Connect with us

News

Is Tesla Motors Changing Its Name? Becoming a #TeslaEnergy Company?

Is Tesla Motors changing its name? It has dropped the word “Motors” from its e-mail signature ever since the Model S 70D was announced a few weeks ago. It also owns the domain name “teslaenergy.com”. We may know more after tomorrow’s announcement.

Published

on

Tesla LogoIs Tesla Motors changing its name? Sharp eyed observers have noticed that, ever since the Model S 70D was unveiled, all e-mails from the company including the invitation to Thursday’s event read “Tesla”, not Tesla Motors. Adding a spark to the speculation, the domain name “teslaenergy.com” was purchased by the company way back in 2004 further validating that the company has always seen itself as more than just a maker of electric vehicles. As of today that domain redirects back to the Tesla Motors website but we wouldn’t be surprised if this one day becomes the primary domain for the company as it continues to transition its image into becoming an energy company.

Tesla motors changing its name?

Image of what appears to be a cover plate to a home battery system from Tesla. Tweet using #TeslaEnergy to join in on the fun!

Tesla (or Tesla  Motors, if you prefer) is scheduled to reveal that it is getting into the energy storage business in a big way at Thursday’s event. We know it has had prototype batteries in some 300 homes around the country for the last two years. We also know that 11 Walmart stores have #TeslaEnergy storage batteries as part of their electrical systems. Feedback from all those residential and commercial batteries has no doubt helped Tesla refine and perfect both its energy storage hardware and the software that controls it.

Technology journalist and Tesla owner Daniel Sparks says:

Given the scale and importance of Tesla’s new venture into battery storage, it may make sense to launch its new business under a new name in order to drive home how seriously the company is taking it. Whether the exact change will be a move to drop “Motors” from the corporate name or simply to introduce a new division, perhaps called “Tesla Energy,” is unclear. Indeed, no change is certain. But it certainly wouldn’t be surprising to see a new name pop at some point in the near future.

Sparks notes that Apple did something similar when it dropped the word “Computer” from its corporate name. He speculates that Tesla may become the new official corporate name with two divisions under its umbrella — Tesla Motors and Tesla Energy. Or it may just use the name “Tesla” for all its business activities. You can tweet Daniel Sparks at .

For the record, this is how Tesla Motors describes itself officially when a person does a Google search for that name: Tesla Motors, Inc. is an American company that designs, manufactures, and sells electric cars and electric vehicle powertrain components. No mention of storage batteries anywhere in that description.

We can’t say for sure that a corporate name change is imminent. Perhaps we will know more after tomorrow’s announcement. Follow us Teslarati.com Leaf Logo@Teslarati to see real-time updates from the event! #TeslaEnergy


// Image Credit: Tesla Motor

Advertisement
-->

"I write about technology and the coming zero emissions revolution."

Advertisement
Comments

News

Tesla gamifies Supercharging with new ‘Charging Passport’

It will also include things like badges for special charging spots, among other metrics that will show all of the different places people have traveled to plug in for range.

Published

on

Credit: MarcoRP | X

Tesla is gamifying its Supercharging experience by offering a new “Charging Passport,” hoping to add a new layer to the ownership experience.

While it is not part of the Holiday Update, it is rolling out around the same time and offers a handful of cool new features.

Tesla’s Charging Passport will be available within the smartphone app and will give a yearly summary of your charging experience, helping encapsulate your travel for that year.

It will also include things like badges for special charging spots, among other metrics that will show all of the different places people have traveled to plug in for range.

Tesla will include the following metrics within the new Charging Passport option within the Tesla app:

  • Charging badges: Iconic charging badges for visiting places like the Tesla Diner, Oasis Supercharger, etc., Explorer Badge, and more
  • Total Unique Superchargers Visited
  • Total Charging Sessions
  • Total Miles Added during Charging Sessions
  • Top Charging Day
  • Longest Trip
  • Favorite Charging Locations

This will give people a unique way to see their travels throughout the year, and although it is not necessarily something that is needed or adds any genuine value, it is something that many owners will like to look back on. After all, things like Spotify Wrapped and Apple Music Replay have been a great way for people to see what music they listened to throughout the year.

This is essentially Tesla’s version of that.

With a handful of unique Superchargers already active, Tesla is also building some new ones, like a UFO-inspired location in New Mexico, near Roswell.

