Tesla may be preparing for changes at the very top. Tom Zhu, who was rumored to be Tesla's next chief executive officer earlier this month, has stepped down as the legal representative for the company in China. While he will remain chairman, there are also reports Zhu is taking on significant roles in the United States.
The timing of the movement coincides with Tesla's freefall on the stock market and several investors clamoring for Tesla's Board of Directors to act. The company's current CEO, Elon Musk, is spending most of his time running his new company — Twitter. Musk has repeatedly stated that he doesn't want to be CEO of any company. He recently reiterated his thoughts during a court case last month.
Therefore, the door is open for one of Tesla's brightest stars to take on a more prominent role. Reuters has reported that Zhu is spending time at Giga Texas and Giga California. There is speculation that he is taking a leadership role in increasing the production of Model Y, overseeing the revamped Model 3 and running the show regarding the highly anticipated and long overdue Cybertruck.
Zhu has an Impressive Track Record
As CEO, Zhu may be just what Tesla needs to breathe new life into the trailblazing company. He is recognized as the main reason that Tesla's Giga Shanghai was able to rebound so quickly from being locked down and achieving the 50% growth target in 2022.
Zhu joined Tesla in 2014 with a Bachelor of Commerce from Auckland University of Technology, and he graduated from Duke's Business School, Fugua, with a Master of Business Administration in 2012. Zhu participated in a WeChat Q&A with a Duke student. It provides some valuable insight into Zhu's work ethic and philosophies.
Zhu Envisions an Incredible Future
He was asked about the impact of EVs. He has a long answer that you can read here, but he stated many positive, forward-thinking ideas that cause excitement and hope. "I believe innovation can lead to a butterfly effect from a single product to an industry, to a mindset throughout the whole country."
Zhu spoke about the changes Tesla can introduce, "New technology brings us infinite possibilities, forming various sorts of synergies regarding vehicles: for example, communication between human and vehicle, communication between vehicles, and communication between infrastructure and vehicle. Those capabilities are inserted into an EV's genes, generating faster responses that make transportation more convenient."
He also touched on changing the entire industry, "productivity will be improved, and at the same time the structure of the workforce will be optimized. The car industry will shift from a more traditional manufacturing model towards a skilled, technologically innovative industry."
While he doesn't want to be CEO, Musk has also stated that he isn't going anywhere. That may mean that the company is looking to split responsibilities, as Tesla has several projects on the go, including FSD, expanding the charging network, Cybertruck, Optimus, and the list goes on.
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date on the latest Tesla news, upcoming features and software updates.
In a world first, Tesla has successfully completed its first fully autonomous delivery of a new vehicle from Gigafactory Texas to a customer’s home. While Musk announced this was coming, some of the details make the achievement even more impressive.
The first fully autonomous delivery of a Tesla Model Y from factory to a customer home across town, including highways, was just completed a day ahead of schedule!!
Congratulations to the @Tesla_AI teams, both software & AI chip design!
A Tesla Model Y left the factory, navigating highways at speeds up to 72mph, a day ahead of Tesla’s previously announced schedule. Most critically, Elon also confirmed two key factors that make this achievement even more impressive than Tesla’s launch of the Robotaxi last week.
There were no Safety Monitors in the car, and no remote operators took control of the Model Y at any time, really making this an amazing achievement.
While the launch of the Robotaxi was an amazing step for Tesla, this one easily takes the cake.
No Safety Monitor, No Passengers, No Limits
The significance of this event lies in just how it differs from the current Robotaxi service operating in Austin.
First and most importantly, there was no Safety Monitor. Nobody was sitting up front, ready to tap one of the emergency stop buttons on the screen. The vehicle was empty, fresh from the factory. This is the unsupervised experience and future that we’ve been waiting for.
Max speed was 72 mph -- Ashok Elluswamy
Why There Was No Safety Monitor
However, there is an important distinction with this autonomous ride — that there were no passengers. This is the crucial regulatory distinction. By operating as a logistics trip rather than as a commercial ride-hailing service, Tesla was likely able to bypass many of the stringent rules governing passenger transport.
This freedom is what enabled the other key difference: operating with fewer restrictions. That included a 72mph top speed on the highway, which is well outside the geofenced Robotaxi Network that’s currently available in Austin.
This event wasn’t a surprise - Elon had previously stated that Tesla expects the first fully autonomous delivery to happen on June 28th. He even worked some flex time into that, saying the timing could potentially slip into early July.
It turns out that additional time wasn’t needed, as Tesla ended up delivering its first vehicle a day early. It seems that Tesla is pulling data quickly from its fleet of slightly modified Model Ys cruising the streets of Austin, which likely enabled the confidence behind giving this the green light.
