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Silicon Valley angel calls Tesla Model 3 greatest tech product ever created

[Credit: Jason Calacanis via Twitter]

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Silicon Valley angel investor Jason Calacanis has some really kind words to say about his new Tesla Model 3. In a series of tweets, Calacanis describes his gorgeous red Founders Series Model 3 as “a masterpiece” that drives like a Porsche but at one-third the cost.

Calacanis was one of the first people to take delivery of a Model 3 and the first Model S owner (Signature Series 001). He also owns the 16th Tesla Roadster produced and another Model S, making it a four-Tesla family. Though Calacanis made it clear in his tweets that they aren’t meant to serve as a review, his sentiments certainly has many Model 3 reservations holders more anxious than ever to take delivery.

Model 3 is “one of the 3 greatest tech products ever created, right alongside the PC/Mac & the smartphone/iPhone”, says the serial entrepreneur.

https://twitter.com/Jason/status/906542220869640192

Calacanis told CNBC, shortly after Tesla delivered the first batch of production Model 3 vehicles to its customers, that his initial set of impressions of the Model 3 was that it drives like a Porsche. “There it is – one of the Founder series. I have been driving it and it drives like Porsche, but it cost the same as a Prius.”

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As an early investor in the company and friend to CEO Elon Musk, Calacanis believes the company should be studied by startup founders. “Founders should study Tesla’s history; as a startup, the more progress you make toward an impossible goal the more some will attack you,” he said in his weekend tweet storm.

While Model 3 may have its own share of critics, Calacanis isn’t afraid to defend the vehicle and the company. He called out Wall Street Journal reporter Charley Grant for stating that the Model 3’s pricing was “way higher than what was promised,” pointing out that the Model 3’s base price of $35K is right in line with what Tesla promised.

https://twitter.com/Jason/status/891484190293676032

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According to the Tesla Model 3 monthly cost calculator, a base Model 3 could cost close to $1,000/month after factoring in taxes, fees, insurance costs and cost for monthly charging.

Calacanis also had some strong advice for Tesla short sellers in one of his tweets, stating “if you’re short $tsla/a bear you are going to jump off a bridge when reviews come in for Model 3. Early reservation slots will sell for $10k.”

 

Christian Prenzler is currently the VP of Business Development at Teslarati, leading strategic partnerships, content development, email newsletters, and subscription programs. Additionally, Christian thoroughly enjoys investigating pivotal moments in the emerging mobility sector and sharing these stories with Teslarati's readers. He has been closely following and writing on Tesla and disruptive technology for over seven years. You can contact Christian here: christian@teslarati.com

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Tesla Full Self-Driving gets full unhinged review from Joe Rogan

Joe Rogan recently said Tesla Full Self-Driving is “f***ing insane”

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Joe Rogan Cybertruck
Credit: Joe Rogan Experience, Spotify

Tesla, and certainly its CEO, Elon Musk, both have a fan in Joe Rogan, but his recent comments about the company’s Full Self-Driving suite could potentially be the most notable yet.

Rogan is a massive fan of Musk and has had him on his podcast more than five times. Perhaps some of the coolest Tesla details have been revealed on the Joe Rogan Experience, and it has resulted in the UFC commentator and podcaster purchasing several Teslas, including a completely decked-out Model S Plaid.

However, Rogan recently gave his two cents on the Full Self-Driving suite, which is among the most robust Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) in the world, and many people will be happy to hear what he said.

Rogan posted on X:

“I had my Tesla Model S drive me home the other day with FSD, and it’s f**king wild. Changes lanes to avoid slow traffic, stops at red lights and stop signs, hits the blinkers, and turns for you. It’s bananas.”

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The FSD suite is not fully autonomous, as it still requires the operator’s attention, but it is a hands-free driving suite. As it has become more advanced, Tesla has allowed drivers to keep their hands off the wheel as long as they pay attention. Their eyes are tracked with a cabin-facing camera that ensures they are paying attention and ready to take over at any time.

In the past months, the FSD suite has continued to be refined, and new versions have been released to the public. In fact, Tesla has become so confident in its abilities, it recently opened up its Early Access Program (EAP) to more owners, allowing them to experience more advanced software releases before they are given to those who either have a subscription or have purchased the FSD suite.

Rogan’s comments reflect those of many other Tesla owners. In our twice-weekly X Spaces, we talk to many owners who state they have completely abandoned manual driving, and FSD is in operation for a vast majority of their drive.

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Tesla plans to launch a robotaxi ride-hailing service in Austin in June, and it could be brought to even more cities by the time the year ends, as discussions with California are also in the works.

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Tesla reportedly suspended Cybercab and Semi parts order amid tariff war: Reuters

A new report claims Tesla is suspending the order of some parts for the Cybercab and Semi from China due to tariffs.

