News
Tesla execs are taking up the mantle of social media comms — to the EV community’s delight
A “Tesla Twitter after Musk” seems to be emerging of sorts. As Elon Musk continues to post about issues he personally feels strongly about on X, Tesla executives appear to have taken up the mantle of handling the EV maker’s social media communications. And so far, the electric vehicle community is loving it.
Elon Musk has been Tesla’s de facto voice in social media for years, though his updates for his companies like Tesla have seen a drop after he acquired Twitter, which has since been renamed X. Over the past months, even Tesla bulls and longtime fans have lamented Musk’s apparent focus on social media topics that adversely affect people’s perception of the EV maker, such as politics and racism.
Musk’s increased activity on X is understandable, considering his efforts to make the social media platform profitable. Musk is also free to post anything and discuss issues as he sees fit on social media — especially on a platform that he owns. Fortunately, other company executives seem to be up for the task of engaging with the EV community’s concerns and responses to Tesla’s products and services.
There is zero impact on any future expansion plans. We fully respect the referendum, and agree with @joergstb that this is a good opportunity to redouble our work with the community and all stakeholders. The zoning plan would potentially shift more freight traffic to expanded… https://t.co/B7oI536N6s— Rohan Patel (@rohanspatel) February 21, 2024
This could be seen in the increasing X activity of executives like Tesla VP for Public Policy and Business Development Rohan Patel, SVP of Powertrain and Energy Engineering Drew Baglino, VP for Vehicle Engineering Lars Moravy, and VP of Investor Relations Martin Viecha. A look at the feeds of the Tesla executives shows that they are now responding personally to EV owners’ concerns and feedback, much like CEO Elon Musk in the past.
On it— Martin Viecha (@MartinViecha) February 22, 2024
This could be seen in Patel providing insightful and level-headed commentary on Giga Berlin following Grunheide’s rejection of the facility’s expansion plans and Viecha pledging to work on improving Tesla’s SEO results on Google after a Tesla bull observed that the Model S and Model X’s descriptions had not been updated in years. Drew Baglino has also announced an upcoming update to Sentry Mode, and Lars Moravy has provided important insight into the Model 3 Highland’s impressive efficiency.
It’s great to see so many @Tesla executives directly engaging with people on X lately and answering questions. No other mega-cap company that I know of does this to this level. It’s a great dynamic. pic.twitter.com/tPuV9HMU7J— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) February 22, 2024
The increased social media activity from Tesla executives has so far received an overwhelmingly positive response on X, with longtime bulls noting that it’s good to see constant updates from the company once more. Such a system definitely works well right now, as it allows Elon Musk to freely post his takes on topics that he deems most pressing — even as Tesla community members get social media engagement from the EV maker’s top brass.
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News
Tesla China focuses on local deliveries as Q1 enters final month
Tesla’s estimated delivery times for all variants of the Model 3 and Model Y in China were listed at just one to three weeks.
Tesla’s delivery wait times in China have dropped to some of their shortest levels in years, an apparent hint that Giga Shanghai has largely cleared its order backlog and currently has strong production capacity.
As of February 26, estimated delivery times for all variants of the Model 3 and Model Y in China were listed at just one to three weeks, as per observations of Tesla China’s official webpages by CNEV Post.
That marks a notable shift from the several-week or even two-month waits seen late last year.
The one-to-three-week delivery window suggests that Giga Shanghai is likely focusing on the local market, at least for now as the company enters the final month of the first quarter. Tesla China typically spends the first half of the quarter catering to markets that import vehicles from Giga Shanghai.
Historically, when Tesla’s wait times in China compress to their shortest levels, the company often follows with fresh market actions.
In past cycles, shortened delivery timelines were followed by promotional activity. After delivery windows narrowed to one to three weeks in early 2024, for example, Tesla later introduced an RMB 10,000 instant discount on Model Y final payments that year.
To spur local demand, Tesla recently extended its seven-year ultra-low-interest and five-year interest-free financing offers through March 31. This marks the second extension of the policy this year.
So far, posts from the Tesla community suggest that interest in the company’s vehicles among consumers in China is still strong. Videos of busy delivery centers across China have been shared on social media.
