News
How will Tesla Determine Model 3 Reservation Priorities?

Tesla will begin accepting in-store Model 3 reservations on March 31st but amidst the growing aura of excitement and anticipation leading up to the event, many within the community are questioning how the company will determine reservation priority.
Will Tesla take into account Time Zones when reservations are placed? How do I ensure that my reservation is placed into an early queue?
Those are some of the questions that hopeful Tesla buyers – especially those that have been priced out of the much costlier Model S and Model X – have been asking after having waited several years for the opportunity to purchase Tesla’s promise of a $35,000 Model 3 before incentives.
Some contributors within the forum community suggest that Tesla should factor in Time Zone offsets so that an order placed at 9:01 am in New York will receive the same priority in the reservation queue as an order placed at 9:01 am on San Francisco. Others think stores in the East coast shouldn’t open until noon, 11 am in Chicago, 10 am in Denver, and 9 am in San Diego. That way, people all across America will get an equal opportunity to have a low reservation number.
All of this angst fails to take into account a few things we know about how Tesla builds its cars, based upon its history with the Model S and Model X. Production at the Fremont factory is batched by like-kind configurations and geography in order to maintain the highest level of efficiency. For better or worse, that usually means cars destined for the West coast get manufactured first. Tesla also likes to fill a delivery truck with cars going to the same location whenever possible to avoid moving cars around en route. It’s more likely that 8 cars for buyers in Los Angeles will get built together and put on the same truck before a low reservation number car gets produced for someone in Aroostook County, Maine.
Also, keep in mind that Elon announced during the Q4 earnings call the most heavily optioned cars will be built first. So a person who plunks down a deposit on an entry level, no frills car will wait longer that the customer who ticks every box in the Model 3 Design Studio even if the reservation is received later.
More than a few people have questioned the purpose of taking reservations only at Tesla stores on the 31st and then opening the process to online orders the following day. Presumably, Tesla hopes to generate some media buzz if the line to reserve a Model 3 stretches out the front door, around the corner, and down the block. The company has not offered any explanation for the bifurcated ordering process.
Speculation is rampant about how many reservations Tesla will get on day one. The best guess is — a lot.
Related News

News
Elon Musk’s X experiences several outages on Monday
As of this writing, X’s desktop and mobile services are still intermittent.

Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, experienced several outages on Monday morning.
As of this writing, X’s desktop and mobile services are still intermittent.
Initial Reports
As noted in a TechCrunch report, a wave of reports about X being offline were submitted on Downdetector, a website that tracks online outages, early Monday morning, around 5:30 a.m. ET.
At the time, about 20,000 users reported experiencing problems accessing the social media platform. This initial wave of outages seemed to have been resolved after about an hour, with users being able to access X’s services once more.
Outage Encore
Another wave of outages on X were reported by users around 9:30 a.m. ET, though this time, Downdetector listed about 40,000 user reports. This particular outage seemed worse than the first, as it was still ongoing until about lunchtime Eastern Time.
As of this writing, issues with X appear to still be ongoing, as per tests done by Teslarati staff. While some pages on the social media platform are now loading, some features such as users’ timeline and analytics remain inaccessible.
Update as of 12:17 p.m. ET: X’s mobile and desktop features appear to have gone back online.
X, for its part, has not issued a comment about the matter.
X’s Evolution
Previously known as Twitter, the social media platform was acquired by Elon Musk in late 2022 for $44 billion. Since then, Twitter has returned to becoming a private company, and it has been renamed X.
While reports following Musk’s acquisition noted that Twitter saw a sharp drop in valuation after the Tesla CEO’s acquisition, Bloomberg News, citing people reportedly familiar with the matter, claimed last month that X was in talks to raise funds from investors at a $44 billion valuation, thanks in no small part to its stake in xAI, Musk’s artificial intelligence startup.
News
Hyundai exec receives medal from Czech Republic for fostering bilateral relations
Hyundai’s Nosovice plant has been key to Czech-South Korea ties since 2008. Should more automakers focus on diplomacy?

