Tesla released a new blog post defending its impact on California and says that it now employs 47,000 people in the state.
California has been critical to Tesla’s success over the last 20 years.
The state has helped Tesla in its time of need and its strong climate initiatives and EV incentives have made it the biggest market for electric vehicles in the US and, therefore, Tesla’s biggest market.
However, the love story between Tesla and California ended somewhat abruptly in 2020. Early measures to curb the spread of Covid 19 resulted in Tesla having to close its Fremont factory, which angered CEO Elon Musk to the point of threatening to move Tesla from California.
The automaker always maintained that it is still heavily investing in California and walked back threats made by Musk to even move Fremont factory at one point.
But the behavior of Musk over the last year resulted in Tesla’s popularity in what is still its most important US market plummeting.
Since Tesla’s move to Texas, the CEO has made it clear that he is now Republican and even encouraged people to vote Republican during the last election – a rare thing for a tech CEO to officially take a side like that.
This didn’t help Tesla’s case in blue states, like California. On top of it, Musk called the Democratic party “the party of hate” and he regularly makes negative comments on the left on his popular Twitter page.
In an apparent damage control effort, Tesla released a rare blog post defending its impact on the state of California.
In the post, the company listed all its primary operations in the state:
Tesla’s footprint in California is made up of Megapack production and vehicle castings in Lathrop, hardware and software engineering in Palo Alto, vehicle and battery manufacturing in Fremont, battery development and testing in San Diego and vehicle design in Hawthorne.
Tesla listed some of its economic impacts in the state of California based on IHS research:
Tesla-supported California jobs (direct and indirect) exceeded 80,000 in 2021. Over 43,000 of these stemmed from $1.6 billion in expenditures with California suppliers.
For every 100 direct Tesla jobs, 50 more were supported in the supply chain and 68 by follow-on consumer activity.
From 2018 to 2021, Tesla paid an average of $1 billion in federal, state and local taxes annually, with approximately $400 million going toward state and local taxes in 2021.
Tesla’s average contribution to the gross state product (GSP) rose by 42% between 2018-2021, while the state’s GSP grew by 16%.
Wages from Tesla and Tesla-connected jobs resulted in $16.6 billion in economic activity, or $44.4 million injected into California’s economy each day.
Tesla confirmed that it now has 47,000 employees in California:
In 2022, we grew to 47,000 employees (direct employment) in California, and our production footprint continued to increase as our 2 millionth vehicle rolled off the lines in Fremont. Since 2016, we have made over $5 billion in capital investments in our facilities. We are confident that these trends will continue and that 2023 will be an even bigger year for Tesla in California.
That’s just a little less than half of its global workforce still being located in California.
Electrek’s Take
Despite Tesla not having an official PR department anymore, I’ve seen an effort lately for the automaker to have more of its own communications directly with the public lately and not just through Elon Musk’s Twitter.
Since dissolving Tesla’s PR department, Musk made it so everything goes through him and that has become a problem lately as he increasingly antagonizes part of the population in the US.
When you lead a company that sells products and services to consumers, it’s just bad business to become publicly political like Musk has been doing over the last year.
It looks like Tesla is trying to have its own voice again with being more active on social media and now some blog posts like this one.
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Elon Musk is now hyping Tesla’s 8th-gen AI chip, but he still hasn’t delivered the promised self-driving for millions of Tesla owners with the 3rd-gen chip, nor with the current 4th-gen chip in production.
Musk, whose compensation package at Tesla is up for a shareholder’s vote this week, has coincidentally been sharing more of what he does at Tesla lately to justify his upt to $1 trillion compensation package.
This weekend, he posted on X an update about Tesla’s AI chip roadmap:
Just finished a long AI5 design review with the Tesla California and Texas chip engineers. It’s going to be great. And AI6 and AI7 will follow in fast succession. AI8 will be out of this world.
Those chips power Tesla’s inference computing in its vehicles, enabling its advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and self-driving capabilities.
