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Elon Musk’s ‘Dexit’ sparks corporate exodus, threatens Delaware’s business throne

MINISTÉRIO DAS COMUNICAÇÕES, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

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Delaware’s corporate grip seems to be slipping. Frustrated CEOs, echoing Elon Musk’s frustrations with the state, are ditching the state’s Chancery Court and reincorporating elsewhere—a movement that has been colloquially dubbed as “Dexit.”

The “Dexit” Exodus:

  • Meta, Dropbox, Pershing Square, Trade Desk, Fidelity National Financial, and Sonoma Pharmaceuticals have drafted up plans to potentially exit Delaware and incorporate somewhere else, as noted in a Yahoo Finance report. 
  • These companies, if they do leave, would join Elon Musk’s Tesla, SpaceX, Boring Company, Neuralink, and X.
  • The trend has been informally dubbed as “Dexit.”
  • Musk’s companies left the state after Delaware Judge Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick struck down the CEO’s 2018 pay package after all its targets had already been achieved.

Musk’s warning: 

  • Musk has been very open about his disdain over Delaware’s courts. “Never incorporate your company in the state of Delaware,” he posted on X in January 2024. 
  • Musk’s frustration with Delaware became even more evident after Chancellor McCormick refused to consider the decision of TSLA shareholders, who ratified the CEO’s pay package during its 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.
  • Tesla shareholders have voted to reincorporate the company in Texas instead of Delaware during its last annual meeting.

Experts Weigh In: 

  • “I think there is a lot of pressure on Delaware,” said University of Virginia Law School professor Michal Barzuza. “And I think the more moving, the easier it becomes for others to move.”
  • Pershing Square CEO Bill Ackman was among the entrepreneurs who have opted to leave Delaware. In a post on X, he announced that he is leaving the state for Nevada.
  • “We are reincorporating our management company in Nevada for the same reason. Top law firms are recommending Nevada and Texas over Delaware,” Ackman wrote.
  • Coinbase chief legal officer Paul Grewal shared similar sentiments in recent weeks.
  • “I’ve tried cases to Delaware juries, enjoyed friendships with Delaware judges, and taught classes to Delaware lawyers. The Hotel DuPont is a familiar stay, and I’ve bought too many shirts and ties to count at Wright & Simon in Wilmington. And so I share this with affection, not animosity:  Delaware is at serious risk of losing its standing as the leading state of incorporation for American companies,” Grewal wrote.

The Stakes for Delaware:

  • For roughly a century, Delaware has lured companies with business-friendly laws, a specialized court, and easy filings. Due to these, the state hosts over two-thirds of Fortune 500 firms.
  • Incorporation fees are a notable part of Delaware’s economy. In 2024, incorporation fees brought $1.33 billion to the state. 
  • Delaware rivals like Nevada, Texas, and Wyoming are now muscling in with their own pro-business pitches.
  • New Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer is digging into Chancery complaints.
  • “I’m hearing something similar from a number of Delaware companies and attorneys. That they feel like they get the same judge every time when they come to Delaware business court, and they don’t feel like they are getting a fair hearing,” he told CNBC.

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

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Elon Musk

Tesla to increase Full Self-Driving subscription price: here’s when

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla will increase its Full Self-Driving subscription price, meaning it will eventually be more than the current $99 per month price tag it has right now.

Already stating that the ability to purchase the suite outright will be removed, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said earlier this week that the Full Self-Driving subscription price would increase when its capabilities improve:

“I should also mention that the $99/month for supervised FSD will rise as FSD’s capabilities improve. The massive value jump is when you can be on your phone or sleeping for the entire ride (unsupervised FSD).”

This was an expected change, especially as Tesla has been hinting for some time that it is approaching a feature-complete version of Full Self-Driving that will no longer require driver supervision. However, with the increase, some are concerned that they may be priced out.

$99 per month is already a tough ask for some. While Full Self-Driving is definitely worth it just due to the capabilities, not every driver is ready to add potentially 50 percent to their car payment each month to have it.

While Tesla has not revealed any target price for FSD, it does seem that it will go up to at least $150.

Additionally, the ability to purchase the suite outright is also being eliminated on February 14, which gives owners another reason to be slightly concerned about whether they will be able to afford to continue paying for Full Self-Driving in any capacity.

Some owners have requested a tiered program, which would allow people to pay for the capabilities they want at a discounted price.

Unsupervised FSD would be the most expensive, and although the company started removing Autopilot from some vehicles, it seems a Supervised FSD suite would still attract people to pay between $49 and $99 per month, as it is very useful.

