#ElonMusk

There are photos on the Intertoobz of the Tesla Cybertruck testing, undisguised, in California.

Tesla made waves when it slashed prices earlier this month, but it appears the fluctuations aren’t finished. The automaker cut Model Y prices by $13,000 earlier in January but recently re-raised the price by $500.

Mr. Guy wrote this morning about Tesla and how it appears that the company's cars are being sold to rental fleets. As most of you know, large fleet sales are often seen as a negative mark on the health of a company and can also tank resale values.

Stop me if you've heard this before -- Elon Musk tweeted something that has him and/or one of his companies in trouble with regulators.

As I wrote a week or two ago, the outside world is finally catching on to what automotive journalists, industry analysts, and car enthusiasts have long known about Tesla. This week, two columns in The New York Times showed that well-known pundits like Farhad Manjoo and Paul Krugman are catching on/catching up.

Ever since Tesla boss Elon Musk took over Twitter, he's found himself mired in controversy, often of his own making.

I've been following the Elon Musk Twitter drama relatively closely. In part because I use Twitter on a personal level, in part because TTAC has an official account, in part because of Musk's connection to this industry, and in part because I care about misinformation/disinformation.

Elon Musk, now running Twitter on top of a handful of other companies, may be overloaded but at least recognizes the need for help. Automotive News reported that the Tesla CEO brought a veteran exec from the company’s Shanghai Gigafactory to Austin, where the automaker plans to ramp up Model Y and Cybertruck production.

Elon Musk may have his hands full with whatever he’s doing to Twitter at the moment, but his car company is still developing new (not you, Cybertruck) models. Automotive News reported that Tesla is working on an updated Model 3 sedan, which it hopes will reduce its production costs and give it new charm against newer and less controversial rivals.

Tesla boss Elon Musk has sold 19.5 million Tesla shares worth almost $4 billion since he took over Twitter, according to regulatory filings.

Stellantis is now among the ranks of large companies that have paused or pulled advertising on Twitter.

Earlier this week, General Motors pulled its Twitter advertising. Now Volkswagen Auto Group is following suit. The company is recommending that its brands pause advertising on Twitter for the time being.

When I posted Friday's QOTD, I was wondering if perhaps I was overthinking things. I wondered how Tesla boss Elon Musk owning Twitter -- a social-media platform used by Tesla's competitors -- would affect the automotive industry and the automotive press.

Apparently, I am not the only one with concerns.

It's official. Tesla boss Elon Musk now owns Twitter, one of the most influential social media platforms.

Automotive News has a story out showing that for automaker bosses who have been in their position for at least two years, median pay has risen 90 percent since 2020.

The story is accompanied by a chart with salary numbers, and some of the numbers are staggering, even knowing that CEOs tend to be extremely well compensated in this day and age.