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Tesla launches “Project Loveday” contest for fan-made commercials

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Less than four days after Elon Musk responded to 10-year old Bria Loveday’s open letter, suggesting that Tesla should consider holding a competition to find the best homemade commercial, the company replied with “Project Loveday”.

Tesla has published terms and conditions to the new “Project Loveday” contest aimed at finding the best fan-made commercials ending May 8, 2017. According to the blog post on Tesla’s website, entrants can submit a link to a 90 second or less YouTube video along with a brief description.

Tesla will select ten “Winners” that will be judged on a point scoring system based on originality, creativity, relevance to Tesla and its mission, and entertainment value. Additionally, a Grand Prize Winner along with a Top 3 will be selected from all eligible video submissions on May 22, 2017.

Updated May 5, 2017: Tesla extended the deadline for submissions to the end of the day on June 5, 2017. Some of the top fan submissions can be found here.

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We’ve provided full details to Tesla’s Project Loveday contest, as follows:

Project Loveday

Terms and Conditions

Project Loveday is a video submission contest sponsored by Tesla, Inc., 3500 Deer Creek Road, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA (“Tesla”).

1. OVERVIEW

Project Loveday begins on March 4, 2017, at 12:00 A.M. PT and ends at the end of the day on June 5, 2017.

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2. ELIGIBILITY

Project Loveday is open to individuals who are at least 18 years old at the time of entry or to individuals under the age of 18 with the express permission of their parent or guardian (“Entrant”). All federal, state and local laws apply and Project Loveday is void where prohibited or restricted by law. By participating in Project Loveday, the Entrant agrees to be bound by these Terms and Conditions and all final decisions of Tesla.

3. HOW TO ENTER

During the Entry Period, an Entrant may create and submit a video entry (“Submission”) by completing an entry form located here. Each Submission must comply with the guidelines in Section 4 below. By entering Project Loveday, the Entrant agrees to these Terms and Conditions. Each Entrant may only enter one Submission, and each Submission may only have one individual Entrant.

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4. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Submissions must be submitted via the online Entry Form

Submissions must comply with these Terms and Conditions

Videos must be no longer than 90 seconds

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Videos must relate to Tesla, SolarCity, our products, or our mission to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy

Videos hosted on third-party social media platforms must comply with that platform’s Terms of Service

Videos must be approved for all ages; i.e., it cannot contain violence, nudity, or inappropriate language or behavior

Any text or voice-overs in the videos must be in English

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Submissions must not contain material that violates or infringes another’s rights, including, but not limited to, privacy, publicity or intellectual property rights

Submissions must not in any way mention, refer or otherwise allude to the name, logo or trademark of any entity, individual, product or brand other than those of Tesla and its brands

Submissions must not contain material that is not the original work of the Entrant

NOTE: By submitting a Submission, the Entrant agrees that his or her Submission conforms to the Submission Guidelines and that Tesla may, at its discretion, disqualify him or her from Project Loveday if Tesla decides that the Submission fails to conform to these Terms and Conditions or for any other reason.

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5. LICENSES

Entrant grants Tesla (and its affiliates) a royalty-free, irrevocable, perpetual, nonexclusive license to use, reproduce, modify, publish or create derivative works from and display the Submission in whole or in part, on a worldwide basis, and to incorporate it into other works, in any form, media or technology now known or later developed, including for promotional or marketing purposes. If requested, the Entrant will sign any documentation that may be required for Tesla or its designees to make use of the nonexclusive rights to use the Submission. No rights in or to the Submission are reserved by Entrant.

Entrants may only use Tesla’s name, product, trademarks and logos (collectively, “Tesla’s IP”) for the sole purpose of entering Project Loveday. Entrants are not permitted to make any other use of Tesla’s IP, and Tesla may, at any time, revoke any permissions granted by Tesla. No rights, title or interests in and to Tesla’s IP, except for the limited permissions granted to Entrant in these Terms and Conditions, are transferred or created.

