Tesla’s San Francisco showroom has been operating without a final building permit for nearly a decade due to a bureaucratic oversight.
Despite a $2.3 million renovation in 2016, the city’s Department of Building Inspection (DBI) never gave the final sign-off, meaning the showroom has technically been in violation of city regulations ever since.
Reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, DBI records show that inspectors visited the 999 Van Ness Avenue location multiple times in 2015 and 2016 as the showroom underwent extensive upgrades. However, there’s no record of a final inspection ever taking place, certainly not thrilling Tesla’s CEO, Elon Musk.
DBI spokesperson Patrick Hannan called the lapse an “oversight” and confirmed that Tesla’s landlords have been issued a notice of violation, requiring them to renew the permit and undergo a final inspection. However, since the building remained an auto showroom, Hannan said it was legally occupiable, and public safety was not compromised. Tesla has yet to comment.
The revelation comes as DBI attempts to clean up its reputation following a 2020 federal corruption probe that led to resignations and prosecutions of department employees, builders, and permit expediters.
A Tesla Model X in San Franciso (Getty Images)
Records show that DBI inspectors confirmed the building’s plumbing, electrical, and heating systems were up to code in mid-2016.
Although, when an official attempted a final inspection that August, they were unable to complete it — and no follow-up was ever scheduled.
Under city codes, construction must be completed and inspected within three years, but no extension appears to have been requested. Last year, DBI flagged key permits for the project as “expired” and “timed out.”
The situation has reignited concerns over DBI’s outdated permit-tracking system, which critics say is riddled with inefficiencies. Supervisor Myrna Melgar criticized the agency’s antiquated processes, saying, “A lot of things go missing, get altered, or fall off the radar because no one is tracking them.”
She added: “The system they have built is not modern, it’s a system built on paper. What I’ve heard for decades is, ‘These are construction people, not very sophisticated, and can’t be expected to use computers.’ What that masks is a way to have a system that is accessible for just a few and to be opaque and controlled by DBI… It is high time we have a system that is open, transparent, and accessible to everybody. The fact that we don’t is really problematic.”
San Francisco previously spent millions attempting to modernize its permit-tracking system with a tool called Accela, but DBI never implemented it. Lee Ann Slinkard, a former Accela executive, stressed the importance of modernizing the process, stating: “You don’t really have legal permission to use those premises, without a final permit.”
The Tesla dealership in San Francisco (Getty Images)
DBI has acknowledged its outdated system and is “actively planning and scoping a replacement system,” according to Hannan. The effort is part of Mayor Daniel Lurie’s PermitSF initiative, which aims to streamline San Francisco’s permitting process.
Adding to the controversy, Tesla’s renovations were overseen by contractor John Pollard, who has since been placed on the city’s Expanded Compliance Control program — a list of repeat building code violators. Pollard was flagged in December, leading DBI to review and expire permits linked to his projects, including Tesla’s.
The compliance program was created in response to the city’s corruption scandal, which saw former senior building inspector Bernie Curran and plan checkers Cyril Yu and Rudy Pada plead guilty to fraud charges. Initially, the program only listed one name, but following media scrutiny, DBI has begun adding more. That included Pollard, who is also under state investigation for alleged shoddy workmanship.
With mounting pressure on DBI to reform its flawed system, Tesla’s permit debacle could serve as another example of why San Francisco’s building oversight process needs urgent change.
Featured Image Credit: Newsday LLC / Contributor / Getty
A fork in the road appears to have formed for Elon Musk’s Tesla, as the electric vehicle manufacturer has issued a stark warning to Trump’s trade administration regarding the harm tariffs could do to the company.
It would be hard to argue against the fact that Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 US election has been incredibly beneficial for Elon Musk as an individual and Tesla as a company, as both saw their values increase dramatically in the months immediately following last November.
Musk’s increased power within the government, while incredibly controversial, has raised his profile significantly and also given him a close and incredibly powerful ally in the president.
While Tesla has seen it’s first sales decline in nearly a decade and continues to lose value on the stock market in recent weeks, the car company retains strong support from President Trump, shown best in a bizarre publicity stunt outside the White House where Trump claimed he would buy a ‘brand new Tesla’ and that vandalism towards Tesla dealerships will be classified as ‘domestic terrorism’.
