“Version 14 Lite” is a specific update of Tesla’s self-driving software. “Lite” usually means it’s a smaller or more limited version of the main update, and it may be meant for certain cars first.
“Hardware three” is Tesla’s label for a certain generation of the computer that runs the self-driving features. Tesla may only be able to run some FSD updates on cars with that specific computer.
FSD is Tesla’s software that tries to make the car drive more on its own. Even when it’s active, you usually still have to watch and be ready to take over.
They’re asking their Patreon audience to vote on what they think will happen with the software update timing. It’s basically a community prediction game.
An earnings call is when a company talks to investors about how it did financially. Tesla often uses it to announce big updates, including software progress.
“Q2 production and delivery numbers” are Tesla’s quarterly stats for how many cars it made and how many it delivered. People track them to gauge how well Tesla is building and selling cars.
An “American made index” is a list that ranks cars by how much of the car is made in the US. It looks at things like where key parts come from and where the car is built.
This means the percentage of a car’s parts that come from the US (or the domestic region the study is counting). Higher percentages usually mean more of the car’s components are made closer to home.
Reshoring is when companies bring manufacturing back to their home country. Here, it’s tied to the idea that more parts are being made domestically than before.
The Jeep Grand Cherokee is a popular Jeep SUV. In this segment, it’s mentioned because it climbed the rankings after using more parts made in the US and Canada.
Car
Lexus TX350
The Lexus TX350 is a Lexus SUV/vehicle model mentioned here because its engine and transmission are now made in the US. That change helped it move up the “most American made” list.
A powertrain is what actually makes the car move—like the engine or electric motors and the parts that send power to the wheels. This segment says automakers may limit which powertrains are available depending on supply and planning.
Dealer lots are the lots at car dealerships where cars are parked and displayed for customers to buy. Automakers try to have the right cars there ahead of time.
The Tesla Model 3 is an electric car made by Tesla. It’s a sedan, meaning it’s built for everyday driving with a battery instead of gasoline. The podcast is calling it out as a top-ranked model.
The Tesla Model Y is an electric SUV made by Tesla. It runs on a battery instead of gas, and it’s one of Tesla’s most common models. The podcast mentions it as a key vehicle in their ranking.
Lincoln, Alabama is a place in the U.S. where cars are built. The hosts bring it up to show that some of these popular models are assembled domestically.
Battery cells are the small units inside an EV battery that actually hold the electricity. The host is saying Tesla’s batteries are made with U.S. content, including the cells.
A battery pack is the whole battery system in an EV. It’s made up of many battery cells, and it’s a big part of what makes the car expensive and “where it’s made” matters.
A V8 is a type of gas engine with eight cylinders. People often like the sound of V8s, and the host is saying some folks may still prefer that over an EV’s sound.
A manual transmission is when you shift gears yourself, usually using a clutch pedal. The host is saying some people still like that more “involved” feel.
Detroit is a major U.S. city in Michigan that historically became the center of American automaking. In this segment, the host uses it as a reference point for how car assembly has shifted from being concentrated there to being spread across other states.
Fremont, California is a key EV manufacturing location because Tesla has a major factory there. The host mentions it while describing where top “American made” cars are assembled, highlighting Tesla’s presence on the West Coast.
The Tesla Cybertruck is an electric pickup truck made by Tesla. It uses a battery instead of gas and has a very unusual, sharp-looking design. The podcast brings it up because people talk a lot about it.
The IIHS is an organization that tests cars to see how safe they are in crashes. Their ratings are widely used to compare how well different vehicles protect people.
Front underbody reinforcements are structural strengthening pieces added to the vehicle’s front floor/undercarriage area. In crash testing, these reinforcements can help manage how forces travel through the structure to improve occupant and pedestrian protection outcomes.
A pedestrian collision is when a car hits someone who is walking. Safety tests look at how well the car reduces the chance of serious injury in those situations.
The Toyota Tundra is a big pickup truck. In this segment it’s mentioned as a comparison—supposedly it didn’t score the very highest IIHS safety award tier the way the Cybertruck did.
Occupant protection means how well the car protects the people inside during a crash. Safety tests measure things like how the cabin holds up and how injuries are reduced.
Crash avoidance is about helping the car avoid an accident or reduce how bad it is. It usually involves safety features that can detect danger and intervene.
IIHS is a U.S. safety organization that tests cars and gives them safety ratings. When you see an IIHS award, it means the car did well in their crash and safety tests.
Vehicle dimensions refers to measurable physical size characteristics like height, width, and front-end geometry. In the segment, researchers use vehicle-dimension data to estimate how much larger pickups and SUVs contribute to pedestrian deaths.
Blind zones are spots around a car where the driver can’t see well. Bigger vehicles can have larger blind zones, which can make it easier to miss people nearby.
A taller hood means the front of the truck sits higher. The segment says that can make pedestrian impacts more dangerous because of how the body contacts the vehicle.
The supercharger network is Tesla’s collection of fast-charging stations around the world. This contest is basically rewarding people for traveling to and using those stations.
Kilowatt-hours (kWh) measure how much electricity you put into the car’s battery. In this contest, they track the total kWh you charged at superchargers.
A unique supercharger site means a specific charging location, not just any charger stall. The contest counts different locations you visit, using what your Tesla app or navigation shows.
A charging session is one continuous charging event. The contest rules use the start and end times of those sessions to decide whether your next stop counts.
The Tesla Model X is an electric SUV made by Tesla. It’s known for its unusual door design and for being a premium EV. The podcast mentions it in a story about someone driving one across a long trip.
A cannonball run is when someone tries to drive a huge distance as fast as possible, like a speed record attempt. The host is saying Sando isn’t doing it that way.
This part reads the contest rules about who can and can’t win the Supercharger-related prizes. It mentions exclusions like already having free charging, using the car for commercial work, and certain employee/region limits.
Winter testing means testing cars in cold weather. Engineers do it to make sure the car still works well when it’s freezing, including things like range and traction.
They’re saying Tesla is starting the FSD software rollout in Australia and New Zealand first. That helps Tesla test how the system handles local driving conditions before expanding.
“Real world data” is the information Tesla collects from actual driving situations to evaluate and improve software behavior. For driver-assist systems, this helps refine performance on edge cases that simulations can miss.
The Rivian R2 is an electric vehicle from Rivian that’s meant to be smaller than their bigger models. The host is just saying they spotted one and think it looks like the R2.
NACS is the charging plug standard used by many EVs in North America. The point here is that the charger they’re giving away uses the same plug type that other newer EVs can use.
An extended warranty is extra coverage you buy after the original warranty ends. It can help pay for repairs so you’re not stuck with the full cost later.
Term
software range
Software range is how far the car says it can go, based on how its computer manages energy. It can change depending on settings and driving conditions.
Battery tech means the type and design of the EV’s battery. Different battery designs can change how efficiently the car runs and how it charges over time.
An extended warranty is extra protection you pay for after the original warranty runs out. It helps cover repair costs so you’re not stuck paying everything yourself later.
Workforce reductions are layoffs or staffing cuts a company makes to reduce costs or adjust strategy. In the EV context, they often signal financial pressure or a need to slow production until demand improves.
A Form 8-K is an official document a public company files with the government to tell investors about important news. Here it’s used to announce Lucid’s big business changes.
A production shift is a scheduled block of time when workers build cars. Cutting the second shift usually means the factory is making fewer cars to avoid wasting money.
Casa Grande, Arizona is the location of Lucid’s amp 1 factory referenced in the segment. The host ties production changes—like eliminating a production shift—to this specific manufacturing site.
Mark Winterhoff is a top executive at Lucid. In this segment, they say he left the company and that Lucid also removed the COO job as part of restructuring.
The Tesla Model S is Tesla’s electric sedan at the top end of the lineup. It’s designed for comfortable, fast everyday driving with a battery. The podcast mentions it as being absent from a certain comparison or list.
Lucid Air is Lucid’s electric sedan. The host mentions it as another option for shoppers who might be looking at Lucid instead of Tesla’s Model S or Model X.
The Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund is a government-backed investment fund. The host says it has been a big source of money for Lucid, and if it ever stopped, Lucid’s future could become very uncertain.
Term
pull the plug
“Pull the plug” means to stop support suddenly. In this context, it means stopping the money that helps keep Lucid going.
In an EV, “motor packaging” means where the electric motors and their parts fit inside the car. If the motors are small and placed well, the cabin can be roomier and the car can weigh less.
Concept
scrap heap
“Scrap heap” is a way of saying something ends up being shut down and discarded. Here, it’s about the company struggling financially, not about a specific car being thrown away.
A station wagon is a car with extra cargo space behind the back seats. It’s usually more practical than a sedan, and some EVs come in this body style for that reason.
The Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo is an electric Porsche that’s shaped like a wagon. It’s designed to be more practical for everyday use while still being an EV.
The Audi RS6 Avant is a fast wagon from Audi. The host brings it up to show that wagons are mostly offered by German brands, especially when electric wagons aren’t widely available.
The Taycan is Porsche’s electric car model. It comes in different versions, including Sport Turismo and Cross Turismo. The podcast mentions it because it’s one of the recognizable electric performance options.
The connected vehicle rule is a government rule for cars that use internet connectivity and data features. In this story, it affected whether Polestar could get permission to keep selling its cars in the US.
The Polestar 4 is an electric car from Polestar. The point here is that Polestar will keep selling the cars they already have in the U.S. and still support owners.
The Polestar 3 is an electric SUV from Polestar. Here, the hosts are talking about how Polestar will still sell the cars they already have in the U.S., even if new models won’t be coming.
A service network is the company’s network of places that can fix and maintain your car. For an EV, it’s important because repairs and parts may require specialized equipment.
A warranty is the coverage that helps pay for certain repairs if something goes wrong. Here, Polestar is saying existing warranties for current owners will still be honored.
