News
Tesla owners poke fun at NHTSA for paper notices telling them their cars are already fixed through OTA update
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently maintained that it is not convinced that Tesla’s safety-focused over-the-air (OTA) software updates need a new terminology. In a comment to Teslarati, the NHTSA stated that any defect, regardless of whether a remedy to an issue is fixed through an OTA update or a visit to a dealership, fits the bill of a recall.
While the NHSTA is justified in this point considering the agency’s focus on vehicle safety, one would find it difficult to argue that Tesla’s software update that slightly increases the font size of three icons is a serious safety issue. And considering that about 2 million Teslas are affected by the “recall,” the NHTSA has started “informing” Tesla owners about the issue.
The thing is, manufacturers are required to mail physical letters to affected Tesla owners informing them about recalls on their vehicles. This is understandable of course, but letters for some of Tesla’s recalls — particularly those that have already been addressed through an OTA software update — seem redundant and extremely wasteful. As shared by some Tesla owners on social media, the paper letters from the NHTSA are basically informing owners that their vehicles have already been fixed through a free over-the-air software update.
Do I need to return the recall letter back to NHTSA since my Tesla car was already fixed! They can use the letter for the next recall! pic.twitter.com/2g4IokJy5D— Tesla?Charge (@BabuNair) February 16, 2024
The NHTSA’s paper recall notices to Tesla’s software-based recalls have become a running joke of sorts among EV owners on social media. Some Tesla owners joked that since the NHTSA’s recall notices are printed on high-quality paper, a good number of trees were probably used just to tell owners that they have nothing to do since their cars have already been fixed.
@NHTSAgov @USDOT <— Save a tree and get with the times. The font size was changed a month ago in my garage while I slept, but thanks for the heads up ? pic.twitter.com/qnwl1QvxYg— Morgan (@l_LlKE_CAKE) February 16, 2024
With the advent of electric vehicles, over-the-air software updates are no longer a Tesla-only affair. Other EV makers such as Rivian and Ford have also started rolling out constant software updates for their electric cars. These cars will likely receive safety-focused software optimizations over time, so it might be in the best interests of the NHTSA to more accurately distinguish a software update from a legitimate recall.
Happy valentines .@NHTSAgov ♥️ pic.twitter.com/TUCABbHC3a— Meccanica (@dictionaryhill) February 15, 2024
There is a big difference between Tesla’s update to increase the font size of three icons, after all, to Toyota’s previous recall of the bZ4x, which was initiated by the Japanese automaker after it was observed that the all-electric crossover showed a risk of losing its wheels while driving.
“We’ve been trying to reach you about your displayed font size” –@NHTSArecalls https://t.co/1N6hBpEMxM pic.twitter.com/J14N94AyRf— The Kilowatts ?⚡️ (@klwtts) February 16, 2024
Like many of you, I am tired of receiving paper letters from @NHTSAgov for issues that were already remediated via over-the-air (OTA) software updates. It is high time we update the terminology used to describe these type of enhancements as well as end the wasteful practice of… pic.twitter.com/23oMSpsaAW— Dan Burkland (@DBurkland) February 15, 2024
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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.
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:
“Hold onto your Tesla stock. It’s going to be worth a lot, I think. That’s my bet.”
Elon Musk in new interview: “Hold on to your $TSLA stock. It’s going to be worth a lot, I think. That’s my bet.” pic.twitter.com/cucirBuhq0
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) February 26, 2026
It’s no secret Musk has been extremely bullish on his own companies, but Tesla in particular, because it is publicly traded.
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.
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:
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:
🚨 Tesla has updated the $59,990 Cybertruck Dual Motor AWD’s estimated delivery date to April 2027.
First deliveries are still slated for June, but if you order it now, you’ll be waiting over a year.
Demand appears to be off the charts for the new Cybertruck and consumers are… pic.twitter.com/raDCCeC0zP
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) February 26, 2026
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
“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.
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.