

News
SpaceX valuation to grow by 27% as Starship, Starlink programs seek more funding
CNBC reports that SpaceX is seeking to raise at least $1.725 billion in its first funding round of 2022, potentially boosting the private company’s valuation as high as $127 billion.
The report signals just the latest in a long line of high-profile rounds of funding SpaceX has secured over the last seven years, gradually boosting its valuation by a factor of more than 100. More likely than not, this round will also be fully subscribed or even oversubscribed as investors scramble over a relatively rare opportunity to snag a small slice of SpaceX – a demand so high that Equidate once stated that SpaceX effectively had access to ‘an unlimited amount of funding’ in 2018.
Four years later, it’s clear that Equidate’s position and forecast were prescient. After a few slow years post-2015, SpaceX’s fundraising activity returned with a vengeance in 2019. From 2019 to 2021, the company privately raised more than $5.2 billion – nearly triple the amount of private funding SpaceX raised from 2002 to 2018. In the likely event that the latest in a long line of highly sought-after and oversubscribed SpaceX investment rounds, SpaceX will have ultimately raised between $8.6 and $9 billion since 2015, averaging about $1.3 billion per year over the last seven years.
More likely than not, a vast majority of that $9 billion has gone towards Starlink and Starship – both of which are also almost exclusively responsible for the fact that SpaceX’s valuation outmatches its annual revenue by a factor of several dozen. CEO Elon Musk has stated in 2017 and 2018 that SpaceX invested around $1 billion to develop Falcon booster reusability and more than $500 million to develop a triple-booster variant of Falcon 9 known as Falcon Heavy – still the most capable operational rocket in the world four years after its debut. It’s possible that some portion of SpaceX’s fundraising since 2015 has gone towards basic recurring expenses during years with few launches and relatively little revenue.
However, it’s likely that most or all of the remaining $7-7.5 billion – separate from several lucrative contracts awarded by the US military and NASA – has gone towards Starlink and Starship. In the last few years, SpaceX has effectively built a massive factory and launch pad for the largest rocket ever built (Starship) out of empty lots in South Texas. SpaceX has also turned several nondescript buildings near Seattle, Washington into the most productive satellite factory in spaceflight history and is working on additional factories to mass-produce hundreds of thousands to millions of cutting-edge satellite dishes per year to allow millions of people to connect to the internet through Starlink.


Assuming a rough marginal cost of $500,000 per satellite and $15 million per Falcon 9 launch, SpaceX could have easily spent more than $2 billion just to build and launch the ~2650 Starlink satellites it’s launched to date. Accounting for the annual salaries and overhead needed for the thousands of employees required to build those satellites and conduct more than 50 different Starlink launches, the true cost over several years could be closer to $3-5 billion. Meanwhile, Starbase has rapidly expanded, built vast new infrastructure, mass-produced around two-dozen different Starship tanks and prototypes, completed dozens of tests, built and tested 150-200 Raptor engines, and conducted nine major flight tests.
Up until late 2021, perhaps less than 5-10% of funding for the above activities came directly from US government contracts. While Starlink remains almost entirely privately funded, SpaceX’s Starship program received a major influx of funding and support from NASA through a $3 billion Moon landing contract awarded in April 2021, but protests from two competitors meant that funds from that contract only began reaching SpaceX around the end of the year. Ultimately, it’s not hard to see why SpaceX has needed to raise so much capital in the last three years.
News
Tesla Model Y L has two distinct features for luxurious comfort
This is not to say the other interior additions are not factors in the Model Y becoming a more luxurious and premium vehicle, but the two mentioned in this article are particularly pertinent in that conversation.

