Welcome to Electrified, it's your host Dylan Loomis, I'm finally back home. Did I miss anything last week? We won't dive into it now, I just wanted to say after listening to all of the sentiment in the community over the past few days, I still think it's going to take some time before we have Optimus being produced at any sort of scale, doing meaningful work where it actually impacts Tesla's financials. That's not at all to brush aside the hardware improvements and the pace of iteration, but just as a reminder, we don't know anything about the reliability, for example, how many takes were required to get those scenes that we saw in the final video.
The update was very exciting, let's just do our best to keep our expectations in check, it's still going to take time for this business line to become impactful both to Tesla's business and to its financials.
这次更新非常令人兴奋,让我们尽力保持理性期待,这个业务线要对特斯拉的业务和财务产生影响还需要时间。
Cybertruck orders for the Foundation series have now been expanded from just Texas in California to across 26 states. I'd also be fairly confident in saying that rumor about Tesla only making 1000 of these Foundation series trucks may have just been an inaccurate rumor, I think there's a chance Tesla produces many more than just 1000. For obvious reasons, I think it would make a ton of sense for Tesla to sell as many as they can, rather than making that some limited edition type vehicle. Pause if you'd like, but here's a list of the states where customers have been invited to place their order.
Sawyer shared what I believe are screenshots from customers who are being invited to order the Foundation series, so first option for the all-wheel drive, estimated delivery, January 2024 to March. The other Foundation series option, the Cyber Beast, estimated delivery mid to late 2024. As far as we know, both of these delivery dates are only for new orders, it's not that the previous orders are being delayed. The dates being pushed back from early 2024 could be production challenges, it could also be higher than expected demand.
As Ashok said on X, high fidelity park assist is shipping to customers without ultrasonic sensors as part of the holiday release. Good news though, he added yes, it should eventually go to cars that do have ultrasonic sensors as well. There are still questions if this will only be available on cars with the AMD chip, and that those with the Ryzen processor won't be able to handle these type of graphics.
Responding to Holmar saying Tesla added LiDAR-like capabilities to millions of cars overnight via a software update, Tesla's head of AI and Optimus, Pariel said even better, it does shape completion and extrapolation beyond occlusions that raw LiDAR measurements won't. I just want to say, remember this is going to be version 1, so it's the worst iteration that we will see of this new feature, it should only get better. Pariel also said yes, ultrasonic sensors may miss, low curves or thin objects, it obviously is not perfect yet, but like any new feature, it's already a step improvement and will keep getting better. With this feature, each 3D model is gray, but changes color the closer the car gets to the object. The objects go from gray to yellow to orange and then to red. And here are some early examples of this feature. And yes, I would guess that over time, the lines for this feature will become much more defined. The question remains, when will Tesla's vision park assist be on par or better than with the ultrasonic sensors? I don't know, but this is certainly a step in the right direction.
The $5,000 EV subsidy in Germany that was supposed to end at the end of this year was actually just ended abruptly due to a budget crisis. Berlin also just announced that the EV subsidy would not continue in 2024 at a reduced rate. Given that the subsidy has now ended about 2 weeks early, Tesla Europe and Middle East posted, Tesla will compensate for the termination of the government EV subsidy in Germany for new Model 3 and Y orders starting December 18th for vehicles delivered by December 31st. Adding, they will also maintain the manufacturer's share of about 2,500 US dollars. Effectively, the roughly 6,750 euro subsidy was split between the manufacturer and the government. This will be a slight hit to margins for Tesla, but it's also a really nice thing to do.
In case you were wondering about the difficulty of removing the side mirrors on the Cybertruck according to this video, it may not be as difficult as some were expecting. It looks like under this panel right here that can simply be peeled back, there are 3 and 8 bolts that just need unscrewed and then the side view mirrors come right off. I am curious of all of you that plan to own a Cybertruck, are you also planning to remove the side view mirrors on yours?
