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Layer3 TV plans to use 100 Tesla Model X fleet to deliver next-gen cable

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Denver-based Layer3 TV, a next generation cable television service provider, is switching its service vehicles to a Tesla Model X fleet as the company aims to redefine the antiquated cable TV industry using modern day technologies. Layer3’s CEO Jeff Binder said that the company’s biggest advantage is in video quality, citing “It’s unanimous”.

With plans to purchase 100 Model X vehicles by the end of the year, Binder claims that the savings from their unique installation process and the low maintenance cost of the Model X enables the company to reap “substantial” savings. Their installation costs are nearly 50% lower than competitors, enabling the company to expand the Model X fleet and creating a “win-win” scenario.

“It’s a pretty different experience… Who doesn’t like driving a Model X?” – Layer3 TV CEO Jeff Binder

The company, founded in 2013 by cable veterans Jeff Binder and Dave Fellows, raised nearly $100M to fund its big plans to disrupt the cable service provider industry. Layer3 TV tells Teslarati that they had purchased a Model X to deliver their new service in Colorado earlier this year, and recently expanded the fleet nationwide. Layer3 currently services Chicago, Washington DC, Los Angeles, Dallas, and parts of Denver. While Binder didn’t release any subscriber numbers, he said the company is seeing double digit growth month-over-month.

Layer3 Originally planned to have a fleet of BMW i3s, but ultimately decided the Model X better fit their needs.

Multichannel reported that Layer3 TV is using a fleet of Teslas for their Colorado rollout stating, “For the rollout with NextLight in Longmont, Layer3 TV is using a fleet of Tesla vehicles to perform installs and other customer visits.” Layer3 TV initially envisioned using a fleet of BMW i3s but decided to go with the Tesla Model X after determining  that they needed more space, all wheel drive, and more range.

The company plans to have a fleet of roughly 100 Teslas by the end of the year and currently has the Model X deployed in all of their markets. Jeff Binder told Teslarati via phone, “There is no downside… we are spending half as much as the competition on installs, our installers love the vehicles, it’s sustainable, and we get great marketing out of the vehicles.”

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100 Tesla Model X Fleet

Layer3’s fleet of Model Xs are presumably the largest in the world, as not many company’s have adopted commercial uses for the vehicle. Binder told Teslarati that they haven’t adopted any custom fleet management systems in the Model X that’s out of the norm, but definitely plans to take advantage of the Model X’s large center screen. Binder is a bit surprised that Tesla doesn’t have much of a fleet management system, and hopes the company will develop such a program.

Layer3 has deployed their fleet nationwide, and plans to continue adding more vehicles to the fleet. Photo: Layer3 TV

Layer3 stated back in March, “Not only do we provide quick installs, but we do it in a Tesla. Rodney (a Layer3 TV installer) installs 6 boxes in a day with our eco-friendly Tesla.”

Before the company launched their service last year they had planned to deliver the service in the BMW i3. Layer3 is aiming to be the new “upscale” cable provider, while the company doesn’t lay its own fiber or cable lines, it delivers the service through advanced video technology riding through leased fiber and private IP. You can see if Layer3 TV is in available in your area.

Picking the Tesla Model X looks like the perfect way to show customers that they aren’t doing business in the usual way which stereotypically includes late arrivals and in a beat-up white van.

The nex-gen cable TV provider has released a video showing off their new wrap which we find simply stunning. Check out the video below to see how Layer3 TV “tricked out” their Model X!

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https://www.facebook.com/inkmonstr/videos/1504959446214814/

https://instagram.com/p/BSv8UHOgGQ9/

 

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Christian Prenzler is currently the VP of Business Development at Teslarati, leading strategic partnerships, content development, email newsletters, and subscription programs. Additionally, Christian thoroughly enjoys investigating pivotal moments in the emerging mobility sector and sharing these stories with Teslarati's readers. He has been closely following and writing on Tesla and disruptive technology for over seven years. You can contact Christian here: christian@teslarati.com

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Tesla just told us twice that Model Y L is coming to the U.S.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla just told us twice that the Model Y L is coming to the U.S., and two social media posts definitely just tipped the company’s hand, as if they wanted it to be any other way.

The two social media posts basically confirm that the slightly longer version of the Model Y will be heading to the United States soon, and many have speculated that the company could launch the vehicle as soon as this weekend.

The first post was directly from Tesla, and it showed an incredibly long Dachshund, with words above that said, “Looking forward to the long weekend.”

Anyone who knows Tesla knows the company loves to troll its fans and have fun, and this is a perfect example of that. While not a direct acknowledgement, Tesla is very involved on social media, especially CEO Elon Musk’s platform X, and the company is well aware of what is being discussed within the community.

