News
Norway Tesla owners go to extreme lengths to make Elon Musk aware of their complaints
Some Tesla owners in Norway are going to extreme lengths to get Elon Musk’s attention about their vehicles’ issues. So dedicated was the group to its cause that the Tesla owners went on a hunger strike to express their displeasure about a number of problems they have been experiencing with their vehicles.
On its official website, the group noted that it believes that if Elon Musk is aware of the troubles of Tesla owners in Norway, he will solve the EV owners’ issues. This is not a farfetched sentiment, as Elon Musk recently noted during his appearance at the 2022 ONS conference that he is extremely thankful for Norway’s support of electric vehicles.
Yet, according to the group of dissatisfied Tesla owners, they have been suffering due to several issues with their cars. The owners listed 29 problems that are causing grief, from cold weather problems, build quality issues, and bad communication with owners.
Following is the full list of the owners’ grievances.
- The car won’t start in cold weather
- Door handles won’t open in cold weather
- Intense squeaking noise
- Car won’t start in warm weather
- “Bubbles” in seats
- Loose front seat
- Trunk lid filled with rain water
- Autopilot does not work properly
- Internet is slow and does not work as it ought to
- The wipers do not work (well enough)
- The car creaks when you pass speed bumps and other bumps in the road
- Decorative moldings loosen
- The lights do not work properly
- The doors stop working properly
- Doors that open by themselves
- The computer does not work
- Yellow edges around the display screens
- Windows that do not close completely
- Systems reset on their own
- Problems charging
- Reduced power
- Rust problems on new cars (especially Model 3)
- Poor paint quality means that the car has to be repainted
- You were promised free charging throughout the car’s lifetime, but the new charging stations do not fit the car
- Lower battery life that Tesla claims
- Problems with the air conditioner
- Not all problems are solved when the car is serviced
- Tesla promise to contact you, but you do not hear from them
- You have to wait on the phone for a long time before Tesla answers
The group is calling on anyone willing to help to spread the word about its efforts. According to the Tesla owners, Norway is a canary in the coal mine of sorts, as its population owns more Teslas per capita than any country in the world.
“We are a group of dissatisfied Norwegian Tesla owners. We believe that if Elon Musk is made aware of our troubles, he will solve the situation. Please help us get his attention,” the group wrote.
Erlend Mørc, a non-Tesla owner who started the hunger strike on behalf of Tesla owners, informed Carscoops that he is hoping Tesla would listen. Otherwise, he noted that competitors could catch up. “Now that it’s over, I hope Tesla listens. This will be in their own self-interest. They are so well positioned to dominate the EV market, but if too many people experience these troubles, other car manufacturers will be ready to take their place,” Mørc said.
Mørc added that the hunger strike was attended by the owners of 17 Teslas, as well as other individuals who supported the group’s goals. The hunger strike lasted 24 hours between August 27 and August 28, 2022.
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Elon Musk
Music City Loop could highlight The Boring Company’s real disruption
The real story behind the tunneling startup’s Nashville tunnel project is the company’s targeted $25 million per mile construction cost.
Recent commentary on social media has highlighted what could very well prove to be The Boring Company’s real disruption.
The analysis was shared by tech watcher Aakash Gupta on social media platform X, where he argued that the real story behind the tunneling startup’s Nashville tunnel project is the company’s targeted $25 million per mile construction cost.
According to Gupta’s breakdown, Nashville’s 2018 light rail proposal was priced at roughly $200 million per mile. New York’s East Side Access project reportedly cost about $3.5 billion per mile, while Los Angeles Metro expansion projects have approached $1 billion per mile.
By comparison, The Boring Company has stated it can construct 13 miles of twin tunnels in the Music City Loop for between $240 million and $300 million total. That implies a cost near $25 million per mile, or roughly a 95% reduction from industry averages cited in the post.
Several technical departures from conventional tunneling allow the Boring Company to lower its costs, from its smaller 12-foot diameter tunnels to its fully electric Prufrock machines that are designed to mine continuously with no personnel inside the tunnel and their capability to “porpoise” for easy launch and retrieval.
Tesla and Space CEO Elon Musk responded to the post on X, stating simply that “Tunnels are so underrated.”
The Boring Company has seen some momentum as of late, with the company recently signing a construction contract in Dubai and the Universal Orlando Loop progressing. Recent reports have also pointed to tunnels potentially being constructed to solve traffic congestion issues near the Giga Nevada area.
