Elon Musk urges a “total reset” for car design and consumer fashion, criticizing today’s look for being uninspired

Tesla CEO Elon Musk used a wide-ranging style critique on Sunday, saying both car design and even consumer fashion need a major overhaul. In comments carried by Yahoo Finance, Musk argued that the current era’s output in both categories is too uninspired and repetitive, and he called for what he described as a “total reset.”

The remarks linked two worlds that rarely share a design conversation: automotive styling and apparel. Musk characterized contemporary products as lacking creativity, suggesting that the problem is not simply that consumers have changing tastes, but that companies have settled into predictable patterns rather than reimagining what products could look like.

Musk’s comments also carried a forward-looking message, emphasizing the idea that “the future should look like” something different. While the post framed the issue as one of aesthetics and culture, it also hinted at a broader concern that corporate branding and mass-market design often converge on safe, familiar solutions.

For Tesla, design is not just cosmetic. The company’s public identity has long been tied to a distinctive approach to vehicles, including streamlined exteriors and a simplified tech-forward cabin experience. Musk’s broader critique, even without Tesla-specific disclosures, fits into a familiar Tesla narrative that innovation should be visible, not merely functional.

Still, the Sunday comments did not outline any new Tesla product plans, design changes, or timing. The post, as reported, focused on critique and aspiration rather than concrete announcements about models, manufacturing, or updates to the company’s line-up.