News
Audi e-tron will ‘give Tesla shoppers a run for their money,’ says Consumer Reports
When Consumer Reports published its first impressions of the Audi e-tron, the organization proved quite optimistic about the German carmaker’s all-electric SUV. In a recently uploaded video, Consumer Reports‘ Mike Quincy, Jon Linkov, and Jennifer Stockburger provided more insights about their experience with the e-tron, covering several aspects of the vehicle such as its design, its range, and how it stacks up in comparison to the Tesla Model X.
Consumer Reports auto journalist Mike Quincy praised the vehicle, noting that the Audi e-tron is the “nicest EV I’ve ever driven” to date. “I like it more than any of the Teslas we’ve driven,” he said. The e-tron also earned some applause for its design, such as its rather conventional interior that follows the theme of Audi’s other vehicles. The SUV’s spaciousness and quietness on the road were also lauded.
The driving dynamics of the vehicle also received some praise, with Director of Operations at the CR Auto Test Center Jennifer Stockburger noting that the SUV performs very well as soon as it’s in motion. Commenting further, Consumer Reports Deputy Content Editor Jon Linkov stated that contrary to the snap of acceleration found in Tesla’s electric cars like the Model S, the Audi e-tron has “more of an elegant pull-away.”
Consumer Reports did have a number of negative comments about the e-tron, particularly on its range and price. At $80,000, Quincy noted that the e-tron seems too expensive for a vehicle that features such a limited range, though it was mentioned that perhaps the SUV’s real-world range was being underestimated. Other quirks of the SUV, such as a gear shifter that is a magnet for wrong inputs, were also mentioned as points for improvement. Linkov, for his part, argued that perhaps the limited range of the e-tron would be a non-issue for its target demographic.
“It may be that the market for this doesn’t take family road trips. They may fly. Electric cars today still make a case, particularly $80,000 ones, for a second car. Now there are a lot of people out there, and there are stories online about people, they own a Chevy Bolt, or they own a Leaf, and that’s their only car, and they still run into those headaches of ‘my gosh, I have to stop and charge it’ and it certainly is a case today depending on what you want out of an electric car,” he said.
In conclusion, Consumer Reports remained quite optimistic about the e-tron’s chances on the market, particularly as it is coming from a well-known company that’s known for good quality vehicles. This, according to Stockburger, is something that Tesla buyers might not have yet. “Do I think it’s gonna give Tesla shoppers a run for their money? Oh yeah. And I think there’s a confidence to be had from a mainstream manufacturer building this car, one with a ton of history, good quality, and I think there might be some confidence in the e-tron that maybe you don’t have in a Tesla,” she said.
Curiously enough, several updates on the e-tron remain unsaid in Consumer Reports‘ recent video, such as the ongoing recall for the SUV due to a potential fire risk. The range challenges of the e-tron have also been documented extensively, even by foreign organizations such as nextmove from Germany; and so far, reviews of the SUV which concluded that the vehicle’s range is being underestimated seem to be quite scarce.
The comparisons with the Model X also seemed quite interesting, considering that there was no mention of the recent update that Tesla rolled out into the SUV, which increased its range to 325 miles per charge using a battery that is only 5 kWh larger than the pack utilized by the e-tron. Long trips in an all-electric car have been addressed for years by the Supercharger Network, which allows Tesla’s vehicles to recharge their batteries during quick stops on the road.
Watch Consumer Reports‘ discussion on its Audi e-tron first impressions in the video below.
Tesla’s dedicated factory for building up to ten million Optimus units is officially under construction at Gigafactory Texas.
Drone footage released on May 27 by Giga Texas observer Joe Tegtmeyer captures the significant milestone of the first steel structure officially standing at Tesla’s new Optimus factory on the North Campus of the facility.
Phase two of land reclamation is advancing steadily, and the progress will let the new building extend nearly the full length of the main Giga Texas factory, potentially exceeding 4,000 feet, while measuring somewhere between 50 and 70 meters narrower. Extensive foundation work is proceeding as well.
Big news at the new Optimus 10m/y factory construction site today! The 1st steel structure has been erected & as expected the second phase of land reclamation is underway.
This will allow this new factory to grow to nearly the same length as the main Giga Texas factory,… pic.twitter.com/FidRLV6XpU
— Joe Tegtmeyer 🚀 🤠🛸😎 (@JoeTegtmeyer) May 27, 2026
This facility forms a central element of Tesla’s broader North Campus expansion at Giga Texas. The project will add more than 5.2 million square feet of new industrial space. It sits alongside other advanced developments, including a Terafab for next-gen AI chips. The scale reflects Tesla’s commitment to transforming humanoid robotics into a core pillar of the company’s future.
Musk has said that Optimus will be the biggest product in the world on several occasions. He believes it will be Tesla’s biggest valuation contributor.
Tesla prepares to expand Giga Texas with new Optimus production plant
Tesla plans to build about 10 million robots at the site annually once it is completed, which would be about 27,000 units each day.
The Optimus plant at Giga Texas is part of Tesla’s phased strategy for Optimus manufacturing. In an effort to start production of the robot well before the Giga Texas plant is complete, Tesla ended production of the Model S and Model X vehicles, which were built in Fremont, California, to make way for initial Optimus manufacturing efforts.
Production there will start in either July or August of this year, and early units will support internal factory tasks while the team gathers real-world data to refine processes. The Gigafactory Texas facility will house a second-gen production line. It targets high-volume output starting in Summer 2027.
