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BYD executive says Tesla is a ‘partner’ in electrification

Credit: BYD

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An executive from Chinese automaker BYD has called Tesla a “partner” in electrifying the transportation sector, noting the U.S. company’s role in helping popularize and educate the public about electric vehicles (EVs).

In an interview between Yahoo Finance and BYD Executive Vice President Stella Li on Monday, Li told the publication she thought the global EV market couldn’t have come to exist the way it does without Tesla. She also said BYD “respected” Tesla a lot, adding that the U.S. automaker is both a “marketing leader” and an important factor in pushing the automotive industry into more sustainable technology.

“Without [Tesla], I think the global EV market could not run so rapidly,” Li said to Yahoo Finance anchor Akiko Fujita. “So we respect them a lot. I think they are a partner and also they are like a way together, we can really help the whole world. To educate the market and push the market for transaction.”

Li went on to describe automakers that make internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles as “the real competition,” adding that BYD considers itself a partner with all EV makers, including Tesla.

“The more people jumping to produce EV is better for the industry,” Li added.

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In the past, Li has also called Tesla a “very respected industry peer,” seemingly echoing Tesla’s approach that leaves room for other automakers to produce and help popularize EVs — ultimately resulting in a cleaner transportation sector.

The latest statements come after BYD overtook Tesla as a global producer of electric vehicles for the first time in Q4 2023, though not for the whole year. Tesla hit its 2023 delivery guidance of 1.8 million units globally, and CEO Elon Musk responded to the situation, noting that he considers the U.S. automaker more of an AI and robotics company than just a seller of cars.

Musk has also given BYD similar praise in the past, last year saying that the Chinese automaker’s cars are “highly competitive these days.” The kind words also come as Musk has criticized many other automakers within both the gas and EV spaces, with the billionaire recently saying that Rivian and Lucid could go bankrupt in the next six quarters.

You can read the full Yahoo Finance Q&A with BYD Executive VP Stella Li here.

Tesla rivals Rivian and Lucid receive harsh prediction from Elon Musk

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What are your thoughts? Let me know at zach@teslarati.com, find me on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send us news tips at tips@teslarati.com.

Zach is a renewable energy reporter who has been covering electric vehicles since 2020. He grew up in Fremont, California, and he currently lives in Colorado. His work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, KRON4 San Francisco, FOX31 Denver, InsideEVs, CleanTechnica, and many other publications. When he isn't covering Tesla or other EV companies, you can find him writing and performing music, drinking a good cup of coffee, or hanging out with his cats, Banks and Freddie. Reach out at zach@teslarati.com, find him on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send us tips at tips@teslarati.com.

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Tesla bolsters Referral Program with big change and bigger rewards

The Tesla Referral Program offers benefits to both car buyers and existing Tesla owners, including complimentary Full Self-Driving trials, free Supercharging miles, and discounts on select purchases, such as cars.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla has bolstered its Referral Program by offering more significant benefits for both the referrer and the referee. However, it only applies to certain vehicles in the Tesla lineup.

The Tesla Referral Program offers benefits to both car buyers and existing Tesla owners, including complimentary Full Self-Driving trials, free Supercharging miles, and discounts on select purchases, such as cars.

It changes relatively frequently, and is a great way to encourage people to buy a new car. Tesla is routinely making adjustments to it to stimulate demand, but the referral program likely does not encourage too many sales. Instead, it’s more of a reward for the referrer.

However, the latest adjustments are more substantial for both the buyer and the owner, offering pretty sizeable discounts on the purchase price of a Model S, Model X, or Cybertruck.

There are also discounts for current owners, giving them money off of all five Tesla vehicles.

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Here’s the rundown of the new Referral Program awards:

  • You’ll earn $250 in Tesla Credits for each person you refer who takes delivery of a new Tesla
  • The first 10 people who order a new Model S, Model X, or Cybertruck using your referral link and take delivery will receive $1,000 off their purchase
  • When you purchase a new Model S, Model X, or Cybertruck for yourself, you’ll get $1,000 off
  • When you purchase a new Model 3 or Model Y, you’ll get $500 off
  • Limited to 10 awards

This is a pretty big discount as $1,000 off a Model S, Model X, or Cybertruck is a nice benefit to three of Tesla’s most expensive vehicles.

