News
Tesla’s Standard Range strategy for Model S, X puts pressure on Lucid
Tesla’s Standard Range strategy with its flagship Model S and Model X is going to put pressure on the automakers that are emphasizing performance with their vehicles, especially Lucid Group, which has targeted Tesla’s two luxury vehicles with its lineup of Air sedan configurations.
Last night, Tesla officially added Standard Range versions of the S and X to its Design Studio, offering its luxury, high-performance vehicles to customers for a hefty discount. The performance metrics remained the same, the only difference was a reduction in range — 310 miles for the Model S, and 269 miles for the Model X.
Tesla Model S and Model X now more affordable with Standard Range variants
These two new configuration options from Tesla will have those on the ropes between Elon Musk’s company and Lucid, run by former Model S team member Peter Rawlinson, at a crossroads. However, the decision may be easier than ever before.
But the consequences Lucid might feel from Tesla’s new, cheaper configurations are more explicit than ever before. Tesla’s Long Range and Plaid configurations of the S and X were priced relatively similar to Lucid’s top-of-the-line offerings in the Air sedan.
The Model S Plaid comes in at $108,490 before options, and the Lucid Air Grand Touring, the most comparable to the Model S Plaid (within the same price range), is $125,600.
The Model S Plaid has a 1.99-second 0-60 MPH rate, while Lucid’s Air GT will get you there in 2.6 seconds. It trumps the Model S in range, offering 516 miles, while Tesla’s option is still nothing to bat an eye at, with 396 miles.
But now, pricing comes into focus, and undercutting the Air’s Pure configuration that starts at $82,400 by pricing a new Model S at $78,490 may make things a little easier for consumers and a little more difficult for Lucid.
Lucid missed consensus estimates on vehicle deliveries in Q2, as 1,404 cars made their way to customers. FactSet expected 2,000 cars, and struggling with demand, the last thing it needed was an automaker like Tesla to undercut its products with something superior for less money.
In terms of range, the Air is the best that you can get. But it is about more than that, including the vehicle’s ability to function as a daily driver. Lucid customers have reported issues with software in their vehicles, and as it has been a pain point for many automakers in the early development of EVs, it is something people just don’t want to deal with.
Tesla has its own issues, of course. People have recently come forth with claims that their cars get significantly lower range than they are rated for, and, depending on the person, Elon Musk is a touchy subject.
However, some people don’t give a damn about what the CEO does, they just want a car that works well and is priced reasonably. Lucid may have taken a drastic step back with Tesla’s new Model S and Model X trims. Pressure is being applied to rivals of Tesla through the company’s various price cuts in nearly every market.
In the U.S., Tesla put everyone in the hot seat early this year with massive price cuts, and it was up to the manufacturers to play ball or take their chances. Ford followed with price cuts of its own, and Lucid did, too.
Lucid introduces new $7,500 discount as EV price war heats up
However, their strategy did not translate to an overwhelming number of sales, and Lucid cut its delivery expectations to just 10,000 units in Q1, despite having over 28,000 reservations for its cars.
Tesla’s new rollout could be a true gut punch to Lucid as its Model S and Model X Standard Range offerings will give consumers one more reason to pick the unequivocal leader in EVs.
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Elon Musk
Musk bankers looking to trim xAI debt after SpaceX merger: report
xAI has built up $18 billion in debt over the past few years, with some of this being attributed to the purchase of social media platform Twitter (now X) and the creation of the AI development company. A new financing deal would help trim some of the financial burden that is currently present ahead of the plan to take SpaceX public sometime this year.
Elon Musk’s bankers are looking to trim the debt that xAI has taken on over the past few years, following the company’s merger with SpaceX, a new report from Bloomberg says.
xAI has built up $18 billion in debt over the past few years, with some of this being attributed to the purchase of social media platform Twitter (now X) and the creation of the AI development company. Bankers are trying to create some kind of financing plan that would trim “some of the heavy interest costs” that come with the debt.
The financing deal would help trim some of the financial burden that is currently present ahead of the plan to take SpaceX public sometime this year. Musk has essentially confirmed that SpaceX would be heading toward an IPO last month.
The report indicates that Morgan Stanley is expected to take the leading role in any financing plan, citing people familiar with the matter. Morgan Stanley, along with Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, and JPMorgan Chase & Co., are all expected to be in the lineup of banks leading SpaceX’s potential IPO.
Since Musk acquired X, he has also had what Bloomberg says is a “mixed track record with debt markets.” Since purchasing X a few years ago with a $12.5 billion financing package, X pays “tens of millions in interest payments every month.”
That debt is held by Bank of America, Barclays, Mitsubishi, UFJ Financial, BNP Paribas SA, Mizuho, and Société Générale SA.
