

News
Tesla Semi returns to Des Moines, IA as road tests and customer visits continue
Just a few days after visiting UPS’ hub in Addison, IL, the Tesla Semi has been spotted in Des Moines, IA. The Semi’s interstate travels appear to be part of the company’s continued road tests, which also involve visits to some of its reservation holders.
This is actually not the first time the Tesla Semi was photographed in Des Moines. Last April, the matte black Tesla Semi, an operational prototype that has not been spotted on roads lately, was sighted being transported heading east into I-80 in the Des Moines, IA area. Des Moines hosts the headquarters of Ruan Transportation Management Systems, one of Tesla’s reservation holders for the Semi.
Ruan noted in an announcement back in January that it had been in touch with Tesla about the upcoming all-electric long-hauler even before the Semi was unveiled in November. Over the months leading up to the vehicle’s reveal, Ruan was invited by Tesla to take part in on-site meetings and discussions about the vehicle.
Ruan announced an order of 5 Tesla Semis in January, though it has not provided an update since then. Considering that the Tesla Semi has been making the rounds visiting some reservation holders like J.B. Hunt and UPS, it would not be too surprising if Ruan’s headquarters would soon get a visit from the prototype electric truck as well.
Tesla’s recent visits and sightings are quite notable, in the way that the company appears to be adopting a more open stance about the vehicle. Anecdotes from members of the Tesla community fortunate enough to come across the Semi indicate that the team accompanying the truck are incredibly willing to answer any questions about the long-hauler. Apart from this, the truck’s recent visits to reservation holders like J.B. Hunt and UPS were also a lot more hands-on and interactive. The truck’s recent visit at the Addison, IL UPS hub, for one, even involved rides (and seemingly even test drives) in the vehicle.
Tesla had around 2,000 reservations for the Semi as of the Q1 2018 earnings call last May. The company has not issued an update on the number of pre-orders for the truck since then, though Elon Musk noted during the Q2 2018 earnings call that Tesla is still in the process of improving the vehicle’s capabilities before it enters production.
The Tesla Semi could be the company’s most disruptive vehicle in its lineup, considering that the trucking industry is responsible for the transportation of up to 71% of food, retail goods, construction supplies, and other cargo delivered to customers and businesses every day. The industry is steadily growing as well, with the trucking market generating $700.3 billion in economic activity last year, a 3.5% increase compared to the $676.6 billion it made in 2016.
Just like Tesla’s other vehicles, the Semi boasts impressive specs. The electric truck is powered by four Model 3-derived electric motors, which give it instant torque. The Semi is also rated as a Class 8 truck, and is listed with a 0-60 mph time of 5 seconds flat when accelerating without cargo. The Semi is expected to be released in two variations — a 300-mile short-range variant and a 500-mile long-range version. That said, Elon Musk has noted that the long-range Semi could have closer to 600 miles of range per charge.
News
Tesla FSD ruins other intelligent driving systems for NIO Superfan influencer
“Since I drove FSD, I have been disenchanted with all the ‘driving assistance’ of domestic brands,” Lee wrote.

Tesla Full Self-Driving (FSD) has been making waves in China, with owners pushing the system to its limits on what appears to be a regular basis. Videos of Tesla drivers in China show FSD navigating the trickiest of roads, from busy city streets to narrow, unpaved paths in rural areas.
And as per an influencer and NIO superfan, FSD is ruining other driver-assist systems from other automakers in China.
FSD Ruins It For Influencer
China-based influencer and NIO superfan Andy Lee recently shared his thoughts about FSD on social media. As per Lee, Chinese intelligent driving systems are overhyped by marketing. But once he personally experienced FSD’s capabilities, he became disillusioned with the offerings of domestic carmakers.
“Since I drove FSD, I have been disenchanted with all the ‘driving assistance’ of domestic brands. I once thought that the ‘driving assistance’ of domestic brands could beat FSD in seconds, but it seems that I was wrong. Not only did they fail to outperform FSD, they were actually crushed in reverse,” Lee wrote in his post.
FSD could very well become Tesla’s moat since even cars that are equipped with the same hardware would not be able to perform similarly unless they have access to the company’s training data and software. Tesla’s fleet is ever-growing as well, which means that FSD will only get better over the years.
Unsupervised on the Horizon
Tesla is already using FSD Unsupervised for its vehicles that are produced in the Fremont Factory and Gigafactory Texas. As per Elon Musk during the Q1 2025 earnings call, he expects Tesla to be able to roll out FSD Unsupervised to consumers before the end of this year. He also highlighted that Tesla is being extremely careful with FSD Unsupervised’s rollout.
“Before the end of this year. Not necessarily — I say within the U.S., like we do want to test — at Tesla, we’re absolutely hardcore about safety. We go to great lengths to make the safest car in the world and have the lowest accidents per mile in.
“So we want to be very careful. We want autonomy to be definitively safer than manual driving. So it’s not enough that it just be as safe. It needs to be meaningfully safer than if the car’s manually driven,” Musk stated.
Investor's Corner
Tesla hints at ‘Model 2’ & next-gen EV designs
Tesla’s Q1 2025 update confirms new models this year, with production tied to existing factory lines. Could it be time for the Model 2 debut?