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Jay Leno dropped a new video on the Cybertruck with Lars and Franz, so I just want to zip through some of the main takeaways. Jay said he was amazed what he was able to do with the Cybertruck. The Tesla team did initially want camera side view mirrors, but Tesla could not get the regulations changed. Cameras for side mirrors are becoming a thing in Europe, but they're still not allowed in the United States. There is actually an aero benefit of having the wiper blade off to the side. The wiper probably would not exist without the truck having moved to 48 volts. It requires between 600 to 800 watts of power to move it back and forth. They did confirm Tesla has received over $2,100 deposits for the Cybertruck.
All of the doors open to 90 degrees. They have the L-track in the vault for accessories. Franz said Tesla is about twice as good as the competition when it comes to pack size and efficiency. Lars said he could not think of one part of the Cybertruck that is not made in America. They talked about the 17.5 inch true ground clearance at the highest setting, in which you can drive up to 10 miles per hour. They touched on Tesla's Wade mode, where you can take the Cybertruck through a bit more than two and a half feet of water without getting water into the cabin. Tesla calls it the scuba pack, where they took the air suspension system and pressurized the battery. All you have to do is press a button on the UI called Wade mode and it forces air into the pack to create a bit of positive pressure to keep water out.
Lars said the glass on the Cybertruck is Borosilica to provide chip resistance, but if you do get a chip it will not propagate and if you want to repair it, you just get safe light glue and fill it in. They talked about how steer by wire results in less fatigue when off-roading because it can still provide feedback from the terrain but not so much that it becomes tiring to handle like it would with a mechanical system. Lars also said that Tesla partners with Goodyear to create some custom tires and some of the lowest rolling resistance tires on the market.
They showed an Easter egg of sorts. This one is for the off-road light. On the roof rack mount there's a 48 volt wire that can be plugged in directly to the off-road light that can light up a half a mile down the road. You do have the option to bolt on a skid plate to the battery pack for more serious off-roading. They also walked through some off-road mode customizations and they have easy terrain modes like all-purpose, sand, gravel, and rocks and then Tesla will adjust the suspension properly. All of the switches for the outlets are right in the user interface and Franz did confirm that Tesla is working on induction charging for vehicles with pads for your garage. You just drive right over it and your car will start charging, nothing to plug in. And yes, earlier this year Tesla bought Wiferyon but they later sold part of that company and there was a chance that technology was just going to be used for factory induction charging, for robots, but this is confirmation from Franz that consumers and vehicles will also be getting induction charging from Tesla in the future.
It's pretty long but even just the part about Lars talking about the windshield wiper alone and all of the engineering that went into that one part of the vehicle was very impressive and there is still so much more to learn about the Cybertruck. My bank account needs these videos to stop coming out as soon as possible.
Sandy got a tour of Gigataxis where they handle the HFS panels. It was very technical in nature. I did learn that there are two different dimensions or thickness for the panels. The doors are 1.8 millimeters and the rest of the truck like the sales are 1.4 millimeters. However, due to the technicality of the video, the full thing will be linked below.
When it comes to Tesla and India, I'm not sure how much of this is posturing and negotiating publicly but here's what we have. They're saying Tesla has been reluctant to share crucial details about its plans, specifically the targeted price point for launching its vehicles. The company also is not providing its high in line for commencing the construction of its plans and initiating local manufacturing.
It sounds like the Indian government is worried about the high price of Tesla vehicles currently saying the high price point won't give enough volumes to Tesla to justify building a plant in India. Saying even if Tesla were to have a more affordable vehicle in that market, the company may not find the market appealing and then it could depart after leveraging years of duty cuts. It sounds like the overall amount of Tesla's investment is still being negotiated.
Tesla has provided a bank guarantee for their proposed investment but Tesla has been demanding to include their charging infrastructure and the dealership network in the investment calculation. But right now it sounds like India only recognizes investment made in constructing plants and machinery as eligible investment. That eligibility has to do with Tesla then in return getting a break on the import duties.
As we've talked about before, Tesla still wants to import completely built up units at the same rate that they offer to knocked down units which is that 15% import duty. So the latest is that according to Indian officials, Tesla is not being forthcoming enough with its plans but I would guess that Tesla just may not know exactly what they want their plans to be in this market where they have very little experience. That's because so far the Indian government really hasn't given Tesla much of an opportunity to test out the market with some realistic incentives.
