Ride the Lightning: Tesla and EV Podcast
Ride the Lightning: The Tesla Unofficial Podcast is the world's longest-running weekly Tesla show, made for Tesla fans and owners by Tesla community veteran Ryan McCaffrey. Each week we'll discuss and analyze everything happening with the Cybertruck, Model 3, Model S, Model X, Model Y, Roadster, and more!
Episodes
Tesla held its quarterly earnings call for Q1 2025, and there was plenty covered, from the robotaxis launching in the near future to Optimus to the more affordable Teslas and more. I’ll have highlight clips from the Tesla executive team plus my recap and analysis.
If you enjoy the podcast and would like to support my efforts, please check out my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/teslapodcast and consider a monthly pledge. Every li...
The more affordable Tesla that I’ve been calling the ‘Model 2.5’ is reportedly delayed, one Indiana police department has five years of fleet data that shows that using Teslas as police cars saves taxpayers a ton of money, the largest free EV charging park in the world is at Giga Berlin, and more!
If you enjoy the podcast and would like to support my efforts, please check out my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/teslapodcast and c...
Tesla has finally rolled out the rear-wheel drive Cybertruck, but it’s VERY different from the one they first announced. I’ll tell you all about what you get and what you don’t on this cheaper version of Tesla’s stainless steel truck. Plus: Tesla’s imminent Spring software update brings a much-requested new feature that should keep a lot of Model Y rear liftgates from getting dented, and more!
Tesla announces its first-quarter vehicle production and delivery numbers, and the news isn’t the best – with fellow EV automakers Rivian and Lucid largely in the same boat. Plus: Tesla’s found its chef for its upcoming drive-in diner Supercharger in Hollywood, the regular version of the new Model Y is now available, and more!
If you enjoy the podcast and would like to support my efforts, please check out my Patreon at https://www....
Tesla mod shop Unplugged Performance's president and founder Ben Schaffer joins me for an interview about the company’s approach to modifying the Cybertruck, the new Model 3 and new Model Y, as well as their big bet on making Tesla police vehicles through their UPfit program. Enjoy!
If you enjoy the podcast and would like to support my efforts, please check out my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/teslapodcast and consider a month...
I've given this a lot of thought and wanted to talk to you about how I feel regarding what's happening around Tesla right now. If you're not interested in this, feel free to skip this one, as the regular episodes will remain on their normal schedule.
If you listen and then choose to respond, I hope you'll be considerate towards me and your fellow listeners in the comments. Thank you.
A new report out of China says that Tesla is planning a smaller version of the Model Y. Plus: a new software update lets you check on your car’s battery health, the Cybercab gets one step closer to operating on public streets in California, and more!
If you enjoy the podcast and would like to support my efforts, please check out my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/teslapodcast and consider a monthly pledge. Every little bit helps...
Tesla is no longer offering custom orders for the classic Model Y, signaling the end of the line for the first generation of the world’s best-selling vehicle and the beginning of its second generation. Plus: Model 3 gets an impressive financing incentive, Cybertruck might finally be heading Down Under, Rivian is extending a hand to orphaned Fisker Ocean owners, and more! NOTE: The non-Tesla EV segment runs from 30:48-41:55 if you'd...
Tesla co-founder, current board member, and former Chief Technical Officer JB Straubel joins me to discuss Tesla’s early days, his interest in batteries, building the first Gigafactory, his battery recycling efforts at Redwood Materials, and more. Enjoy!
TIMECODES
10:45 Interview starts
11:33 More of a car guy or engineering guy?
12:14 Origin of his interest in batteries
12:47 Building his first EV…long before Tesla
14:43 Did he al...
Tesla’s Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen joins me for the third time to celebrate my 500th episode. We discuss his longevity at Tesla, the new Model Y, paint colors, wheel design, the next-gen Roadster, and more. Enjoy!
Timecodes:
8:28 Start of interview
10:02 What Franz worked on the day I came in for the interview
11:38 Why he has stayed at Tesla so long (16+ years so far)
12...
Tesla’s Vice President of Engineering Lars Moravy joins me for a candid conversation spanning a wide-ranging number of topics, from the new Model Y to his memories of pivotal moments in Tesla history to the next-gen Roadster and even the upcoming more-affordable cars. Enjoy!
Timecodes:
6:39 Interview begins
7:36 Lars on when he first got into cars
9:42 Remembering his first job in the auto ind...
Comedian and world-renowned car enthusiast Jay Leno – perhaps Tesla’s biggest celebrity fan – welcomed Tesla Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen and VP of Engineering Lars Moravy to his garage this week to show off the new Model Y, and we learned a lot of fun things about the refreshed vehicle in the process. Plus: thieves who try to steal the copper out of Tesla Supercharging cables will soon be in for a not-so-fun surprise, an up...
I got an up-close-and-personal look at the new Model Y and heard from two senior Tesla employees from the Model Y team about the redesigned car. Highlights from that, plus: the Cybertruck now formally gets the point-of-sale $7500 tax credit, good news for Tesla Insurance customers who use Full Self-Driving a lot, and more!
If you enjoy the podcast and would like to support my efforts, please check out my Patreon at https://www.patr...
Tesla held its Q4 earnings call this week, and among other things, it contained good news for those of you with Hardware 3.0 cars who’ve bought the FSD package. That plus the rest of the highlights from the call along with my analysis on a huge episode!
If you enjoy the podcast and would like to support my efforts, please check out my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/teslapodcast and consider a monthly pledge. Every little bit he...
Tesla’s new refreshed Model Y, aka Project Juniper, has been announced for North America. I’ve got all the details including pricing and options. Plus: the new Model 3 takes home a trophy, Unplugged Performance shows some Los Angeles-area law enforcement officers how good of a patrol car the Model Y can be, and more!
If you enjoy the podcast and would like to support my efforts, please check out my Patreon at https://www.patreon.co...
A not-even-fully-ramped-up-yet Cybertruck beats all of its competition to become the best-selling EV pickup truck of 2024. Plus: production of the new Model Y has reportedly begun in another one of Tesla’s gigafactories, Tesla tops another major automaker in global sales, and more!
If you enjoy the podcast and would like to support my efforts, please check out my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/teslapodcast and consider a monthl...
The redesigned Model Y, aka Project Juniper, has been revealed by Tesla China. I’ll tell you about what’s new, my thoughts on the design, and when it’s launching in China. Plus: Tesla is the most searched-for car brand in America, every Tesla will soon get an AI chatbot, and more!
If you enjoy the podcast and would like to support my efforts, please check out my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/teslapodcast and consider a monthly...
Tesla releases its production and delivery totals for Q4 – and thus we know the numbers for all of 2024. Did they hit their goal? Plus: Cybertruck now qualifies for the $7500 point-of-sale tax credit, the new Model 3 wins a big award in Europe, and more!
If you enjoy the podcast and would like to support my efforts, please check out my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/teslapodcast and consider a monthly pledge. Every little bit h...
It’s that time of year: time for my annual Tesla New Year’s predictions. I’ll make some predictions for what to expect from Tesla in 2025, as well as grade my predictions from last year. Plus: Tesla pivots from PPF to vinyl at its service centers, the Cybertruck gets one step closer to launching in China, and more!
If you enjoy the podcast and would like to support my efforts, please check out my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/...
Tesla Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen gives a design overview of the Cybercab, Cybertruck owners get an interim supercharging speed boost as they wait for the full 500kW next year, FSD version 13 goes wide with good news for AI3 owners to boot, and more!
If you enjoy the podcast and would like to support my efforts, please check out my Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/teslapodcast and consider a monthly pledge. Every little b...
Popular Podcasts
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.