News
Tesla Semi could save lives if used as a military vehicle
The Tesla Semi features several benefits over traditional petrol-powered trucks. It’s faster, quieter, more powerful, and it’s far cheaper to operate. These characteristics give the Semi the potential to change the long-haul industry. But as it turns out, the Semi has the potential to revolutionize the military’s logistics as well, and it will likely save a lot of lives in the process.
As noted in a Breaking Defense report, access to gas during times of conflict comes at a terrible cost. In Afghanistan and Iraq, for example, hundreds of American troops have been slain and thousands more have been wounded over the years while moving supplies. Fuel, which is usually transported through large convoys of trucks, just happens to be very easy targets, and they do tend to get attacked.
Lt. Gen. Eric Wesley, the head of the US Army’s Futures & Concepts Center, noted that the military’s logistics burden gets drastically reduced once the need for gas sees a dramatic reduction. If the military stops employing long convoys of oil trucks during times of conflict, hundreds of lives could quite literally be saved. One way to accomplish this, of course, is through the use of electric trucks, such as the Tesla Semi.
Electric vehicles already present several advantages compared to petrol-powered machines. They’re inherently quiet, making them very difficult to detect. They’re easy to maintain as well, since they have relatively few parts compared to an internal combustion-powered vehicle. EVs can even stay off the grid for extended periods, provided that they are provided a setup that allows them to charge, such as solar panels and a battery storage unit.
“Battery costs have gone down precipitously over the last ten years. Recharge times have dropped, and ranges has grown longer. The trajectory that all of that is on, in the next two years, it’ll be far more efficient to have an electric vehicle than internal combustion, so we’re already, I would argue, late to the need,” he said.
Apart from not needing any gas, electric vehicles like the Semi can also generate power for high-tech combat systems such as sensors, command networks, and even some advanced weaponry. A Tesla Semi outfitted for the army could even be equipped with some batteries to serve as a charging station for other electric army vehicles. Granted, Wesley noted that batteries today may not be energy-dense enough to power heavy equipment like tanks yet, but for light tactical vehicles, EVs are already a good fit for the army’s needs.
Of course, there are still several challenges that need to be addressed before electric vehicles can be deployed for the military. The costs of transitioning the military’s current fleet to EVs is also substantial, and other issues such as charging infrastructure must be ironed out. The supply chains for electric army vehicles must also be secured. Yet considering that an all-electric transportation sector is all but assured today, addressing such challenges may very well be a priority.
The Lt. General’s team is currently producing a white paper that will explore the idea of electric military machines. The study will be submitted to the four-star chief of Army Futures Command, Gen. John “Mike” Murray. For Lt. General Wesley, transitioning the army to EVs may very well be a pertinent goal, considering that the age of the internal combustion engine may be ending.
“Tesla is building large [semitrailer] trucks. UPS and FedEx are starting to buy these vehicles to learn how they move into that area. The entire automotive industry is migrating towards this idea of electrification, and there’s a lot of good reasons for it. And as the entire industry goes to electrification, the supply of internal combustion engine parts is going to go down and therefore prices are going to go up,” he said.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk and Donald Trump to speak with each other Friday: report
White House aides have scheduled a call between the CEO and U.S. President on Friday.
Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s feud seems to be thawing, at least to some degree.
As per a recent Politico report, White House aides have scheduled a call between the CEO and U.S. President on Friday.
Musk vs. Trump
Musk turned into a staunch critic of Trump amidst the administration’s efforts to pass the “Big Beautiful Bill,” which the CEO claimed would add trillions to the country’s deficit. Trump, for his part, claimed that Musk turned on him due to the adverse effects of the proposed bill on his companies.
The spat between the two powerful men became so notable that Musk called for the impeachment of Trump on X. He also claimed that Trump was in the Epstein list. The U.S. President, for his part, threatened to cancel billions of dollars worth of government contracts with Musk’s companies such as SpaceX.
Potential Truce
As per Politico, however, White House aides have stepped in to temper the tensions and broker peace between the two powerful men. When asked by the outlet about his ongoing feud with the CEO, Trump reportedly stated that “it’s okay” and that “it’s going very well, never done better.” The U.S. President also highlighted his favorability ratings, stating that his “numbers are through the roof.”
While the CEO was very aggressive against Trump in his X posts, he did back down somewhat after some time. When hedge fund manager Bill Ackman argued that Trump and Musk should make peace for the benefit of the United States, the CEO responded with, “You’re not wrong.” Musk also walked back on his decision to decommission SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, which is essential to NASA’s operations.