The Polestar 5 is planned as a luxury “grand tourer,” which is basically a car designed for comfortable long trips. In this segment, Polestar says it won’t be coming to the U.S. even though they’ve been building up interest.
The Polestar 7 is planned as a compact electric SUV. The key detail here is that Polestar says it will build it in Europe to support its new focus on European sales.
An EV tax credit is money the government gives you (through your taxes) when you buy a qualifying electric car. It can make the car cheaper to buy, which helps more people consider EVs.
Ford’s “UEV platform” is its next-generation EV architecture intended to underpin multiple vehicles. A universal platform approach is meant to standardize key EV components so different models can share engineering and manufacturing efficiencies.
This is the Ford factory location in Louisville where the new electric truck is planned to be built. It matters because it shows where the EV production will happen in the US.
This is the factory site where the battery cells are being made. The important detail is that they’re doing a lot of the battery-making steps there, not just assembling finished parts.
LFP is a type of EV battery. It usually lasts a long time and can tolerate frequent full charges better, though it may not deliver as much range as some other battery types.
Energy density is basically “how much battery power you get for the size.” If a battery is less energy dense, it can mean less range unless you use a bigger pack.
Battery degradation is how the battery slowly “wears out” over time. The claim here is that LFP batteries lose performance more slowly than some other types.
The Ford Maverick is a smaller pickup truck made by Ford. It’s meant to be easier to live with than big trucks. The podcast mentions it because people already know the name and they’re talking about an EV version idea.
Usable range is the driving distance the EV is really designed to let you get from the battery. The car keeps a little extra capacity in reserve for protection.
The onboard charger is the part inside the car that prepares electricity for the battery. A higher kW rating can mean faster charging when using AC power.
Infotainment is the car’s main screen and media/navigation system. It includes things like music controls and navigation, and this truck’s base version omits it.
Direct-to-consumer means the company sells the car directly to you, rather than through a dealer. The idea is that it can reduce costs and pricing markups.
LFP is a type of battery used in some EVs. It’s known for lasting a long time and being relatively safe. Here, the host is saying the truck’s battery is an LFP pack that’s rated for about 200 miles.
The Rivian R1T is an electric pickup truck. The host mentions it to compare truck sizes in the EV market—basically saying Rivian is currently the smallest EV pickup option.
Car
Tilo MT1
The Tilo MT1 is an electric mini pickup truck. The host says it’s smaller than the mid-size options, and that it’s aiming for higher specs than the other small truck they mention, which likely means it costs more.
“First mover advantage” is the idea that the earliest company to enter a market can gain benefits like brand recognition, customer loyalty, and supply-chain momentum. In this segment, it’s applied to the smaller EV pickup space if the Slate truck reaches deliveries before competitors.
Power windows are windows you open and close with a button or switch. The host is saying this truck intentionally skips that feature to keep the vehicle simpler and cheaper.
Many modern EVs use a big touchscreen in the middle of the dashboard to control things like media and settings. The host is saying the Slate truck uses a much simpler screen approach instead.
The podcast is talking about a truck with a big center screen in the cabin. The host compares it to a flip phone to describe how the screen looks or works. It’s mentioned as part of the truck’s interior design.
Topic
customization push
The host is talking about customizing the car—choosing options like audio equipment instead of it being included by default. That changes what you pay for and what you get out of the box.
Term
flip phones
“Flip phones” is a comparison meant to say something is simpler and less advanced than the latest “smartphone” version. The host uses it to contrast Slate’s approach with Tesla’s more feature-rich EV experience.
For an EV, “range” means how many miles you can drive before the battery runs low. The host is saying 200 miles is usually enough for everyday trips, even when it’s very hot or cold and you use the AC a lot.
Using the AC heavily in an EV uses extra electricity. That can shorten how far you can drive, but the host is saying 200 miles is still enough for daily errands even with heavy AC use.
Car
Slate pickup truck
The Slate pickup truck is an upcoming electric pickup. The host is comparing its price to other EV pickups (like the Rivian R1T) to argue it could be a better deal for everyday driving.
The “air vent menu” is the screen option for controlling where the air comes out. They’re saying you can tap the passenger side to turn that airflow on.
HVAC control is the car’s climate system—heat and air conditioning. Here, it’s specifically about the passenger-side climate controls showing up on the screen.
Instead of paying once to own the feature forever, you pay regularly to keep using it. The idea here is that Tesla’s ongoing payments and ongoing responsibility may be part of why they chose this approach.
This is about who gets blamed (and has to pay) after a crash. The caller thinks that if the car’s driving system is used without supervision, Tesla could end up more responsible than the owner.
Term
EV pro tip
An EV pro tip is a helpful suggestion for electric-car owners—something that makes day-to-day driving or charging easier or more efficient. The host is inviting listeners to call in with tips they learned that aren’t obvious at first.
When you lift off the accelerator in many EVs, the car can slow down while also recharging the battery. It does this by using the motor to generate electricity instead of relying only on the regular brakes.
A lighting kit is a set of extra lights you install on your car. In this case, it’s for adding things like puddle lights inside and outside the vehicle.
A tempered glass screen protector is a tough clear cover you put over your car’s screen. It’s meant to help prevent scratches and damage if something hits the display.
Front license plate brackets are the parts that hold your front license plate in place. The host is saying this design mounts underneath so it doesn’t leave visible marks.
Automotive tape is strong adhesive tape used to stick things to a car. The host is saying some license plate setups use tape on the front, while this one mounts underneath.
Carbon fiber design accessories are decorative add-ons that give your car a carbon-fiber look. They’re mainly about style rather than changing how the car drives.
RPM Tesla is a company that sells and helps install add-ons for Tesla cars. They offer options where you can install it yourself, or you can pay for a shop to install it for you.
Infinity Shield is a device for your garage door that makes it safer. It uses lots of laser beams instead of one, so if anything blocks the door, it should stop rather than keep closing.
The Tesla Semi is an electric big-rig truck from Tesla. Instead of using diesel fuel, it runs on batteries, which can help fleets save money on fuel and reduce emissions.
“Final 1.0 release” means the company is getting to the first complete, ready-for-production version of the product. It suggests earlier versions were more like early builds or drafts.
LIVE
On this week's episode of Ride the Lightning,
the Tesla and EV podcast,
Tesla once again tops the annual list of cars
made with the most American parts.
The Cybertruck earns a top safety rating.
The Slate EV pickup truck confirms
its $25,000 starting price
and first deliveries this year and more.
What's happening friends alongside Daisy the Boxer and Lily the Silly Labrador and
career-changed not-service dog?
I'm Ryan McCaffrey and welcome to episode 569 of Ride the Lightning, the Tesla and
EV podcast which comes your way every single Sunday at 9am Eastern 6am Pacific.
This one is publishing on June 28th, 2026.
I am recording this in the evening on Friday, June 26th.
And yes, Mina, our former service dog puppy who they call it career changed.
When she doesn't graduate, she doesn't make it through the service dog program.
She career changes out and just gets adopted as a regular, wonderful pet dog
which our friends that we co-raised her with took her as there.
They adopted her as their forever dog.
They're on vacation so they've kindly asked us to watch Mina,
which we were all very happy to do here, thrilled to see Mina.
So there are three dogs in the McCaffrey household this week and it's a little
chaotic but thankfully all three are amazing dogs.
We love them all.
Hope you guys are all doing well.
Well, speaking of well, version 14 Lite.
It's like, well, what about version 14 Lite for FSD on the hardware three cars?
Again, it's June 28th as this episode drops June 26th as I record it.
So the question is, will version 14 Lite be released for the hardware three cars
this week?
Is it going to make it out by the June 30th deadline that Tesla had previously?
I don't want to say promised but that was the deadline.
That was the expectation that they'd been guiding towards multiple times including recently.
So is that going to happen?
Honestly, I'm going to say probably not at this point only because being June 26th as I'm recording
this, we probably would have heard about it some way somehow going to somebody's car.
Either through, meaning somebody meaning an employee's car or one of the early influencers
that tend to get the FSD builds first or one of the FSD tracking apps that can somehow
see when versions are going out to cars.
And there's just been none of that so far.
So I don't think at this point that Tesla is going to make June 30th.
If they're not going to make this quarter, I'd absolutely be thrilled if they proved me wrong
and somehow by the time you hear this, it is downloading in your cars and in hour 2018 as
well.
But it doesn't look like it's going to make June 30th.
The question then becomes will it drop, as I was talking about I think on last week's podcast,
will it be released prior to the earnings call which should be on the 22nd of July?
The question is state or the answer is stay tuned.
And I thought I would make this the subject of this week's Patreon poll
because I wanted to hear what all of you thought about this topic.
So the question was when do you think FSD version 14 Lite will arrive for the hardware three cars?
Shout out to the super optimists, the 2% of you that said before June 30th.
Shout out to the 4% of you that said on June 30th.
The actual winning vote in the poll was 35% of you voted by the end of the year.
27% of you said you thought it would come between July 1st and the earnings call,
likely on July 22nd.
And 26% of you voted sometime later this summer.
And if I'm being honest, if I were to vote in my own poll which I actually can't do on Patreon
would just fine because I'm the one setting the poll up.
I probably would vote for the between July 1st and the earnings call.
I just think, I mean I know you can't rush this software, it'll be ready when it's ready.
But as I was talking about on last week's show,
historically Tesla likes to have something, some big new cool announcement or cool thing
that they can point to in the shareholder letter and on the earnings call.
And given that they've been tracking this FSD version 14 Lite for the end of June,
if we're not quite going to make that, I'm optimistic that it will drop in the next three weeks
ahead of the earnings call.
But that remains to be seen.
Thank you very much to all 267 of you that took the time to vote as of me recording this.
And a reminder that the Patreon poll every single week is open to everybody.
You don't have to be supporting me on Patreon, don't have to be doing any of that.
Just swing on by, cast your vote, patreon.com slash Tesla podcast.
