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Tesla’s tumultuous relationship with Edmunds is based on love, respect, and improvement

Tesla Model Y Performance delivery center (Credit: YouTube | i1Tesla)

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Tesla and automotive information resource Edmunds have had an up and down relationship throughout the years. Many Tesla-loyal EV enthusiasts claim the publication has a vendetta against the Silicon Valley-based electric carmaker. Still, the truth remains that Edmunds has plenty of respect for Tesla and its cars. In a video, Edmunds‘ Manager of Feature Content Carlos Lago outlined not only what Tesla could do better with its Model Y, but also what other carmakers can learn from the hottest company in electric transportation.

Of course, many Tesla owners hold an uncanny loyalty to the carmaker who manufactured their electric vehicle. It is normal and expected. When someone spends at least $35,000 on a car, they’re going to make sure they respect the brand and its ideals. Tesla is no different, but the obsessive nature of the company’s vehicle owners makes the auto manufacturer nearly one of a kind. With Elon Musk at the helm calling the day-to-day shots, the company continues to revolutionize the idea of an electric vehicle, proving to everyone that the battery-electric powertrains don’t have to be “ugly and slow and boring like a golf cart,” like he once said on 60 Minutes.

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And, to be fair, Musk’s company has proven that. Tesla has done more than enough to rid the world of the idea that a battery-powered car is a slow and ineffective mode of transportation. This idea does not mean that Tesla’s are perfect, and there are things that the company could improve on for future builds of their vehicles. Edmunds was more than happy to throw a few suggestions out there.

The Tesla Model Y crossover. (Credit: Edmunds/Twitter)

The improvements that Edmunds would like to see is not indicative of a belief that Tesla has a lack of quality in their cars. When the publication’s review of the Model 3 revealed some issues with panel gaps and overall build quality, Tesla improved upon the issue by confronting it head-on. One of Tesla’s most vocal critics in Bob Lutz even admitted that the Model 3’s build quality was “world-class” after the suggestions, and the improvements won the vehicle Edmunds’ “2020 EV of the Year” award.

For the most part, Tesla’s vehicles have culminated in primarily positive reviews from Edmunds. Most recently, the Model Y won over Lago in a comprehensive study that highlighted Tesla’s improved build qualities and impressive performance standards.

The Model Y crossover could be Tesla’s most popular vehicle to date. The combination of white-knuckle performance with the crossover body style that has quickly become the most popular in the U.S. launches the car into the category of massively appealing.

Credit: MotorTrend

If Tesla can dial in a few changes that Edmunds suggests, there is a considerable chance that the Model Y can become the most popular car, EV or not, in the country. The company’s growing appeal across the globe has drawn attraction from the world’s biggest brands, who have designed their newest vehicles after Tesla’s technology and minimalist design.

Time after time, Tesla-inspired tech shows up on vehicles outside of the EV sector. The company’s sales figures, combined with customer loyalty, make Tesla a force to be reckoned with not only now, but also in the future.

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Before taking Edmunds‘ suggestions as a source of negativity, try and frame it as constructive criticism. Tesla’s vehicles are not perfect, and the constant attention to detail and thirst for improvement is what has made the company so successful in the twelve years it has been building electric vehicles.

Watch Edmund’s Carlos Lago’s Long-Term review of the Model Y below.

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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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Elon Musk

Elon Musk hints Tesla investors will be rewarded heavily

“Hold onto your Tesla stock. It’s going to be worth a lot, I think. That’s my bet,” Musk said.

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Credit: Grok

Elon Musk recently hinted that he believes Tesla investors will be rewarded heavily if they continue to hold onto their shares, and he reiterated that in a new interview that the company released on its social accounts this week.

Musk is one of the most successful CEOs in the modern era and has mammothed competitors on the Forbes Net Worth List over the past year as his holdings in his various companies have continued to swell.

Tesla investors, especially those who have been holding shares for several years, have also felt substantial gains in their portfolios. Over the past five years, the stock is up over 78 percent. Since February 2019, nearly seven years ago to the day, the stock is up over 1,800 percent.

Musk said in the interview:

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“Hold onto your Tesla stock. It’s going to be worth a lot, I think. That’s my bet.”

It’s no secret Musk has been extremely bullish on his own companies, but Tesla in particular, because it is publicly traded.

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However, the company has so many amazing projects that have an opportunity to revolutionize their respective industries. There is certainly a path to major growth on Wall Street for Tesla through its various future projects, including Optimus, Cybercab, Semi, and Unsupervised FSD.