Musk has repeatedly described Optimus as potentially more valuable than Tesla’s entire vehicle business. Current versions are already completing minor tasks around various facilities, while Tesla continues to refine its abilities and add new features.
Tesla’s total investment could reach several billion dollars. Significant challenges lie ahead, including the creation of an entirely new manufacturing ecosystem, the refinement of AI systems for dependable autonomy, and the development of reliable supply chains for actuators, sensors, and other components.
Nevertheless, the visible progress at Giga Texas highlights Tesla’s capacity to translate ambitious concepts into physical reality.
Tesla’s Optimus factory stands as much more than a simple expansion project, as it is quite literally the second phase of what could potentially be the biggest product ever. With construction beginning, 2027 is poised to become a transformative year for Tesla, as it evolves even further from an electric vehicle leader into a pioneer of intelligent, general-purpose machines.
Tesla Vice President of Vehicle Engineering, Lars Moravy, recently revealed the company has thought about introducing a Plaid powertrain on the Model 3, but there could be some challenges involved.
On the Ride the Lightning podcast, Moravy revealed that he thinks about a Plaid Model 3 “all the time,” and it certainly has a place in Tesla’s potential lineup of future vehicles.
Now that the Plaid powertrain is technically defunct due to the newfound absence of the Model S and Model X, Tesla could find a way to reintroduce the lightning-quick trim level to its mass-market vehicles.
But there are going to be some challenges with it. Moravy said that the Model 3 Plaid would likely adopt the carbon-sleeved motors that the Model S Plaid had. However, packaging would be a major challenge, as Moravy said on the podcast, it would be a “tight engineering squeeze.”
It’s important to note that there are no active production plans for the Model 3 Plaid at this point, but it’s also worth noting that with the Model S and Model X Plaid no longer available, Tesla would likely be willing to introduce something that is even more white-knuckle than the Model 3 Performance, which already boasts a 2.9-second 0-60 MPH acceleration rate and a top speed of 163 MPH.
Of course, there is the Roadster, but we don’t know when that will exactly make it to market, and we know that, for sure, it will not be accessible to many.
Tesla unveils juicy new detail on the Roadster and hints at new unveil timeline
Tesla has prided itself in building some of the best cars out there, but they’re also interested in building cars that are simply fun to be in.
A Plaid Model 3 could truly push the limits and could end up being one of the best cars Tesla will ever build, especially if it can shave off at least half of a second from its 0-60 MPH time and increase its top speed slightly.
More than anything, the real changes will be in the ride and aerodynamics. Tesla improving things like the suspension, handling, and downforce will be the true trademarks of its Plaid powertrain; putting it in the Model 3 could be a great move for the company and for customers interested in high-end performance.
Elon Musk
NASA’s first human outpost on the Moon starts now – SpaceX on deck
NASA named the rovers, landers, and vendors that will build America’s first Moon Base.
NASA has laid out its most detailed Moon Base plan to date, describing a permanent outpost near the Moon’s south pole that the agency intends to build over the coming decade as a direct stepping stone to Mars. “The Moon Base will be America’s and humanity’s first outpost on another celestial world,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said, adding that every mission crewed and uncrewed “will be a learning opportunity as we return to the lunar surface, build the infrastructure to stay, and master the skills required to live and operate in one of the most demanding and dangerous environments imaginable.”
The plan is structured in three phases involving both uncrewed and crewed missions to deliver equipment, vehicles, and infrastructure to the surface, with the first three moon base missions targeted to launch before the end of 2026.
Moon Base I, targeting fall 2026, will use Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Mark 1 lander to deliver scientific instruments to the Shackleton Connecting Ridge, the same region where Artemis astronauts will land. Moon Base II will send Astrobotic’s Griffin lander carrying more than 1,100 pounds of cargo including Astrolab’s FLIP rover to begin developing mobility systems on the surface. Moon Base III will carry the Lunar Vertex science mission on Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C Trinity lander to study lunar swirls near the south pole, with ESA and Korean science payloads aboard.
On the rover side, NASA awarded Astrolab $219 million and Lunar Outpost $220 million to build the first phase of Lunar Terrain Vehicles, with both rovers targeted for deployment to the lunar surface by 2028. Astrolab’s crewed rover weighs roughly 2,000 pounds and can reach over 6 mph. Lunar Outpost’s Pegasus rover can operate autonomously or via remote control at over 9 mph. Blue Origin separately received $188 million with an option worth $280.4 million to deliver cargo landers for rover transport.
NASA also confirmed that MoonFall, a mission deploying four survey drones to scout Artemis landing sites, has selected Firefly Aerospace to build the transport spacecraft, with a 2028 launch target.
SpaceX sits at the center of that commercial layer. SpaceX holds the NASA Human Landing System contract for the Starship-derived lander that will put astronauts on the surface under Artemis IV, currently targeting 2028. Before that can happen, SpaceX must demonstrate in-orbit propellant transfer at scale, a process requiring multiple Starship tanker launches to fuel a single mission. Water ice at the lunar south pole is central to the base’s long-term viability, as it can be converted into drinking water, breathable oxygen, and rocket fuel, directly reducing dependence on Earth resupply. That resource loop becomes far more practical if Starship can land and be refueled on or near the Moon itself.
Elon Musk has publicly stated that Starship V3, which recently completed its first flight, should be capable enough for initial Mars missions. The Moon Base plan announced Tuesday is the infrastructure layer that connects everything between those two ambitions, and SpaceX is the only American company currently contracted to build the rocket that gets humans to either destination.
Tesla’s dedicated Optimus factory construction officially underway at Giga Texas
Tesla teases going Plaid Mode with the Model 3
