Lifestyle
Why Having a Tesla Makes Errands Fun
Only a Tesla can inspire me to get to the gym and voluntarily go buy the extra soft toilet paper my husband is fond of (and nearly out of) at 7:00am. How perfect this car is for running errands, and providing a little humor, can not be understated. Last week, I had the day off for Veteran’s Day. My husband did not, but doesn’t leave for work until 8:45am. That being said, I flew out the door early knowing I could take the Tesla if I made it quick.
Per usual, I scouted out a good parking spot in the shopping center. Good in Tesla terms means far enough away from the door to minimize the chance of someone parking beside you, and on an end of some sort so you can favor that side and leave more space opposite in case someone does take up residence in the next space. Also per usual, I backed in. Look, it’s the same as the driveway at home. Driving backwards means reduced visibility, even with the best backup camera. Why everyone doesn’t automatically back into every parking spot so that they have full visibility when leaving is beyond me. Think about it. It’s also why using the frunk rather than the traditional trunk in the rear is great! I was able to cruise right up with my cart, load things in, and not worry about having to maneuver my cart to the rear of the car and squeeze in between the car behind me.
If you happened to miss where I’m shopping, here’s a hint: buying two of said toilet paper packs resulted in a $5 gift card. As did buying two bottles of laundry detergent. And my multi-coat red paint is the perfect match for the store’s logo. Here’s proof:
When I came out of the store, I tossed my purchases right in the front trunk that we owners so cleverly dub the “frunk.” It’s carpeted and clean and the perfect size for these kind of purchases. Even without bags. (Disclaimer: Owning a Tesla elevates your consciousness about environmental impacts. And cashiers will look at you like you have two heads when you say “I don’t need any bags.”)
Everything fit wonderfully and I had just taken the above photo when something hilarious happened right on cue. A kind gentleman parked several parking spots away and looked over at me. Two women behind him were looking as well. “Are you okay?” he yelled over to me. I yelled back, “I’m just loading in my purchases.”
A short conversation ensued about how it’s an electric car and thus has no engine. The women walked off but he had come closer to get a better look. He explained to me that he assumed something was wrong because I was in the parking lot alone with my hood up. Chivalry isn’t dead folks. I only wish I had the foresight to snap the man’s picture. I thanked him for his concern and we parted ways.
Having a frunk is useful in many ways. On one vacation, we decided to buy a new pair of suitcases while we were at a supercharger stop. We kept the old suitcases loaded in the back but still had plenty of room for more. That’s the power of two trunks. Beyond that, there is the security. Having a hatch, even with the parcel shelf hiding your trunk’s contents, to me could be risky. All it takes is a smash and grab to get to things. The front trunk, however, secures and completely hides contents like a traditional trunk does. Christmas shopping season is upon us! Then there is the convenience of loading when you back into parking spot like I do.
Last, but not least, there is the ever present chance that someone will see you placing something under the hood. You can then choose between walking away and leaving the gawker confused, or educating the world on the joys of driving an ICE-less beast. Having the single motor S85 means I have the space to load all this junk in my frunk and more.
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Elon Musk
Tesla ditches India after years of broken promises
Tesla has ditched its plans to build a factory in India after years of failed negotiations.
Tesla’s long-running effort to establish a manufacturing presence in India is officially over. India’s Minister of Heavy Industries H.D. Kumaraswamy confirmed on May 19, 2026 that Tesla has informed authorities it will not proceed with a manufacturing facility in the country.
Tesla first signaled serious interest in India around 2021, when it began hiring local staff and lobbying the Indian government for lower import tariffs. The ask was straightforward: reduce duties enough for Tesla to test the market with imported vehicles before committing capital to a local factory. India’s position was equally firm, with an ask of Tesla to commit to manufacturing first, then receive tariff relief. Neither side moved, and the talks quietly collapsed.
Tesla to open first India experience center in Mumbai on July 15
India had offered a policy that would reduce import duties from 110% down to 15% on EVs priced above $35,000, provided companies committed at least $500 million toward local manufacturing investment within three years. Tesla declined to participate. The tariff standoff was only part of the problem. Analysts pointed to significant gaps in India’s local supply chain, inadequate industrial infrastructure, and a mismatch between Tesla’s premium pricing and the purchasing power of India’s automotive market as additional factors that made the investment difficult to justify.
First signs of an unraveling relationship came in April 2024, when Musk abruptly cancelled a planned trip to India where he was set to meet Prime Minister Modi and announce Tesla’s market entry. By July 2024, Fortune reported that Tesla executives had stopped contacting Indian government officials entirely. The government at that point understood Tesla had capital constraints and no plans to invest.
