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Tesla at a tipping point: How a focus on safety and features is building a formidable car brand
Last week, JD Power revealed the results of a study about the public’s perception of electric vehicles and autonomous driving technologies. The results of the survey were not that encouraging, with 68% of the respondents stating that they had zero experience with electric cars. The majority of the study’s demographic also stated that they would not consider an EV as their next car purchase.
Yet, despite these results, one particular vehicle seems to be bucking the trend. In June, Tesla sold just shy of 40,000 Model 3 across the globe, making it the best-selling electric car worldwide. Following the Model 3 was the BAIC EU-Series from China, which was far behind at almost 18,000 units sold. Third place in June’s global EV sales rankings was the BYD Yuan, which sold 6,566 units. The Model 3’s feat is impressive, considering that the market is just beginning to seriously embrace electric cars as a viable alternative to gas-powered automobiles.
Baillie Gifford’s recently-released Annual Financial Report noted that Tesla had reached a milestone with the Model 3, as exhibited by the vehicle becoming the US’ best-selling passenger car by revenue over the past four quarters. This milestone could have been achieved by Tesla because the company has and continues to develop a reputation for building great cars that just happen to be electric, not electric cars that just happen to be good. By emphasizing the innate strengths of electric vehicles, Tesla has created a brand that is becoming synonymous with safety and bleeding-edge features.
The Tesla Model 3, Model S, and Model X are three of the safest vehicles on the road today. This is partly due to the vehicles being designed from the ground up as electric cars. With their generous crush zones and rigid frames, Teslas are capable of protecting their occupants, even in potentially serious crashes. Some of these incidents are shared online through the Tesla community and beyond, and they help spread the word that the company’s vehicles are among the safest vehicles on the road today.
The aftermath of these incidents usually follows a similar pattern too, with a Tesla getting damaged and the other vehicle coming out worse for wear. An example of this could be found in this recent incident involving an otherwise intact Model 3 toppling a fire hydrant after getting rear-ended by a Subaru. As could be seen in pictures of the crash’s aftermath, the gas-powered car looked like it hit a wall when it smashed into the Model 3.
Teslas are essentially computers on wheels, and this is one of the reasons why the Model S, Model X, and Model 3 are among the very few vehicles on the road that can receive new features through free over-the-air updates. This has become a crucial part of the Tesla ownership experience, as cars that are handed over to customers only get better with time. Some of these features, such as Sentry Mode and TeslaCam, have even helped owners catch individuals that vandalize their vehicles.
In a recent report, the Highway Loss Data Institute stated that Teslas are among the least likely vehicles to get stolen in the United States, with the Model S and X nearly 90% less likely to attract thieves than the average automobile. The reasons for this could vary, but the fact that Teslas are equipped with a suite of security features, and the fact that the National Crime Information Center tracked 112 recovered Teslas out of 115 stolen vehicles between 2011 and May 2018, establishes the company’s electric cars as vehicles that are pretty tricky to steal.
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Tesla only commands a tiny fraction of the overall automotive market today. Even with the aggressive ramp of the Model 3, Tesla is still far from breaching the mass markets that are dominated by low-cost vehicles that have been around for decades. This does not mean to say that Tesla is not making progress, as the company is steadily increasing its reach in the auto industry’s premium segment. And thanks to the company’s innovations and unique approach to its vehicles, Tesla is making itself into a brand that simply attracts a ton of interest.
An example of this could be seen in Japan recently, where Tesla showcased the Model 3 (which is yet to be distributed to the country) at the Haneda Airport. Not too far from the Model 3 was an exhibit of the gas-powered B-Class from Mercedes-Benz, a premium vehicle from a veteran carmaker that is synonymous with luxury. The interest attracted by the two vehicles among the people at the Japanese airport was very telling.
Elon Musk has updated his timeline for when humans will walk on Mars and for when ships will simply get there.
The objective of getting to Mars has been one of Musk’s biggest goals since becoming a serial entrepreneur and realizing that time on Earth is limited. Musk has said several times he hopes to die on Mars, and not by impact.
Musk now believes that people will be on Mars in “roughly 5 to 7 years.” He said that a Mars lander will get there “a few years sooner.”
People on Mars in roughly 5 to 7 years.
Mars lander a few years sooner.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 29, 2026
The response from Musk comes after NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said that SpaceX’s biggest priority is the Moon and not Mars. Because of this, Isaacman conceded that he believes nuclear power and propulsion investments will provide “potentially the pathway with the fewest miracles required to put four people on Mars in the next 10 to 15 years.”
