Tesla has never run commercials, and it doesn’t have a Public Relations or Advertising Department. Evidence over the years suggests that it doesn’t need one as the company’s products, events, and uncommonly vocal CEO Elon Musk have shown that spending money on commercials is overrated. Instead, they’ve let the company do its own talking, and despite not spending a dollar on ads, it’s arguably the most talked-about car company on the planet.
Before I wrote about electric cars for a living and considered myself an “EV enthusiast,” I knew that other electric cars existed. There’s a BMW i3 that I see on a daily basis on my daily commute to the gym, there’s a Chevy Bolt owner in my neighborhood, and there were a handful of Teslas around. Now, Teslas dominate my area, despite the fact that the company has never spent any money on advertising its products. I know I’ve seen Chevy Bolt and BMW i3 commercials on several occasions, but nobody talks about them.
From Elon Musk’s Twitter feed to rapper Yung Gravy’s hit single “Whip a Tesla,” there are plenty of ways Tesla has received the spotlight of the public eye through the years. Here are a few of the ones that I feel are the best example of how powerful Tesla’s PR machine is, even though it uses that money to continue developing its products.
1. The Tesla Model X “Dance”
While this one is extremely old and worn-out, it was usually the first thing I showed people who didn’t know what a Tesla is. It’s a flashy, flamboyant, fun Easter Egg that has the Model X dancing to the Trans Siberian Orchestra, and it’s an extremely annoying feature, according to several long-time Tesla owners who I keep in touch with. Despite its overuse by Tesla’s newcomers, it’s still a feature that spread throughout the internet like wildfire. It was a combination of inventiveness and Elon Musk’s bold sense of humor, and it undoubtedly gets the attention of many people who have no clue what is so special about Tesla vehicles.
Yeah, it might be old and outdated to some, but there’s no doubt it got the word out to some new Tesla followers. Rarely used in the wild anymore, it was recently used in China to attract college grads to consider working for the company.
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2. Elon Musk’s Twitter Feed
From Tesla stock synopses to product release details, to updates to Tesla’s lineup, Elon Musk’s Twitter feed is a legendary PR tool for the automaker. It’s free to create a Twitter, and Elon Musk uses it for literally any reason he can. His over 55 million Twitter followers feast at nearly every Tweet he writes, and the main difference for me is the responses he receives.
Musk is a comical man, someone who holds a great sense of humor and a light-heartedness that only a few people in his stressful position would be able to display. While most professional athletes attract responses from fans and foes who are interested in the sport they play, Musk attracts attention from nearly everyone from every walk of life. While you can usually expect some to share their newest memes, looking for approval from the unequivocal Lord of Memes, most commonly there are questions from Tesla owners and fans who are interested in when the next big development will be released.
Musk gains around 1 million new followers every week, according to his profile on Social Blade, A million extra sets of eyes feast upon his Tweets every night, whether they deal with automotive or his other projects, or his recent dive into Cryptocurrency, they attract massive attention from everyone in every corner of the World.
3. The Cybertruck Broken Glass Episode
During the 2019 unveiling of the Tesla Cybertruck, a demonstration of the vehicle’s durability was underway. First, Tesla’s Cheif Designer Franz von Holzhausen slammed a sledgehammer into the driver’s side door of the all-electric pickup. With no dents, dings, or imperfections to be found, the next part of the demonstration would reveal the nearly impossible to break Cybertruck glass, and it would solidify Tesla’s nearly indestructible vehicle.
Except the glass broke.
And for weeks and weeks, and months even, video of the Cybertruck’s glass breaking plagued the internet. For most companies, it would have been an embarrassing episode of a PR nightmare that would need massive amounts of explaining. Instead, Tesla used it to expand the brand.
Yup. Sledgehammer impact on door cracked base of glass, which is why steel ball didn’t bounce off. Should have done steel ball on window, *then* sledgehammer the door. Next time …
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 25, 2019
Tesla created the Cybertruck glass shirt for its store, which simply had the dinged-up glass put on the front of a black t-shirt. Not shying away from the event, Tesla used the cards it was dealt, and it was really incredible how something that would derail a product unveiling for something that claimed to be so strong and robust was used to continue the public’s awareness of the Cybertruck.
Only Tesla.