With recent sightings of Model Y L test mules in California, peeks of the vehicle at Giga Texas, and a large call for the car to come to the U.S., Tesla is simply stoking conversation with this.

However, the company also made another move that was recognized on social media. Tesla has a large gallery that includes photos of its products so media and others can use them. This gallery applies to the U.S. market specifically, unless otherwise specified.

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Tesla uploaded a Model Y L to the Gallery last night:

This seems to be another indication that the Model Y L is coming to the United States.

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Musk said last year that the Model Y L could make its way to the United States late this year, but it was not something that was set in stone by Tesla. The company definitely needs to establish something in the SUV market that is larger than the Model Y, and the Model Y L might be the answer.

Even still, there are consumers out there who would love Tesla to develop something even larger, like a competitor to the Tahoe or Expedition. Tesla has not really given much of an indication that it will go in that direction.

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Tesla is using vehicle microphones to improve build quality: here’s how

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla is using the vehicles’ internal microphones to improve build quality, Vice President of Engineering Lars Moravy revealed recently.

It’s no secret that Tesla is always finding ways to make its manufacturing operations more efficient, accurate, and valuable. Constantly trying to make its cars better, the company has never placed any restrictions on what it will do to improve everything from panel gaps to paint.

As Teslas have been driving autonomously on the property of the Gigafactory Texas plant for a while now, Moravy revealed to Herbert Ong in a new interview that cars rolling off production lines now autonomously navigate themselves through a bumps, squeaks, and rattles (BSR) portion of the line. This helps to identify any loose or improperly installed internal parts.

The cabin’s microphones, which are used for a variety of things in ownership, simultaneously monitor any noises inside the vehicle while it rolls through the BSR portion of the production line. Moravy actually revealed that Tesla is trying to build “Full Self-Hearing,” an AI system that will detect minor imperfections so they can be corrected before delivery.

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It’s no secret that build quality is something that Tesla struggled with as it scaled to a fully massive production operation that manufactures over 1.6 million vehicles per year. However, in recent years, especially, there have not been as many complaints. Tesla has truly improved upon its build quality and paint quality over the past several years, especially in the U.S.

Tesla’s ‘megacasts’ are key to massive build quality improvements

While those improvements have been evident, there are still some complaints; no automaker is perfect with this. But this step will now ensure that every single car that rolls off the production lines at Gigafactory Texas will be void of any creaks, squeaks, or squeals when it leaves the factory.

This measure is one of the most unique we’ve seen in terms of a strategy to avoid build quality issues, but it is not exclusive to Tesla.

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Ford uses acoustic analysis AI to find abnormalities in seat motors, climate control units, and other components. Suppliers and OEMs will also use microphone arrays or particle velocity sensors in end-of-line stations.

The full interview with Lars Moravy is available below:

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Investor's Corner

Tesla crushes Wall Street expectations, beats delivery estimates by over 15 percent

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Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) beat Wall Street expectations of 406,000 vehicles delivered in Q2 by reporting 480,126 deliveries for the three months ending in June.

Tesla reported it delivered 467,762  Model 3 and Model Y units, while 12,364 Model S, Model X, and Cybertrucks switched hands during the quarter. The Model S and Model X were officially sunset this past quarter and will no longer be part of the company’s Production & Delivery reports moving forward.

The quarter is a pleasant surprise and a good rebound from Q1, when Tesla slightly missed the Wall Street consensus of 365,645 cars by reporting 358,023 deliveries for the first three motnhs of the year.

Energy storage deployments also provided some strength in Tesla’s delivery report, hitting 13.5 GWh for Q2. This is a particular division of Tesla’s business that has been overwhelmingly robust over the past few years, truly being a strong point of the company’s overall model.

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For the year, Tesla analysts still predict deliveries to trend in the 1.69 million unit region, a modest 3 to 5 percent increase from the 1.64 million cars the company delivered last year. Tesla will likely return to more sequential and noticeable year-over-year growth as the Cybercab project starts to ramp up considerably in the next few years.

Tesla has some other potential catalysts to spur vehicle deliveries, too. Not only is it expecting Cybercab to truly start making a change in the next few years, but other vehicles could be entering the company’s lineup.

Tesla sends production Cybercab with no steering wheel, pedals to on-road testing

The slightly longer Model Y L has been a highly speculated release candidate in the U.S. It has already done incredibly well in China, and U.S. buyers have been wanting slightly more interior space than the Model Y. Now that the Model X is gone, it is more needed than ever.

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Q2 highlights a pretty stable automotive division within Tesla, and no true concerns arise from these figures, especially considering it managed to beat expectations convincingly.

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