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Tesla Motors is no longer a startup, reassures shareholders
Covering the news with Tesla Motors is always an interesting exercise, to put it mildly. The electric lifestyle Californian startup releases a steady flow of news covering the automotive industry, making incursions in the energy world, ruffling feathers with automotive lobby groups, and showing weary companies the ways of things to come. The last shareholder meeting gives us a rundown on what is happening at Tesla.
A lot of electric miles
Congratulations to the Teslarati, you have driven more than 344 million miles with no fatalities. The accidents, which the press was more than willing to spin a negative twist on, were not Tesla’s direct fault. But more to the point, this moves the status of our beloved trendsetter from startup to a fully fledged established company. In many ways, Tesla Motors is giving us a glimpse of how future companies will operate. They will require strong and far-reaching visions, answer real needs, with a business model that goes beyond the simplistic bottom line philosophy we’ve endured until now.
More than one Gigafactory
The gigafactory story we wrote a few months ago was picked up by mainstream news and shed evidence that Tesla was always much more than a carmaker. If one gigafactory is good, many are even better. With the company’s current production capacity constraints, due to its low supply of lithium-ion battery cells, Elon Musk hinted at more than one Gigafactory. Can you see utilities fretting over this one? Not only will Tesla Motors worry battery makers worldwide, but will give utilities more gray hair than they anticipated with more battery factories tied to the grid with alternative energy.
As far as Panasonic’s jitters, Tesla still believes it can bring down the costs of its lithium-ion cells by 30-percent cost, which Musk said Panasonic agrees with. The target is still 500,000 electric vehicles (EV) by 2020.
Did anyone catch the real news? Elon Musk said Tesla would able to change anode and cathode material quickly in the Gigafactory, instead of continuing the same lithium-ion chemistry.
Model S price… decrease
Now don’t get your hopes too high, the price decrease won’t be much, about $5,000, but enough to bring the Model S below $100,000. Still, this warrant kudos from a company who has only been producing its first ever designed car from the grounds up for a few short years, outselling any other cars in its category.
Roadster gets an upgrade!
By far my favorite news, my favorite car, the Roadster will get an upgrade this year. Unfortunately, its replacement is still uncertain, but would nonetheless be based on the next-generation III platform
Musk stays at the helm, for now
We’ve always felt Elon Musk would stay a few more years at the helm of Tesla Motors before retiring as Chairman and focusing on SpaceX. It makes the most sense, as Tesla is now a well establish company, spanning many industries. The next challenge is Space X. He said he would continue as CEO for at least four or five more years, at least through a volume production of the third-generation car.
Model X, mid-2015, third generation following
As far as the company’s third car, the Model X will be available during the second quarter of 2015. The other good news is that the third generation is still targeted at around $35,000 with a 200-mile range. We can expect it to be available around the late 2016.
Toyota needs Tesla, not the other way around
One of the debates I’ve enjoyed over the years was whether Toyota needs Tesla or the other way around. Even though Tesla reached the end of its business venture with the Toyota RAV4 EV drivetrain, Musk revealed Toyota was coming back for more. Even though Toyota insists on hydrogen fuel cell technology, the company is still interested in using Tesla’s electric powertrain for a high volume deal . Don’t bet on this happening any time time soon. Tesla has a hard time keeping up with production . He did mention we should hear more in about two years, once production constraints had eased.
Model E?
So long Model E. Despite Ford’s public recognition, Tesla Motors feels the company would sue for using it. The company is looking at other names and Musk said: “I think we’ve got something that might be…good, might work out pretty well”.
We wanted to offer Model T, for the Teslarati, but we feel Ford again might not like this… So how about Model Cev for cool EV, or Model B, simply for Beautiful?
The Tesla Semi was spotted mounted with ground truth validation equipment as the company nears its looming launch. The Semi is Tesla’s Class 8 all-electric truck, and has been utilized in its earlier stages by many companies like PepsiCo. and Frito-Lay, who have been using it in a pilot program.
The Semi was spotted in Sunnyvale, California, and sports a typical ground truth validation unit that Tesla routinely uses on its vehicles. Ground truth validation is essentially the process of training supervised algorithms to ensure they can perform reliably. Tesla typically performs this on vehicles that are being released soon:
Spotted the new semi adorned with ground truthing equipment. Haven’t seen anyone post this so figured I’d share.
The future is autonomous!!@SawyerMerritt @wholemars pic.twitter.com/qkPDHPUQZ6
— Danny (@dannywinner1) June 21, 2026
The Semi being spotted with this type of validation rig is important because it means the company is working on solidifying a Full Self-Driving model for its commercial vehicle offering. This would be a massive development for not only Tesla but also the logistics industry as a whole.
There are strict regulations on driving hours for commercial truck drivers, and autonomy is a way to potentially combat these issues. FSD is already a widely effective way that owners of typical passenger vehicles take stress out of travel. Even launching a semi-autonomous platform for truck drivers to use to increase safety, reduce fatigue, and increase productivity would be a huge development.
