Tesla CEO Elon Musk gave a tremendous nod to Ford while also acknowledging his own influence on EVs and the automotive industry in general.

Yesterday, Ford announced its new manufacturing process for EVs, which was essentially a rebirth of its own production lines and plans for more affordable models to offer consumers.

It was important to recognize that Ford truly launched automotive manufacturing with its production of the Model T 122 years ago.

That’s exactly what Musk did in a response to Ford CEO Jim Farley:

Ford basically invented mass manufacturing of large, complex products. Everyone else copied.

Most people don’t know this.

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— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 11, 2025

In the over 100 years since Ford started producing vehicles, the company has had one significant fact go under the radar: it truly created a great process for building large, complex vehicles. It is something that many companies eventually adopted as the car industry took off.

Tesla is in a similar situation. It has used things like the Giga Press from the Italian company IDRA to create a better, more efficient, streamlined process for building cars.

It was able to use casting to eliminate a vast majority of parts from the Model Y, which not only helped increase manufacturing efficiency but also improved safety and structural rigidity. It truly revolutionized manufacturing for the company, and Ford said that it would adopt a similar mindset with its new EVs.

Yesterday, Doug Field, the Chief EV, Digital and Design Officer for Ford, and a former Sr. VP of Engineering for Tesla, said the company was taking the mentality that “the best part is no part.”

Musk acknowledged how far it has come and how it is influencing other car companies to do the same in terms of its production strategy:

🫡

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 12, 2025

Ford is using an “Assembly Tree,” which is essentially very similar to Tesla’s “unboxed production process.” In addition to the use of Gigacasting, which Ford is calling “Unicasting,” as well as the use of structural batteries, it is almost as if Tesla is having its own “Model T moment.”

Ford has been quick to adopt an EV mentality as it plans to transition its business over the next decades. It is working to prepare for the future of the atuomotive industry, and although it has adjusted its strategy, it can’t be denied that Ford is one of the legacy automakers taking this new chapter in cars seriously.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that the company’s Robotaxi program would open to the public in September, but there is one big bottleneck that would inhibit it from launching smoothly.

The thing is, it can be resolved in no time, and Tesla can fix it internally.

In Austin, the Robotaxi platform has been in operation since late June. The launch of the program only allowed a handful of privileged influencers and groups to access the driverless ride-hailing service, although it has expanded this group on several occasions.

It has also slowly added vehicles to the fleet, starting at 11 cars when it launched in June. There have been a few cars added, but Tesla has continued to prioritize safety, keeping its rider population and number of vehicles low for the time being.

However, this is going to cause quite a bit of a bottleneck in next month’s planned public launch, as there will be an open invitation for anyone and everyone to test out the Robotaxi platform in Austin.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirms Robotaxi is opening to the public: here’s when

Many people have been waiting for an invitation to ride in a Robotaxi, and Tesla has not been prone to give one to just anybody.

As that becomes a much larger number next month, Tesla is going to have to step up its Robotaxi fleet number, as well as its population of Safety Monitors, the riders that sit in the passenger seat to ensure everything goes smoothly.

Tesla is going to need to add A LOT more cars if they want to be able to meet the demand, otherwise rides will be unavailable to most.

— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) August 11, 2025

While the geofence in Austin has roughly doubled in size twice during both of Tesla’s expansions of the service area, the company is still playing it safe with rider population growth, something that aligns with its focus on safety.

Musk said recently about the expansion of Robotaxi to customer-owned vehicles:

“As I said, we’re being paranoid about safety. But I guess next year is I’d say confidently next year. I’m not sure when next year, but confidently next year, people would be able to add or subtract their car to the Tesla, Inc. fleet.”

The Robotaxi fleet will, without a doubt, revolutionize the way people view ride-hailing. Tesla seems ready to open it up to the public next month, based on what Musk said, but some changes will have to occur to ensure it goes smoothly.

Tesla’s long-wheelbase Model Y L has seemingly been spotted in Europe, signaling its upcoming debut outside China. A lightly camouflaged prototype was seen at a charging station near Germany’s Nürburgring, hinting that the extended wheelbase crossover will make its way to European markets after its expected September launch in China.

The Model Y L

The Model Y L, which will be offered in a six-seat configuration, is expected to add roughly 178 mm (7 inches) to the overall length of the standard Model Y, with 152 mm (6 inches) dedicated to stretching the wheelbase, as noted in an autoevolution report. This design tweak should unlock more third-row space, and it should be enough to rival the rear seating comfort of the much more expensive Model X, which can no longer be ordered in Europe.

While initially mistaken for a Model Y Performance during testing, the prototype’s extended rear door cutout and 19-inch wheels, which were unusual for a Performance variant, suggested that the covered unit was actually the Model Y L. The prototype’s wheels, if any, match those listed in China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) filing for the upcoming Model Y L.

Model Y L production

Tesla is expected to build the Model Y L at Giga Shanghai for the Chinese market initially, though speculations are high that the vehicle will also be built at Giga Berlin in Germany, as well as the Fremont Factory and Giga Texas in the United States. Recent reports have suggested that the Model Y L’s production in China has already begun, and sales there are slated to start in September. 

Considering the Model Y L’s lower entry price compared to the flagship Model X, the upcoming extended wheelbase crossover could quickly become Tesla’s new premier SUV for families needing extra passenger capacity, at least without stepping into the premium pricing bracket of the Model X.