Amidst the multiple fires that have forced an estimated 150,000 people to evacuate, caused fatalities and burned down a significant amount of property, Elon Musk, Tesla and others have shared a few of the relief efforts the company has undertaken.
Musk noted that the companies are utilizing the Cybertruck and Starlink to aid both authorities and evacuees, while others have shared their experiences using the company’s products to keep the lights on, evacuate and more.
Here are a few of the relief efforts Tesla and Musk have put in place, as well as experiences from some of the company’s customers.
Some Tesla Cybertruck deliveries paused to prioritize relief efforts, Starlink offers free service
On Sunday, Musk said on X that some Cybertruck orders would be delayed due to the company using them for relief efforts, in addition to a few other measures the company has announced in the past few days in efforts to help those affected by the fires. The CEO wrote the following message in the afternoon:
Apologies to those expecting Cybertruck deliveries in California over the next few days.
We need to use those trucks as mobile base stations to provide power to Starlink Internet terminals in areas of LA without connectivity.
A new truck will be delivered end of week.
In a follow-up post, Musk added:
We are going to position Cybertrucks with Starlinks and free WiFi in a grid pattern in the areas that most need it in the greater LA/Malibu area
After the posts, multiple users reached out to Teslarati requesting some of these support Cybertrucks in Pasadena. We asked Musk if it would be possible for victims to request help in certain areas, in addition to those he mentioned previously, though he hasn’t yet responded to whether this area will be covered at the time of writing.
Hey @elonmusk, we’ve gotten a few folks in Pasadena who are in need as well.
Is there a way you or @Tesla could set up a way for victims to request help in certain areas of LA? 🙏 https://t.co/2WkaChSfmW
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) January 12, 2025
In an email that was sent to Starlink customers last week that was seen by Teslarati, SpaceX announced that it was temporarily providing one month of free Starlink service to customers, writing that it was being proactively added to accounts without requiring anything from the consumer. Musk followed up and echoed the sentiment on Wednesday.
“SpaceX will provide free Starlink terminals to affected areas in LA tomorrow morning,” he he wrote.
Tesla donates Cybertrucks to be used as battery banks in Altadena
Along with deploying Cybertrucks equipped with SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet over the weekend and SpaceX making the service free, Tesla also donated some of the electric trucks to be used to power buildings for authorities involved in fighting the fire, as was highlighted on Saturday. In a post on Instagram, the Altadena Mountain Rescue account shared photos of a few Cybertrucks in a parking lot, saying that they were being used as battery banks amid outages.
The account writes:
A donation of Cyber Trucks from Tesla Motors to be utilized as battery banks at the station until power is restored to the station.
This will greatly help the team to power radios, computers and lights as we work into the dark.
Credit: Altadena Mountain Rescue | Instagram
Tesla also outlined the Altadena Cybertrucks and a wide range of other things it’s doing in a post on X on Sunday, including mobile Megapack charging stations and Powerwalls for Starlink:
Summary of efforts Tesla has done to support employees & communities impacted by the LA fires
Impacted employees (home lost or destroyed by fires) We’re covering housing accommodations & supporting employees with transportation & meals.
Superchargers
All our Supercharger sites are back online, except Pasadena Supercharger, which was in the middle of the fire.
Megapack Chargers (MPCs)
2 units deployed Friday 1/10 to relieve congestion in Thousand Oaks for evacuation & families losing power due to Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS).
1 unit deployed Saturday 1/11 in Altadena at the Sheriff’s Station for first responder support, providing power & Starlink connectivity. It’s located within their closed perimeter with utility power currently down.
2 mobile switchgear units with step down transformers that enable an MPC to support powering up 208V buildings (vs only 480V) & more utility than charging up EVs.
2 units in San Bernadino
We’re also working on deploying units in the Palisades directly
Mobile Powerwall Units (MPUs)
Deployed with support from 3rd party non-profits in Altadena & Topenga Canyon with Starlink & power for devices & fridges.
Cybertrucks (all with Starlinks installed)
3 Cybertrucks are now located at Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department in Altadena (+ bed filled with water & snacks) 2 in Pasadena 3 in Zuma Beach & Malibu
Mobile Superchargers powered by Megapacks deployed at Thousand Oaks, CA – West Hillcrest Drive Supercharger.
