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In Elon Musk’s intertwining web of companies, Twitter is the latest addition
Elon Musk recently added Twitter to the list of companies he currently controls. Tesla, SpaceX, the Boring Company, and others have all worked as an intertwining web of entities with Musk acting as the spider. With the addition of Twitter, Musk adds another dimension to his list of companies that work with one another, all of which will ultimately culminate in the creation of X, a parent company.
While Musk’s ownership and control of Twitter are less than two weeks from its beginnings, employees of the social media network are learning a new lesson: just because it does not deal with cars, rockets, or tunnels, doesn’t mean those will not somehow come into the picture later on.
Twitter engineers learned this lesson faster than anyone as reports circulated late last week that Tesla employees were heading to downtown San Francisco to work side-by-side with the social media platform’s software people. The move was met with mixed reviews: some literally could not care less, but others felt Tesla engineers already had enough on their plate. After all, Musk said earlier this year he’d be very surprised if Tesla did not solve its Full Self-Driving suite by year’s end, and less than two months remain in 2022.
For anyone seasoned with Musk and his many ventures, the move was not all that much of a surprise. The Tesla CEO’s companies have never been wholly individualized, per se. While Tesla builds cars, SpaceX builds rockets, and the Boring Company builds underground tunnels, the three companies all have a little piece of each other. It’s more than likely just an advantage of having your hands in a lot of different buckets.
Take Tesla and SpaceX for example. The Model X drove NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken to the launchpad for the SpaceX Demo-2 launch last year. Tesla has used SpaceX welding techniques to improve the strength of aluminum parts in the Model Y. According to CNBC, Tesla sold SpaceX $2 million worth of vehicle components in Q1 2021.
NASA shows off Tesla Model X astronaut transport vehicle ahead of historic launch
Tesla and the Boring Company have an obvious connection due to the latter’s use of the former’s vehicles within its tunnels. Most notably, the Vegas Loop, which aims to revolutionize commuter and tourist travel in the Sin City, utilizes an array of Tesla vehicles to improve its express-style travel, helping to accommodate for groups of all sizes.
One of the advantages of having so many different companies in so many different industries is that eventually, situations will arise that may hint toward a conjuctive effort to solve a problem. Twitter is no different. A company that has obvious struggles in its DNA, evident through its battle with bots and spam accounts, Twitter is getting attention from some highly talented engineers at Tesla.
There are criticisms, too. Of course, Tesla investors may not love hearing that company employees are devoting time to a project that many of them disagreed with, to begin with. It is no secret that some of Musk’s biggest supporters have questioned the Twitter saga, referring to it as a distraction or a mistake. Musk, on the other hand, believes Twitter’s status as a modern-day town hall that highlights free speech is essential, and it is just one more thing he saw that he felt needed fixing.
For what it is worth, the workload and daily calendar Musk keeps is pretty impressive. A string of companies all helping one another is also a big plus and a huge advantage.
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News
Tesla Fremont Factory celebrates 15 years of electric vehicle production
Since opening in 2010, the Fremont Factory has produced all four “S3XY” models while creating tens of thousands of jobs.
Tesla is marking the 15-year anniversary of its Fremont Factory in California, the first automotive mass-manufacturing plant acquired by the electric car maker.
Since opening in 2010, the Fremont Factory has produced all four “S3XY” models while creating tens of thousands of jobs and investing billions of dollars in the region.
Celebrating 15 years of EV production
The Fremont Factory’s milestone was celebrated by the official Tesla Manufacturing account on X, which posted a photo of several Teslas forming a “15” in front of the facility’s iconic white facade. As per the electric vehicle maker, the Fremont Factory has now produced 3.6 million vehicles so far, and it has also created over 20,000 jobs in the state.
“15 years ago, we opened Fremont factory. Today, the Fremont team is producing all 4 S3XY models, totaling 3.6M vehicles made so far. 20k+ California jobs created w/ billions of dollars invested,” the official Tesla Manufacturing account on X wrote in its post.
The Fremont Factory’s transformation
Tesla acquired the Fremont Factory from the defunct NUMMI joint venture between General Motors and Toyota in May 2010 for $42 million. The facility had produced more than 8 million vehicles under GM and Toyota over 26 years. Following its acquisition, Tesla retooled the 5.3-million-square-foot plant to support the production of the Model S sedan.
Over the past 15 years, the factory has evolved into Tesla’s primary North American production hub, assembling the Model S, 3, X, and Y. Annual output has exceeded 550,000 vehicles, including nearly 560,000 produced in 2023 alone. Expectations are high that other products, such as the next-generation Roadster and Optimus, might be produced in the Fremont Factory as well.