Video of the Drive
Tesla shared a video of the entire drive, from the vehicle leaving Giga Texas to it arriving at the customer’s home. The entire ride took 30 minutes, crossing parking lots and going on the highway.
This Tesla drove itself from Gigafactory Texas to its new owner's home ~30min away — crossing parking lots, highways & the city to reach its new owner pic.twitter.com/WFSIaEU6Oq
This successful delivery is another fantastic use case for FSD that could be another entire business in and of itself for Tesla. The ability to autonomously move vehicles, potentially with cargo inside them, has massive implications for both Tesla’s factory-to-customer logistics, as well as challenging other services like Uber Eats and Skip the Dishes down the road.
Additionally, logistics-focused autonomy may be easier to scale than the Robotaxi network. It sidesteps many of the complex safety, liability, and customer-facing service challenges that come with carrying human passengers. This could be a faster and clearer path for regulatory approval.
Fork in the Road
But it's more than just a new business.
Back in 2022, Elon commissioned an art piece that now stands outside Giga Texas. It is, quite literally, A Fork in the Road. Part of Elon’s greater goal is to ensure we pass Fermi’s Great Filters, and that means ensuring we generate green energy, electrify and automate transportation, and move towards sustainable abundance.
Two years ago, I commissioned an art piece: A Fork in the Road.
Had to make sure that civilization took the path most likely to pass the Fermi Great Filters. pic.twitter.com/mYFzdAy6WF
The point of the fork here is that Tesla’s first autonomous delivery isn’t just a publicity stunt. We’re finally here, at the fork in the road. We’ve hit it - true autonomous capabilities being demonstrated on public highways under a specific and challenging set of conditions. That’s a true Level 4 autonomous capability with no one in the car.
While Robotaxi is a fantastic step towards changing personal transport, this successful delivery proves that there are even more uses to FSD beyond what we’ve seen so far.
Tesla has issued a new, voluntary safety recall for a small batch of Model 3 and Model Y vehicles due to an issue with improperly tightened fasteners in the first-row seats.
The recall impacts only about 48 vehicles and will require a Tesla service visit to resolve.
Improperly Tightened Fasteners
According to the recall notice, the issue stems from the first-row seating that may have been manufactured with improperly torqued fasteners that attach the seat back to the seat bottom. In some cases, the fasteners may be loose or missing, which could cause a rattle or the seat to detach.
This is a critical safety issue, as a seat back that is not properly anchored could detach, leaving the driver or passenger unsupported and increasing the risk of an accident.
According to Tesla’s investigation, this issue originated from a production change made for vehicles manufactured between April 3rd and May 7th of 2025. However, not all vehicles built within that date are impacted by the recall. The issue impacts 30 2026 Model Ys and 18 2025 Model 3s, across all variants, including RWD, AWD, and Performance (for the Model 3).
Thankfully, there have been no incidents related to this issue to date.
The Fix
Since this is a physical recall, Tesla will have to inspect impacted vehicles and replace and properly retorque the seat fasteners as needed, free of charge.
Owners of vehicles who have been impacted have already been contacted under the voluntary recall, and most vehicles should have been repaired by the time this notice is formally issued.
You can also check if your VIN is impacted by a recall using Tesla’s Recall Tool.
Tesla has noted the repair should take approximately one hour of work at a Service Center, and up to two hours if a Mobile Ranger addresses the recall.
![Tesla Autonomously Delivers Its First Vehicle to Customer — And It’s More Impressive Than Expected [VIDEO]](https://www.notateslaapp.com/img/containers/article_images/model-y-2025/newmodely_77.jpg/382e0312c769d0bb2e1234f7ac556fad/newmodely_77.jpg)
![First Recorded Tesla Robotaxi Intervention: UPS Truck Encounter [VIDEO]](https://www.notateslaapp.com/img/containers/article_images/2025/robotaxi_model_y.jpg/3036d8b53214c2d071c978c42911e451/robotaxi_model_y.jpg)
![First Look at Tesla's Robotaxi App and Its Features [PHOTOS]](https://www.notateslaapp.com/img/containers/article_images/tesla-app/robotaxi-app/robotaxi-app-tips.webp/e643a61975bf712d18dc9aa9a48fdb01/robotaxi-app-tips.jpg)
![Tesla’s New Camera Cleaning Feature and the Future of Cleaning Robotaxis [VIDEO]](https://www.notateslaapp.com/img/containers/article_images/2024/windshield-rain-droplets.jpg/8335f3020509dab3cdb56c1a91d054a9/windshield-rain-droplets.jpg)
![Tesla Launches Robotaxi: Features, Robotaxi App, Command Center and First Impressions [VIDEO]](https://www.notateslaapp.com/img/containers/article_images/2025/robotaxi_rear_screen.jpg/bf5ea088bdebda8ca7e0aa1503b69f4e/robotaxi_rear_screen.jpg)
