Tesla board is reportedly floating replacing Elon Musk as CEO
According to a new report from The Wall Street Journal, Tesla’s board has taken steps toward potentially seeking a new CEO to replace Elon Musk.
To say the least, Tesla’s board of directors has been extremely favorable to Elon Musk, Tesla’s largest single shareholder and long-time CEO.
They have backed his every move, granted him a $55 billion CEO compensation package, and remained silent when he threatened Tesla shareholders that he would not develop AI products at Tesla unless given a larger, more controlling share of the company, or decided to fire Tesla’s entire charging team to make an example out of the head of the team.
Tesla’s then-third-largest individual shareholder, after Musk, Leo KoGuan, told Electrek last year that he couldn’t get his concerns about Musk heard by the board.
Most recently, they have not addressed the protests at Tesla stores and product boycotts, which are attributed to Musk’s involvement in politics, angering a significant portion of the population and Tesla’s consumer base.
Many people, including myself, deduced from the board’s silence that it did not plan to take action against Musk’s negative impact on the brand.
Now, a new report from The Wall Street Journal suggests that the board started to move against Musk for the first time last month.
The report brings several new information to light. Here are the main points with quotes from WSJ:
- According to unnamed sources, Tesla’s board reached out to executive search firms to look for a new CEO:
- “Board members reached out to several executive search firms to work on a formal process for finding Tesla’s next chief executive, according to people familiar with the discussions.”
- The board reportedly met with Musk and asked him to spend more time on Tesla:
- “Around that time, Tesla’s board met with Musk for an update. Board members told him he needed to spend more time on Tesla, according to people familiar with the meeting. And he needed to say so publicly.”
- After Musk committed to spending more time at Tesla, it’s not clear what is the current status of the search for a potential new CEO:
- “The board narrowed its focus to a major search firm, according to the people familiar with the discussions. The current status of the succession planning couldn’t be determined. It is also unclear if Musk, himself a Tesla board member, was aware of the effort, or if his pledge to spend more time at Tesla has affected succession planning. Musk didn’t respond to requests for comment.”
- Additionally, Tesla’s board has been looking at adding a director, and JB Straubel, whose role on the board has mostly gone under the radar, has reportedly been meeting with investors:
- “The eight-person Tesla board has been looking to add an independent director, according to people familiar with the process. Some directors, including Tesla co-founder JB Straubel, have been meeting with major investors to reassure them the company is in good hands.”
- WSJ has reportedly seen text messages that Musk sent to someone telling them that he doesn’t wish to be CEO at Tesla anymore:
- “Last spring, he told that person that he no longer wanted to be CEO of Tesla, but that he was worried that no one could replace him atop the company and sell the vision that Tesla isn’t just an automaker, but the future of robotics and automation as well.”
- The report mentioned a Tesla manager who shared frustration about Musk’s negative impact on the business who has reportedly been let go since his comments were reported in the media:
- “Eliah Gilfenbaum, a Tesla executive in California, told his team that it was getting more challenging to hire and retain talent, according to one person who was present. He told them Tesla would be better off if Musk resigned. That was unlikely to happen, he told them, and employees needed to reconcile the boss’s politics with the company’s mission. He advised them to try to compartmentalize and just keep going.”
- The board reportedly told investors that Musk wasn’t as well aware of what’s happening with Tesla as he used to:
- “In recent meetings with investors, board members told them that despite Musk’s government work, he was involved in Tesla meetings remotely. One board member told people that sometimes Musk wasn’t as well prepared and that he needed to be briefed more about what is happening with Tesla. The board members continued to say they believed Musk’s proximity to Trump and the White House would benefit the company over the long term.”
The report provides some insight into how the board is addressing the current situation with its controversial CEO.
During Tesla’s earnings call last week, Musk said that he would scale back his time at DOGE to spend more time at Tesla.
It encouraged some investors, but the CEO still claimed that he would “spend a day or two per week on government matters”:
“I think starting probably next month, May, my time allocation to DOGE will drop significantly. I’ll have to continue doing it for, I think, probably the remainder of the President’s term, just to make sure that the waste and fraud that we stop does not come roaring back, which will do if it has the chance. So, I think I’ll continue to spend a day or two per week on government matters for as long as the President would like me to do so and as long as it is useful. But starting next month, I’ll be allocating probably more of my time to Tesla and now that the major work of establishing the Department of Government Efficiency is done.”
In addition to these duties, Musk serves as CEO of SpaceX and the de facto leader of X/xAI, as well as being involved in Neuralink and The Boring Company.
Musk didn’t respond to WSJ’s request for comments, and as of the time of writing this article, he didn’t seem to have directly addressed the new report on X, but he did share a couple of memes about him “wearing many hats”:
He appeared at Trump’s cabinet meeting today wearing two hats simultaneously.
Electrek’s Take
I’d take the report with a grain of salt. A lot of it makes sense, but there are unnamed sources, and this could be as simple as the board floating the idea of replacing Musk.