Investor's Corner
Goldman Sachs reduces Tesla price target to $285
Despite Goldman Sach’s NASDAQ: TSLA price cut to $285, Tesla boasts $95.7B in revenue & nearly $1T market cap.
Goldman Sachs analysts cut Tesla’s price target to $285 from $295, maintaining a Neutral rating.
The adjustment reflects weaker sales performance across key markets, with Tesla shares trading at $284.70, down nearly 18% in the past week. The analysts pointed to declining sales data in the United States, Europe, and China as the primary driver for the revised outlook. In the U.S., Tesla’s quarter-to-date deliveries through May fell mid-teens year-over-year, according to Wards and Motor Intelligence.
In Europe, April registrations plummeted 50% year-over-year, with May showing a mid-20% decline, per industry data. Meanwhile, the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) reported a 20% year-over-year drop in May, despite a 5.5% sequential increase from April. Consumer surveys from HundredX and Morning Consult also shaped Goldman Sachs’ lowered delivery and EPS forecasts.
Goldman Sachs now projects Tesla’s second-quarter deliveries to range between 335,000 and 395,000 vehicles, with a base case of 365,000, down from a prior estimate of 410,000 and below the Visible Alpha Consensus of 417,000. Despite these headwinds, Tesla’s financials remain strong, with $95.7 billion in trailing twelve-month revenue and a $917 billion market capitalization.
Regionally, Tesla’s challenges are stark. In Germany, the German road traffic agency KBA reported Tesla’s May sales dropped 36.2% year-over-year, despite a 44.9% surge in overall electric vehicle registrations. Tesla’s sales fell 29% last month in Spain, according to the ANFAC industry group. These declines highlight shifting consumer preferences amid growing competition.
On a positive note, Tesla is making strategic moves. The Model 3 and Model Y are part of a Chinese government campaign to boost rural sales, potentially mitigating losses. Piper Sandler analysts reiterated an Overweight rating, emphasizing Tesla’s supply chain strategy.
Alexander Potter stated, “Thanks to vertical integration, Tesla is the only car company that is trying to source batteries, at scale, without relying on China.”
As Tesla navigates these delivery challenges, its focus on innovation and supply chain resilience could help it maintain its edge in the electric vehicle market despite short-term hurdles.
News
Tesla adds useful Model 3/Y feature home chargers will love
Tesla has made it easier for Model 3 and Y owners to unlock the charging cable with certain adapters, chargers, and home chargers.
Tesla has recently added a small, albeit useful feature for owners who charge their electric vehicles (EVs) at home, and specifically for those who use third-party chargers.
Although Tesla’s first-party home chargers include a physical latch and unlatch button, many third-party chargers do not. As such, in Tesla’s software update 2025.20 that began rolling out this week, the automaker added a subtle shortcut for the Model 3 and Model Y that allows users to stop charging sessions on third-party charging handles and adapters without the unlatch button (via Not a Tesla App).
To unlock the pin that locks the charging cable in place, Tesla Model 3 and Model Y owners will now be able to pull and hold the rear left door handle near the charging port for three seconds, at which it will unlatch. Owners would previously have had to crawl into the trunk to do this from inside the vehicle, and the addition will simply add another option to open the door.
The feature requires owners to have the vehicle be either unlocked or have the key nearby, and is especially of benefit to owners who regularly use home or other chargers with NACS adapters such as the J1772, which often don’t necessarily unlatch even when pressing the cable’s button or don’t include a button at all.
READ MORE ON TESLA CHARGING FEATURES: Tesla exec shares unique Supercharger team rule that accelerates EV adoption
You can see a short video of the feature at work below, as posted on Thursday by X user Max Bracco.
Unlatching Charging Cable in 2025.20 pic.twitter.com/MBxTodOXOz
— Max Bracco (@max_bracco) June 5, 2025
It’s not clear as of yet whether or not the feature will be added to Tesla’s other vehicles, though it wouldn’t be surprising to see down the road. Tesla writes the following on the Model 3 and Model Y feature in its 2025.20 release notes:
Charging can now be stopped and the charge cable released by pulling and holding the rear left door handle for 3 seconds, provided the vehicle is unlocked or a recognized key is nearby. This is especially useful when the charge cable doesn’t have an unlatch button. You can still release the cable using the vehicle touchscreen or the Tesla app.
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