The more fundamental issue is that Tesla’s existing factories are currently operating at approximately 60% capacity, making a commitment to building new manufacturing capacity in a new market difficult to defend to investors. Tesla will continue selling imported Model Y vehicles through its existing showrooms in Mumbai, Delhi, Gurugram, and Bengaluru, but local production is no longer part of the plan.
Elon Musk
Trump’s invite for Elon just reshuffled Tesla’s big Signature Delivery Event
Tesla rescheduled its final Model S farewell to May 20 after Musk joined Trump in China.
Tesla has rescheduled its Model S and Model X Signature Edition delivery event to Wednesday, May 20, 2026, after abruptly calling off the original May 12 celebration. The event will take place at Tesla’s factory at 45500 Fremont Boulevard in Fremont, California, the same location where the Model S first rolled off the line in 2012. Invitees received a follow-up email asking them to reconfirm attendance and download a new QR code ticket, with Tesla noting that all travel and accommodation expenses remain the buyer’s responsibility.
The reason behind the original cancellation came into focus the same day it was announced. President Trump invited Elon Musk, Apple’s Tim Cook, BlackRock’s Larry Fink, Boeing’s Kelly Ortberg, and executives from Goldman Sachs, Blackstone, Citigroup, and Meta to join his trip to China this week for a summit with President Xi Jinping. The agenda covers trade, artificial intelligence, export controls, Taiwan, and the Iran war, following weeks of escalating friction between Washington and Beijing over AI technology, sanctions, and rare earth exports. Trump wrote on Truth Social, “I am very much looking forward to my trip to China, an amazing Country, with a Leader, President Xi, respected by all.”
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The vehicles at the center of all this are the last Model S and Model X units Tesla will ever build. Priced at $159,420 each, the 250 Model S and 100 Model X Signature Edition units come finished in Garnet Red with a one-year no-resale agreement, giving Tesla right of first refusal if the owner decides to sell. As Teslarati reported, the Model S defined Tesla’s early identity as a serious luxury automaker, and the Fremont factory line that built it is now being converted to manufacture Optimus humanoid robots.
Musk’s inclusion in the China delegation drew attention given his very public relationship with Trump, and the invitation signals the two have moved past and past grievances. Trump originally brought Musk on to lead the Department of Government Efficiency following his inauguration, and despite a sharp public dispute in mid-2025, the two have appeared together repeatedly in recent months. A seat on the China trip, the most diplomatically consequential visit of Trump’s current term, puts Musk back at the table on U.S. economic policy at a moment when Tesla’s China revenue remains one of the company’s most important financial pillars.
Lifestyle
Tesla Semi hauls fresh Cybercab batch as Robotaxi era takes hold
A Tesla Semi was filmed hauling Cybercab units out of Giga Texas for the first time.
A Tesla Semi loaded with Cybercab units was recently filmed leaving Gigafactory Texas, marking what appears to be the first documented delivery run of Tesla’s autonomous two-seater. The footage shows multiple Cybercabs secured on a flatbed trailer being hauled by a production Tesla Semi, a truck rated for a gross combination weight of 82,000 lbs. The location is consistent with Giga Texas in Austin, where Cybercab production has been ramping since February 2026.
The sighting follows a wave of Cybercab activity at the Austin facility. In late April, drone operator Joe Tegtmeyer spotted approximately 60 Cybercabs parked in two organized groups in the factory’s outbound lot, the largest concentration observed to date. Units being staged in an outbound lot is a standard pre-delivery step, and the Semi footage is the logical next frame in that sequence.
En route with @tesla_semi pic.twitter.com/ZfuOjaeLH1
— Tesla Robotaxi (@robotaxi) May 7, 2026
This is not the first time Tesla has used its own Semi to move Tesla products. When the Semi was unveiled in 2017, Musk noted it would be used for Tesla’s own operations, and over the years Semi prototypes were spotted carrying cargo ranging from concrete weights to Tesla vehicles being delivered to consumers. In 2023, a Semi was photographed transporting a Cybertruck on a trailer ahead of that vehicle’s delivery launch.
The Cybercab itself was first revealed publicly at Tesla’s “We, Robot” event on October 10, 2024, at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, where 20 pre-production units gave attendees rides around the studio lot. Musk stated at the event that Tesla intends to produce the Cybercab before 2027. The first production unit rolled off the Giga Texas line on February 17, 2026, with Musk posting on X: “Congratulations to the Tesla team on making the first production Cybercab.”
Tesla’s annual production goal is 2 million Cybercabs per year once multiple factories reach full design capacity, with the company targeting a price under $30,000 per unit. Tesla has confirmed plans to expand its robotaxi service to seven cities in the first half of 2026, including Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, Miami, Orlando, Tampa, and Las Vegas, building on the unsupervised service already running in Austin. Musk has said he expects robotaxis to cover between a quarter and half of the United States by end of year.
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