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Tesla Model X ‘Refresh buyers informed of delivery dates

(Credit: Tesla)

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Tesla is contacting those who have pre-ordered the “Refreshed” versions of the Model X crossover, communicating that they should prepare for delivery between February 15th and March 15th.

Model S and Model X Refresh

In December, Tesla shut down production lines of the Model S and Model X at its Fremont, California, production facility, indicating that a refresh, or updating, of its two flagship vehicles would take place. After heavy speculation, Teslarati, in conjunction with the Kilowatts, located new builds of the Model S at the Fremont Factory’s test track. The car was sporting a wider body among several other external modifications. However, the car wasn’t subjected to a complete overhaul on the outside. This wasn’t the case for the interior.

Upon the release of the company’s Q4 2020 Earnings Update Letter, Tesla revealed new pictures of the Model S interior and expanded on its website that the same changes would be made to the Model X. Along with a new touchscreen design, the rest of the interior saw some major renovations, including the addition of a rear screen for passengers, tri-zone climate controls, similar to the Model 3 and Model Y, and a new Yoke steering wheel.

Tesla teases Model S Plaid with refreshed interior: New touchscreen, Roadster steering wheel, and more

Production of the past Model S and Model X builds has evidently halted, according to the Tesla Parts Catalog. It appears that Raven S and X builds, which pack the 100 kWh battery pack with the powerful permanent magnet synchronous reluctance rear motor, has been halted, as production dates have been given their closing production month of January 2021.

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Model X Refresh First Deliveries

After the production of Model S and Model X was halted to update production lines, it was evident that Tesla was looking to refresh the car. After they announced it during the Earnings Call, CEO Elon Musk stated that he anticipated deliveries beginning this month for the Model S, and later for the Model X.

Musk said:

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“We’re super excited to announce the new Model S and Model X Plaid — are in production now and will be delivered in February. So we’ve been able to bring forward the fab, Model S and X. And Model S will be delivered in February and Model X a little later.”

Tesla’s Design Studio for the United States indicates deliveries won’t start until April. However, Tesla is updating the accounts of those who have pre-ordered the Model X, by telling them an estimated delivery date of “February 15 – March 15.”

One pre-orderer, known as Joe, told Teslaratthat his account has been updated and he is to expect delivery of his new car between February 15th and March 15th. He shared the photo of his account, indicating that delivery should be taking place within the next month.

Credit: @ Joe13644982 | Twitter

It is expected that Model S deliveries will take place first, according to Musk. However, the Model X could begin deliveries relatively soon after the Model S, especially based on the message Tesla is providing to owners on their account page. An exact date has not yet been given to owners, but we can confirm that Tesla’s timeline is pretty close to what Musk detailed during the Earnings Call.

Tesla’s refreshed Model X comes in two variants currently: a Long Range Dual Motor All-Wheel Drive for $89,990, and a Tri-Motor All-Wheel Drive “Plaid” variant, for $119,990. Both prices are before potential savings.

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Joey has been a journalist covering electric mobility at TESLARATI since August 2019. In his spare time, Joey is playing golf, watching MMA, or cheering on any of his favorite sports teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles, Miami Heat, Washington Capitals, and Penn State Nittany Lions. You can get in touch with joey at joey@teslarati.com. He is also on X @KlenderJoey. If you're looking for great Tesla accessories, check out shop.teslarati.com

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Investor's Corner

Tesla stock tumbles after earnings, one of its sharpest single-day declines

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla stock (NASDAQ: TSLA) endured one of its sharpest single-day declines in years on July 23, tumbling approximately 14.5 percent and closing near $320 after opening the session around $374. The drop erased more than $140 billion in market value amid heavy trading volume and left the shares at multi-week lows.

The sell-off followed the company’s second-quarter 2026 results, released the previous evening. Tesla reported record revenue of $28.2 billion, up 26 percent year over year, driven by a Q2-record 480,126 vehicle deliveries. Energy storage deployments also rose strongly.

Tesla (TSLA) Q2 2026 earnings results: miss on EPS, beat on revenue

Yet profitability disappointed sharply. Operating income fell 57 percent to $398 million, compressing the operating margin to just 1.4 percent. Non-GAAP earnings per share came in at $0.33, well below the roughly $0.53 analysts had expected. Free cash flow turned negative by $1.1 billion as capital expenditures surged 142 percent to $5.8 billion, largely tied to accelerated spending on artificial intelligence, robotics, and autonomous systems.

The losses on capex were expected, as Tesla said it would be spending heavily in 2026.

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Investors also reacted to lingering uncertainty surrounding key product timelines. During the Earnings Call, management reiterated ambitions for Robotaxi deployment and the Optimus humanoid robot, but offered limited new concrete milestones, renewing questions about execution pace that have long accompanied Tesla’s ambitious roadmap.