Tesla Semi gets strange-but-understandable comparison from Jay Leno
The Semi has already proven to be an ideal solution for companies that use commercial logistics. It has increased efficiency and reduced operating costs for many companies that have been able to use it in pilot programs.
There are expected to be some bumps along the way. Tesla saw some challenges with FSD on the Cybertruck, as it had never had a vehicle with cameras at that height, so some of the features with FSD were not immediately available. Just a week ago, Tesla launched Actually Smart Summon (ASS) for Cybertruck, nearly three years after the vehicle was first delivered to customers.
President Donald Trump unveiled an upgraded Boeing 747-8 at Joint Base Andrews on June 19, 2026, describing the Qatar-gifted aircraft as an interim Air Force One equipped with advanced communications systems, including Starlink, Elon Musk’s SpaceX satellite internet service.
The plane, valued at around $400 million and modified for presidential use, serves as a bridge until the delayed VC-25B replacements arrive. Trump highlighted its luxury features and new technology during remarks to service members.
Trump stated:
“We have communication equipment up there that nobody’s ever seen before. It’s the highest level and, uh, including Starlink. My friend Elon is going to be very happy, but, uh, Starlink and we have, uh, four or five different sets of double and triple communications like people haven’t seen.”
He added:
“And it represents what can happen with hard work, innovation, and aggressive timelines because we did this quickly and yet there’s never been communication like is on this plane.”
🚨 President Trump confirmed today that the new Air Force One is equipped with Starlink:
“We have communication equipment up there that nobody’s ever seen before, it’s the highest level and including Starlink…my friend Elon is going to be very happy.” pic.twitter.com/IhkDmtr5hL
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) June 20, 2026
The aircraft features a redesigned red, white, and blue livery and has been outfitted with Starlink satellite connectivity alongside other secure systems.
Trump praised the plane’s uniqueness, calling it among the world’s most luxurious. The gift from Qatar and subsequent modifications have drawn attention, with the jet positioned as a solution for presidential travel. It is expected to support operations, including potential ceremonial roles such as Fourth of July flyovers.
The event marked the formal introduction of the converted jet, which will help maintain capabilities while the primary Air Force One fleet undergoes modernization. Defense observers note the inclusion of commercial satellite technology like Starlink as part of efforts to ensure resilient communications, crucial to keep the country running as the President is in the sky.
President Trump’s comments underscored appreciation for rapid upgrades and innovation in equipping the aircraft. The plane remains a U.S. government asset and is slated for eventual transfer related to presidential library purposes after its service.
Tesla just gave what is perhaps its biggest signal yet that the launch of the Cybercab, its autonomous ride-hailing-geared car, is imminent.
The Cybercab has been spotted outside of Gigafactory Texas in massive numbers over the past few days, with hundreds of units being stored on property just days after the vehicle received a Certificate of Conformity from the EPA.
Today, things were a bit different.
Cybercabs spotted on Giga Texas property today had an addition: a Cybercab decal on the side, reminiscent of the “Robotaxi” ones that were placed on Model Ys just as the company launched its ride-sharing platform about a year ago.
Giga Texas drone operator Joe Tegtmeyer noticed the change today:
Tesla Cybercabs are now getting “Cybercab” logos on the side of them!
Tesla did the same with Model Ys that were given “Robotaxi” logos: https://t.co/DanANtw1m7 pic.twitter.com/FqOhH0S9Ks
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) June 19, 2026
Tesla could be signaling that the Cybercab is preparing to enter the Robotaxi fleet in the coming weeks or months with this move. It seems more symbolic than anything; Tesla is ready to throw Cybercabs in the ride-hailing platform just as it did with Model Ys last year.
The addition of the Certificate of Conformity awarded to the Cybercab is another major factor working to Tesla’s advantage. The company now has permission from the EPA to allow the vehicle to operate on public roads and enter the chain of commerce. It’s officially street legal.
Tesla Cybercab specs revealed: range, curb weight, range ratings, and more
The big question that remains is whether Tesla will be able to operate the car without a safety monitor, especially considering it plans to put the car out there without a steering wheel or pedals. With the Cybercab only having a seating capacity of two, it is hard to believe Tesla will even consider putting a Safety Monitor in the car.
It did recently self-certify as Level 4 and has the ability to operate driverless vehicles in the State of Texas under a law that took effect on May 28. You can read more about that here:
Tesla’s Robotaxi dreams just took a massive step toward reality
We’d imagine Cybercabs will be on the roads as soon as July, but August will likely be a better estimate of when the car will be entered into the Cybercab fleet. It all depends at where Tesla is, as they’ve truly prioritized safety with the rollout of the Robotaxi platform.
Tesla Semi spotted with ground truth validation equipment as launch looms
President Trump touts new Air Force One with Musk technology
