Tesla launches its revamped referral program

Tesla has revamped its referral system

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Tesla has filled the Loot Box back up in the app, which now contains Tesla's revamped referral program. The reintroduction comes less than a month after Tesla launched a referral program in China called Treasure Box. We saw this coming in October when Tesla updated some localized strings in its iOS update.

Tesla's updated referral program hands out credits instead of cash or prizes. The credits could then be used to purchase Tesla accessories such as vehicle chargers, t-shirts, shot glasses and other items you'd normally find in Tesla's online shop.

Vehicle Referrals

Although the program has been relaunched in the U.S., it did not bring back vehicle referrals as expected. At this time you are still limited to referring friends and family to Tesla's solar products.

Tesla put its vehicle referral program on hold in September of 2021. We expected Tesla to relaunch that program with its revamped loot box, but that hasn't been the case. It's not clear whether Tesla is going to bring back vehicle referrals at a later date.

Tesla will now list qualifying products in the Loot Box section of the app, under the Credits tab. In the U.S. qualifying products are currently limited to Tesla's Solar Roof and Solar Panels. Given that Tesla lists qualifying products in a separate tab and has room for additional products could mean that Tesla plans to alter qualifying products over time or based on a user's region. Tesla could also add or remove products based on demand.

Tesla's statement on its website leaves the referral system open to all Tesla products, not just solar. It states: “Our goal is to help Tesla owners share their passion for Tesla’s products and our mission — to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy. As an owner, every time you bring a new friend or family member into the Tesla community, you and your friend both earn credits — you earn Referral Credits and your friend earns Buyer Credits. You also earn Loyalty Credits when you purchase additional qualifying Tesla products, as a thank you for being a loyal Tesla owner.”

Prizes

Here are some items available in the Loot Box:

• J1772 Wall Connector — 11,000 credits
• Wall Connector — 6,000 credits
• CCS Combo 1 Adapter — 5,000 credits
• 2,000 Supercharger Miles — 4,800 credits
• Model S/3/Y Pet Liner — 2,900 credits
• Men’s Raven Lightweight Hoodie — 2,000 credits
• Tesla Sipping Glasses — 1,750 credits
• Wall Connector Color Matched Faceplate — 1,500 credits
• Tesla Short Shorts — 1,469 credits
• Powered by the Sun License Plate Frame — 800 credits
• Let the Sun Shine Tee — 700 credits
• Solar Roof/Powerwall Tee — 700 credits

Solar products earn 6,000 credits and accumulate in your Loot Box under one amount. However, the credits do expire after 12 months unless you add more credits to your account. Each time new credits are added the expiration cycle restarts, giving you one year to use the credits or add more.

Shirts and glasses don’t compare to the Roasters that were part of previous referral programs. However, that may indicate how far the company has come. There was once a time when convincing friends to buy Tesla products was so difficult that the company had to offer extravagant prizes. Now, it’s a much easier sales pitch, and a T-shirt will suffice.

To access, open your app and tap on your profile image in the top right corner. There you will find Loot Box near the bottom of the screen, and when you tap on it, there is a button to share your referral code.

Tesla FSD in Europe: June Update

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The road to bringing FSD to Europe has been a long and complex one and filled with regulatory and bureaucratic hurdles. Elon Musk, as well as other members of Tesla’s AI team, have previously voiced their grievances with the regulatory approval process on X.

However, it appears that there is finally some progress in getting things moving with recent changes to upcoming autonomy regulations, but the process still seems slow.

Waiting on the Dutch

Elon commented on X recently, stating that Tesla is waiting for approval from Dutch authorities and then the EU to start rolling out FSD in Europe. Tesla is focusing on acquiring approvals from the Dutch transportation authority, which will provide them with the platform they need to gain broader acceptance in Europe. Outside of the Netherlands, Tesla is also conducting testing in Norway, which provides a couple of avenues for them to obtain national-level approval.

The frustration has been ongoing, with multiple committee meetings bringing up autonomy regulation but always pulling back at the last second before approving anything. The last meeting on Regulation 157, which governs Automated Lane Keeping Systems, concluded with authorities from the UK and Spain requesting additional time to analyze the data before reaching a conclusion.