6. JUDGING AND WINNER SELECTION

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After the Entry Period, all eligible Submissions will be judged by Tesla personnel (“Judges”). The Judges will score each eligible Submission based on originality, creativity, relevance to Tesla and its mission, and entertainment value. Entrants of Submissions that receive the 10 highest scores from the Judges will be deemed the Winners. Entrants of the 3 highest scoring Submissions will be declared Top 3 Winners. The highest scoring Submission will be declared the Grand Prize Winner. All Winners are subject to verification of eligibility and compliance with these Terms and Conditions.

7. PRIZES

Approved Submissions will be hosted on Tesla’s website located here. In addition, the winning Submissions will receive the following.

Winner Prizes (10): The top 10 winning Submissions will be featured and shared on Tesla’s social media channels.

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Top 3 Winner Prizes (3): The top 3 winning Submissions will receive additional promotion across social media channels.

Grand Prize Winner (1): The Entrant with the top winning Submission will be invited to and introduced at a future Tesla product launch event. Tesla will pay for reasonable travel expenses and accommodations for 2 people for 2 nights.

PRIZE CONDITIONS: Prizes are non-transferable and no substitution, redemption or cash equivalent will be allowed. All applicable taxes, and all other fees and costs not specifically identified in these Terms and Conditions as a prize element, are the sole responsibility of the prize winner.

8. HOW TO CLAIM A PRIZE

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On or about May 29, 2017, the Grand Prize Winner will be sent an email notification with instructions on how to claim the prize. The Grand Prize Winner may be required to provide the winning video in a format requested by Tesla and to execute any requested documents within the time period requested by Tesla. The prize must be claimed by June 2, 2017 or, at Tesla’s sole discretion, the prize may be forfeited and awarded to the Entrant whose Submission received the next highest score.

9. PRIVACY POLICY

Any personally identifiable information collected during an Entrant’s participation in Project Loveday will be used for purposes of the proper administration of this contest and in accordance with Tesla’s Privacy Policy, available here.

10. PUBLICITY RIGHTS

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By participating in Project Loveday, each Entrant agrees to allow Tesla and its designees the perpetual right to use his or her name, biographical information, photos, videos, entries, likeness, and statements for Project Loveday and for trade, commercial, advertising and publicity purposes in any form of media worldwide.

11. GENERAL

Tesla reserves the right to disqualify any Entrant found, in Tesla’s sole discretion, to be acting in violation of these Terms and Conditions or to be acting in an unsportsmanlike manner or otherwise acting in bad faith.

12. WINNER LIST

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To obtain a list of prize winners, interested individuals should send a written request with a self-addressed, stamped business-sized envelope to: Tesla, Inc., 3500 Deer Creek Road, Palo Alto, CA 94304, Attn: Project Loveday. Winner List requests must be received by May 31, 2017.

Gene has been obsessed with cars since before he could legally sit in the front seat. Writer, researcher, unofficial CS support, accountant, native suit guy when needed, and overall stick poker. He approaches every story the way he approaches a road trip: with too much enthusiasm, not enough planning, and a surprisingly good outcome. gene@teslarati.com

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Tesla gets a massive order for the Semi: 370 units and $100M

WattEV, a leading provider of electric freight operations and charging infrastructure in the United States, has announced one of the largest deployments of electric Class 8 trucks in California history: an order for 370 Tesla Semi vehicles.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla just got a massive order for the Semi, and it is its largest by a long shot.

WattEV, a leading provider of electric freight operations and charging infrastructure in the United States, has announced one of the largest deployments of electric Class 8 trucks in California history: an order for 370 Tesla Semis.

Valued at approximately $100 million, this marks the state’s biggest single electric truck order to date and signals accelerating momentum for zero-emission long-haul freight.

Credit: Tesla

Deliveries are set to begin with the first 50 Tesla Semis in 2026, with the full fleet operational by the end of 2027. More than 300 of these trucks will support a joint program with the Port of Oakland, helping electrify drayage and regional freight routes. The initiative aligns with California’s ambitious goals to transition to carbon-neutral freight operations.