Of course, this is what NASA can do through taxpayer funding and nuclear investments, he added.
Musk’s grand ambitions are much more optimistic than most, and it is certainly a double-edged sword. This is not the first time timelines for Mars have been somewhat lofty, especially to those normal thinkers like you and me, not super geniuses like Musk.
In fact, the SpaceX and Tesla frontman has said on at least a dozen occasions that we could be on Mars in the coming years. Musk said 2020 would be the big year as early as 2009. In 2020, he was “highly confident” of a landing in 2026, and had even said 2024 in a best-case scenario.
The point is, the range has varied, and it’s anyone’s guess when we’ll get there. This latest adjustment to the timeline is typical of Musk, and while the Moon has seemingly taken priority over Mars, it is still worth mentioning that the ultimate goal is to make life multiplanetary, and it starts potentially with the Red Planet.
SpaceX (NASDAQ: SPCX) got an absolutely crazy price target rating from Raymond James after the company experienced a tough first few weeks following its Initial Public Offering (IPO).
Despite the tumultuous start, SpaceX has plenty of believers, and the company’s massively successful Starship launch last Friday, its 13th test flight of the massive rocket, went so smoothly that Raymond James analysts pushed its price target on the company to roughly 7 times its current trading level.
SpaceX Starship just nailed something it’s never done before
The firm officially put a “Strong Buy” rating and an $800 price target on the stock. It currently trades at around $113. Its all-time high is $225.64, reaching this trading level shortly after shares first went public.
Raymond James’ price target is tied to the firm’s confidence after Starship’s 13th test flight. Analysts at the firm said it was an incremental step that reduces engineering risks, citing the widely successful heat shield test that CEO Elon Musk recently detailed, the smooth deployment of Starlink V3 satellites, and a successful in-space engine relight.
SpaceX also managed to see Starship splash down safely in the Indian Ocean, while the Super Heavy Booster fell down to the Gulf of America with no incidents.
It is interesting to see these launches have such a tremendous impact on the stock and what investors think of it. After SpaceX initially delayed the Starship launch last week, shares fell tremendously. Most probably did not realize that the stand-down is a standard practice, especially if everything is not perfect.
The mission was initially aborted due to an issue with Raptor engines. This was resolved, and Starship launched last Friday after another delay on Thursday, which was caused by weather.
Now that analysts have seen what SpaceX launches are capable of and how impressive the feat is, firms are adjusting their price targets accordingly, making it known that they have high expectations for the space exploration company.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has responded to reports that Volvo is officially discontinuing the LiDAR sensor on two of its cars.
Volvo announced that it would officially scrap LiDAR systems on its EX90 and ES90 vehicles in various markets. In Norway, owners will get a €1,800 compensation for features that will never arrive due to this decision. There will be no option to remove the unit from vehicles, either.
The issue stems from Volvo’s supplier, Luminar, and its bankruptcy filing. Luminar will no longer be able to supply LiDAR units to Volvo for the EX90 and ES90, effectively axing any use the unit has on vehicles. Volvo will phase out the data collection processes via the LiDAR system, and it will not be utilized whatsoever.
Musk saw the story on X and responded, stating:
“I did try to warn them. Humans drive using neural nets and optical sensors. Same is true for robot cars.”
I did try to warn them.
Humans drive using neural nets and optical sensors. Same is true for robot cars.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 29, 2026
Musk has been publicly vocal about his disdain for LiDAR systems, once calling them “a fool’s errand,” as he has consistently kept the outlook that they are not needed for effective self-driving.
The typical example used as evidence for this by Musk is humans themselves: made with only eyes and memories, humans are capable of navigating a car by using what they can see and what they’ve personally experienced on the road.
Elon Musk argues lidar and radar make self driving cars more dangerous
“Same is true for robot cars,” Musk says, as Teslas have eight exterior cameras that help see everything surrounding the vehicle, and a neural network that analyzes behavior and tendencies with every mile driven.
Tesla is a vision-only self-driving company that ditched sensors and radar several years ago in favor of cameras. Behind this effort, the company has established a reputation for having one of the most robust self-driving platforms in the world.
Musk’s big bet with Tesla on its self-driving program’s strategy has widely paid off. Other companies continue to utilize things like LiDAR, radar, and sensors for effective self-driving, but Tesla has shown that there is more than one way to give consumers a strong and accurate driver assistance suite.
The real question is: who will be the first company to take Musk’s advice and attempt a self-driving platform based on cameras only, or even license FSD for themselves?
Elon Musk updates the SpaceX timeline for Mars
SpaceX gets an absolutely crazy price target after rough IPO