During its Q1 2025 earnings call, Tesla executives hinted at the much-rumored “Model 2” and other next-gen EV designs.
Tesla slightly addressed whether or not it will be pushing forward with the debut of new models later this year in its latest earnings call. The company’s product development executive, Lars Moravy, shared some details about Tesla’s design process and the upcoming affordable models.
“We’re still planning to release models this year. As with all launches, we’re working through, like, the last minute issues that pop up. We’re knocking them down one by one. At this point, I would say that the ramp might be a little slower than we had hoped initially…But there’s nothing that’s blocking us from starting production within the next, within the timeline laid out in the opening remarks.
“And I will say it’s important to emphasize that, as we’ve said all along, the full utilization of our factories is the primary goal for these new products. And so the flexibility of what we can do within the form factor and, you know, the design of it is really limited to what we can do on our existing lines rather than building new ones. But we’ve been targeting the low cost of ownership. Monthly payment is the biggest differentiator for our vehicles, and that’s why we’re focused on bringing these new models with the, you know, the lowest price, to the market, within the constraints I just highlighted.”
In January, Tesla’s Chief Financial Officer Vaibhav Taneja teased several new product introductions for this year. There is at least one product that most Tesla supporters and investors are hoping to see: the company’s affordable vehicles, which have been dubbed by the EV community as the “Model 2” or “Model Q.”
Before Tesla’s Robotaxi event last year, many speculated that the company would also unveil its affordable next-gen vehicle. Gene Munster from Deepwater had expected Tesla to release a stripped-down version of the Model 3 as its affordable vehicle during the Robotaxi event. In the end, Tesla unveiled its Robotaxi vehicle and its Robovan design.
It’s been a while since the Robotaxi event, and Tesla has kept mum about its affordable vehicle. Considering its Q1 2025 performance, TSLA investors look forward to catalysts that could boost the stock.
The “Model 2” has been labeled a potential catalyst for Tesla. As such, TSLA investors and supporters have been itching for news about the new affordable vehicle. The main questions surrounding the “Model 2” revolve around its design and price. Based on Moravy’s statement, the “Model 2’s” design will heavily depend on Tesla’s current assembly lines and supply chain structures.
News
Tesla owner-investor stands ground after receiving Nazi-themed mail, welcomes new Model Y
The Tesla investor even made it a point to purchase the brightest shade available for her new Model Y.

A TSLA investor has decided to stand her ground after receiving a threatening, Nazi-themed card at her home.
The Tesla investor even welcomed a new Ultra Red Tesla Model Y to show her support for the company.
Responding with a New Tesla
As per 58-year-old Alexandra Merz, an investment analyst and immigration consultant who immigrated from Germany to the United States, she received mail from a Boston address to her home on April 17. Upon opening the letter, she was greeted by an image of the Tesla logo incorporated with a Nazi salute.
Inside the card was a handwritten message which read, “History has its eyes on you.” Merz promptly reported the message to the FBI. In a comment to the New York Post, she stated that she is now even more motivated to support Elon Musk and his ventures.
“This atrocious behavior motivates me even more to stand up for Tesla, Elon, and DOGE,” Merz noted. “I bought our fifth Tesla last Saturday, a beautiful red Model Y, the best car out there. And it drives itself.”
An Unfortunate Trend
In previous comments, Merz expressed her disdain for the ongoing attacks against Tesla and Musk. “Tesla is employing more than 140,000 employees worldwide, building the most American cars in the U.S., and building the European Model Ys in Berlin. I often wonder whether these protesters have thought through what they are doing,” she stated.
Elon Musk himself admitted to the disturbing trend during Tesla’s Q1 2025 earnings call, stating that “there’s been some blowback for the time that I’ve been spending in government with the Department of Government Efficiency or DOGE.” The CEO also stated that he would soon be stepping back from DOGE’s everyday operations and focusing more of his time on Tesla.
U.S. President Donald Trump also addressed the ongoing attacks on Teslas in a comment about Musk’s impeding step back from DOGE. As per Trump, people against Musk are taking out their frustrations on Tesla and its owners, which is unfair. He also described the people behind the attacks on Tesla as “sick.”
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