Musk’s close relationship with Tesla proved to be incredibly beneficial in the months following the election (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
In a shocking contradiction of this confidence, however, company representatives from Tesla have written a letter to US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer regarding the harmful impact of President Trump’s tariffs on the vehicle company’s international exports, as reported by CNN.
“As a U.S. manufacturer and exporter,” the letter illustrates, “Tesla encourages USTR to consider the downstream impacts of certain proposed actions taken to address unfair trade practices.
“While Tesla recognizes and supports the importance of fair trade, the assessment undertaken by USTR of potential actions to rectify unfair trade should also take into account exports from the United States.”
This comes at a time where the Trump administration’s aggressive trade policies involving tariffs open the door up for retaliatory actions by targeted countries, which would in turn harm the exported sales of Tesla vehicles outside of the United States.
Further CNN reports indicate that Tesla sales are already down around 45% in Europe during the month of January, so further tariffs which would either increase the price for the consumer or incur additional costs for Tesla would stand to lose the company more money.
The letter also outlined that the Trade Representative should consider the “limitations in the domestic supply chain,” making reference to the necessity of important key components such as lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicle production.
Tesla argues that it still relies on imports of key components for their electric vehicles (Xiaolu Chu/Getty Images)
While Tesla themselves do have some factories within the US capable of producing lithium-ion batteries and other key parts, the company likely still relies heavily on imports from countries like China, who have been hit heavily by tariffs from the US government.
China is also Tesla’s second largest market, as per Reuters, delivering record sales in 2024 with 36.7% of all vehicle sales made in the country, so any retaliatory tariffs from the Chinese government on EVs would significant harm their profits – especially as the market has grown increasingly competitive with offerings from rivals like Xiaomi and BYD, reported by the New York Times.
Featured Image Credit: SAUL LOEB / Contributor / Getty
We don’t imagine many of you had the front lawn of the White House being turned into a Tesla showroom with its own sales pitch on your 2025 bingo card.
Then again, we don’t imagine Elon Musk taking to the stage with a gilded chainsaw or RFK promoting Vitamin A to combat measles were on their either.
President Donald Trump has warned that those who mess with Tesla will be dealt with as domestic terrorists, although others have warned that aligning the POTUS with the electric vehicle brand could be bad for all involved.
With Tesla stocks taking a worrying hit and Elon Musk losing $29 billion from his net worth in a single day, the President swooped in and even got behind the wheel of a shiny red Tesla Model S. The Commander-in-Chief had already vowed to buy a Tesla, and seemingly staying true to his word, he said he’d hand over the expected $90,000 to have one.
The President promised to buy a new Tesla (Tesla)
However, Wired points out that the President’s new motor has faced some 37 recalls due to safety complaints.
The site reiterates that while the Model S boasts some beefy 1,020 horsepower and can race from zero to 60 in 1.99 seconds, it’s also got a questionable log book.
Trump’s specific car is the ‘Plaid’ version Model S, which has improved acceleration and gets its namesake from a nerdy pop culture reference.
The Plaid editions are named after a moment in Mel Brooks’ Spaceballs where ships hit ‘Ludicrous Speed’ and a plaid-patterned effect appears.
Unfortunately for the Tesla Model S vehicles, there have been 37 U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recalls.
The most recent was in January 2025, with a mention that the “computer circuit board may short, resulting in the loss of the rearview camera image,” and this could lead to an increase in crashes. Trump himself became a memeworthy soundbite when he sat in the Model S and said, “Everything’s computer.”
The POTUS was impressed with the tech in his new motor (The Washington Post / Contributor / Getty)
Previous reports include problems with everything from the airbags to power-steering assist, door handles, brake discs, and even the Model S’ much-hyped self-driving feature.
In 2023, Tesla issued a voluntary recall for all models using the Full Self-Driving feature. Issues included not properly stopping at a stop sign, speeding, and making unexpected lane changes.
It should be noted that an increase in the futuristic tech found in modern vehicles means recalls for major brands like BMW and Chrysler have also been on the up in recent years.