  • Optimus (Tesla’s humanoid robot): Musk has discussed its potential for tasks like childcare, walking dogs, or assisting elderly parents, positioning it as a massive long-term driver of company value.
  • Cybercab (Tesla’s robotaxi/autonomous ride-hailing vehicle): a fully autonomous vehicle geared specifically for Tesla’s ride-sharing ambitions.
  • Semi (Tesla’s electric truck, with mentions of expansion, like in Europe): brings Tesla into the commercial logistics sector.
  • Unsupervised FSD (Full Self-Driving software achieving full autonomy without human supervision): turns every Tesla owner’s vehicle into a fully-autonomous vehicle upon release

These projects specifically are some of the highest-growth pillars Tesla has ever attempted to develop, especially in Musk’s eyes, as he has said Optimus will be the best-selling product of all-time.

Many analysts agree, but the bullish ones, like Cathie Wood of ARK Invest, are perhaps the one who believes Tesla has incredible potential on Wall Street, predicting a $2,600 price target for 2030, but this is not even including Optimus.

She told Bloomberg last March that she believes that the project will present a potential additive if Tesla can scale faster than anticipated.

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Cybertruck

Tesla drops latest hint that new Cybertruck trim is selling like hotcakes

According to Tesla’s Online Design Studio, the new All-Wheel-Drive Cybertruck will now be delivered in April 2027. Earlier orders are still slated for early this Summer, but orders from here on forward are now officially pushed into next year:

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(Credit: Tesla)

Tesla’s new Cybertruck offering has had its delivery date pushed back once again. This is now the second time, and deliveries for the newest orders are now pushed well into 2027.

According to Tesla’s Online Design Studio, the new All-Wheel-Drive Cybertruck will now be delivered in April 2027. Earlier orders are still slated for early this Summer, but orders from here on forward are now officially pushed into next year:

Just three days ago, the initial delivery date of June 2026 was pushed back to early Fall, and now, that date has officially moved to April 2027.

The fact that Tesla has had to push back deliveries once again proves one of two things: either Tesla has slow production plans for the new Cybertruck trim, or demand is off the charts.

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Judging by how Tesla is already planning to raise the price based on demand in just a few days, it seems like the company knows it is giving a tremendous deal on this spec of Cybertruck, and units are moving quickly.

That points more toward demand and not necessarily to slower production plans, but it is not confirmed.

Tesla Cybertruck’s newest trim will undergo massive change in ten days, Musk says

Tesla is set to hike the price on March 1, so tomorrow will be the final day to grab the new Cybertruck trim for just $59,990.

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It features:

  • Dual Motor AWD w/ est. 325 mi of range
  • Powered tonneau cover
  • Bed outlets (2x 120V + 1x 240V) & Powershare capability
  • Coil springs w/ adaptive damping
  • Heated first-row seats w/ textile material that is easy to clean
  • Steer-by-wire & Four Wheel Steering
  • 6’ x 4’ composite bed
  • Towing capacity of up to 7,500 lbs
  • Powered frunk

Interestingly, the price offering is fairly close to what Tesla unveiled back in late 2019.

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Elon Musk

Elon Musk outlines plan for first Starship tower catch attempt

Musk confirmed that Starship V3 Ship 1 (SN1) is headed for ground tests and expressed strong confidence in the updated vehicle design.

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Credit: SpaceX/X

Elon Musk has clarified when SpaceX will first attempt to catch Starship’s upper stage with its launch tower. The CEO’s update provides the clearest teaser yet for the spacecraft’s recovery roadmap.

Musk shared the details in recent posts on X. In his initial post, Musk confirmed that Starship V3 Ship 1 (SN1) is headed for ground tests and expressed strong confidence in the updated vehicle design.

“Starship V3 SN1 headed for ground tests. I am highly confident that the V3 design will achieve full reusability,” Musk wrote.

In a follow-up post, Musk addressed when SpaceX would attempt to catch the upper stage using the launch tower’s robotic arms. 

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“Should note that SpaceX will only try to catch the ship with the tower after two perfect soft landings in the ocean. The risk of the ship breaking up over land needs to be very low,” Musk clarified. 

His remarks suggest that SpaceX is deliberately reducing risk before attempting a tower catch of Starship’s upper stage. Such a milestone would mark a major step towards the full reuse of the Starship system.

SpaceX is currently targeting the first Starship V3 flight of 2026 this coming March. The spacecraft’s V3 iteration is widely viewed as a key milestone in SpaceX’s long-term strategy to make Starship fully reusable. 

Starship V3 features a number of key upgrades over its previous iterations. The vehicle is equipped with SpaceX’s Raptor V3 engines, which are designed to deliver significantly higher thrust than earlier versions while reducing cost and weight. 

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The V3 design is also expected to be optimized for manufacturability, a critical step if SpaceX intends to scale the spacecraft’s production toward frequent launches for Starlink, lunar missions, and eventually Mars. 

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