Hyundai Motor Group’s Executive Chair Chung Euisun received a medal from the Czech Republic (aka Czechia) for fostering bilateral relations between South Korea and the European nation.
The Czech Republic’s ambassador to South Korea, Ivan Jancarek, presented the medal to Chair Chung Euisun at Hyundai Motor Group’s automotive headquarters in Seoul. Jancarek gave the medal to the Executive Chair of Hyundai on behalf of the Czech Republic’s Foreign Minister, Jan Lipavsky.
Chair Chung fostered bilateral relations between South Korea and the Czech Republic through Hyundai Motor Group’s manufacturing plant in Nosovice. Hyundai’s Nosovice plant has been operating since 2008 and is the automaker’s production hub in Europe. The factory produces popular Hyundai models for the European market, like the Tucson and the Kona Electric.
Besides its plant in the Czech Republic, Hyundai has invested heavily in local operations, which has supported employment within the factory and in the city of Nosovice. The legacy car maker’s investments have also enabled South Korea and the Czech Republic to exchange technology.
In early 2025, Hyundai Motor Group is keenly focused on expanding into Europe. Earlier this month, the South Korean automaker announced plans to establish a plant in Türkiye. Its Izmit plant in Türkiye will boost Hyundai’s production capacity to meet the demand for greener automobiles in the European market. The new plant will manufacture electric vehicles and internal combustion engine models.
Hyundai isn’t only focusing on the European market. Last year, it invested in several Asian countries, including Malaysia and Indonesia. It also held an IPO in India.
Meanwhile, in the United States, the company plans to enter the self-driving rideshare industry in Texas, going head-to-head against Tesla’s robotaxi fleet. In 2024, it started production at its Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) plant in Georgia.
News
Tesla Cybertruck used in Trump hotel bombing seemingly listed on auction site
A rather interesting piece of Tesla history appears to have found its way to an auto auction platform.

The ill-fated Tesla Cybertruck used in the Trump Las Vegas hotel car bombing incident in January has seemingly been listed on an online vehicle auction website.
The historic Cybertruck was spotted on the IAA website by Tesla enthusiasts on social media platform X.
A Cybertruck Car Bomb
Back in January, a shocking incident unfolded as a rented Cybertruck was reported to have exploded outside the Trump Las Vegas hotel. Following the explosion, authorities noted that they were investigating the incident as a potential act of terrorism.
While Tesla critics immediately blamed the Cybertruck and mocked the vehicle for its alleged critical safety flaws, investigations revealed that the all-electric pickup truck had been loaded with incendiary materials on its bed, which were then detonated. Tragically, the driver of the Cybertruck passed away in the incident. Seven bystanders also suffered minor injuries.
Elon Musk Weighs In
As it turned out, the Cybertruck actually ended up protecting the Trump hotel and nearby civilians. As could be seen in videos of the incident, the Cybertruck mostly contained the explosion by directing the blast upwards. The bed remained largely intact even after the explosion as well.
Elon Musk later noted that the ill-fated Cybertruck’s battery pack never actually caught fire during the explosion, so once the unit is back at Tesla, the company will be repairing the vehicle to get it back on the road. Musk’s comments caught the attention of many, as such a repair would likely be monumental, and if successful, a true testament to the Cybertruck’s durability.
Cybertruck at Auction
As could be seen on the IAA’s official website, the ill-fated Cybertruck has seemingly been listed on its vehicle auction platform, suggesting that Tesla did not retrieve the truck following its explosive incident. Interestingly enough, the listing does state that the vehicle is “not ready for sale” as of yet. A look at the historic Cybertruck’s “Bid Information” section on the IAA’s website shows that an auction is not assigned as well.
It remains to be seen why the Cybertruck used in the Las Vegas Trump hotel car bombing incident has seemingly ended up on the IAA’s website. Hopefully, Tesla will still acquire the vehicle, at least just as a monument to the toughness of the Cybertruck—even in explosive scenarios.
-
News3 days ago
Tesla at risk of 95% crash, claims billionaire hedge fund manager
-
News5 days ago
SpaceX announces Starship Flight 8’s new target date
-
News3 days ago
Tesla contract with Baltimore paused after city ‘decided to go in a different direction’
-
News6 days ago
Tesla launches fresh U.S. promotions for the Model 3
-
Elon Musk7 days ago
Tesla mulls adding a new feature to fight off vandals as anti-Musk protests increase
-
Elon Musk4 days ago
Tesla UK sales up over 20% despite Elon Musk backlash
-
News5 days ago
One dozen Teslas burn in arson attack in France, investigation underway
-
Lifestyle4 days ago
Elon Musk seemingly confirms Cybertruck gift to 13-year-old cancer fighter