That is the place to swing by and vote in each week's new Patreon poll.
Now on next week's podcast, we will have the Q2 production and delivery numbers to talk about.
So that right away gives us one meaty topic to look forward to.
And my question heading into that is, will the $60,000 cyber truck that has started to deliver
and or the final, final, final push of S's and X's will either or both of those
meaningfully bump that other vehicles category in Tesla's production and delivery report?
And to the answer, the answer to that is, stay tuned next week.
Once again, we shall see what happens on that one.
Those of you who are very generously supporting me over on patreon.com slash Tesla podcast,
I hope you enjoyed this week's lightning round mini episode.
I do those every single week exclusively on Patreon.
They are little evergreen bite sized episodes.
And this week's was the monthly mailbag for June where I answered your ask me anything questions,
had a good time doing that, turned out to be a 36 minute so called mini episode.
A lot of great topics covered from a lot of great questions.
I talked about, I was asked what I think the next in-car Tesla video game should be,
which certainly is right up my alley.
I was asked about the Model YL versus the Cyberban in terms of timing and
which one somebody might want to go for.
And so much more, this was the 198th lightning round.
So we're coming up on number 200, coming up on a little mini milestone there.
And all 198 of those can be yours.
You can have access to them instantly if you decide to join up and support me over on Patreon
at that $10 per month tier, which is the most popular tier.
You get all of those weekly lightning round episodes past, present and future.
You also get every single week an ad free episode and you get early access to that ad free episode.
So join me over on Patreon.
I would be humbled and grateful if you considered this to support supporting me over there.
Patreon.com slash Tesla podcast.
All right, let's get into it with our headline story this week.
And that is Tesla tops the most American made index for the sixth year in a row.
Saw this on cars.com linked via Tesla's own social media account over on X.
And cars.com writes, now into its 21st year of publication, cars.com's American made index
has again named the cars that are the most American based on a number of factors that
highlight American parts and manufacturing.
We ranked all qualifying vehicles built and bought in the US for model year 2026.
And though the nameplate at the top Tesla's Model 3 is a familiar one, what follows it
provides a snapshot of an automotive industry still in flux amid the past few years as policy
whiplash and shifting priorities both for the automakers themselves and the shoppers who buy them.
Many vehicles that remain on this list have higher domestic part content percentages,
which suggests changing supply chains in service of reshoring at least some elements of production.
The top 10 of this year's index has averaged 70% for the second straight year,
the highest it's been since the methodology changed to its current form for 2020,
and several vehicles leapt up the rankings in part because their domestic parts content
percentages were increased. That includes the number 4 ranked Jeep Grand Cherokee,
which jumped 66 spots on the back of increasing its US and Canadian parts content percentage
by 14%, and the Lexus TX350, whose engines and transmissions are now made entirely in the US,
helped it rise 34 spots. Automakers' ongoing strategic redirections will be something to
continue to watch closely in the next few years, not just because it affects domestic parts content
percentages or where a transmission gets built, but because it affects the most important component
in all of this, you. Whether it's the availability of certain trims and powertrains or the windows
sticker when you go to buy, each automaker is trying to plan for what it'll need on dealer
lots for its customers before you even think to start shopping. In what has long been a slow
moving industry, the accelerated nature of today's marketplace demands more. This list is a testament
to how automakers are attempting to keep up as the nation celebrates its 250th birthday.
And with that, with that long but good intro, here is the top 10 for this year as they have
already revealed the Model 3 at number 1 once again, and I'll give you one guess as to what
number 2 is. You all got it, it's the Model Y. Number 3, the Jeep Gladiator, number 4,
the Jeep Grand Cherokee, so Tesla 1-2 and Jeep at 3-4. 5 was the Honda Ridgeline, assembled in
Lincoln, Alabama. 6, the Honda Odyssey. 7, the aforementioned Lexus TS350. Number 8, the Honda
Accord. Number 9, the Acura MDX, certainly in the Honda family there. And number 10, the Honda
Passport. So really, it's a Tesla Jeep Honda, and that's pretty much it. You know, you got Lexus
thrown in there as well. But that's, it's pretty dominant in the top 10 by 3 manufacturers in
particular. And it's probably going to be tough to dethrone the Model 3 and the Model Y atop this
list, that would be my guess. And it's glad, I'm just glad to see one of them atop it once again
for, as mentioned earlier, the sixth year in a row. You know, you've got an American factory,
American workers, you've got American made battery cells and battery packs, which are a massive
component of the car. Especially the question is, do you consider the battery cells individual
components? Because there's something like 6, I don't even remember, 6,000 cells? Something like that
in a 3 and Y battery pack, I forget the actual number. But it's a lot. In any case, practically
everything is made in the US when it comes to the Model 3 and the Model Y, which makes Tesla,
again, the most American cars, car company. And it just, it cracks me up because I
still see the fud, the fear, uncertainty, and doubt. I still see it pop up, where people that
claim to be pro-America and I want to buy American, but they hate Tesla. Because it's like, well,
do you guys realize that Tesla's are actually the most American made cars? I guess you're telling
on yourself at that point that you just don't like EVs. But have you driven one? Probably not,
if you say you dislike it that much, odds are you probably haven't driven it because, as we all
know very, very well, because we've experienced it ourselves, once you drive one of these cars,
you get it. And it's pretty hard to hate it. You might still prefer the sound of a great exhaust
note on a V8 or something. You might still prefer shifting gears with a manual transmission,
but you're probably not going to have a deep-seated hatred or loathing for a Tesla if you actually
drive one for yourself. But in any case, this is something that is good to keep in mind in case
that fud pops up in your life. A friend, a coworker, somebody in your life just says, you know, if you
if you get an appropriate moment that organically it makes sense to be like to mention, well, you
know what, in fact, Tesla's are the most American made cars. But what something that struck me on
this list though, apart from Tesla, was that only one of the top 10 is actually assembled in Detroit.
And I only bring that up because I am old enough to know at 45 or I'm old enough to remember
that Detroit was this beating heart of the American auto industry. And not that Detroit
isn't still a powerhouse within the automotive industry, but the actual assembly and manufacturing
of cars in America has really spread out, although kind of all within one
band of the country. Like if so, cars.com on their American made index page, they have a map
where they show where all the the top 20 cars on the list where they're made. And way over,
of course, on the left coast out here in California, you have the three in the Y here in Fremont,
California. And then it's really, it's this band that spans sort of the South and Midwest
that just goes from like the Gulf of Mexico on up to the Great Lakes. Basically, it's that sort
of band through the Midwest and South with all these other cars. You know, I was mentioning
some of them. It's Indiana, it's Ohio, it's Alabama, it's Ohio again for the MDX,
even though it's a different plant than where the Accord. The Accord is Marysville, Ohio, and the MDX
is East Liberty, Ohio, and then Toledo, Ohio for the Jeep Gladiator. And then it's just the Grand
Cherokee is the only one of the top 10 that is actually assembled in Detroit. So I don't know,
I just, as somebody that grew up with that sort of Detroit is the is the heart of this whole thing,
I found that a little bit interesting that that the manufacturing has spread out
beyond just Detroit within the United States. Next up this week, the Cyber, speaking of FUD,
the Cybertruck, a vehicle that fuds a lot, the fudsters would have you believe is a death machine,
a triangular death machine. Well, the Cybertruck is in fact not a death machine, it is in fact
the safest pickup truck according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the IIHS.
I saw this on Tesla Roddy who wrote the IIHS has awarded the Cybertruck its highest honor,
top safety pick plus. This marks the Cybertruck as the only full-size pickup to achieve this
distinction in recent evaluations. The award applies specifically to vehicles built after
April of 2025, following structural upgrades including front underbody reinforcements and
footwell modifications. The Cybertruck avoided every single pedestrian collision, including
daytime child crossing, nighttime adult crossing, and night parallel adult. In the large pickup
category, competitors such as the Toyota Tundra received only a standard top safety pick, still
this positions the Cybertruck as a standout in occupant protection and crash avoidance
among its peers. And again, as I was saying at the top of this, what's sad about this to me
is that because of that prevailing FUD that you see out there online, there will still
be people who think that the Cybertruck is a sharp edged stainless steel death trap
and or a pedestrian killing machine. In fact, I happen to see another subreddit of another
EV pickup truck and I'm not trying to pick on anybody because as far as I'm concerned,
all the EVs are on the same team here. We're trying to get more people into EVs no matter what
manufacturer makes the car. But in one other subreddit where this was posted that a Cybertruck
got the top safety pick plus and that subreddits vehicle truck did not, electric truck did not
get that distinction. And people were still trying to say, well, I still, they'd be terrible that
Europe has banned them because they're too, like, well, they're, it's just like, why are we always
trying to find a way to tear these things down? I just, I mean, I know the Cybertruck is polarizing
and I should, you should, you're probably saying, Ryan, just you know, Cybertruck, what happens that
it just, it just gets people's goat one way or another. And that is true. I mean, it is,
it is polarizing by its very nature and really by design, it's polarizing, but it is just a shame
that, that this top safety pick plus will, will still not be the thing that gets bubbled up
in the, in the infosphere, right? But it is true. It happened, an independent agency, the IIHS
awarded the Cybertruck and the Cybertruck alone in terms of full size pickup trucks,
the top safety pick plus. Now, in fairness, I would say to the whole like, well, it's a pedestrian
killing machine. You don't want to get hit by it. If you're a pedestrian, you don't want to get hit by
any full size pickup truck. If you have to get hit by a car, don't get hit by any full size pickup
truck. And in fact, I'm going to fold another little story into this that's related completely.
I just happened to also see this week, there was a story in the New York times and it said in part,
here's an excerpt, for decades, American roads were steadily getting safer for, for pedestrians.
But around 2009, the trend reversed. Since then, the number of pedestrians killed each year
has risen by about 75%. The surge in pedestrian deaths has baffled researchers.
