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Tesla bears ponder China dam collapse to ‘take out’ Giga Shanghai — but there’s a catch
Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) may be carrying a lot of momentum this week as it heads towards what could very well be its most important second quarter earnings report to date, but the company still attracts a notable number of passionate critics. Among these critics is the TSLAQ group, which includes short sellers who are looking to make a profit if TSLA stock were to dive. TSLAQ has had its own fair share of interesting wishes for Tesla, its customers, and its facilities, but a recent post about Giga Shanghai may have just taken the cake.
China is currently experiencing one of its worst flood seasons, and the Three Gorges Dam, located in Central China’s Hubei Province and one of the world’s largest hydropower projects, is feeling the pressure. According to a report from The Global Times, the facility has been handling the worst of the ongoing floods so far. However, the dam is not completely out of danger yet. David Shankman, a geographer with the University of Alabama who studies Chinese floods, noted in a statement to Reuters that the facility may not be able to fully handle this year’s record floodwaters.
Under such a situation, Tesla bear Peter DeCaprio, a partner at Boston, MA based Flow Point Partners, LLC, decided to air his thoughts on the matter. The critic suggested that if the dam were to collapse, it could “take out” Gigafactory Shanghai. This scenario would be a catastrophe for Tesla if it were to happen, of course, especially considering that the China based plant is currently ramping its production of the Model 3 sedan.
Unfortunately for the TSLAQ member, a scenario where the Three Gorges Dam would adversely affect Tesla’s electric vehicle plant is unlikely to happen. This is because the river that the dam is handling exits a delta north of Shanghai, and Tesla’s Gigafactory happens to be south of the city. That’s a long way away from the river itself — about 1,000 km in fact. Callous wishes to people who would be affected by such a catastrophe aside, it appears that the Tesla bear was a bit off on his geography.
Tesla bears have been behind some interesting suggestions about how to deal with the electric car maker’s facilities in the past. During the Black Lives Matter protests back in May, for example, TSLAQ members suggested that Tesla Superchargers should be trashed since they were just “parking spaces for rich people.” The tweet may just be an ill mannered joke, of course, but it does not negate the fact that such suggestion may end up being harmful if someone were to take them seriously.
And some do take these suggestions seriously. Back in April 2019, TSLAQ members were deliberating about how someone could deliberately crash a Model 3 that was then testing the electric car maker’s FSD suite for its demo on Autonomy Day. Sure enough, a Tesla bear who had a history of photographing Tesla’s Fremont Factory took it upon himself to disrupt Tesla’s FSD tests. At one point, the Tesla staff in the Model 3 test car felt so threatened by the TSLAQ member’s driving maneuvers that the incident ended up being reported to the police.
News
Tesla Model 3 filings in China show interesting hardware addition
The addition of a front bumper camera to the Tesla Model 3 is a big upgrade from a hardware perspective.

Tesla Model 3 filings in China are showing the vehicle could get a very interesting hardware addition, one that was not included on the “Highland” update when it rolled out to customers a year and a half ago.
The Model 3 Highland is Tesla’s updated version of the all-electric sedan, and was launched across the world in early 2024. It featured a variety of updates, including new exterior and interior designs.
However, there were a few things missing from the update that surprised Tesla fans because they were included on other cars.
One of them was the lack of a front bumper camera, a hardware piece that was included on other vehicles within the company’s lineup, including the Model Y Juniper, an updated version of the all-electric crossover that launched earlier this year.
Now, it seems Tesla is preparing to implement that front camera on the Model 3, as new filings with China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) showed the car with the addition:
🔥🔥 Tesla will soon add a front bumper camera to the Model 3!
The images confirming this upgrade were leaked on the official website of China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).
H/t @kas12323 pic.twitter.com/ieRv9wiwOK
— The Tesla Newswire (@TeslaNewswire) August 8, 2025
The front bumper camera is a small but powerful addition to Tesla vehicles. It not only enhances visibility for simple tasks like parking, helping avoid things like curbs, but it also helps provide a wider field of view directly in front of the car.
It is also a crucial part of the Full Self-Driving and Autopilot suites, helping provide yet another angle of vision for the vehicle as Tesla makes its suite more robust. It is already improving through software upgrades and data collection, but it could always use additional hardware to enhance accuracy.
A Model 3 Highland test mule was spotted near Boston, Massachusetts, back in May with a variety of additional cameras equipped. Some believed this was a vehicle that was assisting with collecting training data.
Tesla is testing a Model 3 with some mysterious cameras in the U.S.
However, it could be a sign of Tesla planning to add this piece of hardware to a slightly updated version of the new Model 3 that could come to production in various markets in the near future.
Elon Musk
Tesla CEO Elon Musk details massive FSD update set for September release
“This will substantially reduce the need for driver attention, but some complex intersections, heavy weather or unusual events will still require attention.”

