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Tesla Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen among featured designers in new Peterson Museum auto design course  Tesla Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen among featured designers in new Peterson Museum auto design course 

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Tesla Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen among featured designers in new Peterson Museum auto design course 

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Franz von Holzhausen, the chief designer at Tesla, is among several featured designers guiding an online automotive course launched by the Petersen Automotive Museum and Yellowbrick, which focuses on online education and career exploration.

The course Auto Design & Sketching is self-paced featuring three modules:

  • Design Principles & History
  • Famous Case Studies
  • Let’s Draw

The course is led by a variety of automotive designers, including Tesla’s Chief Designer, Franz von Holzhausen. Other designers guiding the course are:

  • Ralph Gilles, Chief Design Officer at Stellantis
  • Christine Feuell, Brand CEO at Chrysler
  • Francesc Arenas, Design Director at Hispano Suiza
  • Roman Yneges, Faculty member at the Art Center College of Design.

It’s free to sign up for the course, which starts out with a 36-second introductory video that noted that Omaze was also presenting the course. The first module of the course goes over the history of cars, cars through the ages, working in auto design, and taking it from the idea stage to the showrooms. The latter dives into understanding the market, learning about concept cars, and final engineering and manufacturing.

“A car today in our society is a transportation device, and it’s mobility. It’s the get from A to B, so you could call it an appliance in a lot of instances. But it’s still a fashion statement. It’s still a fashion piece in a way the car that you own somehow represents who you are from a personality perspective,” von Holzhausen said in one of the lessons.

In a press release, Justin Wolske, director, partnerships & strategic initiatives for Yellowbrick, shared why the course was designed.

“We designed this course to simplify and illuminate a path to a career in automotive design,”  he said.

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“High-level training in this field isn’t always easily accessible, but we’ve removed some of those barriers by offering the program at no cost and involving an esteemed lineup of contributors,” he added.

Disclosure: Johnna is a $TSLA shareholder and believes in Tesla’s mission.  

Your feedback is welcome. If you have any comments or concerns or see a typo, you can email me at johnna@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter at @JohnnaCrider1.

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SpaceX marks 500th Falcon launch with Starlink 11-22 Mission  

The Starlink 11-22 mission marks SpaceX’s 500th Falcon flight & 50th Starlink launch of 2025. Will SpaceX IPO Starlink next?

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SpaceX celebrated its 500th Falcon rocket launch with the Starlink 11-22 mission, a midweek flight from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

The milestone was achieved with a Falcon 9 liftoff on Wednesday at 4:40 p.m. PDT (7:40 p.m. EDT, 2340 UTC). It also coincided with the 15th anniversary of the first Falcon 9 launch, underscoring the company’s dominance in the commercial space sector. The Starlink 11-22 mission, SpaceX’s 50th Starlink launch of 2025, highlights the company’s focus on expanding its satellite internet constellation.

Earlier this week, Elon Musk revealed SpaceX anticipates $15.5 billion in revenue this year, surpassing NASA’s $1.1 billion budget for 2026.

SpaceX’s reusable Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets have driven down launch costs, securing a significant share of the global launch market. In 2024, the company set a record with 134 Falcon launches, making it the world’s most active launch operator. SpaceX aims to surpass this with 170 launches by year-end, fueled by growing demand for satellite deployments. The Starlink constellation is a key revenue driver for SpaceX and remains central to these ambitions. Musk has hinted at a future public offering for Starlink without specifying a timeline.

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Beyond Falcon rockets, SpaceX is advancing its 400-foot Starship system, which Musk envisions as critical for Mars missions. The company’s cost-effective launch services and satellite communications have outpaced traditional space agencies, leveraging commercial demand to fund its interplanetary goals. While NASA focuses on deep space exploration, SpaceX’s revenue model thrives on frequent, reliable launches and Starlink’s expanding reach.

“I would like to thank everyone out there who has bought Starlink because you’re helping secure the future of civilization, making life multi-planetary, and helping make humanity a space-exploring civilization,” Musk said during his Road to Making Life Multiplanetary discussion.

The 500th Falcon launch marks a pivotal moment for SpaceX, reflecting its transformative impact on space access. As the company pushes toward record-breaking launch targets and multi-planetary aspirations, Starlink’s growth continues to fuel its vision, positioning SpaceX as a leader in shaping the future of space exploration and connectivity.