Most other wealthy countries haven't seen similar increases, suggesting that possible culprits like
smartphones don't tell the whole story. After analyzing federal and industry records,
including never before examined data on vehicle dimensions, we found that the rise of large
pickups and SUVs is an important factor. Our estimate is that about 200 to 400 pedestrians per
year would not have died if vehicles had remained approximately the same size over the past quarter
century. That represents about 10% of the recent increase in pedestrian deaths. There are two
reasons bigger vehicles are deadlier, they have taller hoods, and they tend to have larger blind
zones. So anyway, that was very relevant to this topic. So within the context of that though,
the Cybertruck is officially by way of a recognized independent authority, the safest
full-size pickup truck on the market, whether you're inside the truck or outside the truck.
The inside part is obvious, and the outside part comes from, as you heard, the test results
showing that the Cybertruck excelled at pedestrian collision avoidance. As Tesla themselves would
probably say, to adapt their own, the best part is no part, mantra, the best crash is no crash.
But congratulations to the Tesla team once again, the Cybertruck team, the engineering team,
who made the safest, unsafe looking vehicle on the road. But seriously, the Cybertruck is such a
unique animal in terms of its materials and how it's made that it really is quite laudable
that Tesla has achieved this very tip top safety rating. Next up this week, for you hardcore road
trippers, you once again have a chance to win free supercharging for the life of your vehicle
via Tesla's newest annual competition of sorts. I saw this on the official Tesla charging account
over on X, which is run by the Tesla charging team. They said, attention road trippers,
the free supercharging competition is back. At the end of the year, free supercharging will be
awarded to nine top users who roam and explore the supercharger network. In each of three global
regions, the Americas, Asia Pacific, and EMEA, there will be one winner per category below.
The three categories are longest trip, which is described as the longest continuous streak
of unique supercharger locations in 2026, where each new site is visited within 24 hours of
the previous session's start time. Category two is most unique supercharger sites visited,
described as simply the highest number of unique supercharger sites visited in 2026.
And the third category is most energy supercharged, the highest total energy charged
in kilowatt hours at superchargers in 2026. And Tesla says a unique supercharger site is
a distinct location as displayed in the Tesla app or your vehicle's navigation. A trip is a streak
of visits to unique supercharger sites. To extend your trip, again, you must begin a charging session
at a new unique supercharger location within 24 hours of the end of your previous session
at a different site. Repeat visits to a previously counted site are allowed during a trip,
but they do not reset the 24 hour timer or add to your trip's length.
So if I recall correctly, I believe my criticism of this last year, which last year was its first
year, was that I wanted to see Tesla add one or two ways for people that don't have the time
or the ability to visit a crazy number of superchargers to win this, to win the free
supercharging for life on their vehicle. And unfortunately, Tesla does not seem to have
done anything to get me to remove that criticism. They don't seem to have addressed that for this
year. I am, of course, but one person, I don't pretend to have any power or influence, but it
was, you know, I put my thoughts out there last year. And I get that the spirit of this promotion
is to get people to drive their cars more, and really, in just sort of plain cold corporate
terms, it's the goal is to get people to use the product, right? But that said, I do wish,
I'll repeat from last year, I do wish that they would offer a random raffle of one lifetime
supercharging award per region, again, within a random raffle for anybody that visits at least,
say, three different superchargers in the year, maybe 53 different, like a meaning,
a small manageable number, I would say. That's, I just think that would be a nice,
a nice way to get everybody in this and not just the hardcore road trippers. But I don't want to
come off like I'm down on this because I'm really not, I'm really not. I do think it's a great program.
And in fact, hopefully our new friend, Sando, whose story you heard on this podcast a couple
months ago, he's the guy who lives out of his Model X and is driving the entire length of the
Americas from the Arctic Circle down to the tip of South America. And I hope he wins. I hope Sando
wins that. That would be cool if he ends up winning this, although I wonder, because he would
theoretically have a pretty good chance at any of the three categories, although he did talk about
in our conversation how he's not really doing this as a cannonball run. So maybe he wouldn't
be moving quickly enough for the, for the longest trip one to keep that chain moving. But he'd
probably have a good shot at the other two, although I guess if his Model X has free super
charging, and I can't recall if he said it does, I think it, I think it does, then it would mean
he's not eligible because the rules do state that, quote, certain vehicles and people are not
eligible for this contest, including vehicles that already have free supercharging, vehicles used
for commercial purposes such as taxi ride share or delivery services, residents of countries not
included in a competition region, and employees of Tesla and their immediate family. So those are
folks not eligible. But anyway, I do love seeing this. I'm glad Tesla's doing it again, and I hope
that some of you listening to this win at least one of the categories in your region. That would
be really, really cool. And I've got one more Tesla news story before we move on to a whole bunch
of other EV news. So here we go. Tesla's cyber cab has made an unexpected appearance on the other
side of the world. With two examples of the autonomous robotaxis recently spotted in New Zealand,
saw this on Drive Tesla Canada who wrote, the sighting believed to be the first time the
cyber cab has been seen in the southern hemisphere comes as Tesla continues preparing the vehicle
for its eventual commercial debut. According to video shared online, two cyber cabs were
spotted on a transport truck alongside several other vehicles, prompting speculation about why
Tesla has brought the futuristic two-seater to New Zealand. While Tesla has not commented on the
sighting, one likely explanation is winter testing. New Zealand has long served as a seasonal testing
destination for global automakers looking to evaluate vehicles in cold weather conditions
during the northern hemisphere summer. From June through August, manufacturers regularly send
prototypes to the region, particularly around Queenstown and the nearby southern hemisphere
proving grounds facility. Tesla itself has a history of using New Zealand for this purpose.
Prior to its launch, the cyber truck was spotted undergoing testing in the country with sightings
emerging from the same general region known for cold weather development work. While I have no
doubt that Drive Tesla Canada is right on the money with this one, it's winter testing. Now that we
are officially into the summer up here in the northern hemisphere, it makes perfect sense that
Tesla would want to keep throwing some winter conditions and winter scenarios at the cyber cabs.
Hopefully this means that some of you who are listening to this in New Zealand
just might get a chance to see the cyber cab up close and personal.
Maybe out on the road if Tesla decides to drive it around any of the roads, or just maybe
if they at some point clean the cars up and show them off on display in any Tesla stores
in New Zealand. It's not out of the question for them to do that, for them to just clean
one up and put it on display at a Tesla store. Now speaking of New Zealand, and Australia,
the Model YLs that have already been delivered to customers in that region,
turns out they still lack one key component, FSD. So version 14 just rolled out there,
but unfortunately the initial owners of the YL are still waiting. Turns out Tesla sent an email
to customers down in that corner of the world saying, and a tip of the cap here to not a Tesla app
who posted a copy of the email, Tesla's email said, we'd like to provide an update on the
activation of full self-driving supervised on your Model YL. The rollout of FSD supervised V14
has commenced in Australia and New Zealand. As the first market to introduce FSD version 14 to
Model YL, additional refinement and real world data is required for this model before activation
can be extended more broadly. We're treating this as a priority and are actively working to progress
Model YL as quickly as possible. Owners can expect activation to follow once this phase is complete.
While a confirmed release date for Model YL is still pending, please know that our team is
actively working on development and you will be notified as soon as the update is ready to install
on your vehicle. We apologize for any disruption to your ownership experience if you have any
questions or require further assistance. So presumably this means that when this car comes
to the United States, and that is when not if, which by the way on that topic, there are other
folks in the Tesla community who are now reporting from their own sources that the car is coming to
the US in September, which I already reported to you from my source months ago. So I'm not trying
to sound egotistical or anything, but I'm just saying, just remember when the YL does launch
here in September, just remember where you heard it first right here on Ride the Lightning.
But anyway, I honestly, I'm not really precious about that stuff, but it is
certainly reassuring from my own report, source, that now other people are reporting
from their own sources that it's going to be September as well. But my point here is that
hopefully it means that when this car comes to the US that we won't have to wait for FSD to be
validated on the YL and it'll be available on that car right out of the gate, like right as soon
as you take delivery, just like with any other Tesla right now. So to that end, I want to say thank
you to our Australian and New Zealand friends for sort of taking one for the global team on this
one of buying the YL and unfortunately not getting access to FSD just yet, which early
Cybertruck owners, those of you that bought a foundation series truck, can probably relate
to that as well because you all went through that as well. Slightly different circumstances,
but still the same general thing, where you bought FSD with it. In fact, Cybertruck Foundation
series owners paid for FSD that you had to, you had no other choice, and you didn't get that FSD
for quite a while. But yeah, I guess if it had rolled out, if the YL had come out in North America
first, then the tables would be turned, right? And when it got to Australia and New Zealand,
it would just FSD would be available right away. But as it stands, it is now the southern
hemisphere friends that are having to wait for FSD to get enabled for that car. But hopefully the
wait is going to be short for all of you. I mean, my guess is the worst case scenario for the wait
for the YL in Australia and New Zealand is September. Because again, that's when I expect the car
to arrive here and I imagine that Tesla is going to want that validation finished by the time
the car is launching in its biggest market here in North America.
Before I get to the other EV news, as well as your phone calls in the Ride the Lightning hotline,
a quick word from a couple friends of the podcast starting with Chesed Chicago. The 12th annual
raffle is here. And again, the clock is ticking on this. It is almost time to draw the raffle.
Ticket sales are almost getting cut off. So I'm just mentioning this again. It is pretty much now
or never on this one. I'm just thrilled to help these folks raise some money. It's such a great
cause. You've all been really generous in supporting this effort the past couple years. So I'm hoping
we can come together as a community to help them out again in 2026. This raffle as a reminder,
you are, no matter what happens, you are helping out families in need for a great cause,
but you have the chance with every ticket purchased to win any EV of your choice. Maybe it's a Model
Y, maybe it's a Model 3, maybe it's a Cybertruck, right? Maybe it's a Tesla, but maybe it's the
Rivian R2, which by the way, I saw my first one out in the wild today. I came up behind it in
traffic and I was like, that looks a little smaller. I think that's the R2 and then I got to
look at the badge on the back. Sure enough, that was an R2. It's a good looking vehicle. I think
it's going to do really, really well for Rivian and be an awesome, awesome EV entry into the marketplace.