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Currently, Tesla is producing AI4, its fourth-generation chip.
However, the automaker has been selling to customers the capability to achieve “Full Self-Driving” unsupervised capacity since its second-generation chip.
When it failed, it retrofitted second-gen cars with a new “HW3” third-generation chip.
During Tesla’s earnings call last month, Tesla partially walked back Musk’s previous admission that HW3 won’t support unsupervised self-driving.
CFO Vaibhav Taneja said:
“We’ve not completely given up on hardware 3.”
He didn’t really elaborate on what it means, but Tesla’s VP of self-driving, Ashok Elluswamy, added:
“Once the v14 release series is fully done, we are planning on working on a v 14 Lite version for hardware 3. Probably expected in Q2 next year.”
V14 is currently available on Tesla vehicles with HW4, but it is still not capable of unsupervised self-driving as Tesla sold and promised to customers.
Electrek’s Take
It’s pretty wild that instead of delivering what it promised and sold to HW3 customers, Tesla now says that you might get a watered-down version of something else that is already available. And that’s going to be 6 months from now.
There’s moving the goal post, and then there’s throwing it away altogether.
Now, the fascinating thing is that Musk is talking about AI5, coming in 2026, then AI6. Now, he is even talking about AI7 and AI8.
We know what happens when Tesla launches a new self-driving computer. It gradually shifts its efforts into bigger models that fit on the new computer, but they don’t on the old one.
At this point, everything points to AI4 going the same way as HW3.
Tesla would have avoided itself a lot of headaches if it would have simply waited to have solved autonomy before selling it to customers.
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Lexus upgraded the RZ in about way you could imagine. It can now drive over 300 miles on a single charge, recharge at Tesla Superchargers, and even has a sporty new F-Sport trim. Is it enough?
New 2026 Lexus RZ prices and range by trim
The new and improved Lexus RZ is now on sale in the US. Lexus revealed the refreshed electric SUV earlier this year, featuring more range, faster charging, additional features, and more trim options.
With a new battery system, the 2026 RZ now provides up to 301 miles of driving range, or 35 miles more than the outgoing model.
The new Lexus RZ can also recharge at Tesla Superchargers via its built-in NACS port. It can now charge from 10% to 80% in about 30 minutes using a DC fast charger.
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RZ drivers can use one of the more than 25,000 Tesla Superchargers, as well as other DC fast-charging networks such as IONNA, ChargePoint, and EVgo.
Other new features, such as Plug & Charge and Apple Maps EV Routing via Apple CarPlay, make it much easier to find and use public chargers.
Lexus introduced a new F Sport trim to the 2026 RZ lineup. Packing 402 horsepower from a dual motor powertrain, the 2026 Lexus RZ 550e is the most powerful RZ model yet. It also gains exclusive black F Sport badges on the rear spoiler, front and rear bumpers, and front grille.
The RZ 450e offers an optional performance upgrade that boosts output to 375 hp, good for a 0 to 60 mph sprint in 4.3 seconds. The upgrade costs an extra $1,750 and is available for installation at the dealer.
The interior of the 2026 Lexus RZ (Source: Lexus)
Lexus revamped the electric SUV’s interior with a new Dynamic Sky Panorama Glass Roof. The F-Sport trim features a Black Ultrasuede trim with blue stitching and added emblems on the pedals and footrests.
Starting at $47,295, the 2026 Lexus RZ is already $5,000 more than the outgoing model. It’s also over $7,300 more expensive than the Tesla Model Y.
2026 Lexus RZ trim
Starting Price (MSRP*)
RZ 350e
$47,295
RZ 350e Premium
$49,495
RZ 450e AWD
$50,795
RZ 450e Premium AWD
$52,995
RZ 450 e Luxury AWD
$58,295
RZ 55e F Sport AWD
$58,295
2026 Lexus RZ price by trim (*includes $1,295 delivery fee)
The 2026 Tesla Model Y Standard RWD is priced from $39,990 with an EPA-estimated driving range of 321 miles. Even the Premium trim, starting at $44,990, is less expensive.