Tesla CEO Elon Musk detailed the changes that are expected to come with a massive Full Self-Driving (FSD) update, which is set to roll out sometime in September, he revealed earlier this week.
Tesla has been refining its FSD suite for years, but it has never been as good as it is now. The focus is to get the suite to a point where interventions are no longer needed and drivers simply become passengers, as they will not be responsible for paying attention to the road.
Elon Musk teases crazy new Tesla FSD model: here’s when it’s coming
That version of FSD will come eventually, but not next month. However, there are dramatic improvements that will come with next month’s FSD update that will roll out to the public, Musk said:
“The FSD software update next month will be a major step-change improvement for rare conditions.”
The FSD software update next month will be a major step-change improvement for rare conditions
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 8, 2025
Additionally, he provided specific details on what would change, hinting that the need for a driver to pay attention will be “substantially reduced,” but there are some “complex intersections, heavy weather, or unusual events” that will still require drivers to assume responsibility for the car:
“This will substantially reduce the need for driver attention, but some complex intersections, heavy weather or unusual events will still require attention.”
This will substantially reduce the need for driver attention, but some complex intersections, heavy weather or unusual events will still require attention.
Note, the Austin robotaxi FSD build is ~6 months more advanced than what is available in cars in America and there are…
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 8, 2025
We have been teased about these types of updates before, but usually they involve some kind of mention of FSD being ready for unsupervised driving “by the end of the year.” Musk did not mention that here.
There is also the fact that Tesla has another FSD build in Austin for the Robotaxi suite that is more advanced than what is available to the public. It has performed well, Musk says, making claims that there are times when it feels “eerily human.”
Tesla Q2 2025 vehicle safety report proves FSD makes driving almost 10X safer
The improvements in FSD capabilities in subsequent releases are usually very evident. As Tesla continues to refine the suite for the public, it gains more confidence and becomes smarter through the collection of data and the use of neural networks.
The only thing left to wait for is the release itself, and we are hopeful it will roll out to the public in September, as Musk says.
News
Tesla Model Y L’s impressive specs surface in China’s recent MIIT filing
The Tesla Model Y L is expected to launch later this year.

The specs of the upcoming Tesla Model Y L has appeared in new Chinese regulatory filings, revealing key specifications including a six-seat layout and an extended range of up to 751 kilometers. The variant is expected to launch later this year alongside a new long-range Model 3 variant rated at 830 kilometers.
The updates were listed on the China Ministry of Industry and Information Technology’s (MIIT) latest batch of new energy vehicle models that are eligible for vehicle purchase tax exemptions.
Model Y L to debut with larger battery, six-seat layout
Listed under the model code TSL6500BEVBA0, the Model Y L will feature dual motors producing 142 kW at the front and 198 kW at the rear. It will be powered by a 465-kilogram 82.0-kWh lithium-ion battery from LG Energy Solution, with a pack energy density of 176 Wh/kg, as noted in a CNEV Post report. The long-range crossover achieves 751 km on the lenient CLTC cycle, making it Tesla’s highest-range Model Y to date in China despite its curb weight of 2,088 kg.
The “L” designation is believed to refer to the vehicle’s larger size and seating configuration, as the new variant is listed with six seats. It builds on Tesla’s strategy to diversify offerings in the Model Y lineup, which currently includes both RWD and AWD five-seat versions.
Model 3+ breaks record with 830 km CLTC range
Alongside the Model Y L, Tesla China also registered a new rear-wheel-drive Model 3, which was designated with the model code TSL7000BEVBR1. The vehicle boasts either 800 or 830 km of range on the CLTC cycle, depending on its trim. This marks the highest range yet for any Tesla vehicle in China.
The variant will use a 448-kilogram, 78.4-kWh LG-supplied battery with an energy density of 175 Wh/kg and a peak motor output of 225 kW. The vehicle’s curb weight is listed at 1,760 kg. The model was previously identified in filings as “Model 3+,” hinting at a possible tier above the existing long-range variant, which tops out at 753 km CLTC.
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