So if you want that, you can win it in the 12th annual Chesed Chicago raffle. But maybe you've
got your eye on something bigger like the Lucid Gravity, maybe the Three Row Kia EV9. Maybe
instead of, maybe you've already got an EV that you love and you just would rather have $50,000
in cash. Well, that, you can choose that as the prize as well. Again, no matter what you do,
you're helping families in need. Go to CCRaffle.com or just click the link in the episode description
and use the promo code RTL and that will get you $25 off of two tickets or $500 off of 15
tickets plus as an option, you don't have to do this. But if you want, you can supercharge your
entry for $10 per ticket, which means if that supercharged ticket is drawn as the winner,
you will win a Tesla wall connector, which as a reminder, everything is NACS. So to work with any
any EV, any new EV, you'll get the Tesla wall connector, including installation from a professional
electrician that will be added onto your prize if you win. A reminder that Chesed Chicago offers
over 80 programs and services, which provide vital assistance to more than 6,000 individuals per year
with a focus on battling hunger, preventing eviction and homelessness, and providing needy
families with basics such as clothing and furniture. The final drawing again, it's July 13th. It is
coming up very, very quickly. Do not wait any more. Don't go, ah yeah, maybe I'll get to that
tomorrow. Pause this podcast, do it right now. Go to CCRaffle.com and don't forget that promo
code RTL for $25 off of two tickets or $500 off of 15 tickets. And if you win a new EV or just
have a fairly recent EV in your house now, don't forget about Accelerate Auto and their X-Care
extended warranty coverage options. I've got one on my 2018 Model 3 performance, providing me awesome
peace of mind. I don't have to worry about a thing. And that's the thing is one thing about EV
owners at future or present is they are thinkers, right? Before they buy an EV, they research,
they do their research on charging, battery tech, software range, road trips, ownership costs.
These are people that plan ahead. And that is exactly why so many Tesla and Rivian owners take
a look at X-Care before they ever need it. Not because something's wrong, but because preparation
is a big part of smart ownership. So no matter what Tesla or Rivian you are driving, X-Care was
built specifically for EV owners who plan to enjoy their vehicles for years to come just as
my wife and I are continuing to enjoy our 2018 Model 3 performance with around 80,000 miles now.
Something I actually haven't checked lately, but we have a three year extended warranty plan
currently on ours. It's our second one. We had a three year right that went into effect right after
our manufacturers warranty expired. And now we're on our second three year coverage plan with X-Care.
I'm super happy to have it. Makes me feel good. I can drive it with confidence
without having to worry about anything. Just remember that the best ownership decisions are
usually made before they're necessary. To learn more, if you'd like to speak to a representative,
you can do so by calling 866-584-1363. And if you decide to purchase a plan while talking to that
person on the phone, make sure to mention the promo code lightning for $100 off that policy. Or
if you're shopping online at their website, which is xcare.com, that's X-C-A-R-E.com,
the promo code remains lightning. So call 866-584-1363 or visit xcare.com. Either way,
the promo code is lightning. I've got a bunch of other EV news to talk to you about this week.
I've decided to structure it this way. I'm going to start with the bad news and end with the good
news. It does seem like lately more of the other EV news has been bad, like this car getting
canceled from the US market or this automaker pulling out its EVs from the US market.
Sadly, that's just seemingly the headwinds that are going on, at least here in the US right now.
But there is good stuff happening in the rest of the EV space as well. So I'm going to save those
for the end so that we end on a good note here. But for now, I start with some really difficult news
from Lucid. They are making one of the largest workforce reductions in its short history
as they've announced plans to cut approximately 18% of its US workforce while also scaling back
production at its Arizona manufacturing facility and 18% like 1 in 6 of workers.
I saw this on DriveTesla Canada who wrote,
The cutbacks were disclosed in a Form 8K filing with the US SEC where the luxury EV maker outlined
a restructuring plan aimed at reducing expenses and moving the company closer to profitability
and positive cash flow. As part of the restructuring, Lucid is eliminating the second production shift
at its amp 1 factory in Casa Grande, Arizona. The company said the changes are intended to
better align production with expected demand while streamlining operations. The cuts also extend
to the executive level, Chief Operating Officer Mark Winterhoff has departed the company effective
immediately with the COO position itself being eliminated. More importantly though,
this is tough to read. Tough news for Lucid here. The thing that makes it tough from where I sit
as just a bystander, an EV consumer and EV fan is their cars by most accounts are exceptionally
engineered. They seem to still be working through not the best software they've got work to do on
the software front. I did tell you what, just a week or two ago they put out a very significant
software update for the gravity, the SUV, but they are incredibly efficient cars,
they have awesome range, and now with NACS, they've got a lot going for them.
And really, I've pointed this out before, but with no Model S or X in the picture anymore,
you would figure that some buyers of those vehicles would look in Lucid's direction,
either at the air, sedan, or the aforementioned gravity SUV. But the fact is, unfortunately,
Lucid has simply struggled to gain a lot of traction in terms of sales. I mean, they are due
to debut their more affordable mid-sized vehicles at some point this year. So basically,
in the next six months, they're supposed to be showing off a new mid-sized vehicle that will
be more affordable, so hopefully they can hang on long enough to get those cars brought into the
marketplace, presuming that the engineering remains rock solid and that the software situation
continues to improve and smooth out. I mean, if the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund
that is largely responsible for financing Lucid, the thing is, if they ever decide to pull the plug,
that's when it would get really, really dicey for Lucid in its future. And if that ever happened,
I wonder, I just, I wonder aloud if Tesla would consider scooping them up for 10 cents on the
dollar just for their packaging, meaning their motor packaging, their motors are tiny,
and thus allows you to have more cabin space, keep the cars a little lighter, etc. But
their packaging and their engineering expertise, not that Tesla is lacking in either of those
areas. Tesla's got top tier talent, but I do wonder if Tesla might find some value in Lucid,
should it ever come to them ending up on the scrap heap, which I hope it doesn't. Although,
I mean, again, just to entertain that doom scenario for one second longer, as an alternative
to Tesla, I could see a legacy automaker grabbing Lucid if, again, if the PIF ever, ever were to
pull out, and a legacy automaker could grab them on the cheap and then maybe use that to jumpstart
their own EV initiative. Now, of course, none of that seems likely in the current macroeconomic
climate that as I've been talking about lately, including on this episode, it is trending in an
unfortunate anti-EV direction right now. But things do change, things can change quickly.
And again, I don't want any of these scenarios to happen. I am rooting for Lucid to write the ship,
financially speaking, to get that mid-sized vehicle out and start to stabilize themselves
financially. But I am human, my mind can't help but drift to the what-if scenario. So,
hopefully, there are brighter days ahead for Lucid, but this was a tough week with those 18%
layoffs. That is tough. Alright, next this week, we're sticking around with some bad news. There's
two more bad stories, then we end with a couple good stories. So I missed this last week somehow
as part of the Taycan eShift news that I told you about. And it is this, once again, from Drive
Tesla Canada. The classic station wagon has taken yet another hit in the overall automotive marketplace.
As Porsche announced, it will end production of the Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo and Sport Turismo
after the 2026 model year. Those are, of course, as you inferred, the station wagon versions of the
Taycan. Drive Tesla Canada says, a Porsche spokesperson said this to car and driver
when asked about the decision, quote, Porsche focuses its product portfolio on the wishes of its
customers. And in the United States, the Sport Turismo and Cross Turismo body styles of the Taycan
played a minor role. It is for this reason that we have decided to discontinue these model variants
end, quote. The Taycan has seen sales continue to decline since its peak in 2021
when Porsche sold 9,419 units in the US. Given that over 4,124 units were sold in 2025,
it could be safe to assume that the station wagon body style accounted for only a small percentage
of those sales. And for me, what I read out of this is, I believe, correct me if I'm wrong,
but I believe that the Taycan Turismos Cross and Sport were the only EV station wagons in the entire
marketplace. Because really, there aren't many station wagons in the US at all regardless of
propulsion type, whether it's gasoline or electric. And I think, in fact, of the station wagons that
exist at all, meaning gas or EV, I think they're all from the Germans. So you've got the Audi RS6
Avant, and then the Mercedes E450. Those are both gas cars. And then the Taycan Cross Turismo
and Sport Turismo, which obviously are electric vehicles. So it's a bummer. As I know, there is
a very vocal crowd out there who do love the extra utility that a station wagon provides.
And now, as far as I know, there is not a single all electric option in the US,
or at least there won't be soon, in terms of EV station wagons. Perhaps, hopefully,
the EV station wagons day will come back around in the US at some point. I've already mentioned
how old I am on this episode. I am of the age where station wagons were very much a thing when I
was a kid, like the first, I would say, seven to ten years of my life were the tail end of the
station wagon era in the US, which has since been replaced, of course, by the SUV era that we still
have. That stuff's not really looked upon too favorably anymore, but back in the 80s it was a
fairly normal, I'm not defending it necessarily, but it was pretty normalized back then. I do,
thankfully, nothing ever happened, nothing ever went wrong. I do have fond memories of sitting in
the back of our station wagon. Alright, the last bad news story here with other EVs is regarding
Polestar. And Polestar will be exiting the US market in 2027. I saw this story on Motortrend,
who wrote, the Gothenburg Sweden-based EV manufacturer announced that the US Department
of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security declined to grant the company an exemption
under the connected vehicle rule, the CVR. As a result, Polestar will be unable to sell vehicles
in the US beginning with model year 2027. CVR is a US national security policy that bars companies
from selling cars that feature hardware or software that is tied to countries such as China or Russia.