Plus we've already heard rumblings that Gigatexas, Gigas Shanghai, Gigabrelin and Gigamexico are all eventually going to manufacture the $25,000 vehicle so it's not like Tesla needs another factory for this vehicle right now. As I've said before though, I think long term Tesla and India will definitely work something out. It's just they may go on negotiating for another year or so before we actually get a final announcement.
You may have heard in the news the last year or so most of the other car manufacturers have agreed to adopt Tesla's charge port. That is our first car company Ford and then GM are starting in February of 2024. Once they have the charge port and the software to interface with our charging stations they will actually be open to those vehicles. We're opening up to most of the other car manufacturers in stages just to make sure we don't get swamped all at once.
These would then be open. We wouldn't anticipate being able to construct and tell maybe this spring if we get all the approvals so this would begin to be open to other car manufacturers. Perfect. So in time other car manufacturers will be allowed to use this. We're phasing them in over a year so we can get everybody up to speed. Thank you for answering that question. This is Tesla's design manager of charging infrastructure and as you just heard it sounds like GM and Ford are going to have access to the Supercharger network in February of next year.
Then the rest of the automakers that have adopted the NAC standard will also be added into the system sometime in the following year. Clearly they don't want to add all of these OEMs at once so they can actually test the integration in the software with the OEMs and check on congestion at the sites. Hopefully some of these Ford and GM customers have such a great experience with the Tesla Supercharging network and the interface that they think to themselves. Well I wonder if I should go check out a Model 3S X Y or Cybertruck.
There are reports out there that Tesla has removed the Disney Plus app from the Tesla UI and this would make sense after Elon's choice words for Bob Iger when it comes to X and advertising. I'm not sure of the extent of these removals but the good news is you can get this app back in your car you just go to Disneyplus.com it'll go full screen and then the app will be re-added to the Tesla theater. Ultimately a move like this really only hurts the end Tesla consumer. I understand why Elon would want to do it but isn't the best idea you can certainly debate that.
Either way hopefully this workaround remains in place for those that want to use the app.
希望无论如何,这个临时解决方法能够一直适用于那些想要使用该应用程序的人。
Over the weekend the acting head of NHTSA has stepped down and Carlson should leave her post on December 26th due to a law limiting how long officials can remain in a temporary role.
For now NHTSA's deputy administrator Sophie Schulman will serve as acting administrator but for much of the last six years NHTSA has been without a Senate confirmed administrator. During the Trump administration no nominee was ever confirmed to head NHTSA.
The thing is with our government agencies it's tough to know what's really going on behind the scenes and Carlson actually failed the Senate confirmation for this role amidst criticism from lawmakers and industry groups over her past climate activism. So whether Carlson's departure really is due to this law or it's more about Republicans in their opposition to her being in that role in the first place we may not know for sure but far too soon to tell if anything will be changing with NHTSA going forward.
Quick fun fact from the DOE in June of 2022 there were 2,720 electric school buses operating or delivered and ordered or awarded funding. Fast forward one year to June of this year that number has roughly doubled to 5,982.
In a recent local council meeting Grunhaidah's treasurer has shared that Gigabrelin is the municipality's largest taxpayer.
在最近的地方议会会议上,格伦海达镇的财务主管透露,吉加布雷林是该市最大的纳税人。
We have Canada set to roll out some new regulation that will require all vehicles to be zero emission by 2035. The electric vehicle availability standard is supposed to be announced in the coming days. It will require ZEVs which include electric hydrogen and plug-in EVs to make up 20% of all new car sales in 2026, 60% in 2030 and 100% in 2035.
LK and Nezomotor's in Shanghai have just agreed to joint development of a 20,000 ton gigapress and various other businesses. This will expand integrated die casting applications to the entire car body chassis of B-class vehicles and larger size models. The two companies will also look to establish a die casting research institute. This would officially be the largest clamping force die cast machine in the world. This write-up made the partnership sound more like a research project than this gigapress being used immediately for a specific vehicle, but we'll see.
