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Tesla Tequila is Elon Musk’s latest proof that advertising isn’t necessary
Tesla makes cars, big batteries, solar panels, and now tequila. But the few hours that the most recent product on that list was available shows that advertising isn’t needed to create brand loyalty or a strong consumer base. Instead, Tesla creates a great series of electric cars and sustainable energy systems. Pair that with an innovative CEO that people believe in, and you can sell basically anything: Just ask Tesla, or the Boring Company, for that matter.
After years of teasing a high-quality, agave-based liquor known as tequila that would dawn the electric car company’s name, Tesla Tequila finally hit the shelves after two and a half years of anticipation. It didn’t last long, though, as the $250 + tax bottle of booze that was shaped like a lightning bolt wasn’t available for more than a few hours. A company that has never made tequila, or any drinks for that matter, and spends 99.999999% of its time trying to figure out the world’s transition to sustainable energy sold out of its first batch in a relatively short period of time.
Tesla Tequila sold out in just a few hours, no advertising needed.
Not knowing the quality of the booze they were buying, nor whether it would be available again, Tesla fans flocked to the company’s shop and bought up to two bottles per person. Disappearing in a few hours, Tesla hasn’t stated whether a second batch will become available. But if you didn’t get one, bottles are still being sold on eBay for more than they were originally worth. But don’t expect it to have tequila inside.
Tesla has managed to sell a product that isn’t a car or a battery, all by Elon Musk making an April Fool’s joke two years ago. It is the latest testament to the company’s strange and unorthodox advertising campaign. The thing is: it’s only strange if it doesn’t work. And besides, that money is going toward product development, which is more important to the company’s future, anyway.
But it did work, and it isn’t the first time. In January 2018, Musk’s Boring Company sold 20,000 Flamethrowers for $500 apiece. Selling out in a few days, Musk vowed on the Joe Rogan Experience that they’ll never make more of them and that it was a horrible idea. “You shouldn’t buy one. I said, ‘Don’t buy this Flamethrower. Don’t buy it.”
But people bought it, and they bought them quickly. It isn’t a secret why, either. Flamethrowers are cool, they were limited edition, and they were something that was thought up by Musk, and fans wanted every part of it.
But on a more serious note, the same thing is going on with Tesla’s actual products. While the company has a concerted effort to create a massive volume of electric cars and energy storage systems, Tesla is working on expanding its production capabilities to keep up with demand. The Tesla Tequila and the Flamethrower are novelty items. However, these cars will keep the Earth free of fossil fuels and massive batteries that will keep energy available for outage occurrences.
The automaker is opening new production facilities in the United States and Europe and trying to solve the challenges that come with manufacturing. It turns out that electric cars are gaining momentum over their gas-powered counterparts, and Tesla didn’t need to buy any airtime or cool social media ads to convince people to drive their cars.
It all comes down to creating a product that people believe in. If you can build a solid base of customers who believe in the mission, you can sell anything. Advertising isn’t necessary, and Elon Musk and Tesla have recognized that.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk handed Grok something no other AI company can get their hands on
Elon Musk says SpaceX will feed engineering data into Grok’s next model, avoiding restricted material.
Elon Musk said Tuesday that SpaceX will feed its internal engineering data into the next major training run for Grok, the AI model now folded into SpaceX following February’s merger. In a post on X, Musk wrote that SpaceX’s “massive corpus of world-class engineering data,” excluding anything restricted under U.S. arms export law, will be added during supplemental training of what he called the “2T run,” a reference to a roughly two trillion parameter model that would nearly double the parameters behind the latest Grok 4.5 that’s rolling out.
SpaceX’s massive corpus of world-class engineering data (excluding material blocked by ITAR) will be added during supplemental training of the 2T run.
This will dramatically improve Grok’s engineering capabilities. https://t.co/BbQEViFByn
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 21, 2026
The excluded material that Musk is referring to would fall under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), which restricts export of technical data tied to defense and space hardware. That likely rules out propulsion specifics for Merlin and Raptor engines along with guidance and control details for SpaceX’s launch vehicles, but leaves manufacturing knowledge, materials science, and Starlink hardware design on the table.
The announcement extends a pattern that has been building since SpaceX’s Nasdaq debut in June, when the company went public with Grok and xAI’s Colossus supercomputer folded into the pitch to investors.
Days after that listing, SpaceX closed its $60 billion all stock acquisition of coding startup Cursor, giving xAI both enterprise software distribution and a stream of real world developer data to train on. Grok 4.5 launched July 8 running partly on that Cursor training data, with Musk describing it as roughly comparable to Anthropic’s Opus 4.7 but faster and cheaper to run.