Polestar is owned by Chinese conglomerate Geely. Polestar said it will continue selling existing
inventory of the Polestar 3 and the Polestar 4 in the US while maintaining customer support and
access to its service network. Quote, supporting our customers remains our highest priority,
existing Polestar owners and lease customers will continue to receive the same level of
support and access to service as they do today. All existing warranties remain in effect and
will continue to be honored in accordance with their terms and conditions according to Polestar
North America's official spokesperson. He also confirmed no future Polestar vehicles,
including the Polestar 5 grand tourer that we just drove, says Motor Trend, will come to the US.
The company said the move reinforces its strategy of concentrating on Europe,
which accounted for nearly 80% of its retail sales volume. During the first quarter of 2026,
94% of Polestar's global retail sales came from markets outside the US,
and so as part of its revised strategy, Polestar plans to expand its European retail network
and localize production of future models. The company previously announced that the upcoming
Polestar 7 compact SUV will be built in Europe. Quote, the automotive industry is entering
a new phase based on regional dynamics, said Polestar CEO Michael Loescheller.
Our strategy reflects that, with Europe being our largest growth engine
and our plan to manufacture Polestar 7 in Europe. Our record sales in 2025 and the first quarter
of 2026 showed that we are making strong progress with several new market launches taking place
in Europe this year. In addition, we will continue to invest in markets where we have
opportunities to continue to grow, like Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, and Canada.
Well, it is a shame to lose a good EV option in the US market, for sure. And the Polestar was that.
I mean, you may disagree, you may not like it, but the fact is it's a good car, I'm not saying
it's better than TAP better than anything, but the Polestar is a good EV, I see plenty of them
here in my neck of the woods. Now that said, the issue keeping Polestar out
has been a bipartisan one, so I'm not here to get political, but I think most of you would
reasonably agree with me that the current US administration has not been very supportive of EVs.
After all, they did kill the EV tax credit, as one major example. However, this specific law,
the connected vehicle rule, was finalized by the previous administration, so again, this is
a bipartisan deal. The fact is that neither political party in the US seems to want Chinese
cars in the US marketplace, nor do either party want Chinese software in cars sold in the United
States market. So again, you might have your feelings on those issues, because practically
everything in life is being politicized these days, but keeping China and Russia out of US cars,
and keeping Chinese or Russian cars out of our automotive market seems to be the rare thing
that both American major political parties agree on. Now one ray of potential optimism here,
in terms of getting a good EV option back in the US market, the Motor Trends story
notes that the connected vehicle rule exemptions are reevaluated annually, so perhaps
Polestar will be back in the future if they flush their software of Chinese input and Chinese lines
of code, and if the US marketplace maybe becomes a bit more welcoming for EVs as well. For me,
I hope we haven't seen the last of them here, because again, they seem to be pretty good cars.
I haven't driven one, so I do have to plead ignorance, but I have not heard a lot of bad
things about Polestar's in terms of how is it as an EV. So as you all know, I am of the belief
that we need more good EV options, not fewer, in order to bring more people into the EV tent.
Okay, that's the last of the bad news, let's end on two good other EV stories, the first one is
courtesy of Ford, who's announced that the start of production on its LFP battery cells
in Michigan as it's happened, the start of production comes ahead of the launch of its
highly anticipated affordable electric pickup. This comes via drive Tesla Canada, who writes,
the batteries are being produced at Ford's Blue Oval Battery Park, Michigan facility in Marshall,
Michigan, where more than 500 employees are already at work. The automaker expects that
number to grow to 800 workers by the end of the year, and eventually reach 1700 jobs once the
plant is fully operational. The new battery cells will power Ford's upcoming midsize electric truck,
the first vehicle built on the company's next generation universal electric vehicle or UEV
platform. While Ford has only revealed limited details about the truck so far, it is expected
to enter production in 2027 at the Louisville assembly plant with a targeted starting price
of around $30,000. According to Ford, employees at the Marshall facility are now producing
complete prismatic battery cells, handling the entire manufacturing process from raw material
preparation and coating through final inspection and validation testing. The company says it has
moved beyond early prototype production and is now building production intent battery cells
for testing and quality verification. The technology itself comes through a licensing
agreement with Chinese battery giant CATL, the world's largest EV battery manufacturer. However,
Ford retains full ownership and operational control of the Michigan facility while CATL
provides technical expertise and training support. Well, to this I say finally a new
non-Tesla battery factory on US soil. This is awesome to see that Ford is reaching this milestone
and certainly to get a little more specific here, LFPs in this upcoming midsize EV truck,
I'm not sure whether that's new information or not or whether we already knew that this
truck was going to run with LFPs, but it makes sense, right? A smaller truck will have a smaller
pack and less range and performance in a more affordable truck is not going to be a focus,
so going with the LFPs that lack performance by way of being less energy dense but by also
excelling at having very minimal degradation and can be charged to 100% on a regular basis
in order to maximize range, that should help Ford get as much daily usable range out of this truck
as possible, which will be a key selling point at this price point. Hopefully it's going to approach
300 miles, that remains to be seen, maybe even exceed it, but I don't know if I would take the
over or the under on 300 miles if we were setting this for Las Vegas betting purposes.
I guess I would probably take the under thinking a $30,000 midsize pickup truck is probably going
to be like from Ford, right? Tesla has made it pretty clear that they want 300 plus miles in
their cars. I guess I would take the under and probably figure on it being somewhere between
like 285 and 295 kind of range would be my guess, but I hope Ford proves me wrong in the good way
and not wrong, meaning they come in lower than my 285 to 295 estimate, but we shall see soon enough,
but it is really truly great to see this battery facility operational and building production
intent cells, that means this truck, the key component of it is just about ready to go as
soon as Ford gets that factory starting to pump out body and whites and starts actually producing
these trucks, which we still don't know the name of it yet. We know the platform name,
we don't know the name of the truck. I wonder if they're going to go with Maverick, like if
they're going to call it, give it the same name as the gas powered midsize pickup truck.
That's probably what makes the most sense, right? Because there's brand recognition there
and it's something familiar to people. It's for Ford customers. They already have an idea of what
a Maverick is, so if you call it the Maverick EV or the Maverick Lightning or something,
that's maybe Maverick Lightning is a little awkward, but maybe just Maverick EV, just keep it
super simple, but we shall see what Ford decides soon enough. And finally this week,
speaking of smaller, more affordable EV pickup trucks, Slate Auto has finally put numbers behind
its promise of building an affordable electric pickup truck, announcing that its compact pickup
will start at $24,950 in the US while the SUV version will carry a starting price of $29,950.
One more tip of the cap goes to DriveTeslaCanada who wrote,
The startup, founded in 2022, says the first customer vehicle deliveries are scheduled for
the fourth quarter of 2026. According to the company, interest has already been strong.
More than 180,000 reservation holders have told us they're ready for a vehicle that's affordable,
reliable and built around their lives, said Slate CEO Peter Faracy.
Unlike most EVs on the market, Slate's approach focuses on simplicity and customization.
The base truck comes without painted body panels, allowing customers to choose from
more than 100 wrap colors. Wrap kits begin at $500, with custom colors and designs available
for up to $1,600 before installation. Newly released specifications show the truck measuring
just 174.6 inches long, making it considerably smaller than most pickups currently on sale.
Despite its compact footprint, it offers a payload capacity of up to 1,550 pounds
and a towing rating of 2,000 pounds in a 5-foot bed. Power comes from a rear-mounted single
motor producing 135 kW or 181 horsepower and 264 Nm of torque. The truck uses a 63 kWh usable
LFP battery pack and delivers an estimated 205 miles of range, but again, that's going to be 205
miles of daily usable range. Performance is modest, with a 0-60 time of 8 seconds flat
and a top speed of 90 miles an hour. Charging is handled through Tesla's NACS connector
with an 11 kW onboard charger and DC fast charging speeds of up to 120 kW,
allowing the battery to charge from 20-80% in approximately 30 minutes.
Slate says the battery and powertrain will be covered by a 10-year 110,000 mile warranty.
And then there was actually a little bit more from Drive Tesla Canada. The main reason Slate
is able to offer the truck at such a low price is because of what the base model lacks. The entry
level truck doesn't include traditional infotainment, speakers, or power windows, instead relying on
optional accessories and customer customization. The company plans to offer more than 200
accessories at launch, with over 80% of those priced below $500. Buyers will be able to add
items ranging from roof racks and stereos to seat covers and lighting accessories,
and even a door armrest for $50. Slate will be bypassing the traditional dealership model and
directly to consumers like Tesla and other EV makers. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in
late 2026 from the company's factory in Warsaw, Indiana. While there has been strong interest
in Canada, the company has stated that it initially is focusing on the US market
with no immediate plans to offer the vehicle north of the border.
Well, I'm very pleasantly surprised and I am surprised that they have been able to stick to
their $25,000 base price point. I thought, for sure, in this period of peak inflation and
increasing prices on everything, that it would sneak up to $30,000 for that base price,
or at least something like $27,500. But this is fantastic news. $25,000 200 mile EV LFP pack,
which means you can use all 200 miles every single day. That's what you'll start the day with.
The idea of this truck is really solid. For one, there are no small EV trucks currently on the
market. The Rivian R1T is the smallest EV pickup truck on the market, and it's a mid-size. But
Ford's $30,000 truck, like I just got done talking about, that's supposed to enter production next
year and that is presumably, I believe it's been stated, that's a mid-size. Then you've got the
Tilo MT1. That's a mini truck, like the Slate is. The Tilo, though, is offering much higher specs,
which will presumably come with a decently higher price. But if Slate really can start
customer deliveries by the end of the year, they'll be first out of the gate in the smaller EV
pickup truck space and thus potentially stand to earn a first mover advantage if they can
keep up deliveries with demand. But again, I love the idea of this thing. Haven't driven it, can't
say for myself what I think of it, but I love the idea of it. I love that its bare bones by design
doesn't even have power windows. I mean, so much so, what I think is smart is they're actually
leaning into it. They're not trying to just pretend that you get more than you do or
pretend that it's something it's not. They are embracing the fact that this is super minimal
everything, like barely comes with anything, the simplest vehicle you could possibly get.
