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Will we see Tesla Motors in Formula E racing?

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Formula E has come a long way in a short 18 months, and we can’t help but wonder, what if Tesla Motors got involved in racing?

Call us optimistic, but we see a lot Tesla Motors could bring to the world of electric vehicle (EV) racing.

Tesla and racing are words in a sentence usually found on dedicated forums. Tesla makes no mention of racing, which leaves many wondering why not. Having said this, what would a Tesla race team look like anyway. Would it be a fully fledged race dedicated team, or would they prepare cars and send them off to privateers? And with the news of Formula E finally coming to the U.S. making its Long Beach race debut free, why not have a few Teslas racing along the track? Considering Lightning Motorcycle built its reputation in four years of serious racing, and is now taking order for the most outrageous superbike ever, the electric LS-218, the time is right for various EV racing series.

Is Tesla the Lamborghini of EVs?

48 Chuckwalla 4Is Tesla Motors the Lamborghini of electric vehicles, or will it go the Maserati route? Ferruccio Lamborghini never intended for his cars to be raced, and up until a few years ago, privateers would bring them to the race tracks. Now that VW owns the brand, Lamborghini trophy races are happening. On the other hand, Maserati was born out of racing, and we don’t see the same happening with Tesla. Still, will Tesla ever race its cars? It shouldn’t surprise us. One way or another, every car maker has to sharpen its claws with racing, the problem is when to do it for maximum exposure and benefit.

MUST SEE: [Video] Tesla Racing Series

We covered a few stories about fellow Model S drivers who bring their cars to the tracks. EV engineers routinely go from one company to another and it’s no surprise to see an ex-Tesla engineer working for a competing carmaker.

However, Tesla Motors should not get involved with racing at this stage of their development. The technology lifestyle company wouldn’t have sufficient financial funds to weather racing for a few seasons. And even if they did, who would they race against? It’s not like the Model S and the Roadster have a lot of competition, on the street or on race tracks.

An EV race series

AUTO - FORMULA E TESTS 2013

We hope to see Nissan, BMW, Tesla, GM and a few others strip their electric road cars of the daily un-necessities of three or four seats, stereo and infotainment systems, as well as other heavy security systems. They could prepare a few race batches, make them race ready and leave a few privateers to take them out racing. Imagine an FIA sanctioned electric car race. It would be a fantastic way to show these cars are not only ready for daily use, but has already challenged the internal combustion engine.

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ALSO SEE: The day Saleen turned its attention to the Model S

For those who feel range is an issue, Formula E is already working on the current limitation. Race drivers will have two cars for the 55 minute race and inductive charging will begin to appear shortly. However, don’t get your hopes too high that swapping batteries will help Tesla. It would be the opposite. As Alejandro Agag, CEO of Formula E told me, the FIA has such strenuous security constraints, that battery swapping was rejected in favor for inductive charging.

In the meantime, we feel hillclimbs are a given for EVs current short range. Any electric car can handle most hillclimbs and give their gasoline counterparts a run for their money, virtually. Surely Pikes Peak would greatly benefit from seeing EVs we all recognize.

Going back to Tesla, the company doesn’t need any advertising when we cover everything it does, but wouldn’t it gain an extra validation notch from racing? While it might be too early for Tesla Motors to officially race, the company will have to at some point. Racing would be yet another definitive way for Tesla Motors to show the potential for EVs.

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Lifestyle

EV fans urge Tesla to acquire Unplugged Performance for edge in fleet and security industry

Unplugged Performance has built a name for itself by producing performance upgrades for Tesla vehicles.

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Credit: Unplugged Performance

A growing number of Tesla enthusiasts and longtime community voices are calling on the electric vehicle maker to acquire Unplugged Performance, a California-based aftermarket company best known for tuning Tesla vehicles and developing specialized government fleet solutions under its UP.FIT division.

The idea was once considered a niche proposal among EV fans, but it is now gaining serious attention not just as a performance play but as a strategic move to deepen Tesla’s roots in the fleet and security industry. 

A strategic fit

Unplugged Performance has built a name for itself by producing performance upgrades for Tesla vehicles, from track-optimized components to visual and aerodynamic upgrades. But in recent years, its UP.FIT division has pivoted toward a more functional future by outfitting Tesla vehicles like Model Ys for police, military, and government use.

That work has sparked growing calls for closer collaboration with Tesla, especially as the EV maker increasingly leans into autonomy, AI, and fleet services as core components of its next chapter.

“I posted this four years ago, but I think it’s more true now than ever,” wrote Whole Mars Catalog, a well-known Tesla investor and FSD Beta tester, on X. “Tesla should buy Unplugged. But not just as a Performance division. What they are doing with UP.FIT unlocks large government and commercial fleet purchases that can improve utilization.”

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Tesla fans such as shareholder Sawyer Merritt echoed the sentiment, calling Unplugged a “great fit within Tesla.” adding, “They are literally located directly next to Tesla’s design studio in Hawthorne.”

Enabling the next wave

Supporters of the idea noted that integrating Unplugged into Tesla’s corporate structure could help accelerate the adoption of autonomous technologies in government sectors. With UP.FIT patrol cars already in use across some U.S. police departments, Tesla fans envisioned a future where self-driving Teslas could potentially revolutionize law enforcement, search-and-rescue, and public service logistics.

