Are Refreshed Models Enough To Stabilize The Tesla Brand? – CleanTechnica

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Reviews of the refreshed models in the Tesla catalog are flooding media channels. The Models S, X, and Y have a 2025 refresh, following the Model 3 relaunch last year.

It’s nice to hear a bit of good news about Tesla, as many stories continue to swirl about the company’s CEO Elon Musk and his vehement support of right-wing conspiracies.

The harm Musk invokes to the Tesla brand never seems to stop.

After last weekend’s Minnesota shootings that left a legislator and her husband dead and two others critically wounded, Musk wrote on his social media platform, X, “The far left is murderously violent.” The post remains on the site and has been viewed over 50 million times.

As a result of this and many, many other thoughtless Musk claims and actions, disdain for the Tesla brand continues to run deep. Calls for owners to sell their vehicles and for shareholders to divest are plentiful.

Can the three Tesla refreshed models be enough to satisfy a largely disgruntled consumer base?

The Tesla Model Refreshes: Quieter, With Enhanced Aerodynamics

The Tesla Model Y updates are the biggest news, and why not? The small SUV was the bestselling car in the world in 2023 and 2024. Then came CEO Elon Musk’s rampage through the US federal coffers and the backlash from formerly loyal fans.

In April 2025 the BYD Song beat the Tesla Model Y in global sales.

The Tesla Model Y hadn’t had an update since 2020. I’ve seen the Model Y refresh on the road, and it definitely stands out as a different version of the much-beloved vehicle. The look is distinct from the previous design, a bit more futuristic and alluring.

Its front end is more streamlined with slivers of matrix front lights, and rear panel-reflecting lightbar has an ultramodern vibe. A favorable Forbes review explains how drive modes are now operated with the LCD panel, with backup buttons above the rearview mirror. Backseat passengers can control their own air conditioning, watch streaming media, and play games.

To drop the rear seats forward, hit powered buttons designated for the task. Improved sound protection enhances the car’s quiet. The upgraded suspension is softer, but so is the handling. Aerodynamic improvements mean the Model Y has more efficient range capacity.

The upgraded versions of the Models S and X will reportedly cost $5,000 more than current iterations.

In an X post the upgrades were listed as more aerodynamic design, new suspension, improved noise cancellation, and a package of aesthetic changes. The new Model S starts at $84,990, while the Model X starts at $89,990.

Tesla is aware that a continuing objection to all-electric driving is range anxiety, so its Model S Long Range gives drivers up to 410 miles of range. New wheel designs and a more aerodynamic car body also add on the miles. Another change involves backseat passengers. More space for third-row passengers and cargo room will help families, vacationers, and Tesla drivers on long trips.

Yes, it’s important for Tesla to offer refreshed models, as driving a new model vehicle has been a marker of status for US drivers for decades. But are the refreshed models enough? Can a new look and some minor enhancements rouse interest in the all-electric vehicle brand again?

Will Shareholders Respond To The Tesla Model Refreshes?

Tesla CEO Musk and his board of directors knew from the onset of his foray into the political realm that there was potential for division among its ownership group. The Journal of Consumer Affairs notes that the EV movement is gaining momentum among Democrats, younger adults, and residents of urban neighborhoods. These groups are generally not Republicans and definitely not Trump aficionados.

For many Tesla followers, Musk’s Trump allegiance was the proverbial straw that broke their allegiance. The loss of confidence came after years of Musk’s fantastical technology claims, too many of which are still in the R&D stage.

Aarian Marshall and David Gilbert write in this week’s Wired that “the company’s CEO has been able to distract from flawed fundamentals—an aging vehicle lineup, a Cybertruck sales flop, the much-delayed introduction of self-driving technology—with bluster and showmanship.”

Then there’s the company’s highest market capitalization of any automaker; many in the industry say the company is overvalued. Bradley Tusk, Tusk Venture Partners co-founder and managing partner, said in a recent program on CNBC that Tesla is “massively overvalued” and talked about the impact of Musk’s distractions on the company.”It is a company that is massively overvalued solely based on the pixie dust of the notion of Elon Musk’s kind of magic abilities and retail investors believing in that,” Tusk says.

And controllers — who manage retirement savings and look after regular folks — are really concerned. “It demands foresight, integrity, and courage when risks outweigh rewards,” explains Mark Pinsley, controller of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania and a pension board member, in a Common Dreams editorial. “Public pensions are not just private retirements—they are public trusts.” Conscious of the deep responsibility he has for the public good, Pinsley has called for his board to halt new Tesla stock purchases in their actively managed funds, arguing that “Tesla is bleeding trust.”

Pinsley describes Musk as a CEO who “has made himself a spectacle.” Such grandstanding has led to “destabilizing one of America’s most recognizable brands.” Public walkouts, showroom protests, and declining global sales, Pinsley says, are symbols of falling confidence in the Tesla brand. Faith in Tesla has deteriorated.

“Tesla no longer behaves like a company focused on innovation, customer loyalty, or product integrity. It behaves like a company driven by ego. That is not a foundation we can trust with our employees’ retirements.”

Danish pension company Akademikir Pension has announced it will also divest from Tesla due to ongoing concerns about labor rights, corporate governance, and Musk’s behavior. Sweden’s largest insurer, Folksam, has sold its stake in Tesla over concerns about the company’s stance on workers’ rights. The Canadian Association of Professional Employees (CAPE) is calling for public pension funds to divest from Tesla to show solidarity with US workers facing attacks from Elon Musk. Denmark’s largest construction company, Tscherning, has returned its entire corporate fleet of Tesla vehicles, citing Elon Musk as the reason.

“Fiduciary responsibility must be insulated from erratic leadership,” Pinsley, who is running for Pennsylvania auditor general, concludes.