Which electric SUV are you choosing, the new 2026 Lexus RZ or the Tesla Model Y? Let us know in the comments.
Want to test drive the Lexus RZ or Tesla Model Y to see for yourself? You can use our links below to see what’s available in your area.
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The bundles we’re seeing are mostly focused on passenger comfort and safety, with parents and nannies in NYC often using them to shepherd kids around to their daily appointments. The base 13Ah single-battery model is getting a pair of running boards, cushions, a suspension seat post, and an Elite headlight upgrade. The 26Ah dual-battery model is getting those with an orbiter, extra cushion, and two XL pannier bags, while the 35Ah dual-battery model is adding a fast charger that refills the battery in up to 3.5 hours.
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The Lectric XPedition 2.0 e-bikes are popular haulers that have regularly sold out of stock over 2025, as they carry a total 450-pound payload with an extended cargo rack and can carry precious cargo for up to 170 miles. Regardless of your battery configuration, they come with 750W M24 rear hub motors (peaking at 1,310W) that reach up to 20/28 MPH top speeds, depending on your state-specific laws. The 13Ah battery model provides pedal assistance for up to 60 miles, the 26Ah battery model extends that up to 120 miles, and the 35Ah battery model goes the distance for up to 170 miles.
Along with all the free gear you’re getting, these e-bikes also come stocked with dual spring front suspension forks, hydraulic mineral oil disc brakes, headlights and taillights that provide turn signaling and brake activation, a color display, and more.
Lectric early Black Friday XPedition 2.0 e-bike bundles:
Lectric early Black Friday XP Lite 2.0 LR e-bike bundles:
XP Lite 2.0 Arctic White e-bike with $449 bundle, 80-mile range: $999 (Reg. $1,448)
XP Lite 2.0 Sandstorm e-bike with $449 bundle, 80-mile range: $999 (Reg. $1,448)
XP Lite 2.0 Lectric Blue e-bike with $449 bundle, 80-mile range: $999 (Reg. $1,448)
XP Lite 2.0 Lavender Haze e-bike with $449 bundle, 80-mile range: $999 (Reg. $1,448)
XP Lite 2.0 JW Black e-bike with $449 bundle, 80-mile range: $1,099 (Reg. $1,548)
Lectric early Black Friday XPress 750 e-bikes bundle:
You can save up to $2,498 on EcoFlow’s PowerPulse level 2 40A EV charger and bundles starting from a $699 low
EcoFlow is currently offering its PowerPulse Level 2 40A EV Charger at $699 shipped, while bundles are also seeing up to $2,498 discounts. This new charging solution was released back in June with a full $899 price tag, which we’ve been seeing drop down to $699 over the last four months. The deal here is giving you another chance at $200 starting savings on the charging station alone, which can connect to power stations and the brand’s home backup units at the best price we have tracked.
Add EGO’s 56V 12-inch cordless snow shovel to your winter arsenal with a 2.5Ah battery at $270
Amazon is offering the EGO Power+ 56V 12-inch Cordless Snow Shovel with 2.5Ah battery at $269.99 shipped. Since late July it’s been keeping at its $359 full price, which we’ve seen taken as low as $264 back in May and June. You’re looking at a 25% markdown here while this deal remains, giving you $89 cut from the tag and landing it amongst the lowest prices we have tracked – just $6 above its low.
Lectric XP4 Standard Folding Utility e-bikes with $326 bundle: $999 (Reg. $1,325)
Lectric XP Lite 2.0 Long-Range e-bikes with $449 bundles: $999 (Reg. $1,448)
Heybike Hauler Single-Battery Cargo e-bike (new low): $899 (Reg. $1,413)
Best new Green Deals landing this week
The savings this week are also continuing to a collection of other markdowns. To the same tune as the offers above, these all help you take a more energy-conscious approach to your routine. Winter means you can lock in even better off-season price cuts on electric tools for the lawn while saving on EVs and tons of other gear.
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