Tesla’s new Model Y L has two distinct features that are geared toward giving occupants a taste of luxury with guaranteed comfort.
These two features should definitely be part of the company’s future lineup, and they could prove to be massive upgrades to the Model Y’s interior, which is certainly premium but is missing some things that truly tailor to a “luxury” feel of an automobile.
This is not to say the other interior additions are not factors in the Model Y becoming a more luxurious and premium vehicle, but the two mentioned in this article are particularly pertinent in that conversation.
Tesla Model Y L might not come to the U.S., and it’s a missed opportunity
Power-Adjustable Thigh Supports
In the front seats of the Model Y L, there are power-adjustable thigh supports that will enable some additional comfort on the legs:
The Tesla Model Y L features power-adjustable thigh supports for the front seats pic.twitter.com/1tBQG0KznK
— The Tesla Newswire (@TeslaNewswire) August 19, 2025
Most might think that these thigh supports are simply a feature that makes the ride more comfortable, which is true. However, they have benefits for the ride and after you exit the car.
Providing proper lift on the legs and thighs can be beneficial for people with back problems or posture issues. The lower back takes an increased amount of stress during long car rides, especially as the legs are fixed in the chosen seating position.
Tesla Model Y L officially launched: price, features, and more
Adding some support to the thighs can help reduce pressure on the lower back and hips, and distribute weight more evenly, taking stress off pressure points.
It can also contribute to better spinal alignment. They also have safety benefits, as some riders could have an improved seatbelt position thanks to the thighs being in this position.
Second-Row Mechanical Armrest
Tesla also added mechanical, one-touch armrests to the Model Y L’s second row, a nice and premium touch for the riders in the middle of the vehicle:
The Model Y’s second-row armrests are pretty satisfying to watch.
They’re touch operated, so they should be very convenient to use.pic.twitter.com/iGlGiJXGNR
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) August 19, 2025
Add the additional space the Model Y L provides to riders, and it already gets more comfortable. However, the addition of the mechanical armrests gives a good option of comfort for those who are seated in the second row.
They can also be retracted with the touch of a button, allowing for those in the third row to exit the vehicle easily.
One con to the mechanical portion of these armrests is that it is another moving part, and, of course, that puts it at risk of having issues.
However, it is certainly more premium than a manual armrest, and the flashy carbuyers will appreciate this small but mighty addition.
News
Tesla’s NHTSA probe is already on its way to being resolved
The problem the NHTSA had with Tesla’s reporting is already on its way to being resolved, as the agency and the company have been in communication.

Tesla is being probed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for not reporting accidents in a timely manner, the agency said on Thursday.
It is already well on its way to being resolved, the agency said.
The agency’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) identified numerous instances in which Tesla reported crashes that “occurred several months or more before the dates of the reports.”
The Standing General Order in place by the agency requires crash reports to be submitted within five days of Tesla receiving the notice of an accident.
The investigation states Tesla submitted crashes in one of two ways:
“Many of the reports were submitted as part of a single batch, while others were submitted on a rolling basis.”
The problem the NHTSA had with Tesla’s reporting is already on its way to being resolved, as the agency and the company have been in communication.
Tesla has already been in contact with the agency’s ODI and stated that the timing of the reports was an issue with its data collection. The issue has been resolved, Tesla told them.
The NHTSA said the initiation of the probe against Tesla is a “standard process for reviewing compliance with legal requirements, to evaluate the cause of potential delays in reporting, the scope of any such delays, and the mitigations that Tesla has developed to address them.”
It is the latest NHTSA probe into Tesla, as it has also been investigating the company for accidents during Full Self-Driving operation in reduced visibility conditions.
The agency also sought information on the rollout of Robotaxi a few months ago, and how Tesla planned to handle low-visibility conditions in its driverless ride-hailing service.
The NHTSA was interested in knowing how Tesla planned to assess the ability of FSD’s engineering controls, whether any other similar FSD crashes had occurred in low visibility, and if modifications to FSD software would impact its performance in these conditions.
News
Tesla rolls out minor but significant improvement to Robotaxi service
As per Tesla, Robotaxis will now arrive at their pickup locations with their doors locked.

Tesla has rolled out a minor but significant improvement to its Robotaxi service. The update was shared by the Tesla community on social media platforms such as X.
New Robotaxi App update
As observed by the electric vehicle community on social media, Tesla has started rolling out the Robotaxi App’s Version 25.8.5 (6074) to users. The update seems to be quite minor, though Tesla mentioned something quite notable the update’s “What to Test” section.
As per Tesla, Robotaxis will now arrive at their pickup locations with their doors locked. Customers would not need to unlock the Robotaxis manually, however, as the vehicles would automatically unlock as they approach the car. “You ride now arrives locked and will automatically unlock as you walk up. Just ensure your app has Bluetooth access enabled,” Tesla wrote.
While this update is minor, it does improve the safety of the vehicles themselves. It also provides another layer of convenience for users of the driverless ride-hailing service. The fact that Tesla is already refining the Robotaxi App’s features this early bodes well for the program. It suggests, if any, that the service will already be fairly refined when it starts being opened to more users.
Robotaxi praised for its safety
Tesla is following a deliberate and cautious rollout strategy for its Robotaxi rollout, though early reviews of the system have been quite positive. Some reviewers have also dubbed Tesla’s Robotaxi service as a safer alternative to more conventional ride-hailing services such as Uber.
This was highlighted by auto reviewer Scotty Reiss in a post on A Girl’s Guide to Cars.
“I like the personal safety factor. No driver to threaten or harass you. You control the locking and unlocking of the car. You can change the pickup location at any time. The car will wait for you. You can call the support desk if you need help. You can change your destination if the drop-off area seems sketchy. All of it together makes me feel safer getting a car home from the airport at midnight or into the city after dark, and I definitely feel safer having my daughters take a self-driving rideshare when they go out to meet friends for dinner,” Reiss wrote in her post.
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