Tesla will likely release pricing for the Unsupervised suite when it is available, but price increases could still come to the Supervised version as things improve.

This is not the first time Musk has hinted that the price would change with capability improvements, either. He’s been saying it for some time. In 2020, he even said the value of FSD would “probably be somewhere in excess of $100,000.”

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Elon Musk

Tesla removes Autopilot as standard, receives criticism online

The move leaves only Traffic Aware Cruise Control as standard equipment on new Tesla orders.

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Credit: Tesla Malaysia/X

Tesla removed its basic Autopilot package as a standard feature in the United States. The move leaves only Traffic Aware Cruise Control as standard equipment on new Tesla orders, and shifts the company’s strategy towards paid Full Self-Driving subscriptions.

Tesla removes Autopilot

As per observations from the electric vehicle community on social media, Tesla no longer lists Autopilot as standard in its vehicles in the U.S. This suggests that features such as lane-centering and Autosteer have been removed as standard equipment. Previously, most Tesla vehicles came with Autopilot by default, which offers Traffic-Aware Cruise Control and Autosteer.

The change resulted in backlash from some Tesla owners and EV observers, particularly as competing automakers, including mainstream players like Toyota, offer features like lane-centering as standard on many models, including budget vehicles.

That being said, the removal of Autopilot suggests that Tesla is concentrating its autonomy roadmap around FSD subscriptions rather than bundled driver-assistance features. It would be interesting to see how Tesla manages its vehicles’ standard safety features, as it seems out of character for Tesla to make its cars less safe over time. 

Musk announces FSD price increases

Following the Autopilot changes, Elon Musk stated on X that Tesla is planning to raise subscription prices for FSD as its capabilities improve. In a post on X, Musk stated that the current $99-per-month price for supervised FSD would increase over time, especially as the system itself becomes more robust.

“I should also mention that the $99/month for supervised FSD will rise as FSD’s capabilities improve. The massive value jump is when you can be on your phone or sleeping for the entire ride (Unsupervised FSD),” Musk wrote. 

At the time of his recent post, Tesla still offers FSD as a one-time purchase for $8,000, but Elon Musk has confirmed that this option will be discontinued on February 14, leaving subscriptions as the only way to access the system.

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Elon Musk shares incredible detail about Tesla Cybercab efficiency

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(Credit: Tesla North America | X)

Elon Musk shared an incredible detail about Tesla Cybercab’s potential efficiency, as the company has hinted in the past that it could be one of the most affordable vehicles to operate from a per-mile basis.

ARK Invest released a report recently that shed some light on the potential incremental cost per mile of various Robotaxis that will be available on the market in the coming years.

The Cybercab, which is detailed for the year 2030, has an exceptionally low cost of operation, which is something Tesla revealed when it unveiled the vehicle a year and a half ago at the “We, Robot” event in Los Angeles.

Musk said on numerous occasions that Tesla plans to hit the $0.20 cents per mile mark with the Cybercab, describing a “clear path” to achieving that figure and emphasizing it is the “full considered” cost, which would include energy, maintenance, cleaning, depreciation, and insurance.

ARK’s report showed that the Cybercab would be roughly half the cost of the Waymo 6th Gen Robotaxi in 2030, as that would come in at around $0.40 per mile all in. Cybercab, at scale, would be at $0.20.

Credit: ARK Invest

This would be a dramatic decrease in the cost of operation for Tesla, and the savings would then be passed on to customers who choose to utilize the ride-sharing service for their own transportation needs.

The U.S. average cost of new vehicle ownership is about $0.77 per mile, according to AAA. Meanwhile, Uber and Lyft rideshares often cost between $1 and $4 per mile, while Waymo can cost between $0.60 and $1 or more per mile, according to some estimates.

Tesla’s engineering has been the true driver of these cost efficiencies, and its focus on creating a vehicle that is as cost-effective to operate as possible is truly going to pay off as the vehicle begins to scale. Tesla wants to get the Cybercab to about 5.5-6 miles per kWh, which has been discussed with prototypes.

Additionally, fewer parts due to the umboxed manufacturing process, a lower initial cost, and eliminating the need to pay humans for their labor would also contribute to a cheaper operational cost overall. While aspirational, all of the ingredients for this to be a real goal are there.

It may take some time as Tesla needs to hammer the manufacturing processes, and Musk has said there will be growing pains early. This week, he said regarding the early production efforts:

“…initial production is always very slow and follows an S-curve. The speed of production ramp is inversely proportionate to how many new parts and steps there are. For Cybercab and Optimus, almost everything is new, so the early production rate will be agonizingly slow, but eventually end up being insanely fast.”

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