Lifestyle
Kimbal Musk’s Tesla Model 3 giveaway is about the bigger picture
Kimbal Musk is giving away his personal, fully-loaded Tesla Model 3 to help raise funds for Big Green, a nonprofit organization aimed at fostering learning gardens and food literacy among schoolchildren in the United States.
There is no doubt that one lucky donor to Kimbal’s fundraiser will bring home the incredibly rare VIN#006 Tesla. Looking at the rationale behind Big Green and the nonprofit’s long-term goals, however, it becomes evident that this particular fundraiser is more than just about a car — it is about being part of a change.
An avid food enthusiast, Kimbal Musk has been vocal about the state of nutrition among America’s children for years. In a TEDx Talk in Boulder back in 2011, Kimbal described how unhealthy eating habits have become so ingrained in children, interacting with healthy food has turned into an unfamiliar experience.
“Over the past few decades, we have not been responsible stewards. We’ve changed America’s culture from a food culture to a fuel culture. For children, it’s even worse. Fat and sugar is all they know. Going to a vegetable garden is like going to the zoo,” Kimbal said.
Kimbal’s reservations about how America’s young and their unhealthy eating habits are well-founded. Last year, researchers from Harvard simulated future obesity rates for the United States’ kids; and the results were alarming. According to the Harvard study, over 57% of children in America today could be obese by the time they reach the age of 35. This is far more than figures outlined in CDC’s recent study, which suggested that nearly 40% of America’s population is obese today. A huge part of this problem, of course, is America’s culture of embracing processed, industrial food.
This is where Kimbal Musk’s Big Green is trying to make a difference.
“Habits form early and so should a good diet. It all starts with real food.” – Kimbal Musk
Big Green builds Learning Gardens in America’s underserved schools. According to the nonprofit’s official website, the modular gardens are designed to be outdoor classrooms that literally teach children how to dig into their education and thrive in real, nutritious food and healthy eating habits. Big Green has established hundreds of these Learning Gardens across America to date, and it is hoping to build more.
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- Big Green’s Learning Gardens. [Credit: Big Green]
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- Big Green’s Learning Gardens. [Credit: Big Green]
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- Big Green’s Learning Gardens. [Credit: Big Green]
In a recent blog post, Kimbal expressed how he hopes to establish Learning Gardens in 100,000 schools across the country. To accomplish this ambitious, characteristically Musk-esque goal, Kimbal and his team at Big Green would need to raise enough funding.
Omaze, the organization helping in raising awareness for Big Green, will be giving away Kimbal Musk’s personal Tesla Model 3 as part of a fundraising initiative to build a healthier future for kids.
“This ambitious goal will require a significant investment of resources, funding, and human capital. We must scale in order to fundamentally and radically alter the school food environment and ensure that all kids nationwide enjoy healthier futures through real food. While we’ve engaged some of the top US companies like Wells Fargo, Gordon Food Service, Chipotle, The Kitchen, Walmart, we need more American companies to join our efforts.
Reaching 100,000 schools in our lifetime is not something I can do by myself. This is a BIG effort for everyone in America. We must all try to make a Big Green effort to be part of the real food solution. I’m now asking you — CEOs, Governors, Superintendents, parents, and teachers — to support real food education. It’s time to step up to make real food in America a possibility before industrial food takes another child’s life.
– Kimbal Musk”
Entering for a chance to take home Kimbal’s VIN#006 Model 3 starts at $10, which translates to 100 entries for the fully-loaded electric car. Larger contributions will help Kimbal’s non-profit provide seeds, plants, and supplies for school gardens, as well as aid in building kitchen kits to help teachers prepare fresh produce in the classroom.
Learn more about Kimbal’s Big Green initiative and how you can win his Model 3 at Omaze, ending April 24, 2018.
Lifestyle
Tesla brings perhaps the coolest interior feature to cars in latest update
Tesla adds on to the “fun” aspect of its vehicles.
Tesla has brought perhaps the coolest interior feature to its cars in a new update that is rolling out to vehicles now.
The feature will require a newer vehicle that has interior ambient lighting, which is present on the new Model S, Model X, Model 3 “Highland,” and Model Y “Juniper.” The Cybertruck also has ambient lighting strips throughout.
Tesla Model Y’s ambient lighting design changes revealed in leaked video
With the Version 2025.26+ Software Update, Tesla is rolling out a new “Sync Accent Lights w/ Music” feature, which is available on the Tesla Toybox:
Turn your Tesla into a rave cave with the new Light Sync feature 🎶
Rolling out now in software update 2025.26+ pic.twitter.com/IIsQxZ9jDP
— Tesla (@Tesla) July 29, 2025
To enable the feature, you’ll access the Toybox, choose “Light Sync,” and then choose “Sync Accent Lights w/ Music.”
Although it does not improve the performance of the vehicle, it is yet another example of Tesla making one of the coolest cars out there. This is truly a cool add-on that can be used to impress your friends and family.
