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SpaceX ranked in Top 50 places to work by Glassdoor

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Happy SpaceX workers. | Credit: SpaceX

SpaceX has made the Top 50 ranks of the Glassdoor “Best Places to Work” list for the first time, coming in at #40 for 2017.

Surprising? Yes and no.

For those with “a pioneering spirit and a curiosity to seek what’s beyond the stars”, per SpaceX’s Glassdoor profile page, it’s about time SpaceX made the list. Any job involving rockets is bound to be rewarding, but SpaceX now stands as the face of space transport innovation. However, it’s no secret that SpaceX has a reputation for pushing its employees to the furthest limits it can, all in the name of the future of mankind.

Elon Musk’s work ethic and expectations of those working with him were famously revealed in (sometimes shocking) detail in Ashlee Vance’s book, Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX and the Quest for a Fantastic Future. Earlier this year, the topic of SpaceX and Tesla being stressful workplace environments was mentioned on Twitter by Elon Musk and investor and board member Steve Jurvetson in response to data presented by Payscale.com. The companies took the top two spots for both “Meaningfulness” and “Stressful environment” in a comparison of 18 tech employers on various data points.

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Crazy work hours and stressful, deadline-driven output expectations might make SpaceX seem unusual candidate for a Top 50 list; however, Glassdoor’s ranking system is based entirely on employee feedback, thus meaning it’s the employees’ enjoyment of their work driving SpaceX up the ranks, not a strict measure of company policy or number crunching. The specific algorithm used is proprietary, but it takes into account employee-submitted rankings for career opportunities, compensation & benefits, culture & values, senior management, and work/life balance along with the overall company ranking.

As an additional nod to their human resources department, SpaceX is marked as an “engaged employer” on Glassdoor, meaning they have claimed their business page and interact with the feedback submitted to the site. Since Glassdoor makes it a point to keep tabs on any questionable employer activity, the reviews submitted for SpaceX, along with SpaceX’s participation in the Glassdoor community, are reliable reflections of what it’s like to work for the company.

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Top ranked employee reviews named the fast-paced work environment and growth opportunities at SpaceX as the positive, more traditional motivators for their employment, and even among employee reviews wherein the work environment wasn’t quite the right fit for them, the mission of the company itself was highly respected and admired.

Current employees of SpaceX certainly have their plates full for the coming months. First up is the Falcon 9 “return to flight” mission following the September 1, 2016 anomaly which resulted in a total loss of the rocket and payload. Originally scheduled for December 16th, SpaceX confirmed Wednesday that the launch has been delayed until at least January of next year.

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SpaceX is also continuing to develop the Falcon Heavy, its high thrust, heavy-payload-capable rocket system comparable to the Saturn V, and Crew Dragon, their capsule designed to carry humans into orbit, continues its progress towards NASA qualification. SpaceX has maintained confidence that both technologies will be ready for launch in 2017.

Accidental computer geek, fascinated by most history and the multiplanetary future on its way. Quite keen on the democratization of space. | It's pronounced day-sha, but I answer to almost any variation thereof.

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Cybertruck

Tesla Cybertruck’s newest trim is nearing its first deliveries

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Credit: Joe Tegtmeyer | X

Tesla Cybertruck’s newest trim level is nearing its first deliveries just a few months after being offered for an incredible deal.

Back in February, Tesla officially launched a new trim of the Cybertruck, the All-Wheel-Drive, starting at just $59,990. It was a lot of truck for the money, especially considering what it offered the Rear-Wheel-Drive variant for last year, which was a total flop.

The $59,990 price that was offered initially was a deal due to its 325-mile range rating, powered tonneau, three bed outlets, Powershare capability, coil springs with adaptive damping for a refined suspension feel, Steer-by-Wire and four-wheel steering, a 6′ x 4′ composite bed, towing capacity of 7,500 pounds, and a powered frunk.

Tesla is now nearing deliveries of this trim, according to watcher Sawyer Merritt, as Tesla has officially started assigning VINs to people who ordered the vehicle initially:

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Earlier this month, we reported on units of the trim being spotted outside Gigafactory Texas by Joe Tegtmeyer.