Tesla, as well as Elon, have motioned several times for owners to reach out to their elected representatives to move the process forward, as it seems that Tesla’s own efforts are being stymied. 

This can seem odd, especially since Tesla has previously demoed FSD working exceptionally smoothly on European roads - and just did it again in Rome when they shared the video below on X.

FSD Supervised testing in Rome, Italy

Pending regulatory approval pic.twitter.com/TXh3uQIfrx

— Tesla Europe & Middle East (@teslaeurope) June 12, 2025

DCAS Phase 3

While the approval process has been slow, Kees Roelandschap pointed out that there may be a different regulatory step that could allow FSD to gain a foothold in Europe.

According to Kees, the European Commission is now taking a new approach to approving ADAS systems under the new DCAS Phase 3 regulations. The Commission is now seeking data from systems currently operational in the United States that can perform System-Initiated Maneuvers and don’t require hands-on intervention for every request.

This is key because those are two of the core functionalities that make FSD so usable, and it also means that there may not be a need to wait years for proper regulations to be written from scratch. Now, the Commission will be looking at real-world data based on existing, deployed technology, which could speed up the process immensely.

What This Means

This new, data-driven regulatory approach could be the path for Tesla to reach its previous target of September for European FSD. While the cogs of bureaucracy are ever slow, sometimes all it takes is a little data to have them turn a bit faster in this case.

Alongside specific countries granting approval for limited field testing with employees, there is some light at the end of the tunnel for FSD in Europe, and hopes are that a release will occur by the end of 2025. With Europe now looking to North America for how FSD is performing, Tesla’s Robotaxi results could also play a role.

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Tesla Launches 'TeslaVision' Contest With Big Prizes — See Last Year’s Winner [VIDEO]

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Tesla’s marketing has always been relatively unconventional, relying on word-of-mouth rather than traditional advertising. The passion of the owner’s community is always massive, but it is especially high now with the launch of the Robotaxi network just around the corner.

Tesla is now tapping into that spring of fan creativity and announced the TeslaVision video contest, with some seriously impressive prizes up for grabs.

Announcing the TeslaVision fan video showcase

Tesla owners & supporters have always been able to see our products & mission for what they truly are.

Your word of mouth has made Tesla what it is today.

The OGs will remember that in 2017, we held our first video contest. 8 years… pic.twitter.com/6pPpkqmqOH

— Tesla (@Tesla) June 10, 2025

The Contest

The core of the contest is simple. Create a video that shows how your Tesla gives you more in life. Tesla is looking for submissions that highlight themes of freedom, safety, fun, and convenience.

Prizes

The prizes definitely make this contest worth entering if you’re good with a camera and have some basic video editing abilities.

For North America, the prizes include a brand new Model Y AWD Long Range, alongside an all-expenses-paid trip to Austin for a tour of Giga Texas. The grand prize winner will also be able to custom order their Model Y, allowing them to select their preferred wheels and color.

The two runners-up won’t get a Model Y, but they’ll also enjoy an all-expenses-paid trip to Giga Texas for a tour of the factory.

The travel and tour include lodging in Austin for 2 nights, as well as economy-class round-trip tickets from anywhere in North America. Tesla will also provide a vehicle for use during the trip.

Hopefully, these winners will also have the opportunity to experience the Robotaxi network while they’re in Austin, as it’s expected to be opened to the public later this month.

Project Loveday

For long-time followers of Tesla, this contest may feel familiar. The contest is a direct throwback to the 2017 Project Loveday contest, which was inspired by a letter to Tesla from a 10-year-old aspiring marketer. That contest was won by MKBHD, with his submission below:

How to Enter

If you’re ready to start filming, here are the key pieces of information you’ll need to know:

• Video must be 90 seconds or less

• Video must be uploaded to YouTube with a public URL

• Make a post on X and Instagram tagging “@Tesla” and include the words “TeslaVision contest” in the post.

• Provide links to both social media posts in your submission to Tesla’s form

• Provide your personal details in the form

• You have until July 17th, 2025, or until Tesla receives 10,000 entries, whichever comes first.

You can find the official submission form and all region-specific details on Tesla's website.

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