Tesla reveals plan to address ending Model S & X sales in select markets

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Tesla has revealed a new plan to help customers in select markets where the automaker will no longer sell the Model S or Model X.

Select Tesla customers around the world woke up to bad news today. Tesla announced it would no longer be producing right-hand-drive (RHD) variants of the Model S or the Model X and hence, would be halting sales of those models in RHD markets, including the United Kingdom, Singapore, Australia, and many more. Now, Tesla has revealed its plan to help customers who already had a vehicle ordered.

As initially reported by Sawyer Merrit on Twitter, Tesla will now be hosting seminars in select markets to answer questions from customers who have ordered but not received a Model S or a Model X. The presentations will also include a Q&A section where the company will field questions from customers and attempt to mitigate concerns.

Thus far, it remains unclear what options Tesla will be offering customers who choose to attend these meetings, but a offer has been made public. In the email sent to Model S and Model X customers, they were given the option to take $2,000 off a new Model 3 or Model Y order instead.

Strangely, Tesla has just announced that both the Model S and Model X will be coming to Japan, which is another RHD market, but instead of ending this expansion, Tesla will now be shipping left-hand-drive units to Japan for sale. Tesla has stated it has no plans to restart RHD Model S or Model X production.

What do you think of the article? Do you have any comments, questions, or concerns? Shoot me an email at william@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @WilliamWritin. If you have news tips, email us at tips@teslarati.com!

Tesla reveals plan to address ending Model S & X sales in select markets

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Tesla revamps Referral Program with Cybertruck raffle

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Tesla appears to have revamped its Referral Program, and it looks rather interesting. As noted by members of the Tesla community, the new Referral Program provides credits for vehicle purchases, as well as an exciting raffle for an early-edition Cybertruck. 

As stated by Tesla on the Referral Program’s support page, both existing and new owners are eligible to receive credits. Existing Tesla owners can obtain Referral Credits, while new owners can earn Buyer Credits. Loyalty Credits are also available for those who purchase qualifying Tesla products. The company notes that this is a way to show its appreciation to its existing consumers. 

Images shared online by Tesla owners indicate that Model S and Model X purchases provide 6,000 Loyalty Credits. The two flagship vehicles also offer 3,500 Referral Credits. Purchases of the Model 3 and Model Y yield 3,500 Loyalty Credits or 2,000 Referral Credits. Purchases of Solar Roof and Solar Panels yield 9,000 Loyalty Credits or Referral Credits. 

Perhaps most intriguing, however, is the addition of a Cybertruck raffle in the new Referral Program. For 500 credits, participants can enter a raffle that gives them a chance to win one of the first production Cybertrucks to come off the line. Participants are allowed to submit multiple entries to the Cybertruck raffle. 

“Enter for your chance at a free Cybertruck. One winner will be selected at random to receive one of the first Cybertruck VINs off the line – no reservation needed, free of charge,” Tesla noted. 

Given that credits are typically exchanged for items like Tesla merchandise, the Cybertruck raffle might very well become one of the more popular aspects of the new Referral Program. After all, the Cybertruck is arguably one of the most anticipated electric cars this year, so the opportunity to own one of the all-electric pickup truck’s first production units would likely be a strong incentive, both for existing and new Tesla owners alike.

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads-up.

Tesla revamps Referral Program with Cybertruck raffle

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Ex-Tesla employee seeks do-over after $137M jury award gets reduced $97.6%

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Tesla’s legal dispute with a former contract worker who accused the company of racial discrimination isn’t over just yet. In a recent update, Owen Diaz, who previously worked as an elevator operator at the Fremont Factory, indicated that he is seeking another retrial.

Diaz, who was awarded $3.2 million in a second trial over alleged racial abuse he experienced while working at Tesla, claimed that the trial proceedings were affected by unjustifiable character attacks from Tesla’s attorney. Tesla, for its part, is requesting a 45% reduction in the punitive damages awarded to Diaz, dubbing them “manifestly erroneous.”

Diaz’s case against Tesla caught headlines when he received a $137 million jury verdict in 2021. The former contract employee had claimed that he endured numerous racial attacks while working at the California plant. The substantial $137 million award was one of the largest ever for an individual suing over discrimination in the US.

However, while the $137 million jury verdict was historic, a judge later noted that the maximum compensation Diaz was entitled to was $15 million. Diaz refused to accept the judge’s stance, which ultimately led to a retrial. The retrial resulted in a $3.2 million verdict, 97.6% smaller than the initial $137 million jury verdict.

In a court filing, Diaz’s attorneys described the case’s retrial as flawed. The former Tesla contract worker’s legal team accused the company’s attorney, Alex Spiro, of calling them “phony civil rights lawyers” and repeatedly disparaging Diaz. Diaz’s legal team further claimed that Spiro violated trial regulations by introducing prohibited evidence, incorrectly questioning Diaz’s witnesses, and suggesting that Tesla had already compensated Diaz.

Diaz’s attorney, Michael Rubin, argued that the judge’s instructions to the jury to set the record straight on the matter ultimately ended up “highlighting Tesla’s poisonous messaging.” “There was no meaningful way to wipe Tesla’s improper accusations and suggestions from the jury’s consciousness,” Rubin noted, as noted in a Bloomberg News report.

Diaz’s legal team is requesting US District Judge William Orrick to order a new trial. The lawyer also noted that Tesla’s “misconduct” is the only plausible explanation behind the drastic reduction of the $137 million jury award since the case’s underlying facts have not changed.

Tesla and its attorney, Alex Spiro, are yet to issue a comment on the matter.

Interestingly, Tesla has noted in its own court filing that the $3 million in punitive damages awarded by the jury is constitutionally disproportionate to Diaz’s relatively modest compensatory damages. A similar argument was made by Tesla when it challenged the case’s original $137 million jury verdict. Tesla has stated that Diaz should receive no more than $1.75 million in total damages.

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads-up.

Ex-Tesla employee seeks do-over after $137M jury award gets reduced $97.6%

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