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Tesla issues statement on fatal Model X crash as NTSB opens investigation
Tesla has opened up on what it knows so far about the fatal Model X crash that occurred last week near Mountain View, CA. According to the company, the ill-fated vehicle’s logs have not been retrieved yet due to the severity of the crash, but it is proactively cooperating with authorities to investigate the tragic accident.
The company noted that Tesla owners have driven over the same stretch of road where the fatal accident occurred about 85,000 times on Autopilot since the advanced driver-assist system was introduced back in 2015. Tesla vehicles on Autopilot have passed through the same area 20,000 times, and roughly 200 successful Autopilot trips are completed on the same stretch of road every day, notes the Silicon Valley-based electric carmaker.
The damage to the vehicle was extensive, with Tesla stating that it had not seen “this level of damage to a Model X” prior to last week’s fatal accident. Based on pictures taken from the aftermath of the crash, the entire front of the Model X was ripped off from the impact.
According to Tesla, one of the reasons behind this damage is that the crash attenuator — a safety barrier designed to reduce the damage to vehicles during road accidents — had not been replaced prior to the crash. Crash attenuators, also known as crash cushions and impact cushions, absorb and reduce the impact to a vehicle in the event of an accident.
In the case of the ill-fated Model X, however, the crash cushion was all but gone, causing the electric SUV to hit the concrete barrier. A comparison of the state of the crash attenuator could be seen below, with the left image being taken from Google street view and the right image being taken from a dashcam footage a day before the Model X accident.
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- The aftermath of a fatal Tesla Model X accident. (Credit: Mercury News/Twitter)
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- The aftermath of a fatal Tesla Model X accident. [Credit: Dean C. Smith/Twitter]
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- The aftermath of a fatal Tesla Model X accident. [Credit: Dean C. Smith/Twitter]
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- The aftermath of a fatal Tesla Model X accident. [Credit: Dean C. Smith/Twitter]
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- The aftermath of a fatal Tesla Model X accident. (Credit: ABC News Radio/Twitter)
The batteries of the Model X caught fire in the immediate aftermath of the accident. In Tesla’s blog post, the company asserted that its vehicles’ battery packs are designed in a way that when a fire does occur, the flames spread slowly to give the car’s passengers time to exit the vehicle. As noted by the company, this appears to be the case during the accident, as there were no occupants on the Model X when its batteries caught fire.
Tesla expressed its sympathy to the family of the ill-fated Model X’s driver. The man was retrieved from his vehicle and taken to a medical facility, where he tragically succumbed to his injuries. Tesla has not released the name of the Model X’s driver, out of respect for the man’s family.
The National Transport Safety Board recently announced that it is sending two of its investigators to conduct a field investigation to study the fatal Model X crash. According to the NTSB, its investigators will look into factors involving the accident, including the post-crash fire from the car’s batteries.
2 NTSB investigators conducting Field Investigation for fatal March 23, 2018, crash of a Tesla near Mountain View, CA. Unclear if automated control system was active at time of crash. Issues examined include: post-crash fire, steps to make vehicle safe for removal from scene.
— NTSB Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) March 27, 2018
The Tesla Model X has a 5-star safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The electric SUV is equipped with 12 airbags and a huge crumple zone on the front, thanks to the absence of an internal combustion engine. Just last December, we reported on a Model X that got T-boned in a traffic accident in Dayton, Ohio. While the collision was severe, the Model X’s driver was able to walk away from the crash unharmed.
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SpaceX announced today that it would expand its launch capabilities into a new U.S. state: Louisiana.
Today, SpaceX, in conjunction with the Louisiana Economic Development Office, said that it will establish a new launch facility, which it will call Starbase, Louisiana. It will be located near the Vermilion Parish, supporting thousands of launches each year, at least eventually.
CEO Elon Musk commented by stating, “Starbase Louisiana will ultimately have over a dozen launch towers, enabling more than 30 Starship flights per day and making it the biggest launch site on Earth!”
Starbase Louisiana will ultimately have over a dozen launch towers, enabling more than 30 Starship flights per day and making it the biggest launch site on Earth!
SpaceX makes sci-fi real. https://t.co/C7Ht0U12ba
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 25, 2026
The expansion is SpaceX’s latest move to push its launch cadence to be more frequent than ever. SpaceX said that Starbase, Louisiana, will be built to “support thousands of Starship flights a year,” with the first coming in 2029.
SpaceX announced the new facility in partnership with the Louisiana Economic Development Office as it will bring a major influx of jobs and investments into the area. Currently, it will produce more than 3,000 new jobs in Louisiana, and SpaceX plans to invest at least $100 billion into the entire facility, ensuring that many jobs are created as a result.
Environmental Responsibility
SpaceX acknowledges the impact launches could have on marshlands, local wildlife, and water sources. Here’s how the company plans to help with the issues in Vermilion Parish:
- Restoring the Shoreline: “In Vermilion Parish, the shoreline is eroding between 3.3 and 23 feet per year. We’re partnering with state and federal agencies to expand Louisiana’s Coastal Master Plan and Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act projects, including Gulf shoreline protection breakwaters designed to reduce wave energy and slow loss along the Gulf edge.”