Also, I want this to happen, so I’m certainly biased in the sense that I want to believe it’s true.
I think the board and shareholders would have a tough time removing Musk. Shareholders are not sufficiently incentivized by the current stock price, which is resisting Tesla’s declining growth and struggling fundamentals.
And they still believe Elon’s lies about self-driving and humanoid robots soon bringing Tesla back to rapid earnings growth.
I think we might need a few more people to get the “Elon realization moment” before there’s enough motivation from shareholders to push him out.
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The new and improved Hyundai IONIQ 5, or the hot-selling Chevy Equinox EV? Which electric SUV makes the smarter lease? Here’s the rundown.
Over 607,000 electric vehicles were sold in the US in the first half of 2025, thanks to some big discounts. Many automakers are currently offering generous savings, as Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” is set to end federal EV incentives at the end of September.
According to Cox Automotive’s latest EV Market Monitor report, EV incentives reached a record of nearly $8,500 in June, or about 15% off the average transaction price (ATP).
That’s more than double the incentives offered on gas-powered vehicles. Seven electric vehicles had an ATP below $40,000, including the Chevy Equinox EV. The Equinox EV was the top-selling EV in the price range.
Starting at just $34,995, GM calls it “America’s most affordable 315+ range EV.” The electric Equinox has already propelled Chevy to become the number two EV brand in the US behind Tesla.
Through the first half of the year, the Chevy Equinox EV accounted for nearly a third of GM’s electric vehicle sales. And it could have sold even more. A dealer in California reached out to Electrek, claiming they had to wait over a month to receive Equinox EV models. It’s now on track to be among the top three selling EVs in the US.
Which EV to lease: Chevy Equinox EV or Hyundai IONIQ 5
With leases starting at just $289 per month, it’s no wonder the electric SUV is flying off the lot. The offer is for 24 months with $3,909 due at signing.
Alternatively, you can opt for 0% APR financing for 60 months, which Chevy is offering on all 2025 electric vehicle models.
| 2025 Chevy Equinox EV trim | Starting Price | EPA-estimated Range | Monthly lease Price (August 2025) |
| LT FWD | $34,995 | 319 miles | $289 |
| LT AWD | $40,295 | 307 miles | $351 |
| RS FWD | $45,790 | 319 miles | $416 |
| RS AWD | $49,090 | 307 miles | $453 |
The base 2025 Chevy Equinox EV LT starts at $34,995 with up to 319 miles of range. The interior boasts up to 57.2 cu ft of space and a 17.7″ infotainment screen.
How does it compare to the IONIQ 5? Hyundai has upgraded its best-selling electric SUV with major improvements, including increased range (now up to 318 miles), a revamped interior and exterior, and a built-in NACS port to access Tesla Superchargers.
After cutting lease prices again last month, the new and improved 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 is now listed at just $179 per month.
In some places, such as California and other ZEV states, Hyundai is offering leases starting at as low as $159 per month.
However, that’s for the base SE mode, which has an EPA-estimated driving range of 245 miles. The longer-range IONIQ 5 SE RWD, with 318 miles range, can still be leased for just $199 per month right now. Both offers are for 24 months with $3,999 due at signing.
| 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 Trim | EV Powertrain | Driving Range (miles) | Starting Price* | Monthly lease price August 2025 |
| IONIQ 5 SE RWD Standard Range | 168-horsepower rear motor | 245 | $42,500 | $179 |
| IONIQ 5 SE RWD | 225-horsepower rear motor | 318 | $46,550 | $199 |
| IONIQ 5 SEL RWD | 225-horsepower rear motor | 318 | $49,500 | $209 |
| IONIQ 5 Limited RWD | 225-horsepower rear motor | 318 | $54,200 | $309 |
| IONIQ 5 SE Dual Motor AWD | 320-horsepower dual motor | 290 | $50,050 | $249 |
| IONIQ 5 SEL Dual Motor AWD | 320-horsepower dual motor | 290 | $53,000 | $259 |
| IONIQ 5 XRT Dual Motor AWD | 320 horsepower dual motor | 259 | $55,400 | $359 |
| IONIQ 5 Limited Dual Motor AWD | 320-horsepower dual motor | 269 | $58,100 | $299 |
Hyundai is also throwing in a complimentary ChargePoint Level 2 home charger with the purchase or lease of a new 2025 IONIQ 5. All IONIQ 5 trims are listed with 1.99% APR financing for up to 60 months.
The 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 offers up to 59.3 cu ft of cargo space with a dual 12.3″ driver display and infotainment system setup.
Both the Hyundai IONIQ 5 and Chevy Equinox EV are hard to pass up right now, with lease prices expected to be as low as they will ever be.
Looking to snag the savings while they last? You can use our links below to find offers on the Chevy Equinox EV and Hyundai IONIQ 5 near you.
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Nissan has officially confirmed the icon will be making a comeback. Although Nissan is no longer building GT-R models, CEO Ivan Espinosa said Godzilla will “evolve and reemerge” in the future. Here’s what we know so far.
