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Ladies in the House, Model X or BMW i3? 

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A Model X appears at the CES show in Las Vegas, it seems to have a shallower angle for the front hood and window compared to other versions of the SUV/Crossover. (Source: USA Today/Twitter)

A Model X appears at the CES show in Las Vegas.  (Source: USA Today/Twitter)

A lot has been made in the media of Tesla’s Model X being targeted towards women and how vehicle is a “SUV meets minivan.” I wrote back in 2012, “Targeting Mom, Tesla’s Model X,”  and thought “the Tesla Model X SUV should be the model that pushes this car company to profitability and unthought levels of success if they know how to build these cars on any scale.”

Well, I’m close on the success one, not so much on the profitability. Company profitability is not on the horizon until 2020 and  “unthought levels of success” could be under threat if Tesla does not deliver the Model X by mid-summer.

As Dana Hull of the San Jose Mercury News pointed out recently, Tesla describes the Model X on its web site as being an automobile “built around the driver — and six of her friends.”

>> NEW! Model X Being Tested in Northern California. 

It was reported in Hull’s piece that “Tesla invited a dozen Palo Alto-area women, last year, to its headquarters for a freewheeling, three-hour focus group led by Franz von Holzhausen, Tesla’s chief designer. Also, several of the designers who worked on the Model X are women, including Nancy Holman, Susanne Neuhauser and Kimberly Marte.”

If history is any indicator, Tesla will devote most of its immediate resources to getting the Model X roll out right and Musk has promised a steeper production ramp for the model due to thousands of reservation holders.

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Delays aren’t good for Tesla (and Model III development), however it may be a boon for a diminutive car called the i3 from BMW and provide another choice for the female car consumers in the all-electric car market in 2015.

This Sunday, BMW is hitting the Super Bowl airwaves with an i3 television commercial featuring Bryant Gumbel and Katie Couric, paired up like they were back in 1994 on the Today show (The Super Bowl Commercial is at the bottom of this post).

To me, the Super Bowl ad targets the 40 to 65 age range and not just women. The commercial is light and fun, and tells a story about how new technologies can be quite mysterious at first.

The i3’s funky design is connecting with car consumers, averaging more than 1,000 sold units in four of the last five months in 2014. The i3 is a compact car but does have decent cargo room and some crossover features, such as a fold-down back seat.

Some years ago, VW sold a unique car called the Beetle and, in 1968, it sold 423,008 vehicles in the United States. When the Beetle was reintroduced in the late 1990s, it was a bit of style statement for the female demographic.

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Is there a back door green statement going to females with the i3? Maybe BMW is positioning the i3 with suburban Moms and will really push the X5 edrive hybrid plug-in next year. In the end, BMW is putting forth effective marketing (which is great to see as an enthusiast) for this car in many different television and online channels.

So, let’s hope the Tesla conference call goes smooth in February and the Model X is still on target for mid-Summer.

 

"Grant Gerke wears his Model S on his sleeve and has been writing about Tesla for the last five years on numerous media sites. He has a bias towards plug-in vehicles and also writes about manufacturing software for Automation World magazine in Chicago. Find him at Teslarati

Elon Musk

X account with 184 followers inadvertently saves US space program amid Musk-Trump row

Needless to say, the X user has far more than 184 followers today after his level-headed feat.

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Joel Kowsky, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

An X user with 184 followers has become the unlikely hero of the United States’ space program by effectively de-escalating a row between SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and President Donald Trump on social media.

Needless to say, the X user has far more than 184 followers today after his level-headed feat.

A Near Fall

During Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s fallout last week, the U.S. President stated in a post on Truth Social that a good way for the United States government to save money would be to terminate subsidies and contracts from the CEO’s companies. Musk responded to Trump’s post by stating that SpaceX will start decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft immediately. 

Musk’s comment was received with shock among the space community, partly because the U.S. space program is currently reliant on SpaceX to send supplies and astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). Without Dragon, the United States will likely have to utilize Russia’s Soyuz for the same services—at a significantly higher price.

X User to the Rescue

It was evident among X users that Musk’s comments about Dragon being decommissioned were posted while emotions were high. It was then no surprise that an X account with 184 followers, @Fab25june, commented on Musk’s post, urging the CEO to rethink his decision. “This is a shame this back and forth. You are both better than this. Cool off and take a step back for a couple days,” the X user wrote in a reply.

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Much to the social media platform’s surprise, Musk responded to the user. Even more surprising, the CEO stated that SpaceX would not be decommissioning Dragon after all. “Good advice. Ok, we won’t decommission Dragon,” Musk wrote in a post on X.