Salim Youssefzadeh, CEO of WattEV, said at the annual ACT Expo industry event that the Semi was the easiest choice:

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“We selected the Tesla Semi based on cost, performance, and availability after issuing a public request for proposals…With the Tesla Semi now entering mass production and drawing strong reviews from fleet operators nationwide, WattEV’s vertically integrated model – combining vehicle deployment, megawatt-class charging infrastructure, and full-service leasing – offers a turn-key path for carriers without any capital risk.”

Critical to the rollout are new Megawatt Charging System (MCS) hubs in Oakland, Fresno, Stockton, and Sacramento. These stations will deliver up to 300 miles of range in roughly 30 minutes—comparable to a traditional diesel fill-up. The Oakland depot, where WattEV recently broke ground, will serve as a cornerstone for northern and central California corridors, connecting ports to inland hubs and beyond.

This deployment builds on WattEV’s existing experience. The company has already logged millions of electric miles in Southern California, including early Tesla Semi deployments at the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. By combining high-efficiency electric trucks with strategically placed fast-charging depots, WattEV aims to prove that battery-electric long-haul trucking can match—or exceed—diesel economics while slashing emissions.

The order arrives as Tesla ramps up Semi production at its Nevada factory, targeting higher volumes in 2026. Fleet operators nationwide have praised the Semi’s real-world performance, including strong torque, low operating costs, and advanced safety features. For California, the project supports air quality improvements around ports and highways while demonstrating scalable infrastructure for heavy-duty electrification.

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Industry observers see this as a pivotal step toward broader adoption. With diesel trucks facing rising fuel and regulatory costs, turnkey electric solutions like WattEV’s could accelerate the shift. As the first 50 Semis hit the road in 2026, they will not only move freight but also help build the charging network that paves the way for even larger fleets.

This landmark order underscores Tesla’s growing footprint in commercial trucking and California’s leadership in sustainable transportation. For WattEV and its partners, it’s more than a vehicle purchase—it’s the foundation of a zero-emission freight network connecting Northern and Central California.

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Tesla begins factoring international designs in Full Self-Driving visualization

Tesla has begun incorporating region-specific vehicle designs into its Full Self-Driving (FSD) visualization system, marking a quiet but meaningful step toward global readiness. In software update 2026.14, released as part of the Spring Update, European Tesla owners are now seeing flat-fronted, cab-over European-style semi-trucks rendered accurately on their center displays.

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@norbertcala on X via Not a Tesla App

Tesla has begun factoring international designs into its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) visualizations, marking a tremendous step in how the company plans to roll out its driver assistance tech in areas outside North America.

Tesla has begun incorporating region-specific vehicle designs into its Full Self-Driving (FSD) visualization system, marking a quiet but meaningful step toward global readiness. In software update 2026.14, released as part of the Spring Update, European Tesla owners are now seeing flat-fronted, cab-over European-style semi-trucks rendered accurately on their center displays.

The change, first spotted by Not a Tesla App, adds a second 3D model alongside the traditional North American long-nose semi-trucks that have been standard until now. Vehicles can detect and display both styles depending on what’s in front of them, and the feature requires no FSD subscription—every Tesla owner in Europe sees it immediately.

The European semi-truck visualization was actually added to the vehicle software back in October alongside roughly fifteen new visual assets.

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Tesla Full Self-Driving gets first-ever European approval

Tesla held it in reserve, activating it only once fleet data confirmed the AI could recognize these trucks with high confidence. This mirrors recent rollouts for horses and golf carts, where Tesla similarly waited for reliable detection before enabling the graphics. The result is a more realistic on-screen representation tailored to local roads, where cab-over designs dominate heavy transport.

The significance of this update extends far beyond a simple graphics tweak, which is really what people need to be paying attention to. These small, incremental steps forward continue to show Tesla’s intent for global expansion.

For the first time, Tesla is explicitly factoring international vehicle designs into its visualization engine, signaling a deliberate push to make FSD feel native in international markets.

