appears to be the first documented delivery run of Tesla’s autonomous two-seater. The footage shows multiple Cybercabs secured on a flatbed trailer being hauled by a production Tesla Semi, a truck rated for a gross combination weight of 82,000 lbs. The location is consistent with Giga Texas in Austin, where Cybercab production has been ramping since February 2026.
The sighting follows a wave of Cybercab activity at the Austin facility. In late April, drone operator Joe Tegtmeyer spotted approximately 60 Cybercabs parked in two organized groups in the factory’s outbound lot, the largest concentration observed to date. Units being staged in an outbound lot is a standard pre-delivery step, and the Semi footage is the logical next frame in that sequence.
En route with @tesla_semi pic.twitter.com/ZfuOjaeLH1
— Tesla Robotaxi (@robotaxi) May 7, 2026
This is not the first time Tesla has used its own Semi to move Tesla products. When the Semi was unveiled in 2017, Musk noted it would be used for Tesla’s own operations, and over the years Semi prototypes were spotted carrying cargo ranging from concrete weights to Tesla vehicles being delivered to consumers. In 2023, a Semi was photographed transporting a Cybertruck on a trailer ahead of that vehicle’s delivery launch.
The Cybercab itself was first revealed publicly at Tesla’s “We, Robot” event on October 10, 2024, at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, where 20 pre-production units gave attendees rides around the studio lot. Musk stated at the event that Tesla intends to produce the Cybercab before 2027. The first production unit rolled off the Giga Texas line on February 17, 2026, with Musk posting on X: “Congratulations to the Tesla team on making the first production Cybercab.”
Tesla’s annual production goal is 2 million Cybercabs per year once multiple factories reach full design capacity, with the company targeting a price under $30,000 per unit. Tesla has confirmed plans to expand its robotaxi service to seven cities in the first half of 2026, including Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, Miami, Orlando, Tampa, and Las Vegas, building on the unsupervised service already running in Austin. Musk has said he expects robotaxis to cover between a quarter and half of the United States by end of year.
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