It'd be like, I guess a good analogy would be, if you think of Tesla, any Tesla doesn't have to
be the Cybertruck, but if you think of any Tesla and really for that matter, basically every other EV
is a smartphone, right? You've got these center touchscreen displays that handle a lot of stuff,
have a ton of computing power. Most of the interface is done through that center screen.
This thing is more, the Slate truck is more like a flip phone and on purpose a flip phone,
where the only screen in the entire car is a very small, like basically smartphone-sized LCD
display, I guess it's not LCD, but a very simple minimalist small screen right in front of the
driver in front of the steering wheel that shows the speed and your range and that's pretty much it.
So that's the only screen in the whole car. There's not even a radio, there's not even a sound system
by default. You can add it in as part of that whole customization push. So yeah, these are the
flip phones to Tesla and everybody else's EV smartphones. And I just hope that Slate can
stick the landing on this, I really do, because it stands to fill a void in the market. I mean,
granted, okay, you probably wouldn't road trip in one of these with a 200 mile range,
but for around town use, just getting to and fro and hauling the occasional bed full of stuff,
it seems like an awesome solution. And 200 miles of daily usable range around town
is probably going to be more than enough even on cold days or really hot days where you have
the AC blasting. It is probably going to be plenty to get you through the day around town.
Now, I did want to look up like I wanted to see, okay, are there even really any other
viable options that are similar to this in this price range? And the answer is no.
So I was like, okay, what about used Rivian R1 Ts? And it turns out, those are still going for,
by and large, above 50 grand. So the Slate pickup truck starts at half the price of a used R1 T.
And that really puts the Slate truck in a category of its own in terms of not just pickup trucks,
but EV pickup trucks and just eat really EVs in general, for that matter. I'll finish here by
mentioning Marquez Brownlee, aka MKBHD, you know him, the very popular tech YouTuber.
He did a video on the Slate truck this week on his autofocus channel, which I subscribe to
along with his main channel. And I highly recommend you check out his video on his autofocus channel
because he shows off the myriad customization options. He even gets to drive it. So he gives
you a pretty good, I won't necessarily call it a review, but he really shows you around the truck
and gives you his first impressions of it from getting to really get in and dig into it. So
check that out on his autofocus YouTube channel. And I just hope that Slate can get to production
and actually get these out into the world in meaningful numbers. Because if they can only
crank out a few thousand a year or something, that's not going to make a huge dent in the
overall marketplace. But if they can at least get into the five figures and hopefully get,
I don't know, you know, this year, they're obviously only going to deliver a few. But
I hope next year they can do at least 10,000 and hopefully on up and get to 50,000 and 75,000
and just on and up from there. So check out the Slate pickup truck, more on the autofocus
channel from MKBHD if you're interested. Alright, time now for a few of your phone
calls in the Ride the Lightning hotline. If you've got a question, comment or discussion topic for
the podcast, something on your mind or you want to respond to something I said or another caller
said or just respond to something going on in the world of Tesla and EV news,
feel free to call in. Now, whichever of the two call in methods that I'm about to give you,
whichever one you choose, I kindly ask that you please keep your call to 90 seconds or less
so I can get to as many calls each week as possible. And those two easy call in methods are first
using your smartphone's built in voice recording software and just record that question 90
seconds or less, email the file to me at TeslaPodcastatgmail.com. The second method is to call
in and leave a message 90 seconds or less on the Ride the Lightning hotline. To do that,
you call the toll free number that I'm about to give you, 1-888-989-8752, that number again,
1-888-989-TSLA. And if you know someone special out there with an upcoming birthday anniversary
graduation or some other special occasion, you can give them a unique gift of recorded voices
from friends and family telling them why they are special. The recordings can be podcasted or
put onto a keepsake for them. Visit lifeonrecord.com to learn more.
First up this week, here's Sean from Auburn, California.
Hey Sean, well I've got good news and bad news.
The good news is that as I've reported here on the podcast that a trusted source told me
that the cyberbin as I've been calling it, aka a large three row family SUV built on the
Cybertruck platform, that that's happening. And then there's the model Z as I've taken to calling
it, which you know what I didn't realize until recently, like I know this is super obvious
and it's one of those things where apparently everybody else I'm sure realized this but me,
Z even looks like two. So it's another, I didn't even realize that at the time that I started
calling it the Z, I didn't even realize that but it just makes it even better. Anyway, the model Z
as I've taken to calling it that Reuters had reported on a couple months ago. So that would be,
if you're not familiar, that vehicle is purported to be a smaller SUV than the model Y,
so a compact single motor car, super affordable. So those two vehicles are the good news answer
to your question. The bad news is obviously that neither one of them is officially confirmed yet.
We don't have any actual proof that either one is real. Just good reporting. I mean,
as I've said before, I trust Reuters is reporting because they were the first to report on the
Highland and that was very real. The Juniper also very real and the model YL, which is very real
also. And so they also had multiple sources in their report of the model Z, which again,
model Z is coming from me, not from them. As for my source with the Cyburban, I wouldn't
bet my car on it because my source is just one person but I am optimistic that it too is real.
So I hope that helps. Thank you so much for your call. Thank you for listening to the podcast.
Next up, here's Omar with a suggestion. Hey, Ryan. It's Omar. Just calling about an issue that
one of your callers had about the air vent on the passenger seat. I'll give you an even better
solution. Your caller mentioned how if you put pressure on the seat, it'll activate it, or if
you have the seat though on, it'll activate it, but here's a better solution. When you go on the
air vent menu, if you just tap on the passenger side, it automatically, it already activates it for
you. That's all I want to say. Thanks for your podcast. Thanks for everything you do. Bye.
Thanks Omar. I went and checked this to make sure, but unfortunately I couldn't get that to work.
If you're the only one in the car, the bottom right side of the screen turns into a volume
control. However, what I did try when I went out to check this in my own car that did work
was fastening the passenger seat belt and then turning it, turning on the passenger air vent,
because then the volume icon, as soon as you snap in the seat belt, the volume icon turns into a
passenger side AC control, HVAC control. So plug in the seat belt, hit the lower right corner of the
screen to activate the passenger side climate vents, and then you can unfasten the seat belt,
and that totally worked. So that's a little something at least, and I hope that helps.
Thank you so much for your call. I've just got time for one more call this week as there was
so much news again on this week's episode, which I will never complain about. I'd always rather
have too much to talk about than not enough. So our final call this week comes from Robert
from near Philadelphia sharing a shower thought as he describes it. Go ahead Robert.
Hey Ryan, this is Robert from near Philly, and I just had one of those shower thought kind of things.
I think I see a very good reason why Tesla has shifted to only sell FSD as a subscription
and not a one-time purchase. And the thought is that once it is no longer supervised,
and you can run FSD and fall asleep in the back seat, the insurance responsibility for an accident,
I believe is going to shift to Tesla, not the driver. And that's an ongoing liability,
month-to-month, is essentially that insurance. Anyway, that's my out-of-the-blue thought.
Thanks again for the great show. Bye-bye. And PS, by driver, I meant owner.
Robert, I always appreciate your calls. Thank you so much. And I think there are probably a
number of reasons why Tesla has transitioned over to that subscription-only model for FSD.
But to your credit, this is not one that I had considered, nor one that I'd seen
floated out there in the community. And I suspect that you are probably correct.
That liability will matter to Tesla's financials no doubt, especially when multiplied by however
many hundreds of thousands or millions of cars over the course of time. So I think you're probably
onto something here. Thanks so much for calling in. Always great to hear from you. And it's always
great to hear from any and all of you, all the lovely folks that kindly take the time to call in
to potentially be featured on an upcoming episode. If you've got a question, comment,
or discussion topic, go ahead and call in using one of the two call-in methods that I described
at the top of the segment. And I will get to more of your hotline phone calls on next week's episode.
For now though, as I start to wind down, I'd like to give you an entertainment recommendation
for the week. And that entertainment recommendation is House of the Dragon Season 3, the new Game of
Throne, well, the new season of the Game of Thrones prequel show. It has started back up on HBO.
It's definitely not a family-friendly affair, but if you have previously enjoyed that show,
just wanted to pass a long word that it's back on. And as of this recording, only the first
episode of the new season has aired. It was a doozy though. I couldn't help but wonder as I was
watching that what the budget for that episode alone must have been with all the special effects.
There was a lot of battling, big, big battle, and it was quite the spectacle on that one.
So check out House of the Dead. That's a video game, a zombie video game. House of the Dragon
Season 3 on HBO, if that is of interest. Okay, back to Tesla. Time now for your pro tip of the week.
It comes from Nick in Green Bay.
This is some smart thinking, Nick. You're making the car
feel comfortable if you want to phrase it that way, if you want to humanize it, personify it that way
by giving it something it's familiar with, right? So I love this great suggestion. I think a lot of
people out there might be able to take advantage of it. And if anybody else out there has a good Tesla
or EV pro tip of the week, I would love for you to call in with it. I actually am getting quite low
on my stash of pro tips of the week. As you all know, if you listen this far each week in the
podcast, I play one and exactly one pro tip of the week, but I make sure to do it every week.
I'm getting dangerously low on my supply of these. So if you've got something interesting
that you've figured out about your car that maybe isn't super obvious, that you think maybe
other people haven't heard, feel free to call in with it. And again, the way to do that is to send
it in just like you would a regular ride the lightning hotline call. And I gave you the two
call in methods and instructions for that a little earlier in the podcast.
