

News
Tesla pushes for China to ease transport restraints with increased COVID presence
Tesla is among several companies lobbying for the Chinese government to ease transport restraints as COVID-19’s presence in the country continues to increase.
Several major businesses, including Tesla and Covestro, have been permitted by Shanghai’s local government to continue transporting needs with a “closed-loop system,” the South China Morning Post reports. This system allows workers who live at production sites to avoid contact with outsiders. Because of these restrictions, companies have a shortage of truck drivers who can transport goods between different regions.
Tesla has been hit directly by the closed-loop system setup. The company’s Gigafactory Shanghai production facility, which produces the Model 3 and Model Y, has lacked the necessary components to keep production lines going since late March, the report claims, because there is a lack of permissions for drivers to travel among regions, an executive with one of the automaker’s components suppliers said. They wished to remain anonymous.
Covestro spokesperson Richard Fu said, “Logistics constraints remain the biggest challenge, and there are uncertainties with regards to especially cross-provincial transport and supply along the value chain, which may force us to further adjust the load of some plants in the days to come. We are closely monitoring the situation, which is changing very fast.”
COVID-19 cases in Shanghai rose by 23,624 on Saturday, with symptomatic infections rising to 1,015 from Friday’s 824 cases, health authorities in the city said. It is the eighth straight day of record-setting cases. Shanghai has been in a citywide lockdown since April 5. “It is technically business as usual for the Shanghai Port,” Bettina Schoen of the European Chamber of Commerce’s Shanghai Chapter said. “However, a logistics black hole is being caused by restrictions on truck drivers going around to surrounding provinces for cargo pickup.”
Tesla’s Gigafactory Shanghai continued its shutdown on Friday, according to several reports. The shutdown has been extended day by day since initially reporting operations on March 28.
I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk gives key update on plans for Tesla Diner outside of LA
More Tesla Supercharger Diners are on the way, Elon Musk says, as long as the initial one is successful.

Elon Musk has given a key update on its plans for the Tesla Supercharger Diner, as the first location in Los Angeles is set to open today, July 21.
The idea for the Supercharger Diner, which resembles a 50s-style eatery with elements of futuristic technology, is seven years in the making. Many wondered whether Tesla would expand its idea for a Supercharger restaurant outside of LA, and now we have an answer directly from Musk.
Elon Musk confirms awesome new features at Tesla Diner Supercharger
The Tesla CEO said that the company will establish these types of experiences “in major cities around the world, as well as at Supercharger sites on long distance routes.”
If our retro-futuristic diner turns out well, which I think it will, @Tesla will establish these in major cities around the world, as well as at Supercharger sites on long distance routes.
An island of good food, good vibes & entertainment, all while Supercharging! https://t.co/zmbv6GfqKf
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 21, 2025
The Supercharger Diner has plenty of ways to draw in customers, and although the food and merchandise sold at the location will not be a major contributor to Tesla’s balance sheet, where investors want to see it, it could pay off in other ways.
The Diner is not exclusive to Tesla owners, so those who drive gas cars can still stop in for a burger, fries, and a shake while roaming around Los Angeles. The features of the Diner, however, do require a Tesla vehicle.
In-car ordering and movie screens syncing to the center touchscreen are two things that Tesla owners will enjoy that other drivers will not. These might be trivial, but the experience on its own could be a way that some consider buying a Tesla.
It might sound crazy that a singular diner experience would flip someone to buy a car, but it’s not the most outlandish thing we’ve ever come across.
The question is where Tesla will plan to build these Supercharger Diners. Musk has already indicated that Starbase, Texas, will be one location, which fits with one of his other companies, SpaceX.
Austin could be an ideal location, but New York, Miami, Washington D.C., Boston, and plenty of other popular metro areas within the U.S. could see their own diners in the coming years.
Investor's Corner
Tesla analyst says this stock concern is overblown while maintaining $400 PT
Tesla reported $2.763 billion in regulatory credit profits last year.