Not Planned, But Welcomed

The X user’s comment and Musk’s response were received extremely well by social media users, many of whom noted that @Fab25june’s X comment effectively saved the U.S. space program. In a follow-up comment, the X user, who has over 9,100 followers as of writing, stated that he did not really plan on being a mediator between Musk and Trump. 

“Elon Musk replied to me. Somehow, I became the accidental peace broker between two billionaires. I didn’t plan this. I was just being me. Two great minds can do wonders. Sometimes, all it takes is a breather. Grateful for every like, DM, and new follow. Life’s weird. The internet’s weirder. Let’s ride. (Manifesting peace… and maybe a Model Y.)” the X user wrote.

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Lifestyle

Tesla Cybertruck takes a bump from epic failing Dodge Charger

The Cybertruck seemed unharmed by the charging Charger.

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Credit: Hammer_of_something/Reddit

There comes a time in a driver’s life when one is faced with one’s limitations. For the driver of a Dodge Charger, this time came when he lost control and crashed into a Tesla Cybertruck–an absolute epic fail. 

A video of the rather unfortunate incident was shared on the r/TeslaLounge subreddit.

Charging Charger Fails

As could be seen in the video, which was posted on the subreddit by Model Y owner u/Hammer_of_something, a group of teens in a Dodge Charger decided to do some burnouts at a Tesla Supercharger. Unfortunately, the driver of the Charger failed in his burnout or donut attempt, resulting in the mopar sedan going over a curb and bumping a charging Cybertruck.

Ironically, the Dodge Charger seemed to have been parked at a Supercharger stall before its driver decided to perform the failed stunt. This suggests that the vehicle was likely ICE-ing a charging stall before it had its epic fail moment. Amusingly enough, the subreddit member noted that the Cybertruck did not seem like it took any damage at all despite its bump. The Charger, however, seemed like it ran into some trouble after crashing into the truck.

Alleged Aftermath

As per the the r/TeslaLounge subreddit member, the Cybertruck owner came rushing out to his vehicle after the Dodge Charger crashed into it. The Model Y owner then sent over the full video of the incident, which clearly showed the Charger attempting a burnout, failing, and bumping into the Cybertruck. The Cybertruck owner likely appreciated the video, in part because it showed the driver of the Dodge Charger absolutely freaking out after the incident.

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The Cybertruck is not an impregnable vehicle, but it can take bumps pretty well thanks to its thick stainless steel body. Based on this video, it appears that the Cybertruck can even take bumps from a charging Charger, all while chilling and charging at a Supercharger. As for the teens in the Dodge, they likely had to provide a long explanation to authorities after the incident, since the cops were called to the location.

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Anti-Elon Musk group crushes Tesla Model 3 with Sherman tank–with unexpected results

Ironically enough, the group’s video ended up highlighting something very positive for Tesla.

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Credit: Led By Donkeys/X

Anti-Elon Musk protesters and critics tend to show their disdain for the CEO in various ways, but a recent video from political action group Led By Donkeys definitely takes the cake when it comes to creativity.

Ironially enough, the group’s video also ended up highlighting something very positive for Tesla.

Tank vs. Tesla

In its video, Led By Donkeys featured Ken Turner, a 98-year-old veteran who served in the British army during World War II. The veteran stated that Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, is “using his immense power to support the far-right in Europe, and his money comes from Tesla cars.” 

He also noted that he had a message for the Tesla CEO: “We’ve crushed fascism before and we’ll crush it again.” To emphasize his point, the veteran proceeded to drive a Sherman tank over a blue Tesla Model 3 sedan, which, of course, had a plate that read “Fascism.” 

The heavy tank crushed the Model 3’s glass roof and windows, much to the delight of Led By Donkeys’ commenters on its official YouTube channel. But at the end of it all, the aftermath of the anti-Elon Musk demonstration ended up showcasing something positive for the electric vehicle maker.

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Tesla Model 3 Tanks the Tank?

As could be seen from the wreckage of the Tesla Model 3 after its Sherman encounter, only the glass roof and windows of the all-electric sedan were crushed. Looking at the wreckage of the Model 3, it seemed like its doors could still be opened, and everything on its lower section looked intact.

Considering that a standard M4 Sherman weighs about 66,800 to 84,000 pounds, the Model 3 actually weathered the tank’s assault really well. Granted, the vehicle’s suspension height before the political action group’s demonstration suggests that the Model 3’s high voltage battery had been removed beforehand. But even if it hadn’t been taken off, it seemed like the vehicle’s battery would have survived the heavy ordeal without much incident.

This was highlighted in comments from users on social media platform X, many of whom noted that a person in the Model 3 could very well have survived the ordeal with the Sherman. And that, ultimately, just speaks to the safety of Tesla’s vehicles. There is a reason why Teslas consistently rank among the safest cars on the road, after all.

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