Improving an existing technology using modern components is an "improvement" but is not especially "innovative" and not at all any kind of unique breakthrough - it's Tech use, not Tech making.

Maybe because I've spent most of my life working at or near the bleeding edge of Technology I don't find them especially innovative in Tech except for the self-driving stuff: what they did that was impressive was in the sphere of business strategy and they seem to have run with just that for too long and not pivoted when they should've.

That said I can understand that people holding shares is TSLA would be scared shitless about Tesla not being treated anymore as a Tech company by the stockmarket, and hence desperately try to argue that Tesla is a Tech company that makes cars rather than a car company that uses Tech like all the other carmakers.