There’s three of my favorite examples of Tesla’s PR brilliance. Of course, there are plenty more, including one that occurred last weekend with UFC Lightweight Beneil Dariush.
Be sure to let me know what your favorite examples of Tesla’s PR are!
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Tesla has launched a new solution to a rare but relevant Supercharger problem with a new Virtual Waitlist, a remedy that will solve sequencing confusion when there is a line to charge at one of the company’s locations.
Teslarati reported on what we called the Virtual Queue last month. In rare occurrences, there were physical altercations at Superchargers when someone might have cut in line to charge. Tesla started to develop some sort of system that would resolve this issue, and now it is finally rolling it out.
Tesla launches solution to end Supercharger fights once and for all
It will start with a Pilot Program, and Tesla is calling it the ‘Waitlist.’
Announced on May 11 on the official TeslaCharging X account, the pilot program is currently active at sites in Los Gatos, Mountain View, and San Francisco in California, as well as San Jose, CA, and the Bronx, NY (East Gun Hill Road). Drivers are encouraged to share feedback directly through the Tesla app to refine the system before a potential broader rollout.
We’re now testing a new waitlist feature at 5 Supercharger sites. Share feedback through the Tesla app to help us make it better.
– Los Gatos, CA – Los Gatos Boulevard
– Mountain View, CA – El Monte Avenue
– San Francisco, CA – Lombard Street
– San Jose, CA – Saratoga Avenue
-… pic.twitter.com/epTVzpJxgW— Tesla Charging (@TeslaCharging) May 11, 2026
Tesla released the video above to showcase the feature, which automatically joins the waitlist when your vehicle has the Supercharger with the wait as the destination in the navigation. There is also a notification that lets you know your place in line.
In this specific example, the video shows that the wait is less than five minutes, and that there are two cars ahead of the one in the video:
Credit: Tesla
Having a wait at a Supercharger is relatively rare, but it does happen. It is even more frequent now that there are more EVs allowed to use the Supercharger Network. Those non-Tesla EVs can also join the queue, as Tesla added in its social media release of the pilot program that they can join the waitlist using the Tesla app.
The release of this program should help alleviate the rare risk of incidents at Superchargers. Tesla will expand this program as it sees fit, and it gathers valuable data and reviews from users.
Investor's Corner
Tesla Optimus is already benefiting investors, top Wall Street firm says
Piper Sandler has updated its detailed valuation model for Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA), concluding that at recent share prices around $400–$420, investors are essentially acquiring the company’s ambitious Optimus humanoid robot project at no extra cost.
Tesla Optimus is already benefiting investors from a fiscal standpoint, at least that is what Alexander Potter at Piper Sandler, a top Wall Street firm covering the company, says.
Piper Sandler has updated its detailed valuation model for Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA), concluding that at recent share prices around $400–$420, investors are essentially acquiring the company’s ambitious Optimus humanoid robot project at no extra cost.
Analyst Alexander Potter, in the firm’s latest “Definitive Guide to Investing in Tesla,” built a comprehensive framework covering 17 separate product lines.
This granular approach values Tesla’s core businesses—including electric vehicles, energy storage, Full Self-Driving (FSD) software, in-house insurance, Supercharging network, and a standalone robotaxi operation—at approximately $400 per share, without assigning any value to Optimus or related inference-as-a-service opportunities.
“At $400/share, we think investors can buy Optimus for ‘free,’” Potter stated in the note. Piper Sandler maintained its Overweight rating on Tesla shares and a $500 price target, which implicitly attributes roughly $100 per share to the robot-related businesses— a figure the analyst views as potentially conservative.
The updated model incorporates elements often overlooked by other sell-side analysts, such as detailed forecasts for Tesla’s insurance operations, Supercharger revenue, and a distinct valuation for the robotaxi business separate from FSD software licensing. It also accounts for Tesla’s 2025 CEO compensation plan for the first time.
Potter acknowledged that his estimates for 2026 and 2027 fall below Wall Street consensus, citing factors like declining deliveries from certain discontinued models and reduced regulatory credit income.
However, he expressed limited concern, noting that traditional vehicle delivery metrics are expected to matter less over time as FSD subscriber growth and robotaxi deployment metrics gain prominence. On Optimus specifically, Potter suggested the humanoid robot program, combined with inference services, “arguably will be worth more than Tesla’s other businesses combined,” though the firm has not yet produced formal long-term forecasts for these segments.