The additional $500 off a Model 3 or Model Y is also a nice cushion. A similar Referral Program was launched by Tesla last August.

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Tesla adjusts ‘Actually Smart Summon’ to avoid one common complaint

Tesla is adjusting Summon Standby’s settings slightly to combat the loss of battery life some owners might see with the feature active.

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tesla summon
Credit: YouTube/Hector Perez

Tesla has adjusted one portion of its “Actually Smart Summon” (ASS) feature to address a common complaint from owners: battery drain.

Teslas have a lot of really awesome features that make them one of the most technologically advanced vehicle models on the market. Things like Sentry Mode, Cabin Overheat Protection, and ASS’s “Summon Standby” features all keep the car on its toes for anything that comes its way.

Tesla finally launches Actually Smart Summon and Dumb Summon

However, the activation of these features contributes to battery drain while the vehicle sits parked. The amount varies, but I personally have lost up to five percent with some of these features active. That’s a lot if you do not utilize home charging.

Tesla is doing what it can to combat the battery drain with each of these features. It has done so with Sentry Mode, as an update last year helped combat battery percentage loss due to the activation of the security feature.

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Tesla is about to ship a fix to a big Sentry Mode issue

It also recently introduced “Low Power Mode,” which will automatically deactivate some features if your battery falls below 20 percent. This is a great way to combat battery loss if your car is parked somewhere long-term, like an airport, for example.

There is also another feature that is attached to ASS called “Summon Standby.” This keeps the vehicle awake in case the owner needs quick connectivity to the vehicle, allowing them to summon the car to their location swiftly.

But there’s a drawback: keeping this feature activated will drain the battery. By default, the feature is activated when you take your car home, so you have to turn it off manually by accessing the settings menu inside the vehicle.

Turning this off would save you between 2% and 3% overnight, in my experience. With ASS still being a feature that needs some work, I chose to turn Summon Standby off. ASS will still work with the standby mode deactivated; it will just take a few more seconds for your phone to connect to the vehicle.

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Tesla is adjusting Summon Standby’s settings slightly to combat the loss of battery life some owners might see with the feature active.

According to Not a Tesla App, Tesla has rolled out two conditions for which Summon Standby will be deactivated automatically:

Overnight Deactivation

Summon Standby will automatically be deactivated from midnight to 6 a.m. every night, which appears to be a data-driven decision made by Tesla based on the feature’s least-used hours.

This automatic pause cannot be turned off, at least for the time being.

Extended Parking Deactivation

If your Tesla is parked for over 24 hours, Summon Standby will also be deactivated automatically.

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This is a great way to save battery life for those who are on vacation or are at home for several days in a row. This works similarly to the Low-Power Mode we talked about earlier in this article.

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Elon Musk

Neuralink is planning to launch US trials translating thoughts into text

The trial could help pave the way for people with speech impairments to communicate more quickly and efficiently.

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Credit: Neuralink

Neuralink, Elon Musk’s brain-computer interface company, is reportedly planning to start a US clinical trial in October to use its technology to translate thoughts directly into text. 

The trial was approved by the FDA under an investigational device exemption, and it could help pave the way for people with speech impairments to communicate more quickly and efficiently.

Thought-to-text technology

The upcoming trial aims to read speech directly from the brain, enabling participants to transmit words without moving their mouths or using a keyboard, as noted in a report from Bloomberg News.

DJ Seo, Neuralink’s president, told an audience at the Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies in Seoul that the company hopes to demonstrate communication with large language model AI platforms “at the speed of thought,” potentially faster than spoken speech.

“We think that it’s actually possible to demonstrate abilities to speak to the latest AI model, or LLM models, at the speed of thought, even faster than how you’re speaking, and being able to potentially get that information back through your AirPods, effectively closing the loop,” Seo stated.

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Production ambitions

Ultimately, Seo described the trial as a stepping stone toward broader human enhancement and consumer-facing applications, beyond the company’s initial focus on medical conditions like ALS, stroke, blindness, and Parkinson’s disease.

While initial implants will focus on patients with severe speech impairments, Neuralink plans to eventually expand to healthy individuals by 2030. The company aims to scale to 20,000 implants per year by 2031.

“We’re currently envisioning a world where, in about 3 to 4 years, there will be someone who’s otherwise healthy who’s going to get a Neuralink. If you’re imagining saying something, we would be able to pick that up,” the executive noted.

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