Nissan confirms the GT-R will evolve and reemerge
It seems like we’ve been talking about the next-gen Nissan GT-R for years now. After the last model rolled off the production line at the automaker’s Tochigi plant in Japan on Tuesday, Nissan’s CEO made it clear that the GT-R will be making a comeback.
After bidding farewell to the R35, Espinosa gave the many GT-R fans worldwide hope, saying, “I want to tell you this isn’t a goodbye to the GT-R forever.”
He added that it’s Nissan’s “goal for the GT-R nameplate to one day make a return.” Although this is the end of the line for the R35, the company remains committed to the GT-R nameplate and wants to “reimagine it for a new generation.”
According to Espinosa, Nissan doesn’t have any finalized plans yet, but he promised that “the GT-R will evolve and reemerge in the future.”
Nissan says the next Godzilla will ensure the GT-R’s legacy lives on, but will pack even more performance. The big question is, what type of powertrain will it arrive with? Will it be electric? A hybrid? Or, will it still be gas-powered?
At the New York Auto Show in April, Ponz Pandikuthira, Senior Vice President and Chief Planning Officer for Nissan North America, told The Drive that the next GT-R will be a hybrid, rather than an all-electric.
However, Nissan previewed an electric GT-R a few years ago with the Hyper Force EV concept. The electric sports car concept was promoted as a “game-changing hyper EV” with over 1,300 horsepower (1,000 kW).
All that power is expected to come from solid-state batteries. Just last week, Nissan secured a partnership with LiCAP Technologies to produce all-solid-state EV batteries on a mass scale, one of the biggest hurdles to getting the new technology to market.
Since Nissan aims to launch its first EV powered by solid-state batteries in 2028, we could see the GT-R reemerge as a plug-in hybrid until the technology is ready.
Either way, it will likely be a few years before we see an electrified Godzilla. If it evolves into an EV or hybrid, it remains up in the air for now.
While Nissan says an all-electric GT-R won’t deliver the performance needed to live up to the nameplate, others are proving otherwise. BYD’s first electric supercar, the Yangwang U9, set a new EV speed record this week after hitting nearly 300 mph.
How do you feel about it? Should the GT-R go all-electric? Or will Nissan settle for a hybrid? Drop us a comment below and let us know which one you’d buy.
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Is Toyota’s new 2026 C-HR the affordable electric SUV we’ve been waiting for? The revamped EV SUV was spotted with a stylish new look while filming a commercial.
Toyota’s new C-HR EV SUV is launching in 2026
Toyota’s compact crossover SUV is returning in all-electric form, and it’s already apparently a movie star. We got our first look at the 2026 C-HR+ in March after Toyota unveiled a trio of new electric SUVs set to launch in Europe.
The US model, revealed a few months later, looks nearly identical to the EU version, but drops the “+” at the end of the name.
You can see right off the bat that it’s an immediate upgrade from the gas-powered C-HR, which was discontinued in 2022 in favor of the more efficient Corolla Cross Hybrid.
The new 2026 C-HR looks sharp, featuring Toyota’s updated design, with elements like its “hammerhead front end” borrowed from the new Crown and Corolla models. In a way, it almost looks like the Prius, but as a higher-riding crossover SUV.
It looks like Toyota’s new EV SUV is already drawing attention. The 2026 C-HR was spotted on set in Austin, Texas, filming a commercial.
The image from Kindelauto is one of the closest looks at the new electric SUV so far, revealing the new front-end design.
At 177.9″ long, 73.6″ wide, and 63.8″ tall, the new C-HR is smaller than bZ, Toyota’s other electric SUV (formerly known as the bZ4X). It’s about the size of the Kia Niro EV (174″ long, 72″ wide, and 62″ tall).
The new crossover SUV will be available with all-electric (EV), Hybrid, Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV), and Fuel Cell powertrains.
Powered by a 74.7 kWh battery, Toyota anticipates the 2026 C-HR EV will offer a range of up to 290 miles. It will come with standard AWD with an electric motor at the front and rear eAxles.
It will also feature a built-in NACS port, enabling you to recharge at Tesla Superchargers. Toyota said the electric SUV can recharge from 10% to 80% in about 30 minutes.
Inside, the updated SUV includes a “high-tech cabin that is stylish and functional.” A 14″ infotainment system sits at the center with Toyota’s Audio Multimedia System and Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support.
Toyota’s new EV SUV will begin arriving at dealerships in 2026. Although prices have yet to be revealed, given the outgoing model started at under $25,000, the electric version is expected to launch with a low starting price tag of around $30,000.
Last week, we learned the 2026 Toyota bZ will be one of the few EVs in the US with prices starting under $35,000. Since the C-HR is smaller, it could be even more affordable.
What do you think of the new C-HR? Do you like Toyota’s new style? Drop us a comment below and let us know your thoughts.
Source: Kindelauto
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