- Rebuilding the Marshlands: “In working with the state, we’re planning thousands of acres of marsh creation using beneficial-use placement of dredged material and offshore sediment sources. Restoration will also include interior marsh bank stabilization and rebuilding marsh in remnant canals. These projects can reconnect fragmented wetlands, restore natural buffers against storms, and return habitat that has been lost to erosion and historic canalization.”
- Preserving Coastal Wildlife: “Pecan Island and nearby wetlands are high-value habitat for migratory waterfowl, shorebirds, wading birds, and other coastal wildlife. SpaceX is not developing the full footprint of the land and will preserve wetlands and wildlife habitat. At existing launch sites, waterfowl and other birds continue to use nearby habitat during operations. Working with wildlife agencies, landowners, and conservation groups, SpaceX will support monitoring and management so this habitat stays productive and hunting, fishing, birding, and other recreational activities that are part of this coast’s culture can continue.”
SpaceX shares rose about 2.5 percent on the news.
Tesla Cybertruck trims saw a big price change, at least on two of the three available to consumers, as demand for the all-electric pickup appears to be increasing.
Tesla bumped up its Base All-Wheel-Drive trim level up to $74,990 from $69,990 and the Premium All-Wheel-Drive configuration from $79,990 to $84,990. The Cyberbeast price remains unchanged at $99,990.
🚨 Cybertruck prices went up as Tesla bumped them 7%
– Tesla Cybertruck AWD is now $74,990
– Tesla Cybertruck Premium AWD now $84,990
– Tesla Cyberbeast now $99,990 https://t.co/MYJbaw56GL— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) August 25, 2026
Despite questions of demand for the truck, Tesla is bumping its two least expensive trims up $5,000 to signal that there are plenty of buyers. Although SpaceX has been buying Tesla Cybertruck units to utilize as company vehicles, it is no secret that the Cybertruck is among the most sought-after Tesla models out there.
The issue has always been pricing, at least for the most part. When Tesla initially launched the Cybertruck AWD at $59,990 a few months back, the company stated that price would remain intact for just ten days due to the influx of orders it received.
Cybertruck Sales: Is It the Product or Pricing?
Depending on who you ask, you will likely hear one of two explanations for relatively low Cybertruck sales: either the product itself or the pricing.
Yes, this is the best-selling all-electric pickup on the market. However, there are people who simply hate the look of it, which I understand, but do not agree with. Look is totally subjective, and I love the look of the Cybertruck.
Some people will not buy the Cybertruck because of the look, but I am under the impression that sales would be much better if this truck were priced lower; something that might not be possible considering Tesla’s need to make money on its products. When it was unveiled in 2019, its most expensive trim level was $69,990. Now, the cheapest trim level is more expensive than that.
I would be in a Cybertruck if it were more affordable. I LOVE my Model Y, but Cybertruck is the best vehicle Tesla makes, and it’s not particularly close. Even in the base model, the steer-by-wire, the space, storage, and performance make it more desirable than the Model Y to me. I cannot be the only Tesla owner without a Cybertruck who feels this way.
If you’re interested in buying a Tesla vehicle, use my referral link.
Energy
Tesla Semi factory is getting a celebration nobody expected
Tesla will inaugurate its Nevada Semi factory September 24, five months after production quietly began ramping.
Tesla says it will officially inaugurate its new Semi factory in Nevada next month. The Tesla Semi account posted the announcement on X, sharing a graphic titled “Semi Rollout” with a date of September 24. No further details were given about the format of the event or who would attend.
While Tesla’s dedicated Semi plant in Sparks, adjacent to Gigafactory Nevada, opened back in April, with the first trucks rolling off the high volume line on April 29, the timing for the factory inauguration comes at a surprise. The ribbon cutting event five months into production is a break from how Tesla has usually handled its other factories, where the first truck or car off the line typically served as the milestone moment.
Inauguration of new Semi factory in Nevada next month pic.twitter.com/a8kAlxrOOn
— Tesla Semi (@tesla_semi) August 24, 2026
The 1.7 million square foot factory was built as part of a $3.6 billion expansion Tesla announced in early 2023, and it shares a site with the battery cell lines that feed the Semi’s structural pack, a decision meant to remove the supply bottleneck that delayed the truck for years. The plant is designed for 50,000 trucks a year at full ramp. Semi program director Dan Priestley has said production “is now ramping” rather than claiming it has reached scale.
Nine years passed between the Semi’s 2017 unveiling and this stage of production, with the truck slipping from an original 2019 target through hand built pilot units for PepsiCo and a slow build out of the Nevada plant. An inauguration event now gives Tesla a stage to talk up that ramp and reset expectations for how many trucks it can begin delivering at scale.
The September date also lines up with the Semi’s next milestone. Tesla confirmed the truck is heading to Europe with a full unveiling at the IAA Transportation trade show in Hannover, Germany, running September 15 through 20. Between the Nevada event and the Hannover reveal, Tesla has roughly a week and a half in September to make the case that the Semi is now a truck being built and sold on two continents rather than tested in a handful of fleets.
SpaceX announces new Starbase for ‘thousands of Starship launches annually’
Tesla just made Cybertruck more expensive