One Tesla analyst is saying that a major stock concern that has been discussed as the Trump administration aims to eliminate many financial crutches for EV and sustainable industries is overblown.
As the White House continues to put an emphasis on natural gas, coal, and other fossil fuels, investors are concerned that high-powered sustainability stocks like Tesla stand to take big hits over the coming years.
However, Piper Sandler analyst Alexander Potter believes it is just the opposite, as a new note to investors released on Monday says that the situation, especially regarding regulatory credits, is “not as bad as you think.”
Tesla stacked emissions credits in 2023, while others posted deficits
There have been many things during the Trump administration so far that have led some investors to consider divesting from Tesla altogether. Many people have shied away due to concerns over demand, as the $7,500 new EV tax credit and $4,000 used EV tax credit will bow out at the end of Q3.
The Trump White House could also do away with emissions credits, which aim to give automakers a threshold of emissions to encourage EV production and cleaner powertrains. Companies that cannot meet this threshold can buy credits from other companies, and Tesla has benefitted from this program immensely over the past few years.
As the Trump administration considers eliminating this program, investors are concerned that it could significantly impact Tesla’s balance sheet. Potter believes the issue is overblown:
“We frequently receive questions about Tesla’s regulatory credits, and for good reason: the company received ~$3.5B in ‘free money’ last year, representing roughly 100% of FY24 free cash flow. So it’s fair to ask: will recent regulatory changes threaten Tesla’s earnings outlook? In short, we think the answer is no, at least not in 2025. We think that while it’s true that the U.S. government is committed to rescinding financial support for the EV and battery industries, Tesla will still book around $3B in credits this year, followed by $2.3B in 2026. This latter figure represents a modest reduction vs. our previous expectation…in our view, there’s no need for drastic estimate revisions. Note that it’s difficult to forecast the financial impact of regulatory credits — even Tesla itself struggles with this — but the attached analysis represents an honest effort.”
Tesla’s regulatory credit profitability by year is:
- 2020: $1.58 billion
- 2021: $1.465 billion
- 2022: $1.776 billion
- 2023: $1.79 billion
- 2024: $2.763 billion
Potter and Piper Sandler maintained an ‘Overweight’ rating on the stock, and kept their $400 price target.
Tesla shares are trading at $329.63 at 11:39 a.m. on the East Coast.
News
Tesla rolls out update to Robotaxi service that makes pickups so much better
The update was confirmed by CEO Elon Musk in a post on social media platform X.

Tesla has rolled out a minor update to its Robotaxi service that will likely make the driverless ride-hailing system notably better and more convenient for consumers. The update was confirmed by CEO Elon Musk in a post on social media platform X.
Robotaxi service updates
The Robotaxi update was observed by users of the driverless ride-hailing service over the weekend. As observed by Tesla enthusiast Owen Sparks, the Austin Robotaxi fleet no longer strictly navigates to the pickup point listed on the app. Instead, the Robotaxis now stop in the exact location of a user’s phone.
Elon Musk confirmed the update, noting in a post on X that the change was an upgrade to the service. It’s a reactively minor update in the grand scheme of things, but it should make the Robotaxi service feel more organic and humanlike.
Driverless taxis
Tesla’s Robotaxi service in Austin has been receiving good reviews from users since it was launched, with many praising the vehicles for their cautious and humanlike behavior. Some users on social media even noted that Tesla’s Robotaxis feel safer on the road than cars from services like Uber, which are manually driven.
Tesla’s minor updates to its Robotaxi service are expected to make the customer experience of the driverless ride-hailing service more refined. By doing so, Tesla could ease customers into its service, even if only a fraction of ride-hailing users are familiar with fully autonomous cars. With this in mind, even small updates like picking up customers based on their specific phone location will likely go a long way towards making Tesla’s Robotaxis more accepted by the general public.
-
Elon Musk4 days ago
Waymo responds to Tesla’s Robotaxi expansion in Austin with bold statement
-
News4 days ago
Tesla exec hints at useful and potentially killer Model Y L feature
-
Elon Musk5 days ago
Elon Musk reveals SpaceX’s target for Starship’s 10th launch
-
Elon Musk6 days ago
Tesla ups Robotaxi fare price to another comical figure with service area expansion
-
News4 days ago
Tesla’s longer Model Y did not scale back requests for this vehicle type from fans
-
News4 days ago
“Worthy of respect:” Six-seat Model Y L acknowledged by Tesla China’s biggest rivals
-
News5 days ago
First glimpse of Tesla Model Y with six seats and extended wheelbase
-
Elon Musk5 days ago
Elon Musk confirms Tesla is already rolling out a new feature for in-car Grok