You Can't Give Teslas Away These Days, but Tesla's Actually Trying To

Motor Trend

a day ago

Free car giveaways are typically associated with TV game shows, radio sweepstakes, or halftime contests, but right now there's one being hosted directly by an automaker. By participating in Tesla's 'TeslaVision' contest, you could score a brand-new Model Y and a private tour of the Texas Gigafactory.
In 2017, Tesla held 'Project Loveday,' a video contest named after a 10-year-old fan of the brand who wrote a letter to CEO Elon Musk suggesting that customers submit promotional video clips to make up for the company's lack of traditional advertising. That contest received thousands of submissions and was eventually won by none other than YouTube superstar Marques Brownlee. The TeslaVision Contest
Now, Tesla is holding the TeslaVision contest as a follow-up to Project Loveday. According to the company, it's here 'to commemorate launching deliveries of New Model Y in all continents where we operate.' That new Model Y is the so-called Juniper version, which arrived earlier this year sporting hardware updates, a remodeled interior, and a Cybertruck-esque headlight bar.
So, the TeslaVision contest—it is, in Tesla's words, 'a global celebration and showcase of the owners and fans who have always recognized the true value and impact of our products.' To participate, submit a video no longer than 90 seconds 'showing how Tesla vehicles give you more in your life—more freedom, more safety, more fun, more convenience.' That video must then be posted to YouTube and shared on X and Instagram with Tesla's accounts tagged, and then those links uploaded in the contest submission form on Tesla's site.
In addition to the Model Y winner, two runners-up will get an all-expenses-paid private tour of the Gigafactory outside of Austin, Texas, which produces some Model Ys and every Cybertruck. We Have Some Thoughts
Acclaimed as America's best-selling EV, one might imagine that the Model Y is in such high demand that it wouldn't be so available as to be offered up as a giveaway. Evidently, however, Tesla has enough idle inventory to make one the grand prize in the TeslaVision contest.
The EV innovator has faced harsh backlash due to CEO Musk's controversial involvement in Donald Trump's presidential administration. It's possible that the TeslaVision contest is being held to gather and then promote positive takes from Tesla fans who remain unbothered by Musk's drastic social impact, and are uninterested in the numerous other EVs from brands that don't have the contentious symbolism that Tesla now does, in addition to potentially longer range, faster charging, better quality, greater comfort, prettier styling, or higher performance.
To wit, we question how a video could be created under Tesla's suggested parameters. Regarding 'freedom,' the advantage Tesla once held by keeping its widespread Supercharger network exclusive to its own cars is slipping away as other EVs gain access, allowing rivals to also enjoy road trip ease.
Regarding safety, the 2025 Model Y scores the highest five-star overall safety rating from NHTSA, as a plethora of other EVs do, but it no longer qualifies for IIHS Top Safety Pick as it did in years past. Furthermore, how Tesla's flagship Full Self-Driving (FSD) software has a propensity to make errors such as veering across a solid double yellow line into the oncoming lane of traffic makes safety seem tenuous at best.
About fun, in our testing and assessments we've found Tesla vehicles don't have much to offer beyond the common EV attribute of quick straight-line acceleration, while rivals have superior chassis and handling refinement.
To convenience, the spacious cabin, frunk and sub-trunk, and minimalistic layout found in Tesla vehicles contribute to that measure. However, the experience with MotorTrend 's 2023 Model Y long-term review car has often proved incredibly frustrating, such as the finicky flush-mounted exterior door handles, which often do nothing because the car doesn't recognize its smartphone app-based key, or how the cruise control can deactivate when using the windshield washers, or how, for now, using an adapter is necessary to charge on public Level 2 plugs.
Hmm, maybe we wouldn't win this contest... positive thoughts! We should also point out the incongruity between asking fans and owners—many of whom likely already own a Model Y, given its ubiquity—to get excited about winning another one.
If you're super excited about Tesla and want to show the company just how great you think it is and win a Model Y, you can submit your video clip to the TeslaVision contest website. Act soon, since the contest closes on July 17, 2025 or when 10,000 entries are received, whichever comes first.