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Tesla Giga Texas buzzing as new Cybertruck appears to enter production

This Cybertruck trim was interesting because it was released basically out of nowhere, priced incredibly well, and gathered many orders in a small amount of time. However, CEO Elon Musk noted just days afterward that the vehicle would only be priced at this bargain level for ten days.

Tesla fans were not happy.

However, the issues with the pricing strategy have blown over since the February unveiling event, and now that deliveries are near, Tesla fans are anticipating the truck making its way to their driveways soon.

The truck is currently priced at $69,990, and deliveries for new orders are slated for between August and September 2026.

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Tesla ships new feature that silences neighborhood Supercharger complaints

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla is shipping a new feature that silences neighborhood Supercharger complaints, prompting drivers to be aware of those who might be impacted by excessive noise nearby.

Tesla is now rolling out a new location-specific “Quiet Charging Zone” that prompts drivers to lower their vehicle’s audio volume in an effort to make things comfortable for everyone, even those who are not Tesla owners.

This is an impactful feature that will resolve many complaints from those who are living nearby.

When a Tesla plugs into this Supercharger and its media volume exceeds a certain level, the vehicle’s central touchscreen displays a polite notification: “Could you turn the volume down? Please be mindful of our neighbors.”

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Accompanying the message is a prominent “Lower” button. One tap automatically reduces the audio to a more considerate level. Physical “Quiet Charging Zone” signs posted at the station reinforce the request, creating a cohesive experience that blends digital nudges with on-site reminders.

This feature highlights Tesla’s unique advantages. Unlike traditional automakers, Tesla owns both the vehicle software and the charging infrastructure.

Engineers can detect the precise location via GPS, trigger context-aware prompts, and deploy changes fleet-wide in hours or days without recalls or dealer visits. No public release notes highlighted the change, suggesting it was a quiet, site-specific rollout designed to test effectiveness before potential expansion.

These are usually referred to as “Undocumented Changes.”

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Beyond immediate noise reduction, the initiative underscores Tesla’s customer- and community-focused ethos. While EVs are inherently quieter than combustion-engine vehicles, auxiliary behaviors like loud infotainment can still create friction in dense cities. Tesla’s rapid response turns potential conflict into an opportunity to demonstrate thoughtful engineering.

As Tesla expands its Supercharger network, which is now open to other EVs in many places, features like location-based quiet modes could become standard tools for harmonious integration into neighborhoods.

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Ferrari unveils its Luce EV, and its reception has been a disaster

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Credit: Ferrari

Ferrari unveiled its Luce EV over the weekend, and so far, its reception has been an absolute disaster, gathering negative reactions from a wide variety of people, including former executives.

The stock even took a hit on its first day of trading following the unveiling, dropping over 7 percent at one point.

Ferrari moving to EVs from its traditional V12s and mid-engine sports cars is a massive move. It was designed by Sir Jony Ive and Marc Newsom’s LoveFrom studio, which is known for design work for tech giant Apple. “Luce” means “light” in Italian, so Ferrari drew inspiration for its name from its sleek design, characterized by a smooth, sculpted body with rounded edges.

But its reception has been far from what Ferrari expected. The overall design has drawn some harsh criticism since its reveal, and it is simply stunning that such a storied company, with a rich history of beautiful, powerful cars has revealed a design that many are not a fan of.

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Responses to the design were widely negative, with some saying, “Enzo is rolling in his grave,” and “This looks like a Nissan LEAF with a bad body kit.”

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Former Ferrari Chairman Luca di Montezemolo said:

“If I said what I really think, I’d harm Ferrari. We’re risking the destruction of a myth, I’m very sorry about that. I hope they at least remove the Prancing Horse from that car.”

Ferrari has scaled back EV commitments in the past, primarily in response to weaker-than-expected demand for its electric powertrains.

Priced at roughly $640,000 in the U.S., it is tough to see how this car will ever truly live up to the massive expectations many had for it. It almost feels like, to a certain extent, Ferrari is looking for a way to get out of building EVs.

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