News
Tesla posts job opening for next-generation Roadster production
Elon Musk teased a major demonstration at the Tesla Design Studio in Hawthorne, scheduled for the end of the year.
Tesla has opened its first job listing specifically for the next-generation Roadster, hinting at some substantial progress on the company’s long-awaited flagship all-electric supercar.
The company is looking for a Manufacturing Engineer to support the development and launch of new battery manufacturing equipment, which would likely be pivotal to the Roaster, considering its teased performance and range.
Tesla’s next-generation Roadster batteries
As per Tesla’s Careers website, the Roadster Manufacturing Engineer’s tasks would include ideating equipment concepts, developing specifications, validating processes, and addressing production bottlenecks. Tesla emphasized that the position involves collaboration across domestic and international sites, supporting equipment factory acceptance tests and assisting operations teams, with expected travel under 50 percent.
“In this role, you will take large-scale manufacturing systems for new battery products and architectures from the early concept development stage through equipment launch, optimization, and handover to local operations teams. Battery development is at the heart of our company, and this is an exciting opportunity to work directly on the central challenges for the all-new Roadster product architecture while still in its early development stages,” the job listing noted.
The opening marks one of the first public hiring efforts explicitly tied to the next-gen Roadster, suggesting that the vehicle’s development might be approaching its initial manufacturing phase. The fact that the new Roadster’s first job opening is related to its battery is interesting, as the vehicle was unveiled with a range of 620 miles way back in late 2018. Though at the time, Elon Musk also noted that the Roadster would be fitted with a 200 kWh battery, twice the size of the batteries used in the Model S and Model X.
Musk teases “most epic demo ever” and fuels Roadster speculation
Back in July, Elon Musk teased a major demonstration at the Tesla Design Studio in Hawthorne, California, scheduled for the end of the year. Musk shared on X that he had just visited the studio, calling the upcoming event the “most epic demo ever by one of year. Ever.”
The statement immediately prompted speculations that Tesla may finally be ready to reveal the production version of the next-generation Roadster. Originally unveiled alongside the Semi in 2018, the Roadster has remained under wraps while the company scaled production of other models. Since its unveiling, however, the Roadster’s rollout has been pushed back in favor of the original Model Y, the refreshed Model S and X, the Cybertruck, the refreshed Model 3, the Semi, and the new Model Y.
At the time of its unveiling, the next-generation Roadster was teased to be nothing short of a monster, with a 0-60 mph time of 1.99 seconds and a top speed of over 250 mph. Elon Musk also teased that the next-generation Roadster would have a range of 620 miles per charge. Later, the CEO noted that the Roadster should be able to achieve a 0-60 mph launch of less than 1 second, thanks to the vehicle’s SpaceX package. Musk has also noted recently that the next-generation Roadster would be “beyond a car.”
News
Tesla’s Shanghai sites now producing massive solar output, confirms exec
Gigafactory Shanghai’s rooftop solar installation now generates an impressive amount of clean energy, and other sites are following suit.
Tesla China Vice President Grace Tao recently shared new details on the company’s solar initiatives in some of its facilities across Shanghai.
In a post on Weibo, the Tesla executive stated that Gigafactory Shanghai’s rooftop solar installation now generates an impressive amount of clean energy, and other sites are following suit.
Tesla China’s rooftop solar initiatives
As per Tao’s post, Giga Shanghai’s rooftop solar system produces about 11 million kWh of electricity per year. This helps reduce carbon emissions by an estimated 4,600 tons annually.
The Shanghai Megafactory, which produces Megapack batteries, is also being fitted with solar panels. Once operational, it is expected to generate an additional 6 million kWh per year and further lower carbon emissions by roughly 2,500 tons.
“At present, the roof of the Shanghai Super Factory is covered with photovoltaic panels, which can generate 11 million kWh of electricity annually and reduce carbon emissions by 4,600 tons. The Shanghai Energy Storage Super Factory next door is also installing photovoltaic panels, which is expected to generate an additional 6 million kWh a year and reduce carbon emissions by 2,500 tons,” Tao wrote in her post.
Tesla expands solar and storage efforts
Beyond its manufacturing hubs, Tesla is extending its renewable energy strategy to service centers and retail operations in China. Tao stated that the roof of Tesla’s Shanghai Kangqiao Direct Body and Paint Center already produces around 400,000 kWh of green electricity each year, reducing emissions by yet another 170 tons.
She highlighted that Tesla’s goal is to ensure clean electricity powers the full lifecycle of its products, from manufacturing and storage to on-road charging. “The manufacture, storage, and use of clean electricity runs through the entire chain of Tesla products, and is also the contribution of every Tesla owner to a sustainable tomorrow for the earth,” Tao stated.
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