One thing not on the up is Tesla sales.
Despite Trump’s Tesla showcase leading to a nearly 4% surge in stocks, the numbers speak for themselves, as Tesla sales are 76.3% down compared to February 2024. Although there’s been an anomalous 20% rise in the UK compared to the same month last year, the continued Tesla boycott and animosity toward Mr. Musk look like they’re starting to take a toll on the bottom line.
Featured Image Credit: Andrew Harnik / Staff / Getty
More gunshots have been fired at a Tesla dealership for the second time in a week following Musk’s involvement with the Trump administration.
According to police, the showroom in Oregon was the target of gunfire for the second time within a week after new reports came in the early hours of Thursday morning (March 13).
Speaking to FOX12, police said that there were between 10 to 15 shots fired at the building, with ‘extensive damage’ being done to the building and cars.
Tesla has been the target of gunfire (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
The same showroom was previously the target of gunfire on March 6 by people protesting Elon Musk and Tesla.
However, this isn’t the only dealership to report damage after another location was struck by a Molotov cocktail.
This seems to be in response to Musk’s close ties to President Donald Trump after the tech billionaire took on a new role as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in recent months.
Under DOGE, Musk has sparked controversy by making mass layoffs within the government to hack away at federal spending.
This has led to pushback from the public, with concerns growing over Musk’s access to confidential data in the Treasury payment system.
Earlier this week, Trump responded to the boycotting of Tesla by writing on Truth Social: “To Republicans, Conservatives, and all great Americans, Elon Musk is ‘putting it on the line’ in order to help our Nation, and he is doing a FANTASTIC JOB!
Tesla has received backlash for its CEO’s involvement with Trump (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
“But the Radical Left Lunatics, as they often do, are trying to illegally and collusively boycott Tesla, one of the World’s great automakers, and Elon’s ‘baby,’ in order to attack and do harm to Elon, and everything he stands for.”
Trump went on to write: “In any event, I’m going to buy a brand new Tesla tomorrow morning as a show of confidence and support for Elon Musk, a truly great American.
“Why should he be punished for putting his tremendous skills to work in order to help MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN???”
And Trump doesn’t appear to be concerned about Tesla’s declining market.
He said: “Markets are going to go up and they’re going to go down but, you know what, we have to rebuild our country.”
The president went through with his promise, opening up what appeared to be his own Tesla showroom at the White House this week.
There, the Tesla CEO sold Trump his own electric vehicle, a Tesla Model S.
Featured Image Credit: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has begun an appeal process to restore the $56,000,000,000 pay package from the electric car company that he claims was denied in a ‘legal error’.
Despite being undeniably the richest man in the world, Elon Musk continues his crusade for more money by pushing for an ‘unfathomable’ pay package from Tesla that he claims he is rightfully owed.
Awarded all the way back in 2018, this particular pay package resulted in major growth for the electric car manufacturer, as per Reuters, but was ordered to be rescinded by Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick through Delaware law proceedings.
Musk has filed an appeal after his claim to an ‘unfathomable’ Tesla pay package was denied (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)
Chancellor McCormick indicated that the staggering pay package was “unfathomable” and unfair to shareholders, as directors were ‘beholden’ to Musk as CEO, alongside accusations that Tesla withheld key information from investors before they successfully voted to approve the pay package.
Musk has now launched his own appeal to McCormick’s decision, claiming instead that multiple legal errors were made in the application of the ‘entire fairness’ legal standard.
His legal representatives argue that Chancellor McCormick incorrectly determined that the Tesla directors that approved the pay package were conflicted in their business efforts, and that her assessment of the company’s failure to disclose information was a fault.
What remains critical about this particular pay package is it’s relevance to the current stock price of Tesla, even with a rapidly falling valuation over the past few weeks despite a push of support from President Trump.
The pay package, if successfully awarded, allows Musk to purchase roughly 303 million stock options in the company at around $23 each, which is essentially 10% of the most recent $230.58 closing price on Tuesday (March 11) night, and pales in comparison to the highs of around $492.77 at the end of last year.