And as I lift my foot up off the accelerator and begin regenerative breaking my way to the end of
this episode, I want to mention a few friends of ride the lightning, a few affiliates that hopefully
can help you out at some point in time because they've all got something great to offer you.
I will start with AbstractOcean.com. They've got so many great aftermarket Tesla accessories
for all the Teslas as well as the Rivians. Things like lighting kits, internal and external
puddle lights that they're the exact same ones Tesla sells but cheaper than Tesla's price.
So get them from AbstractOcean. They've got the custom fit gorilla glass tempered glass screen
protectors for all of the Teslas as well. Just take a look AbstractOcean.com and click on
whichever vehicle you own at the top of the page and then it will show you all of the awesome
aftermarket accessories available for your car specifically. Pile everything you like into
your online shopping cart and when you get to check out use the coupon code RTLpodcast
to get 15% off of your first order. That coupon code again is RTLpodcast
all one word no spaces at AbstractOcean.com and then of course my friends at Snapplate.
They offer the Snapplate and the newer stronger Snapplate Plus available for not just all the
Teslas, not just all the Rivians but at this point most EVs. Get yours at everyamp.com
slash RTL whichever one you end up going with when you get to check out use the coupon code
RTL as well for a nice discount. And the Snapplate and Snapplate Plus if you're not familiar
these are the front license plate brackets designed by former nuclear power plant engineers
and they designed the Snapplate to be the safe option that they wanted for their own
personal vehicles and they are designed to be a minimalist look. They're not going to really
get in the way of the look of your car up front but unlike the ones that Tesla gives you with
your car they don't stick to the front of your car with automotive tape. They will mount safely
and securely underneath your car well the the mount goes you know extends underneath and so
nothing no unsightly visible anything if you ever want to remove it it'll come come off no problem
it's not going to leave anything unsightly behind. Grab yours if you either need or are legally well
want or are legally required and thus need to have a front license plate on your vehicle
again that's everyamp.com slash RTL don't forget the coupon code RTL. RPM Tesla meanwhile
makers of so many great carbon fiber design accessories to enhance the look of your Tesla
in fact they've been trusted by over 200,000 Tesla owners since 2013 they offer over 1400 in-house
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accessories online from them is easy and risk-free their low return rate and free return shipping
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you can visit their showroom for professional installation regardless just take a look and
see what they've got see if any of it strikes your fancy rpm tesla.com to upgrade your Tesla today
and the infinity shield this is the garage door sensor accessory that will prevent any garage
door mishaps from ever happening at your home because it turns your single sensor beam garage
door opening sensor from one you know again one beam an inch off the ground to 25 beams going across
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brilliantly engineered product that if anything trips that that 25 laser array your garage door
is going to stop it is not going to continue it's again it's just like if it hits the one
beam off the floor the default one you will never have a mishap if you purchase the infinity shield
buy it once install it once and you're done forever go to infinity-shield.com and use the
promo code RTL at checkout for a $25 discount immaculate reflections that's my detailer here
in the greater san francisco bay area so if you're in or going to be in this neck of the woods
with your tesla or another car that you love make an appointment ahead of time to bring it to
immaculate reflections they do incredible work with paint protection film with ceramic coating
with paint correction so if you really want to treat your car treat yourself i cannot recommend
immaculate reflections enough they will i i can actually guarantee you that you're going to leave
happy when you pick up your car and you see the result of this incredible craftsmanship the
incredible professional automotive detailing work you're gonna be thrilled i have been twice
as i've had both of our model threes done at immaculate reflections both cars look great the
2018 still looks brand new eight years later when it's all cleaned up and that is largely thanks to
the protection of the paint protection film and the detailing work the paint correction
the ceramic coating all of it it is such good quality detailing work from immaculate reflections
to check them out and book an appointment go to the website irdetailing.com you'll see a contact
button in the middle of the page or the upper left corner click that when you reach out you know
obviously you're going to mention what you're looking to do you can mention your budget and
work with you mention that you're a ride the lightning listener and that will get you the
ride the lightning listener discount for any detailing work that you have done
and the patreon i mentioned it a little while ago let me mention it one more time
patreon.com slash tesla podcast if you've been listening to this podcast for a while
you're getting something out of it each week you're enjoying it each week you know that i'm here
every sunday 9am eastern 6am pacific i got a streak of 10 years almost 11 years running here
and i'm really proud to do this for you every week i'm grateful to get to do this for you every week
if you are able willing i would be so thrilled if you would consider a patreon pledge
to support what i'm up to to give back to ride the lightning patreons the way to do it you can do that
starting at just five bucks a month through my patreon page found at patreon.com slash tesla
podcast and there are thank yous little bonuses the ways i say thank you at each tier of the
patreon and the higher you go up that tier list you get all the perks from below as well so they
add up they stack up the base tier is just five bucks a month you can be supporting me for just
five bucks a month and as a thank you for that you will get an ad-free episode every week and
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to that ten dollar per month tier which is the most popular tier you get the ad-free
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every week on patreon and if you go on up from there well you'll see at patreon.com slash tesla
podcast there's also an annual pledge tier if you'd rather pledge once for a year of support rather
than do a monthly support thing the annual option is there and the thank you that i offer for that
is a 10 discount on your annual pledge at any tier so check all of that out i'd be super grateful if
you did you can follow this podcast totally for free via any of the major podcast services like
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and that is dmc underscore ryan you can also email me anytime tesla podcast at gmail.com
oh that reminds me my latest instagram post i finally saw a tesla semi out in the wild
meaning not at a tesla event where i knew it would be there but actually out on the highways on the
freeways out working i saw a one of the the the frito lay the pepsi co trucks the original design
not the final design with the you know the light bar on the front and it was it was all decked out
in orange and yellow like it said frito lay on top it had the cheetos color scheme going on
but it was awesome to see it on the road my it caught my eye instantly like i knew right away
like oh that's a tesla semi but that was great to see hopefully that starts to become a normal
occurrence on the roads here in the over the course of the rest of this year and into next
as volume production really gets going on the final 1.0 release of the tesla semi last thing
before i go is a hello and a thank you to the top tier patreon backers one of the perks
thank yous that i offer is a shout out at the end of each week's show for the top tiers of the
patreon i will start with the tippy top tier the roadster in space tier thank you so much
to pete white lile austin steve radspinner fernando cordero laughton from chicago
shawn nightig neil weaver jackson wallace rolf and jennifer evers howard anthony smith
victoria aya coveto tesla hitchhiker 42 caro weston robert from near philly american home
contractors dug carry michael gallo and tony figaroa next up the maximum plaid backers big
thanks and a hello goes out to jonathan wales cameron clark daniel grummer seth capello the
galloping family ryan from new york city darin nickle cos barns patrick wasneski todd badger
joe edgel kevin yank the tesla owners club of san Joaquin valley willsteadman jeremy harris
chris beach tom mills choreo donnell aron joel sap paul casarino chris osbourne kb adam lavoy
jason chelukas travis krenzel bruce otterstein tom behan josh pennington john from creamridge
new jersey dustin hart derek finley charles clement daemon kline jeff brown jerry slinger
kenneth corbett brian bertoglio kim bae troy severs chip hooper matt chinander
robert moran rav christopher man michael williams eric harbert scott shepherd and tom tharp
and last but certainly not least the grandfathered in plaid level supporters
the plaid tier is officially not offered anymore but these very very kind and generous folks
continue to support me at that level and so they continue to get all the perks and bonuses that
come with that including a shout out at the end of each week's show so huge shout out to george
cassiopo logan willis peter chalet eric randolph dory and steve guberman the tesla owners club of
taiwan ron lee charlie gillespie jeff angwin chase cabaneas the lydia family aron alchool
jared brown jayme dalton mike and barber from louisville matt nixon the tesla owners club of
wisconsin ish not elon musk in quotes peter and the bear boys of colorado well that'll wrap it up
for episode 569 here of ride the lightning your weekly tesla and ev podcast like i said we'll talk
production and delivery numbers for q2 next week we will be starting q3 next week and uh v14 light
watch will continue for those of us with hardware three cars looking for our first
significant fsd software update in over a year and a half so fsd v14 light watch continues
for next week hopefully this watch isn't gonna drag on for too much longer but we shall see
in the meantime my friends happy electric motoring and i'll see you back here next week
so
elon musk people don't like elon musk the guy found a paypal and tesla and people are like
also have you been in a tesla have you been in a tesla my buddy let me drive his tesla i laughed
out loud at how fast it went been clinically depressed my entire life on dozens of medications
in a tesla for 13 seconds cured forever i mean i think a tesla is the most fun thing you could
possibly buy ever that's what it's meant to be our goal is to make it's it's not exactly a car
it's actually a thing to maximize enjoyment it's maximum fun
About this episode
Tesla keeps claiming the “most American” crown, topping an American-parts list for the sixth year and arguing its Model 3/Model Y lead is powered by U.S.-made battery cells and packs. The hosts also defend Cybertruck safety with IIHS “Top Safety Pick Plus” results tied to post–April 2025 structural upgrades. FSD v14 timing stays a focus—Australia/New Zealand first, hardware three targets, and listener poll guesses—while next week’s Q2 production/delivery numbers and a broader EV policy and lineup shakeup round things out.
Tesla once again tops the annual list of cars made with the most American parts, the Cybertruck earns a top safety rating, the Slate EV pickup truck confirms its $25k starting price and first deliveries this year, and more!
Also, don't forget to leave a message on the Ride the Lightning hotline anytime with a question, comment, or discussion topic for next week's show! The toll-free number to call is 1-888-989-8752.
If you enjoy the podcast and would like to support my efforts, please check out my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/teslapodcast and consider a monthly or (10% discounted!) annual pledge. Every little bit helps, and you can support for just $5 per month. And there are stacking bonuses in it for you at each pledge level, like early access to each episode at the $5 tier and the weekly Lightning Round bonus mini-episode (AND the early access!) at the $10 tier! And NO ADS at any Patreon tier!
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