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Tesla is missing one type of vehicle in its lineup and fans want it fast

Tesla is missing one vehicle from its lineup and its fans and owners are hoping the company builds it.

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Tesla’s lineup of vehicles has expanded considerably over the last few years. At first, the company offered the Model S luxury sedan, then the Model X luxury SUV, which has the seats but not the space or the affordability that everyone is looking for.

The Model 3 and Model Y are sedan and crossover vehicles that have launched the company into the mass-market category. The Cybertruck brought out the company’s first-ever pickup design, and while it is unorthodox, it is certainly functional.

Tesla Cybertrucks join Jalisco’s police fleet ahead of FIFA World Cup

But there is one thing Tesla is missing in its lineup, and it is a vehicle type that many have waited for and want. The company currently has not announced any plans to produce it, but its fans are loud and persistent, and we’ve even nudged Tesla to consider making it.

It’s a full-size SUV.

This particular segment is dominated by combustion engines currently: Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon topped sales with 105,756 and 82,304 units sold, respectively. The Ford Expedition is just behind with 62,007 units sold last year. There are a few formidable competitors on the EV side of things, with the Rivian R1S, the GMC Hummer SUV EV, and even the Kia EV9.

However, Tesla has yet to dip its toe into this market, and it seems many of its fans are willing to admit that the company is missing a true “people mover” with enough space to handle a cross-country road trip with a handful of kids.

Why Not the Model X?

The Model X is likely Tesla’s lowest-selling vehicle. It contributes very little to the overall mission of the company, and even CEO Elon Musk once said that it, along with the Model S, is only produced due to “sentimental reasons.”

When it comes to the X, it’s simply not quite what people are looking for in terms of a “full-size SUV.” Instead, it is more of a van/crossover SUV hybrid. It does not have tons of cargo and interior space.

It does have a lot of great tech, a flashy look, and adequate range for that trip with the kids. It’s a great car, and one that Tesla is planning to refine with an upcoming refresh, its second this decade.

However, it falls short of what would qualify as a full-size SUV, especially considering its third row is a little tight, even for younger children.

But it’s not quite what many would consider as what Tesla needs to fill this void in its lineup.

What Could Be Coming?

Many fans say they would like to see a CyberSUV — something built on the Cybertruck platform but in the form of a full-size SUV. This is not totally out of the question, especially considering Tesla has already made it clear the Cybercab would adopt the same sort of aesthetic as the Cybertruck.

However, we can all agree it’s a far cry from what the Cybertruck truly is, and Tesla likely will not build something that’s even close to the pickup. It already admitted it would not adopt the stainless steel exoskeleton for future vehicles in the Q4 2024 Shareholder Deck.

So, if Tesla were to decide to build something that would be in the full-size SUV segment, it wouldn’t look like the Cybertruck.

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Tesla customers are still being targeted by automaker with Musk rivalry

Lucid is still targeting Tesla owners with offers on trade-in allowance.

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lucid air dream edition interior
Credit: Teslarati

Tesla customers are still being targeted by other car companies, who are offering big incentives to trade in their current EVs for a new one.

One company that has not backed off from its trade-in promotion is one with a long-standing rivalry with Elon Musk, because its former CEO-turned-boardmember has a bitter relationship with the frontman.

Lucid is continuing to offer a $4,000 trade-in allowance on Tesla vehicles specifically, an effort that many companies have offered to owners of Musk’s EV brand in an effort to snag away some of those who might be on the fence about switching.

Many companies have offered these types of promotions before, but Lucid’s seems to be an extended one — almost an open invitation. It could have something to do with the rivalry Musk has had with former CEO Peter Rawlinson, who stepped down from his post as the company’s head executive three months ago.

Musk and Rawlinson were at one time co-workers. At Tesla, the two worked on the Model S together. That is, until Rawlinson abruptly left. There are still questions about what his exact job title was there, but Musk refuses to agree with Rawlinson’s claimed title of Chief Engineer of the project, which launched Tesla from niche to more mainstream.

Polestar has been trying to poach Tesla owners for months as well, and it’s no secret why. Musk’s political involvement and his work with DOGE certainly put some Tesla drivers in a tough spot, and some could be willing to give up their cars.

However, the success rates of these promos are unknown.

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