China’s competitive EV landscape has evolved as of late. With regulators discouraging aggressive price wars, automakers are increasingly leaning on financing incentives instead of direct price cuts. Major players including BYD, NIO, XPeng, and Li Auto have introduced similar loan extensions and promotional financing packages.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk’s The Boring Company closes Tunnel Vision Challenge
The Tunnel Vision Challenge invited individuals, companies, and governments to propose a tunnel project up to one mile long.
Elon Musk’s The Boring Company has officially closed submissions for its Tunnel Vision Challenge, confirming that a total of 487 entries were received before the deadline.
In a post on X, the company wrote, “Tunnel Vision Challenge is closed! 487 entries received – TBC team is excited to go through them all!” The company added that “We will select the top ~15 in the next week, and reach out with follow-up questions,” and that an “overall winner will be announced on March 23.”
The Tunnel Vision Challenge invited individuals, companies, and governments to propose a tunnel project up to one mile long with a 12-foot inner diameter. The winning entry will have its tunnel constructed free of charge.
Submissions could range from Loop passenger tunnels to freight, pedestrian, utility, or water tunnels. The only requirement was that the project clearly demonstrate how tunneling would meaningfully improve transportation or infrastructure between two points.
Just days before the deadline, the company provided an interim update noting that 407 entries had already been received. “Update on the Tunnel Vision Challenge – 1 mile of free tunnel! With 3 days left to submit, 407 entries have been received. Great to see enthusiasm for tunnels!” The Boring Company wrote at the time on X. By the close of submissions, the total had grown closer to 500 entries, hinting at strong interest in underground transportation solutions.
Entries are being evaluated on usefulness, stakeholder engagement, and technical, economic, and regulatory feasibility. Applicants were required to quantify projected benefits, such as time saved per rider or cost savings per shipment, and provide maps showing proposed alignments and other details. Submissions that included geotechnical or subsurface data are expected to receive additional consideration.
The Boring Company will fund the tunnel’s construction itself, though related infrastructure costs may be discussed with the winning team. The company also retains discretion to modify or cancel the challenge.
Cybertruck
Tesla confirms date when new Cybertruck trim will go up in price
Tesla has officially revealed that this price will only be available until February 28, as the company has placed a banner atop the Design Configurator on its website reflecting this.
Tesla has confirmed the date when its newest Cybertruck trim level will increase in price, after CEO Elon Musk noted that the All-Wheel-Drive configuration of the all-electric pickup would only be priced at its near-bargain level for ten days.
Last week, Tesla launched the All-Wheel-Drive configuration of the Cybertruck. Priced at $59,990, the Cybertruck featured many excellent features and has seemingly brought some demand to the pickup, which has been underwhelming in terms of sales figures over the past couple of years.
Tesla launches new Cybertruck trim with more features than ever for a low price
When Tesla launched it, many fans and current owners mulled the possibility of ordering it. However, Musk came out and said just hours after launching the pickup that Tesla would only keep it at the $59,990 price level for ten days.
What it would be priced at subsequently was totally dependent on how much demand Tesla felt for the new trim level, which is labeled as a “Dual Motor All-Wheel-Drive” configuration.
Tesla has officially revealed that this price will only be available until February 28, as the company has placed a banner atop the Design Configurator on its website reflecting this:
NEWS: Tesla has officially announced that the price of the new Cybertruck Dual-Motor AWD will be increasing after February 28th. pic.twitter.com/vZpA521ZwC
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) February 24, 2026
Many fans and owners have criticized Tesla’s decision to unveil a trim this way, and then price it at something, only to change that price a few days later based on how well it sells.
Awful way to treat customers – particularly when they already sent out a marketing email announcing the $59,990 truck…with zero mention of it being a limited-time offer.
— Ryan McCaffrey (@DMC_Ryan) February 24, 2026
It seems the most ideal increase in price would be somewhere between $5,000 and $10,000, but it truly depends on how many orders Tesla sees for this new trim level. The next step up in configuration is the Premium All-Wheel-Drive, which is priced at $79,990.
The difference between the Dual Motor AWD Cybertruck and the Premium AWD configuration comes down to towing, interior quality, and general features. The base package is only capable of towing up to 7,500 pounds, while the Premium can handle 11,000 pounds. Additionally, the seats in the Premium build are Vegan Leather, while the base trim gets the textile seats.
It also has only 7 speakers compared to the 15 that the Premium trim has. Additionally, the base model does not have an adjustable ride height, although it does have a coil spring with an adaptive damping suspension package.