Waymo is launching curbside pickup at the Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix. Waymo has been offering rides to and from the airport since November of 2022, but to date the service only went to an airport shuttle stop. So now they're actually going to navigate the terminal curbs which is an entirely new challenge. To start they'll have limited hours from 10pm to 6am and only terminals 3 and 4. Initially this will only be available to a select cohort of active riders in Phoenix. Waymo intends to open these pickup locations to all its riders and expand to 24-7 service in the coming months. Waymo has been pretty quiet as of late and given what's going on with crews that may not be such a bad thing.
We also have a Toyota backed startup May Mobility looking to offer driverless rides in Arizona. Their autonomous Toyota Cn and minivans Will Ferry select residents of a retirement community in Sun City along public roads beginning today. May Mobility actually contracts directly with the local municipalities and in this case riders may choose between 18 departure points and stops in the services initial rollout. The vehicles are not on a fixed route and riders can hail a ride via the May Mobility app. The autonomous Cn as will operate within a 4.5 mile service area.
NIO is set to receive a $2.2 billion strategic investment from a fund backed by Abu Dhabi. This will be a dilutive move but it will also take bankruptcy off the table for NIO for at least another few quarters. CYVN holdings will acquire 294 million newly issued shares which will increase their ownership to 20.1%.
Now we have 16 major investors in the Nordic region threatening to sell their Tesla shares if they don't sign a collective agreement. If Tesla does not change its mind it may become relevant to sell the shares in the company and leave the part ownership. They did say however this is a last resort. One of the groups involved Norway's largest pension company KLP. This article was from today and it says KLP owns 0.027% of shares in Tesla with a market value of $211 million. This investor group is asking for a meeting with Tesla in early 2024 to go over some of their concerns.
We don't know how many hundreds of millions or billions of dollars would be at stake here but the truth is this would most likely hurt these pension funds and these investment groups much more than it would actually hurt Tesla at least in the long run. And yes I would gladly buy some of these shares if they go up for grabs.
A recent poll that was released by Novus has showed that 58% of Swedes believe the union is right to take the fight with Tesla. Adding only 20% of those who answered believe the union's industrial action is wrong. I do not think this is something widespread yet but something to keep an eye on.
Chuck Cook said driving FSD beta 11.4.9 Tesla was going around manhole covers in that so could this be the first hint of driving around objects like potholes or raised manhole covers. I'll repeat Chuck's question, have any of you been experiencing this behavior?
In case you're wondering how things are going over at Mercedes this was shared on Facebook. This news release is being given out at local Mercedes dealerships to spread FUD. A friend of this person brought a Mercedes in for service and was given this by the service advisor. Here's the Mercedes business card with the headline of the recent Tesla recall to me this reeks of desperation.
I'm working on looking into this but given my cross country travels I have not had the time I've wanted to but Matt Smith and the team over at Rebellionair are saying that Tesla is claiming 95% domestic content for their megapacks. This would of course have big implications when it comes to incentives for the megapack but the question becomes how is Tesla pulling this off. Are they funneling some 4680 cells into the megapack? Do they have an LFP cell supply coming from somewhere that allows this to be possible? We'll see and I don't want to dive into this yet because again I have not had the time to look into it properly but I did want to put it out there if any of you also want to go down the rabbit hole.
It was at this point my camera died. My continuous power source is not working, new part is on the way. We'll continue for the day without my mug on the screen.
The 2020 former sates AMG EQE is only going to have 235 miles of EPA range with a 90.6 kilowatt hour battery pack for a vehicle that costs over a hundred thousand dollars.
Trevor Milton was finally sentenced today by a US district judge and he'll be ordered to spend four years behind bars for lying to shareholders about Nikola's progress. Milton was in tears as he asked the judge to sentence him only to probation. He said he did not intend to mislead investors and made mistakes due to a lack of experience saying I was not a very seasoned CEO.
Elon was interviewed in Italy at the Atreu event. The only thing he really said specific to Tesla was that they have around 140,000 employees globally. Full interview will be linked below.
Don't forget check out mudwater linked below especially for those days when you're looking for a coffee alternative. Hope you guys have a wonderful day. Please like the video if you did. You can find me on X linked below and a huge thank you to all of my Patreon supporters.