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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.
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.
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
Tesla’s reason for Starlink integration on Cybercab might surprise you, as the company’s Head of AI, Ashok Elluswamy, finally shed some light on the reason they are putting a satellite internet terminal on its ride-hailing-geared vehicle.
On Monday, Tesla officially confirmed that it would integrate Starlink V5 terminals into Cybercab vehicles, something many Tesla fans had figured the company would do, as the vehicle is primarily geared toward giving rides without any passenger intervention.
Starlink V5 directly integrated in Cybercab pic.twitter.com/FxzTtzjB6I
— Tesla (@Tesla) July 20, 2026
The ability to access the internet would allow riders to work or play in the car with their devices. It seemed like a more-than-reasonable feature to add to the Cybercab, which made its way off the production lines for the first time earlier this year.
Tesla reveals first vehicle model to receive Starlink integration
However, the move is not for the rider, as Elluswamy confirmed on Monday night. Instead, it’s actually for Tesla to be able to have a constant connection to the cars in the Robotaxi fleet so it can troubleshoot issues, contact riders, or resolve other issues.
Elluswamy said:
“It is still not required for safe operation of the vehicle. Connectivity is primarily meant for navigation, customer service and, in general, fleet management.”
It is still not required for safe operation of the vehicle. Connectivity is primarily meant for navigation, customer service and, in general, fleet management.
— Ashok Elluswamy (@aelluswamy) July 20, 2026
Many initially assumed the option of constant connectivity would be enabled on the Cybercab for passenger entertainment or work. With the Cybercab, passengers won’t be doing anything but enjoying the ride, so it seemed more than logical that they would be hanging out with Starlink internet access as an amenity.
However, Tesla’s primary concern with Robotaxi is safety, and nailing these first unsupervised rides is a crucial step to setting a good narrative on how effective driverless transportation can be.
Being able to get in touch with passengers or a vehicle if something is wrong is a crucial part of the overall experience, and preventative measures are being taken by Tesla to ensure a smooth process, even in the worst-case.
Tesla expands ridesharing service in California to new hotspot
Tesla reveals 2026 Summer Update with crazy fixes to Nav and more
