Kara Carlson

Tesla Faces US Auto Safety Investigation Over Door Handles US auto safety regulators are probing whether Tesla Inc. door handles are defective, scrutinizing an approach the company has taken with millions of vehicles sold for more than a decade.

It also comes days after NHTSA announced a probe into certain Tesla door handles

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Trapped Inside: Tesla’s Dangerous Doors When Teslas lose power, crashes can turn into deadly races against time.

The comments come a week after Bloomberg's investigation looking into Tesla door designs published on Sept 10. Read more:

www.bloomberg.com/features/202...

Tesla Is Redesigning Door Handles That Drew Safety Scrutiny Tesla Inc. is working on a redesign of its door handles, which have drawn scrutiny over safety incidents that trapped passengers inside their vehicles.

Tesla's longtime design chief Franz von Holzhausen said the company is looking to redesign its door handles to combine the electronic and manual release mechanisms, a change he said would make exiting more intuitive for occupants in “a panic situation.”

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Tesla's 'self-driving' software fails at train crossings, some car owners warn The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration told NBC News that it had spoken to Tesla about mishaps at train crossings.

NEW FROM ME: I wrote about the many, many Tesla drivers who complain that their FSD software fails them at rail crossings. There are dozens of complaints online from drivers, including many videos.

Here's our investigation: www.nbcnews.com/tech/elon-mu...

Trapped Inside: Tesla’s Dangerous Doors When Teslas lose power, crashes can turn into deadly races against time.

The probe comes just days after we published our Bloomberg News investigation that looked into similar incidents, as well as crashes, where Tesla's door designs led to confusion for occupants and first responders

w/ @danahull.bsky.social, @emilychang.bsky.social

www.bloomberg.com/features/202...

Trapped Inside: Tesla’s Dangerous Doors When Teslas lose power, crashes can turn into deadly races against time.

This morning, US auto safety regulators opened an investigation into some Tesla vehicle doors, following incidents where exterior handles stopped working, leaving trapped children inside

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Gift link:

www.bloomberg.com/features/202...

Do you know how to get out if your Tesla loses power?

Depending on the model, locating a manual door release can include removing speaker covers, pocket liners or carpet

First responders and occupants have been flummoxed by the designs in crucial moments

www.bloomberg.com/features/202...

Trapped Inside: Tesla’s Dangerous Doors When Teslas lose power, crashes can turn into deadly races against time.

NEW: “It’s the most horrible thing, to see a human burning,” Max Walsh said in a recent interview recounting the December 2023 crash. “If I was able to open the doors, I could have gotten them both out before the fire department even got there.”

www.bloomberg.com/features/202...

Are you in the market for an electric vehicle?
I'm an EV reporter at Bloomberg and I'm interested in hearing what you're thinking as you shop

Are tax credits a factor?
Switching between brands?
Holding off for a future model?

Reach me here, ✉️kcarlson72@bloomberg.net or let me know how to reach you

Tesla is aiming to bring its driverless taxis to California and now also Arizona as the carmaker plots an expansion on the heels of last month’s limited rollout in Austin

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Nail in car tire

I've been driving all over the greater Austin-area all week so naturally it was a ten-minute drive that seems to have led to this

Elon Musk Says First Tesla Drove Itself From Factory to Customer Tesla Inc. Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk said a Tesla Model Y SUV drove itself from the company’s factory near Austin to a customer’s home in the company’s latest move to showcase its push into au...

An early birthday present for Elon Musk: Tesla made its first autonomous delivery from the factory to a customer’s home. @karacarlson.bsky.social has the details > www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Robotaxi’s Underwhelming Texas Rollout In this week’s episode of Elon, Inc., we discuss how Musk’s attempt to catch up to Waymo may earn him some traffic tickets.

New Elon Inc, coving the big(?) robotaxi launch(?) and “oh yeah X has an advertising business” with @karacarlson.bsky.social and @kurtwagner.bsky.social www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Tesla to Roll Out Robotaxis in Overdue Step Toward Musk Dream Tesla Inc. rolled out its long-awaited robotaxi service to a handful of users following almost a decade of hype from Elon Musk, kicking off a precarious new era for the carmaker.

Tesla kicked off its first robotaxis rides on a few square miles of south and southeast streets after almost a decade of hype from Elon Musk, kicking off a precarious new era for the carmaker

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

A map shows roads including a Riverside, S Lamar, S 1st, S Congress and Oltorf in Austin included in Tesla's robotaxi launch area

Tesla’s robotaxis are expected to launch at a moment when the billionaire and his cars have never been more polarizing.

The service is now expected to start June 22 in a few square miles of Austin

www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...