“Just imagine how autonomous patrol cars could transform policing and bring us into a safer future,” the veteran FSD tester wrote.

The benefits could also extend to Tesla’s existing consumer base. “They also have some incredible products in the works that I think will appeal to many ordinary Tesla drivers — not just those looking for performance or mods. Stuff that’s so good it should have come straight from the design studio next door,” Whole Mars Catalog noted.

Unplugged Performance, founded in 2013, shares not just a product vision with Tesla, but also geography. Its Hawthorne headquarters sits directly adjacent to Tesla’s design studio, and the two companies have maintained a close working relationship over the years. The aftermarket firm has long positioned itself as a “mission-aligned” partner to Tesla.

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In response to the recent calls for acquisition, Unplugged Performance acknowledged the support from the community. “Our very existence is to support the Tesla mission with @UpfitTesla and @UnpluggedTesla,” Unplugged CEO Ben Schaffer posted on X. “We love working with Tesla and are grateful for the community’s support since 2013!”

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Elon Musk

X account with 184 followers inadvertently saves US space program amid Musk-Trump row

Needless to say, the X user has far more than 184 followers today after his level-headed feat.

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Joel Kowsky, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

An X user with 184 followers has become the unlikely hero of the United States’ space program by effectively de-escalating a row between SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and President Donald Trump on social media.

Needless to say, the X user has far more than 184 followers today after his level-headed feat.

A Near Fall

During Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s fallout last week, the U.S. President stated in a post on Truth Social that a good way for the United States government to save money would be to terminate subsidies and contracts from the CEO’s companies. Musk responded to Trump’s post by stating that SpaceX will start decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft immediately. 

Musk’s comment was received with shock among the space community, partly because the U.S. space program is currently reliant on SpaceX to send supplies and astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). Without Dragon, the United States will likely have to utilize Russia’s Soyuz for the same services—at a significantly higher price.

X User to the Rescue

It was evident among X users that Musk’s comments about Dragon being decommissioned were posted while emotions were high. It was then no surprise that an X account with 184 followers, @Fab25june, commented on Musk’s post, urging the CEO to rethink his decision. “This is a shame this back and forth. You are both better than this. Cool off and take a step back for a couple days,” the X user wrote in a reply.

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Much to the social media platform’s surprise, Musk responded to the user. Even more surprising, the CEO stated that SpaceX would not be decommissioning Dragon after all. “Good advice. Ok, we won’t decommission Dragon,” Musk wrote in a post on X.

Not Planned, But Welcomed

The X user’s comment and Musk’s response were received extremely well by social media users, many of whom noted that @Fab25june’s X comment effectively saved the U.S. space program. In a follow-up comment, the X user, who has over 9,100 followers as of writing, stated that he did not really plan on being a mediator between Musk and Trump. 

“Elon Musk replied to me. Somehow, I became the accidental peace broker between two billionaires. I didn’t plan this. I was just being me. Two great minds can do wonders. Sometimes, all it takes is a breather. Grateful for every like, DM, and new follow. Life’s weird. The internet’s weirder. Let’s ride. (Manifesting peace… and maybe a Model Y.)” the X user wrote.

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Lifestyle

Tesla Cybertruck takes a bump from epic failing Dodge Charger

The Cybertruck seemed unharmed by the charging Charger.

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Credit: Hammer_of_something/Reddit

There comes a time in a driver’s life when one is faced with one’s limitations. For the driver of a Dodge Charger, this time came when he lost control and crashed into a Tesla Cybertruck–an absolute epic fail. 

A video of the rather unfortunate incident was shared on the r/TeslaLounge subreddit.

Charging Charger Fails

As could be seen in the video, which was posted on the subreddit by Model Y owner u/Hammer_of_something, a group of teens in a Dodge Charger decided to do some burnouts at a Tesla Supercharger. Unfortunately, the driver of the Charger failed in his burnout or donut attempt, resulting in the mopar sedan going over a curb and bumping a charging Cybertruck.

Ironically, the Dodge Charger seemed to have been parked at a Supercharger stall before its driver decided to perform the failed stunt. This suggests that the vehicle was likely ICE-ing a charging stall before it had its epic fail moment. Amusingly enough, the subreddit member noted that the Cybertruck did not seem like it took any damage at all despite its bump. The Charger, however, seemed like it ran into some trouble after crashing into the truck.

Alleged Aftermath

As per the the r/TeslaLounge subreddit member, the Cybertruck owner came rushing out to his vehicle after the Dodge Charger crashed into it. The Model Y owner then sent over the full video of the incident, which clearly showed the Charger attempting a burnout, failing, and bumping into the Cybertruck. The Cybertruck owner likely appreciated the video, in part because it showed the driver of the Dodge Charger absolutely freaking out after the incident.

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The Cybertruck is not an impregnable vehicle, but it can take bumps pretty well thanks to its thick stainless steel body. Based on this video, it appears that the Cybertruck can even take bumps from a charging Charger, all while chilling and charging at a Supercharger. As for the teens in the Dodge, they likely had to provide a long explanation to authorities after the incident, since the cops were called to the location.

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