While The Boring Company’s tunnels have so far been used for Loop systems publicly for now, Elon Musk recently noted that the tunneling startup’s underground passages would not be limited only to ride-hailing vehicles.
In a reply to a post on X which discussed the specifications of the Music City Loop, Musk clarified that “any fully autonomous electric cars can use the tunnels.” This suggests that vehicles potentially running systems like FSD Supervised, even if they are not Teslas, could be used in systems like the Music City Loop in the future.
Elon Musk
SpaceX IPO could push Elon Musk’s net worth past $1 trillion: Polymarket
The estimates were shared by the official Polymarket Money account on social media platform X.
Recent projections have outlined how a potential $1.75 trillion SpaceX IPO could generate historic returns for early investors. The projections suggest the offering would not only become the largest IPO in history but could also result in unprecedented windfalls for some of the company’s key investors.
The estimates were shared by the official Polymarket Money account on social media platform X.
As noted in a Polymarket Money analysis, Elon Musk invested $100 million into SpaceX in 2002 and currently owns approximately 42% of the company. At a $1.75 trillion valuation following SpaceX’s potential $1.75 trillion IPO, that stake would be worth roughly $735 billion.
Such a figure would dramatically expand Musk’s net worth. When combined with his holdings in Tesla Inc. and other ventures, a public debut at that level could position him as the world’s first trillionaire, depending on market conditions at the time of listing.
The Bloomberg Billionaires Index currently lists Elon Musk with a net worth of $666 billion, though a notable portion of this is tied to his TSLA stock. Tesla currently holds a market cap of $1.51 trillion, and Elon Musk’s currently holds about 13% to 15% of the company’s outstanding common stock.
Founders Fund, co-founded by Peter Thiel, invested $20 million in SpaceX in 2008. Polymarket Money estimates the firm owns between 1.5% and 3% of the private space company. At a $1.75 trillion valuation, that range would translate to approximately $26.25 billion to $52.5 billion in value.
That return would represent one of the most significant venture capital outcomes in modern Silicon Valley history, with a growth of 131,150% to 262,400%.
Alphabet Inc., Google’s parent company, invested $900 million into SpaceX in 2015 and is estimated to hold between 6% and 7% of the private space firm. At the projected IPO valuation, that stake could be worth between $105 billion and $122.5 billion. That’s a growth of 11,566% to 14,455%.
Other major backers highlighted in the post include Fidelity Investments, Baillie Gifford, Valor Equity Partners, Bank of America, and Andreessen Horowitz, each potentially sitting on multibillion-dollar gains.
News
Tesla expands global FSD (Supervised) testing with Abu Dhabi trials
The program marks the emirate’s first formal testing framework for Tesla’s supervised autonomous driving technology.
Tesla has started its first Full Self-Driving (Supervised) road trials in Abu Dhabi under the oversight of the Integrated Transport Centre, also known as Abu Dhabi Mobility.
The program marks the emirate’s first formal testing framework for Tesla’s supervised autonomous driving technology.
FSD (Supervised) road trials are being conducted with the support of the Smart and Autonomous Systems Council and in coordination with the Legislation Lab at the General Secretariat of the UAE Cabinet.
Dr. Abdulla Hamad AlGhfeli, Acting Director General of the Integrated Transport Centre (Abu Dhabi Mobility), highlighted the agency’s regulatory role in overseeing the FSD (Supervised) tests in a press release.
“The supervision of the Integrated Transport Centre (Abu Dhabi Mobility) over the commencement of Tesla’s advanced autonomous driving technology tests reflects its regulatory and legislative role. These tests represent a qualitative step to evaluate the technology’s performance in a real-world operating environment and to collect the necessary data to verify its readiness before any future expansion in usage.
“Through this organized framework, and in cooperation with strategic partners, we seek to achieve a balance between supporting innovation and encouraging the adoption of smart solutions on one hand and ensuring the safety of road users on the other, in line with the emirate’s direction to develop an advanced, safe, and sustainable transport system,” he said.
Tesla is putting a lot of effort into expanding the rollout of FSD (Supervised) to territories outside in the United States. During a recent interview with Giga Berlin plant manager Andre Thierig, Musk stated that Tesla is looking to secure approval for FSD (Supervised) in the Netherlands this coming March.
“Tesla has the most advanced real-world AI, and hopefully, it will be approved soon in Europe. We’re told by the authorities that March 20th, it’ll be approved in the Netherlands,’ what I was told. Hopefully, that date remains the same. But I think people in Europe are going to be pretty blown away by how good the Tesla car AI is in being able to drive,” Musk stated.