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In Europe, where cab-over semis are commonplace, seeing an accurate rendering builds immediate driver trust—the critical bridge between the car’s AI perception and the human behind the wheel. Accurate visualizations reinforce that the system truly understands its surroundings, reducing range anxiety and skepticism that have slowed autonomous adoption abroad.

Regulators in the EU have repeatedly emphasized human-AI transparency; by customizing visuals to match local reality, Tesla strengthens its case for broader FSD approvals and smoother regulatory reviews.

This move also highlights Tesla’s data-driven engineering philosophy. Rather than rushing generic models worldwide, the company is leveraging its global fleet to learn regional nuances before flipping the switch.

It accelerates FSD’s international expansion while improving safety—misidentified vehicles could erode confidence or, in edge cases, affect decision-making. For a company aiming to deploy robotaxis and unsupervised FSD globally, tailoring visualizations to European, Asian, or other markets is no longer optional; it’s foundational.

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Early European owners report the change feels more intuitive, making the car’s “mind” easier to read in daily traffic.

As Tesla continues enabling the remaining visual assets added last year, the pattern is clear: localization is now baked into the FSD roadmap. What began as a small graphics update in Europe could soon appear in other regions, turning the visualization display into a truly worldwide language of autonomy.

With this step, Tesla isn’t just showing trucks differently—it’s proving it’s serious about making FSD work everywhere, one culturally accurate pixel at a time.

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Tesla adds new in-app feature to solve the used EV market’s biggest headache

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Teslas Supercharging
Credit: Tesla

Tesla has quietly rolled out one of its most practical software updates yet — and it could add real dollars to every used Model 3, Y, S, and X on the road.

Starting with the latest Tesla app version, owners now receive an official “Certification of Repaired HV Battery” whenever Tesla performs a major high-voltage battery repair or full replacement. The digital certificate appears directly in the vehicle’s Service History tab inside the Tesla app.

It’s permanent, verifiable, and downloadable as a PDF, so sellers can hand it over to buyers in seconds.

For years, the used EV market has suffered from one glaring problem: nobody could prove what happened to the battery.

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Service invoices often vanish when a car changes hands. Third-party battery-health scans are expensive and inconsistent. Buyers, staring at a car with 80,000 miles and an 8-year warranty ticking down, would negotiate hard — or walk away entirely — because the battery is the single most expensive part of any Tesla.

That uncertainty routinely shaved thousands off resale values and slowed the entire secondhand market.

Now Tesla has eliminated the guesswork. The new certificate, which was spotted by Tesla App Updates, logs exactly what work was done, when, and by whom. It lives inside the car’s digital profile forever, exactly where any future owner will look. No more digging through old emails or hoping the previous owner kept paperwork.

The outlet describes why the update is so important:

  • Official Digital Certificates: The string “Certification of Repaired HV Battery” confirms that if your vehicle undergoes a major battery repair or replacement, Tesla will now issue an official, verifiable digital certificate documenting the work.
  • Service History Integration: Strings such as viewRepairedBatteryCert and repairedBatteryCertId indicate that this document won’t be lost in an old email thread. It will be permanently anchored to your vehicle’s profile inside the app’s Service History tab.
  • Easy Exporting: The service_history_repaired_battery_cert_download_fail error state indicates you will be able to download this certificate directly to your phone as a file (likely a PDF) to share with others.

Sellers who have already replaced packs under warranty are especially excited; they can now prove the vehicle received a fresh Tesla battery without any gray-area questions.

The timing couldn’t be better. As more Teslas roll off 8-year/100,000- or 120,000-mile battery warranties, the used market is exploding. Lenders, insurers, and even auction houses have quietly asked for better battery documentation for years. Tesla’s certificate hands it to them on a silver platter.

For current owners, the feature adds peace of mind and protects long-term value. For buyers, it removes the single biggest risk in any used EV purchase. And for Tesla itself, it quietly strengthens the entire ownership ecosystem — making vehicles more liquid, more desirable, and more valuable over time.

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In an industry obsessed with range numbers and 0-60 times, Tesla just proved that sometimes the biggest innovation is a simple line in the Service History tab. One small certificate, one giant step for used-EV confidence.

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