X merged with xAI last March, which brought the valuation to $45 billion, including the debt.
SpaceX announced the merger with xAI earlier this month, a major move in Musk’s plan to alleviate Earth of necessary data centers and replace them with orbital options that will be lower cost:
“In the long term, space-based AI is obviously the only way to scale. To harness even a millionth of our Sun’s energy would require over a million times more energy than our civilization currently uses! The only logical solution, therefore, is to transport these resource-intensive efforts to a location with vast power and space. I mean, space is called “space” for a reason.”
The merger has many advantages, but one of the most crucial is that it positions the now-merged companies to fund broader goals, fueled by revenue from the Starlink expansion, potential IPO, and AI-driven applications that could accelerate the development of lunar bases.
News
Tesla pushes Full Self-Driving outright purchasing option back in one market
Tesla announced last month that it would eliminate the ability to purchase the Full Self-Driving software outright, instead opting for a subscription-only program, which will require users to pay monthly.
Tesla has pushed the opportunity to purchase the Full Self-Driving suite outright in one market: Australia.
The date remains February 14 in North America, but Tesla has pushed the date back to March 31, 2026, in Australia.
NEWS: Tesla is ending the option to buy FSD as a one-time outright purchase in Australia on March 31, 2026.
It still ends on Feb 14th in North America. https://t.co/qZBOztExVT pic.twitter.com/wmKRZPTf3r
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) February 13, 2026
Tesla announced last month that it would eliminate the ability to purchase the Full Self-Driving software outright, instead opting for a subscription-only program, which will require users to pay monthly.
If you have already purchased the suite outright, you will not be required to subscribe once again, but once the outright purchase option is gone, drivers will be required to pay the monthly fee.
The reason for the adjustment is likely due to the short period of time the Full Self-Driving suite has been available in the country. In North America, it has been available for years.
Tesla hits major milestone with Full Self-Driving subscriptions
However, Tesla just launched it just last year in Australia.
Full Self-Driving is currently available in seven countries: the United States, Canada, China, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea.
The company has worked extensively for the past few years to launch the suite in Europe. It has not made it quite yet, but Tesla hopes to get it launched by the end of this year.
In North America, Tesla is only giving customers one more day to buy the suite outright before they will be committed to the subscription-based option for good.
The price is expected to go up as the capabilities improve, but there are no indications as to when Tesla will be doing that, nor what type of offering it plans to roll out for owners.
Elon Musk
Starlink terminals smuggled into Iran amid protest crackdown: report
Roughly 6,000 units were delivered following January’s unrest.
The United States quietly moved thousands of Starlink terminals into Iran after authorities imposed internet shutdowns as part of its crackdown on protests, as per information shared by U.S. officials to The Wall Street Journal.
Roughly 6,000 units were delivered following January’s unrest, marking the first known instance of Washington directly supplying the satellite systems inside the country.
Iran’s government significantly restricted online access as demonstrations spread across the country earlier this year. In response, the U.S. purchased nearly 7,000 Starlink terminals in recent months, with most acquisitions occurring in January. Officials stated that funding was reallocated from other internet access initiatives to support the satellite deployment.
President Donald Trump was aware of the effort, though it remains unclear whether he personally authorized it. The White House has not issued a comment about the matter publicly.
Possession of a Starlink terminal is illegal under Iranian law and can result in significant prison time. Despite this, the WSJ estimated that tens of thousands of residents still rely on the satellite service to bypass state controls. Authorities have reportedly conducted inspections of private homes and rooftops to locate unauthorized equipment.
Earlier this year, Trump and Elon Musk discussed maintaining Starlink access for Iranians during the unrest. Tehran has repeatedly accused Washington of encouraging dissent, though U.S. officials have mostly denied the allegations.
The decision to prioritize Starlink sparked internal debate within U.S. agencies. Some officials argued that shifting resources away from Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) could weaken broader internet access efforts. VPNs had previously played a major role in keeping Iranians connected during earlier protest waves, though VPNs are not effective when the actual internet gets cut.
According to State Department figures, about 30 million Iranians used U.S.-funded VPN services during demonstrations in 2022. During a near-total blackout in June 2025, roughly one-fifth of users were still able to access limited connectivity through VPN tools.
Critics have argued that satellite access without VPN protection may expose users to geolocation risks. After funds were redirected to acquire Starlink equipment, support reportedly lapsed for two of five VPN providers operating in Iran.
A State Department official has stated that the U.S. continues to back multiple technologies, including VPNs alongside Starlink, to sustain people’s internet access amidst the government’s shutdowns.
Musk bankers looking to trim xAI debt after SpaceX merger: report
SpaceX launches Crew-12 on Falcon 9, lands first booster at new LZ-40 pad