Exclusive: Inside the EV startup secretly backed by Jeff Bezos | TechCrunch Jeff Bezos is funding a secretive EV startup based in Michigan called Slate Auto that could start production as soon as next year, according to multiple

SCOOP: Jeff Bezos funded a secretive EV startup called Slate Auto based in Michigan, and I've got all the details.

It's working on a low-cost EV pickup truck and has attracted investment from the owner of the LA Dodgers.

The result of a year-long investigation.

techcrunch.com/2025/04/08/i...

Elon Musk to Expand His Texas Empire With Sprawling Austin Park Elon Musk’s influence is vast in Texas, the state both he and his companies call home. He’s funding schools and wading into politics, buying up homes and even trying to incorporate a city.

Elon Musk has long mentioned wanting to build an "ecological paradise" on Tesla's Austin property

A report to Travis County this week has given a clearer picture of the plans including a Tesla-themed playground, sports courts, a boardwalk and expo area

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Doctor Behind Award-Winning Parkinson’s Research Among Scientists Purged From NIH Leading scientists at the National Institutes of Health, the US’s leading medical research agency, were swept up Tuesday in the Trump administration's latest firing blitz.

NEW: No fewer than 10 principle scientists at NIH investigating emerging infectious diseases and neural disorders were among those fired by RFK Jr. today.

One is an esteemed scientist awarded for breakthrough research into the causes of Parkinson's disease.

By me and @emilymullin.bsky.social:

About a dozen Musk supporters for most of it and then about another dozen joined around the end.

The count in my initial post was just the Tesla Takedown folks

Protesters with signs gather on March 29 at Tesla Takedown protest a north Austin Tesla showroom

A protestor at a Tesla Takedown protest in a black shirt that says What the Fusk

Protesters with signs gather on March 29 at Tesla Takedown protest a north Austin Tesla showroom

Protesters with signs gather on March 29 at Tesla Takedown protest a north Austin Tesla showroom as a group of motorcyclist drive by

Scenes from Austin's Tesla Takedown today as backlash continues against Elon Musk

Organizers estimated about 225-250 people attended

The decentralized movement aims for today, March 29, to be the biggest day of action yet, with a goal to have same-day protests at 500 locations worldwide

Musk Tells Tesla Employees Hang On to Stock After 50% Plunge Elon Musk sought to reassure Tesla Inc. employees through what he referred to as “a little bit of stormy weather,” after the carmaker’s shares plunged more than 50% in just three months.

Last night, Tesla CEO Elon Musk encouraged employees to hang onto their stock and spoke about his view for a bright future for the company, despite rising backlash and against Musk and as Tesla sales are off to a slow start of the year

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Brand reputation experts say Tesla outcry and reputation issues are unlikely to slow down anytime soon as Tesla vehicles, charging stations and showrooms become political symbols

Still Elon Musk continues to paint a bright future for the company

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

A Rivian van with the words Cute Nails Yall and Olive & June on it

A man stands in front of a Rivian Ben & Jerry's truck. He is next to a cardboard cutout of a Rivian mascot holding an ice cream cone

At least two vans are among many Rivian vehicles at SXSW this year; an Olive & June manicure van and a Ben & Jerry's ice cream van (ice cream truck?)

It comes about a month after the EV maker broadened sales of the vans to customers beyond Amazon.

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Are any AV/EV folks on here in town for SXSW? 🚗🤠

Let me know! I'm an Austin-based EV reporter for Bloomberg

first day of sxsw and even the robots are sporting cowboy hats

Tesla Feels the Wrath of Anti-Elon Musk Backlash Sales are plunging in some of the world’s biggest EV markets, and protesters and vandals are targeting the company’s stores.

Elon Musk’s recent polarizing actions and comments are leading some consumers to vote with their wallets, deciding against buying Teslas or even selling their current vehicles at a loss

www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...

EV Maker Lucid to Seek New CEO After Rawlinson Steps Aside Lucid Group Inc. will begin a search for a new leader after Chief Executive Officer Peter Rawlinson stepped aside to serve as an advisor to the electric-vehicle maker.

Lucid is searching for a new chief executive officer after it said its current leader, Peter Rawlinson, has stepped down.

COO Marc Winterhoff was named as interim CEO.

The change comes as Lucid works to scale production of its new Gravity SUV

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Were you in attendance and/or do you know the organizers? I'm interested in hearing about what brought people out/how events went around the country.

I'm an EV reporter with Bloomberg. I'd be interested in hearing more about this

I can be reached here or email kcarlson72@bloomberg.net

Thanks!

Thanks! I'd also be very interested in hearing more about your experience/what brought you out. If you'd be open to sharing more please DM or email me! Thank you!