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Credit: Teslarati

In a new report that cites people with “direct knowledge,” Tesla has apparently suspended a parts order for both the Cybercab and Semi that was set to come from China as a result of the tariff war between the country and the U.S.

Reuters reported this morning that the move was made as the 34 percent tariff on Chinese goods was raised to 145 percent. The report states that Tesla was “ready to absorb the additional costs when Trump imposed the 34 percent tariff on Chinese goods, but could not do so when the tariff went beyond that.”

This left Tesla in a situation where it had to make a decision, and ultimately chose to suspend shipping plans as a result.

Tesla, nor its CEO, Elon Musk, has responded to the report, so it is not known whether it has been confirmed. Tesla does not have a dedicated press relations division.

However, if it is true, Tesla would likely feel some repercussions from the parts delay for Cybercab, which it planned to launch in June with the start of a robotaxi ride-hailing platform in the City of Austin.

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It is worth mentioning that this will not derail the plans completely, as the Model 3 and Model Y were also targeted to be a part of this initial rollout.

As far as the Semi, volume production is set to begin in early 2026. The first builds of the Semi’s high-volume design are slated to roll off production lines in Nevada late this year.

First Tesla Semi high-volume production builds expected this 2025

Tesla has responded to the tariffs in several ways, including halting the delivery of its Model S and Model X vehicles in China as the country imposed a 125 percent tariff as a retaliation against the United States.

It is no secret that Tesla is being impacted by the tariff situation, and Musk has been transparent about that. However, it is unknown whether it will begin to impact the company’s future projects, like the Semi and Cybercab.

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Tesla continues California domination despite slide in registrations

Tesla lost some of its market share in California but it still has a commanding lead.

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tesla model x
A Tesla Motors Inc Model X is seen at Tesla's introduction of its new battery swapping program in Hawthorne, California June 20, 2013. Tesla Motors Inc on Thursday unveiled a system to swap battery packs in its electric cars in about 90 seconds, a service Chief Executive Elon Musk said will help overcome fears about their driving range. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson (UNITED STATES - Tags: TRANSPORT BUSINESS LOGO) - RTX10VSH

Tesla has continued its domination in the California auto market as the state’s New Car Dealers Association (CNCDA) has released data from the first quarter of 2025.

2025 is going to be one of the more difficult years to determine the outlook of the automotive sector due to the uncertain impact of tariffs and how much they will hinder overall growth.

However, we can break Tesla’s situation down a little further and explain why there were some Year-over-Year declines in registrations in California.

As a whole, Tesla registered 42,322 vehicles year-to-date through March, data from the CNCDA’s report shows. This is a 15.1 percent decrease from the 49,857 cars that had been registered by owners in the same time frame last year.

Tesla still owns 43.9 percent of the overall Zero Emissions Vehicles (ZEV) segment in California, down from 55.5 percent at this point last year. It is a decrease, but there is more to it.

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The Top 25 BEV and PHEV models are led by the Model Y and Model 3, which counted 23,314 and 13,992 registrations, respectively. The third-place vehicle is the Honda Prologue with 4,493 registrations. The Tesla Cybertruck landed in 8th place with 2,282 registrations, and the Model X was 13th with 1,800.

The same quarter last year saw roughly 10,000 more registrations for the Model Y than this year, as Q1’24 saw the all-electric crossover accumulate 33,467 registrations. The decrease is due to Tesla’s switchover of production lines to the new Model Y build. Tesla said in its quarterly delivery report that it lost “several weeks” of production due to this changeover.

Tesla dominates in California but EV growth is the true winner

Interestingly, the Model 3 performed better than last year, as it only had 11,162 registrations through the same period in 2024. It had 13,992 registrations in California this year.

The question regarding Elon Musk’s political involvement and its impact on Tesla’s sales figures remains. Without surveying them individually, there is no way of knowing exactly how many people chose to go with another EV maker’s vehicle due to the politics. However, the Model 3’s slight bump is an encouraging look: it’s not all gloom and doom.

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The CNCDA writes:

“Tesla’s troubles continue to worsen as Californians are giving the cold shoulder to the direct-to-consumer automaker (and controversial owner, Elon Musk). Registrations show a massive decline of 15.1 percent through March vs. this time last year. A year and a half of continuous quarterly declines proves this downward trajectory for Tesla is a lasting trend. The company’s market share also dropped by 11.6 percent at the end of Q1, now holding less than half of the California Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) market for the year.”

Most importantly, Tesla outpaced every other EV maker’s registration figures by a considerable margin, despite many analysts stating that there is irreparable brand damage.

Tesla had 42,322 registrations in California in Q1, significantly more than second-place Ford, which had 5,819 ZEV registrations in the Golden State through the first three months.

Despite what many are stating regarding Tesla’s “brand damage,” the company is still in control of the market substantially. It was always expected that Tesla’s market share, which sits at 43.9 percent, would fall slightly each quarter after more automakers had EVs to offer.

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However, the company’s control still remains, at least for now.

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