Tesla shares have traded near the $400 range in recent sessions, reflecting ongoing investor focus on the company’s autonomous driving progress and expansion into robotics and AI. The Optimus project remains in early development stages, with Tesla aiming to deploy the robots initially for internal factory tasks before broader commercial applications.
This Piper Sandler analysis highlights the growing emphasis among some investors and analysts on Tesla’s long-term technology platform potential beyond its current automotive and energy businesses.
As with any forward-looking valuation, outcomes will depend on execution timelines, technological breakthroughs, regulatory approvals for autonomous systems, and market adoption of humanoid robotics—areas that carry significant uncertainty and execution risk.
The note underscores a common theme in Tesla coverage: differing views on how to quantify emerging high-growth opportunities like robotics within the company’s overall enterprise value. Investors are advised to consider their own risk tolerance and conduct thorough due diligence regarding these speculative elements.
News
Tesla Giga Texas buzzing as new Cybertruck appears to enter production
Additionally, the Cybercab manufacturing ramp-up is continuing amidst Tesla’s busy May, which includes a handful of things from an automotive perspective.
Tesla Giga Texas is buzzing with a lot of action, as it appears the new Cybertruck trim that was offered a few months back has entered production. Additionally, the Cybercab manufacturing ramp-up is continuing amidst Tesla’s busy May, which includes a handful of things from an automotive perspective.
Drone operator Joe Tegtmeyer captured striking footage over Giga Texas on the morning of May 11, 2026, revealing fresh batches of Cybertrucks that may mark the start of series production for the long-awaited $59,990 Dual Motor AWD variant.
Tesla launches new Cybertruck trim with more features than ever for a low price
The vehicles lined up in staging areas, and we got a great look at three of the units parked on the property:
Hard to say for sure, but production of the $59K AWD @Cybertruck may be just getting started here on this early and soggy morning at Giga Texas … this version is much harder to visually distinguish from the premium AWD versions, so I’ll come back on Wednesday and we’ll see if… pic.twitter.com/UX7yCQpgeC
— Joe Tegtmeyer 🚀 🤠🛸😎 (@JoeTegtmeyer) May 11, 2026
Tegtmeyer notes the difficulty in visually distinguishing this base AWD model from higher-trim versions, unlike the earlier Long-Range RWD that lacked a motorized tonneau cover.
Tesla launched the $59,990 Dual Motor AWD Cybertruck in late February 2026 with a brief introductory pricing window that closed by month’s end.
Initial U.S. delivery estimates of June 2026 quickly slipped to September–October and, for newer orders, as far as April 2027.
The move underscores robust consumer interest in a more accessible all-wheel-drive Cybertruck priced under $60,000 before incentives—positioning it as a volume play for Tesla’s electric pickup lineup while premium AWD and Cyberbeast variants continue to be sold as usual.
Meanwhile, Cybercab production at the same Austin facility shows steady, if deliberate, progress. Tegtmeyer’s latest flyover documented dozens of glossy production-spec Cybercabs parked in the outbound lot—consistent with Tesla’s early statements that initial output would remain modest before scaling later in 2026.
The purpose-built robotaxi, unveiled in 2024 and lacking a steering wheel or pedals, rolled its first unit off the line in February. Volume manufacturing began in April, with early examples already undergoing autonomous testing around the factory grounds.
Elon Musk has repeatedly emphasized that Cybercab and Semi production will start slowly before ramping “exponentially” toward year-end. The presence of multiple finished units signals Tesla’s Unboxed manufacturing process is maturing, even as the company balances Cybertruck output with autonomy milestones.
Recent drone imagery also shows ongoing construction for Optimus and test-track expansions, highlighting Giga Texas’s evolving role as Tesla’s hub for next-generation vehicles.
For Cybertruck buyers, the potential ramp of the $59K AWD offers hope of shorter waits and broader market access. For autonomy enthusiasts, the growing fleet of Cybercabs hints at robotaxi service trials on the horizon.
While official confirmation from Tesla remains pending, Tegtmeyer’s footage provides the clearest public signal yet that both programs are advancing in parallel at Giga Texas.
Tesla launches its solution to rare but relevant Supercharger problem
Tesla Optimus is already benefiting investors, top Wall Street firm says