Feeding SpaceX’s own engineering data into the next AI model follows the same logic Musk has applied across xAI’s sister companies. Tesla supplies real world driving data and manufacturing expertise, X supplies conversational data, and now SpaceX supplies aerospace engineering data built up since 2002.
Musk did not give a release date for the upcoming AI model, referred to elsewhere as Grok 4.6. He has said the two trillion parameter run is in its final training phase and expected to wrap this week.
Tesla has extended its Bay Area ride-hailing service to include pickups and drop-offs at San Francisco International Airport (SFO). The update, shared via the company’s official channels on July 21, allows users in the region to request rides directly to and from one of California’s busiest airports.
The expansion builds on Tesla’s secured limousine permit for SFO operations. Public records show the permit became effective March 20, 2026, and remains active through January 31, 2027. Tesla vehicles operating the service now display authorized limousine permits issued by the City and County of San Francisco.
Our Bay Area rideshare service now goes to SFO ✈️
— Tesla AI (@Tesla_AI) July 21, 2026
Tesla’s ride-hailing program in California relies on Model Y vehicles equipped with Full Self-Driving (Supervised) technology. Human safety drivers remain present in compliance with state regulations, distinguishing the service from fully driverless operations.
The Bay Area geofence covers a broad area spanning north of San Francisco to south of San Jose, offering extensive connectivity across the region.
UPDATE: Elon Musk reveals why Tesla didn’t say ‘Robotaxi’ upon California launch
This SFO addition follows earlier progress at other Bay Area airports. Tesla previously expanded service to San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC) in late 2025. The company had engaged with SFO, SJC, and Oakland International Airport officials as early as September 2025 to secure necessary approvals for passenger transport.
The service provides a new option for travelers seeking electric, app-based transportation integrated with Tesla’s ecosystem. Rides are booked through Tesla’s dedicated ride-hailing application, which handles matching, routing, and payments. Pricing follows standard ride-hailing models, with potential adjustments based on distance, time, and demand.
Tesla’s California ride-hailing program launched in July 2025 with an initial invite-only rollout in the Bay Area. It started alongside operations in Austin, Texas, marking the company’s second major U.S. market.
The Bay Area remains a primary focus in California, with service centered on high-demand corridors connecting residential, commercial, and now major transportation hubs. This latest airport integration represents a practical step in Tesla’s broader mobility ambitions within the state.
Tesla has officially revealed its 2026 Summer Update, which comes with a variety of crazy new features, including Navigation fixes that owners have been wanting for months.
Tesla routinely releases a larger update with the Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter updates, where it ships a variety of new features, bug fixes, and other additions to customer cars.
The 2026 Spring Update featured things like “Hey Grok” voice assistance, a redesigned self-driving app, Unreal Engine visual upgrades, and more.
🚨 TESLA’S SUMMER UPDATE FOR 2026 IS HERE:
Featuring:
✅ Self-Driving Stats in Mobile App
✅ Caraoke with Scoring
✅ Automatic Navigation
✅ Preferred Routes
✅ Set Arrival Energy from Mobile App
✅ Send Custom Wraps from Mobile App
✅ Rear Display Lock
✅ Other Improvements
🔌… https://t.co/C9IW3egEhH— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) July 21, 2026
Tesla’s Summer Release has about ten new features; we’ll show you each and detail them below:
New Grok Voice Commands
“Grok can now make phone calls, search and play music, adjust climate, open the glovebox, and answer questions about your Tesla.”
Self-Driving Stats in Mobile App
“View and share self-driving stats from the mobile app.”
Caraoke With Scoring
“Caraoke now scores your singing while in Park. High scores are saved to your Tesla profile.”
Automatic Navigation
“Automatic Navigation now adapts to your routine.
In addition to Home, Work, and upcoming calendar events, your vehicle can now suggest and route to places you visit regularly – like a school drop-off on the way to work, or the gym on the way home.”
Preferred Routes
“For a more personalized experience, navigation now prioritizes routes that you’ve taken before”
Set Arrival Energy from Mobile App
“Set your desired Arrival Energy from your phone.”
Send Custom Wraps from Mobile App
“Skip the USB drive and upload a custom wrap of your car from the mobile app. Instructions for creating a custom wrap here: https://github.com/teslamotors/custom-wraps.”
Rear Display Lock
“Kids can watch content on the rear screen, but only the front row can control it through the rear screen app.”
Other Improvements
- Find Superchargers by name when searching for a destination
- Add Apple Music songs to queue from search and artist page
- Set your preferred zoom level for the Self-Driving visualization
- Intro animations for new Model 3 and Y
Elon Musk handed Grok something no other AI company can get their hands on
Tesla expands ridesharing service in California to new hotspot