Advertisement
-->

Tesla is building a new UFO-inspired Supercharger in the heart of Alien country

Continue Reading

News

Tesla launches its coolest gift idea ever just a few weeks after it was announced

“Gift one month of Full Self-Driving (Supervised), which allows the vehicle to drive itself almost anywhere with minimal intervention.”

Published

on

Credit: Tesla

Tesla has launched its coolest gift idea ever, just a few weeks after it was announced.

Tesla is now giving owners the opportunity to gift Full Self-Driving for one month to friends or family through a new gifting program that was suggested to the company last month.

The program will enable people to send a fellow Tesla owner one month of the company’s semi-autonomous driving software, helping them to experience the Full Self-Driving suite and potentially help Tesla gain them as a subscriber of the program, or even an outright purchase.

Tesla has officially launched the program on its Shop. Sending one month of Full Self-Driving costs $112:

“Gift one month of Full Self-Driving (Supervised), which allows the vehicle to drive itself almost anywhere with minimal intervention. All sales are final. Can only be purchased and redeemed in the U.S. This gift card is valued at $112.00 and is intended to cover the price of one month of FSD (Supervised), including up to 13% sales tax. It is not guaranteed to cover the full monthly price if pricing or tax rates change. This gift card can be stored in Tesla Wallet and redeemed toward FSD (Supervised) or any other Tesla product or service that accepts gift card payments.”

Tesla has done a great job of expanding Full Self-Driving access over the past few years, especially by offering things like the Subscription program, free trials through referrals, and now this gift card program.

Gifting Full Self-Driving is another iteration of Tesla’s “butts in seats” strategy, which is its belief that it can flip consumers to its vehicles and products by simply letting people experience them.

Advertisement
-->

There is also a reason behind pushing Full Self-Driving so hard, and it has to do with CEO Elon Musk’s compensation package. One tranche requires Musk to achieve a certain number of active paid Full Self-Driving subscriptions.

More people who try the suite are likely to pay for it over the long term.

Continue Reading

News

Tesla expands Robotaxi app access once again, this time on a global scale

Tesla said recently it plans to launch Robotaxi in Miami, Houston, Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Dallas.

Published

on

Credit: Grok

Tesla has expanded Robotaxi app access once again, but this time, it’s on a much broader scale as the company is offering the opportunity for those outside of North America to download the app.

Tesla Robotaxi is the company’s early-stage ride-hailing platform that is active in Texas, California, and Arizona, with more expansion within the United States planned for the near future.

Tesla said recently it plans to launch Robotaxi in Miami, Houston, Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Dallas.

The platform has massive potential, and Tesla is leaning on it to be a major contributor to even more disruption in the passenger transportation industry. So far, it has driven over 550,000 miles in total, with the vast majority of this coming from the Bay Area and Austin.

First Look at Tesla’s Robotaxi App: features, design, and more

Advertisement
-->

However, Tesla is focusing primarily on rapid expansion, but most of this is reliant on the company’s ability to gain regulatory permission to operate the platform in various regions. The expansion plans go well outside of the U.S., as the company expanded the ability to download the app to more regions this past weekend.

So far, these are the areas it is available to download in:

  • Japan
  • Thailand
  • Hong Kong
  • South Korea
  • Australia
  • Taiwan
  • Macau
  • New Zealand
  • Mexico
  • U.S.
  • Canada

Right now, while Tesla is focusing primarily on expansion, it is also working on other goals that have to do with making it more widely available to customers who want to grab a ride from a driverless vehicle.

One of the biggest goals it has is to eliminate safety monitors from its vehicles, which it currently utilizes in Austin in the passenger’s seat and in the driver’s seat in the Bay Area.

A few weeks ago, Tesla started implementing a new in-cabin data-sharing system, which will help support teams assist riders without anyone in the front of the car.

Tesla takes a step towards removal of Robotaxi service’s safety drivers

Advertisement
-->

As Robotaxi expands into more regions, Tesla stands to gain tremendously through the deployment of the Full Self-Driving suite for personal cars, as well as driverless Robotaxis for those who are just hailing rides.

Things have gone well for Tesla in the early stages of the Robotaxi program, but expansion will truly be the test of how things operate going forward. Navigating local traffic laws and gaining approval from a regulatory standpoint will be the biggest hurdle to jump.

Continue Reading