Elon Musk
xAI, Musk Foundation helps schools near Memphis supercomputer site
Reports of xAI and the Musk Foundation’s work were recently posted by local news media.
Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence startup xAI and the Musk Foundation have been supporting Memphis-Shelby County Schools with HVAC repairs and facility upgrades, while also funding youth programs for students in the area.
Reports of xAI and the Musk Foundation’s work were recently posted by local news media.
xAI’s school visits lead to facility repairs
Representatives from xAI visited John P. Freeman Optional School, Fairley High School, and Westwood High School, all of which are located near its Colossus supercomputer site, to assess HVAC systems, plumbing, gym facilities, and athletic fields. The visits resulted in a list of priority repairs, some of which were completed in April and May.
In addition to the repairs, xAI also shared a number of initiatives that are planned for students in the area, as stated in a Commercial Appeal report.
“xAI is working on providing STEM workshops for local students, donating equipment to technical training programs, and supporting job fairs to boost employment opportunities. These initiatives reflect xAl’s commitment to fostering education and economic growth in Memphis,” xAI noted in a statement.
Musk Foundation donation
Apart from xAI, the Musk Foundation also donated $350,000 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis, enabling the reopening of two club sites located at Booker T. Washington High School and Westwood High School. Both locations had closed earlier this year due to lapses in funding. As per xAI, the Musk Foundation’s donation allows clubs to reopen for almost 1,000 students.
The donation will fund staffing, supplies, and transportation, among others. “Kids are the future of humanity,” Elon Musk said in a statement, adding that students need “every chance to shoot for the stars.”
“We’re honored to support the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis in reopening these sites, giving kids in underserved communities the tools to build brighter futures,” Musk said.
The gift was praised by local officials, including Boys & Girls Clubs board chair Michael Garriga, who stated that the “commitment will ensure the youth of our community have the opportunities they need to develop their skills and talents to become successful students and future citizens.”
Lifestyle
EV fans urge Tesla to acquire Unplugged Performance for edge in fleet and security industry
Unplugged Performance has built a name for itself by producing performance upgrades for Tesla vehicles.
A growing number of Tesla enthusiasts and longtime community voices are calling on the electric vehicle maker to acquire Unplugged Performance, a California-based aftermarket company best known for tuning Tesla vehicles and developing specialized government fleet solutions under its UP.FIT division.
The idea was once considered a niche proposal among EV fans, but it is now gaining serious attention not just as a performance play but as a strategic move to deepen Tesla’s roots in the fleet and security industry.
A strategic fit
Unplugged Performance has built a name for itself by producing performance upgrades for Tesla vehicles, from track-optimized components to visual and aerodynamic upgrades. But in recent years, its UP.FIT division has pivoted toward a more functional future by outfitting Tesla vehicles like Model Ys for police, military, and government use.
That work has sparked growing calls for closer collaboration with Tesla, especially as the EV maker increasingly leans into autonomy, AI, and fleet services as core components of its next chapter.
“I posted this four years ago, but I think it’s more true now than ever,” wrote Whole Mars Catalog, a well-known Tesla investor and FSD Beta tester, on X. “Tesla should buy Unplugged. But not just as a Performance division. What they are doing with UP.FIT unlocks large government and commercial fleet purchases that can improve utilization.”
Tesla fans such as shareholder Sawyer Merritt echoed the sentiment, calling Unplugged a “great fit within Tesla.” adding, “They are literally located directly next to Tesla’s design studio in Hawthorne.”
Enabling the next wave
Supporters of the idea noted that integrating Unplugged into Tesla’s corporate structure could help accelerate the adoption of autonomous technologies in government sectors. With UP.FIT patrol cars already in use across some U.S. police departments, Tesla fans envisioned a future where self-driving Teslas could potentially revolutionize law enforcement, search-and-rescue, and public service logistics.
“Just imagine how autonomous patrol cars could transform policing and bring us into a safer future,” the veteran FSD tester wrote.
The benefits could also extend to Tesla’s existing consumer base. “They also have some incredible products in the works that I think will appeal to many ordinary Tesla drivers — not just those looking for performance or mods. Stuff that’s so good it should have come straight from the design studio next door,” Whole Mars Catalog noted.
Unplugged Performance, founded in 2013, shares not just a product vision with Tesla, but also geography. Its Hawthorne headquarters sits directly adjacent to Tesla’s design studio, and the two companies have maintained a close working relationship over the years. The aftermarket firm has long positioned itself as a “mission-aligned” partner to Tesla.
In response to the recent calls for acquisition, Unplugged Performance acknowledged the support from the community. “Our very existence is to support the Tesla mission with @UpfitTesla and @UnpluggedTesla,” Unplugged CEO Ben Schaffer posted on X. “We love working with Tesla and are grateful for the community’s support since 2013!”
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