- Up to 16 stalls at 250kW
- Free Wi-Fi for anyone through Starlink
- Charging available for all EVs
- We’re monitoring where else they’re safe to deploy and helpful.
Credit: Tesla | X
MegapackCharger deployed at Altadena Sheriff’s Station for power & connectivity
Credit: Tesla | X
MPUs in Topenga Canyon + team installing them
Credit: Tesla | X Credit: Tesla | X
Cybertrucks at Altadena Sheriff’s Station
Credit: Tesla | X
READ MORE ON TESLA CYBERTRUCK CLIMATE DISASTER RELIEF: Tesla Cybertruck owners share insights after Hurricane Helene encounter
Tesla forgives Autopilot and FSD Supervised strikes in California for those evacuating
On Thursday, Tesla’s North America account on X also posted about one of the company’s relief initiatives, officially announcing that it would forgive all Autopilot and Supervised Full-Self Driving (FSD) strikes in the state of California to help aid those evacuating.
“To support people evacuating from the fires in the LA area, all Autopilot & FSD Supervised strikes are being forgiven in the state of California,” Tesla wrote in the post.
One Tesla owner shares Cybertruck Powershare experience
Along with Tesla’s fire relief efforts, one Cybertruck owner has shared an experience using the electric vehicle (EV) to keep a household powered during outages using Powershare—not unlike how it was used by the Altadena Mountain Rescue team.
In the post on the Cybertruck Owner’s Club forum on Wednesday, the user located in Orange County described using the Cybertruck’s Powershare to keep his household with electricity, saying that he had used about 25 miles of range from the EV about six hours into using it. As can be seen in the user’s screenshot of the Tesla app, the vehicle shows 202 miles of range remaining, saying that it still has over a day’s worth of energy.
Credit: MilliM | Cybertruck Owner’s Club
What are your thoughts? Were you or someone you know affected by the fires and used one or more of Tesla’s products to help with evacuation or power outages? Let me know at zach@teslarati.com, find me on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send us tips at tips@teslarati.com.
FEMA deploys Starlink in North Carolina for disaster relief operations
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Elon Musk
Elon Musk’s net worth is nearing $800 billion, and it’s no small part due to xAI
A newly confirmed $20 billion xAI funding round valued the business at $250 billion, adding an estimated $62 billion to Musk’s fortune.
Elon Musk moved within reach of an unprecedented $800 billion net worth after private investors sharply increased the valuation of xAI Holdings, his artificial intelligence and social media company.
A newly confirmed $20 billion funding round valued the business at $250 billion, adding an estimated $62 billion to Musk’s fortune and widening his lead as the world’s wealthiest individual.
xAI’s valuation jump
Forbes confirmed that xAI Holdings was valued at $250 billion following its $20 billion funding round. That’s more than double the $113 billion valuation Musk cited when he merged his AI startup xAI with social media platform X last year. Musk owned roughly 49% of the combined company, which Forbes estimated was worth about $122 billion after the deal closed.
xAI’s recent valuation increase pushed Musk’s total net worth to approximately $780 billion, as per Forbes’ Real-Time Billionaires List. The jump represented one of the single largest wealth gains ever recorded in a private funding round.
Interestingly enough, xAI’s funding round also boosted the AI startup’s other billionaire investors. Saudi investor Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Alsaud held an estimated 1.6% stake in xAI worth about $4 billion, so the recent funding round boosted his net worth to $19.4 billion. Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey and Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison each owned roughly 0.8% stakes that are now valued at about $2.1 billion, increasing their net worths to $6 billion and $241 billion, respectively.
The backbone of Musk’s net worth
Despite xAI’s rapid rise, Musk’s net worth is still primarily anchored by SpaceX and Tesla. SpaceX represents Musk’s single most valuable asset, with his 42% stake in the private space company estimated at roughly $336 billion.
Tesla ranks second among Musk’s holdings, as he owns about 12% of the EV maker’s common stock, which is worth approximately $307 billion.