The magnitude of the decline places it among Tesla’s more severe one-day percentage losses since its 2010 initial public offering. Historically, the two largest single-day drops (split-adjusted) remain September 8, 2020, when shares fell 21.1 percent amid broader market volatility and valuation concerns, and January 13, 2012, with a 19.3 percent plunge during the company’s early growth struggles.

Other notable declines include an 18.6 percent drop on March 16, 2020, at the onset of pandemic-related market turmoil. Thursday’s move ranks roughly ninth on the all-time list but stands out as the steepest in more than a year.

Despite the short-term pain, Tesla’s long-term trajectory has repeatedly recovered from such volatility. The latest results underscore both the strength of its core automotive and energy businesses and the near-term costs of heavy investment in next-generation technologies.

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Elon Musk

Elon Musk is not happy about this Tesla Full Self-Driving approval delay

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Credit: Tesla

Elon Musk clapped back at France’s decision to withhold the approval for Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) Supervised system, projecting a clear and blunt message to French Transport Minister Phillippe Tabarot, after he publicly rejected the technology in its current form.

Tabarot outlines several concerns with Tesla Full Self-Driving in a detailed video statement, where he said, “The safety trade-offs are not yet sufficient to authorize it as it currently stands,” he said. He emphasized that FSD is not a true self-driving system and that the driver remains fully responsible.

Key issues Tabarot also brought up included allowing speeding when surrounding traffic exceeds limits and what he believes are insufficient guarantees of driver attention during complex urban maneuvers such as lane changes, intersections, and roundabouts.

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While acknowledging technological progress and France’s support for autonomous innovation, Tabarot stressed that deployment must prioritize road safety. He noted ongoing technical discussions with Tesla, the Netherlands, and other European partners, with further ecosystem meetings planned for the fall.

Musk’s rebuke highlights the human cost of regulatory caution. Tesla’s latest safety reports provide compelling data supporting accelerated adoption. In the most recent 12-month period, vehicles using FSD (Supervised) recorded one major collision per approximately 5.1 million miles driven, dramatically better than the U.S. national average of one crash per 698,000 miles.

Even Tesla vehicles driven manually with active safety features outperform the average by a wide margin. These figures come from billions of real-world miles of telemetry, showing FSD vehicles involved in far fewer incidents than both manual Teslas and the broader U.S. fleet.

Critics argue Tesla’s comparisons require careful scrutiny regarding reporting thresholds and fleet demographics, yet the data consistently positions FSD as a potential lifesaver. With road fatalities remaining a leading cause of death worldwide, Musk contends that proven safer technology should not face prolonged bureaucratic hurdles.

France’s measured approach reflects the broader European regulatory caution, which many, especially Musk, have been critical of in the past. However, as autonomous systems from Tesla and competitors like Waymo demonstrate superior safety in independent studies, pressure is mounting for harmonized approvals.

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Musk’s warning carries the belief that every month of delay may equate to avoidable tragedies on European roads.

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Investor's Corner

Google’s massive stake in SpaceX will shock you

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Credit: SpaceX

In a striking revelation that underscores the lucrative crossover between Big Tech and space exploration, Alphabet Inc., Google’s parent company, disclosed a massive $94.1 billion equity stake in SpaceX following the rocket company’s blockbuster initial public offering earlier this year.

The disclosure came in Alphabet’s quarterly filing, marking the first time the long-held private investment has been publicly valued at market prices. Google was an early backer, investing alongside Fidelity in 2015 with roughly $500-900 million at a time when SpaceX was valued around $12 billion.

That bet has delivered extraordinary returns, roughly a hundredfold, transforming a strategic play on satellite internet and launch capabilities into one of Alphabet’s largest assets.

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Of the total holding, approximately $80 billion remains subject to short-term post-IPO lockup restrictions, preventing near-term sales. An additional $14.1 billion faces longer-term restrictions, extending into the third quarter of 2027. This structure limits immediate liquidity but protects against market volatility as SpaceX transitions into public trading.

The SpaceX position contributed significantly to gains in Alphabet’s broader investment portfolio, which also includes a major stake in AI leader Anthropic. Combined, these holdings helped drive nearly $100 billion in investment gains during the second quarter, providing a substantial boost to net income amid ongoing AI spending pressures.

Elon Musk sends first warning to SpaceX short sellers

Analysts view the disclosure as validation of Alphabet’s venture strategy beyond its core search and cloud businesses. The investment aligns with deeper ties, including reported multi-billion-dollar deals for AI computing capacity on SpaceX infrastructure. As SpaceX advances Starship flights, Starlink expansion, and ambitious Mars goals under Elon Musk, Google’s stake positions it to benefit from the commercialization of space.

For Alphabet, the windfall highlights how patient, forward-looking bets in transformative sectors can yield outsized rewards. While lockups temper short-term impact, the holding cements SpaceX as a cornerstone of Alphabet’s diversified portfolio in an era where aerospace, AI, and connectivity increasingly intersect. Investors will watch closely as restrictions lift and SpaceX’s public performance unfolds.

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