Over the past year, Musk crossed a series of historic milestones, becoming the first person ever worth $500 billion, $600 billion, and $700 billion. He also widened his lead over the world’s second-richest individual, Larry Page, by more than $500 billion.
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Tesla Cybercab sighting confirms one highly requested feature
The feature will likely allow the Cybercab to continue operating even in conditions when its cameras could be covered with dust, mud, or road grime.
A recent sighting of Tesla’s Cybercab prototype in Chicago appears to confirm a long-requested feature for the autonomous two-seater.
The feature will likely allow the Cybercab to continue operating even in conditions when its cameras could be covered with dust, mud, or road grime.
The Cybercab’s camera washer
The Cybercab prototype in question was sighted in Chicago, and its image was shared widely on social media. While the autonomous two-seater itself was visibly dirty, its rear camera area stood out as noticeably cleaner than the rest of the car. Traces of water were also visible on the trunk. This suggested that the Cybercab is equipped with a rear camera washer.
As noted by Model Y owner and industry watcher Sawyer Merritt, a rear camera washer is a feature many Tesla owners have requested for years, particularly in snowy or wet regions where camera obstruction can affect visibility and the performance of systems like Full Self-Driving (FSD).
While only the rear camera washer was clearly visible, the sighting raises the possibility that Tesla may equip the Cybercab’s other external cameras with similar cleaning systems. Given the vehicle’s fully autonomous design, redundant visibility safeguards would be a logical inclusion.
The Cybercab in Tesla’s autonomous world
The Cybercab is Tesla’s first purpose-built autonomous ride-hailing vehicle, and it is expected to enter production later this year. The vehicle was unveiled in October 2024 at the “We, Robot” event in Los Angeles, and it is expected to be a major growth driver for Tesla as it continues its transition toward an AI- and robotics-focused company. The Cybercab will not include a steering wheel or pedals and is intended to carry one or two passengers per trip, a decision Tesla says reflects real-world ride-hailing usage data.
The Cybercab is also expected to feature in-vehicle entertainment through its center touchscreen, wireless charging, and other rider-focused amenities. Musk has also hinted that the vehicle includes far more innovation than is immediately apparent, stating on X that “there is so much to this car that is not obvious on the surface.”
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Tesla seen as early winner as Canada reopens door to China-made EVs
Tesla had already prepared for Chinese exports to Canada in 2023 by equipping its Shanghai Gigafactory to produce a Canada-specific version of the Model Y.
Tesla seems poised to be an early beneficiary of Canada’s decision to reopen imports of Chinese-made electric vehicles, following the removal of a 100% tariff that halted shipments last year.
Thanks to Giga Shanghai’s capability to produce Canadian-spec vehicles, it might only be a matter of time before Tesla is able to export vehicles to Canada from China once more.
Under the new U.S.–Canada trade agreement, Canada will allow up to 49,000 vehicles per year to be imported from China at a 6.1% tariff, with the quota potentially rising to 70,000 units within five years, according to Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Half of the initial quota is reserved for vehicles priced under CAD 35,000, a threshold above current Tesla models, though the electric vehicle maker could still benefit from the rule change, as noted in a Reuters report.
Tesla had already prepared for Chinese exports to Canada in 2023 by equipping its Shanghai Gigafactory to produce a Canada-specific version of the Model Y. That year, Tesla began shipping vehicles from Shanghai to Canada, contributing to a sharp 460% year-over-year increase in China-built vehicle imports through Vancouver.
When Ottawa imposed a 100% tariff in 2024, however, Tesla halted those shipments and shifted Canadian supply to its U.S. and Berlin factories. With tariffs now reduced, Tesla could quickly resume China-to-Canada exports.
Beyond manufacturing flexibility, Tesla could also benefit from its established retail presence in Canada. The automaker operates 39 stores across Canada, while Chinese brands like BYD and Nio have yet to enter the Canadian market directly. Tesla’s relatively small lineup, which is comprised of four core models plus the Cybertruck, allows it to move faster on marketing and logistics than competitors with broader portfolios.
Elon Musk’s net worth is nearing $800 billion, and it’s no small part due to xAI
Tesla Cybercab sighting confirms one highly requested feature
