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New Panasonic CEO talks Tesla battery partnership and 4680 cell production

Tesla Gigafactory 1, where Model 3 battery cells are produced. (Photo: Tesla)

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New Panasonic President and Chief Executive Officer Yuki Kusumi is taking over a leaner version of the 103-year-old Japanese conglomerate. Thanks to the efforts of his predecessor, Kazuhiro Tsuga, who spent almost nine years optimizing Panasonic by letting go of struggling businesses like Plasma TVs, Kusumi could now take the reins of a company that is ready to face the future. This means that Panasonic would be doubling down on its electric car battery business, headlined by its partnership with the world’s premier EV maker, Tesla.

Tesla and Panasonic’s joint operations in Gigafactory Nevada have had their own fair share of challenges, with the automaker putting pressure on its Japanese partner to produce more batteries for its vehicles. Over the years, Panasonic has been pushed frequently by Tesla to produce more batteries, particularly as the demand for the Model 3 hit its pace. With this experience in mind, the new Panasonic CEO noted that moving forward, the Japanese battery maker would be focusing its efforts on raising its output while keeping facility costs low. 

“It doesn’t matter how much you want to grow sales or increase profit if you don’t have the capacity to do so. Within our new structure, we’re going to polish this ability, and if you stay tuned, we’ll invest again in building supply capacity,” Kusumi noted. 

For now, Panasonic is looking to set up a prototype production line to test 4680 battery cells. The 4680 format was highlighted last year by Tesla during its Battery Day event, and it was framed as a possible catalyst for more affordable electric vehicles. Kusumi stated that if Panasonic could produce the high-quality 4680 cells more efficiently than its rivals, it would be making a “large investment” in the technology. It may also supply the batteries to both Tesla and other automakers. 

When asked by Bloomberg about its electric vehicle business, the new Panasonic CEO explained that EV batteries are central to the company’s growth strategy for the coming years. He also noted that Panasonic would work to refine its battery manufacturing techniques to keep itself competitive, despite the emergence of aggressive competitors from South Korea and China. 

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“(The) battery unit will be one of the central segments of our energy business. We believe it’ll contribute to the environment, and we intend to see it grow further. Competition within the industry is quite fierce, but the battery business is making extremely large facility investments. It’s important to work with manufacturing techniques to efficiently produce batteries in low cost facilities. 

“Refining this ability along with further investments will give us the competitiveness to grow further. With the next generation of batteries, we aim to grow by not only producing high-quality batteries but also by making the production procedure more efficient and competitive while improving the competitiveness of our manufacturing. We’ll continue to challenge ourselves and grow,” Kusumi said. 

Watch Bloomberg‘s interview with new Panasonic CEO Yuki Kusumi in the video below. 

(Quotes from the article courtesy of Bloomberg.)

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Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

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USDOT Secretary visits Tesla Giga Texas, hints at national autonomous vehicle standards

The Transportation Secretary also toured the factory’s production lines and spoke with CEO Elon Musk.

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Credit: Elon Musk/X

United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) Secretary Sean Duffy recently visited Tesla’s Gigafactory Texas complex, where he toured the factory’s production lines and spoke with CEO Elon Musk. In a video posted following his Giga Texas visit, Duffy noted that he believes there should be a national standard for autonomous vehicles in the United States.

Duffy’s Giga Texas Visit

As could be seen in videos of his Giga Texas visit, the Transportation Secretary seemed to appreciate the work Tesla has been doing to put the United States in the forefront of innovation. “Tesla is one of the many companies helping our country reach new heights. USDOT will be right there all the way to make sure Americans stay safe,” Duffy wrote in a post on X. 

He also praised Tesla for its autonomous vehicle program, highlighting that “We need American companies to keep innovating so we can outcompete the rest of the world.”

National Standard

While speaking with Tesla CEO Elon Musk, the Transportation Secretary stated that other autonomous ride-hailing companies have been lobbying for a national standard for self-driving cars. Musk shared the sentiment, stating that “It’d be wonderful for the United States to have a national set of rules for autonomous driving as opposed to 50 independent sets of rules on a state-by-state rules basis.”

Duffy agreed with the CEO’s point, stating that, “You can’t have 50 different rules for 50 different states. You need one standard.” He also noted that the Transportation Department has asked autonomous vehicle companies to submit data. By doing so, the USDOT could develop a standard for the entire United States, allowing self-driving cars to operate in a manner that is natural and safe.

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Tesla posts Optimus’ most impressive video demonstration yet

The humanoid robot was able to complete all the tasks through a single neural network.

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Credit: Tesla Optimus/X

When Elon Musk spoke with CNBC’s David Faber in an interview at Giga Texas, he reiterated the idea that Optimus will be one of Tesla’s biggest products. Seemingly to highlight the CEO’s point, the official Tesla Optimus account on social media platform X shared what could very well be the most impressive demonstration of the humanoid robot’s capabilities to date.

Optimus’ Newest Demonstration

In its recent video demonstration, the Tesla Optimus team featured the humanoid robot performing a variety of tasks. These include household chores such as throwing the trash, using a broom and a vacuum cleaner, tearing a paper towel, stirring a pot of food, opening a cabinet, and closing a curtain, among others. The video also featured Optimus picking up a Model X fore link and placing it on a dolly.

What was most notable in the Tesla Optimus team’s demonstration was the fact that the humanoid robot was able to complete all the tasks through a single neural network. The robot’s actions were also learned directly from Optimus being fed data from first-person videos of humans performing similar tasks. This system should pave the way for Optimus to learn and refine new skills quickly and reliably.

Tesla VP for Optimus Shares Insight

In a follow-up post on X, Tesla Vice President of Optimus (Tesla Bot) Milan Kovac stated that one of the team’s goals is to have Optimus learn straight from internet videos of humans performing tasks, including footage captured in third person or by random cameras.

“We recently had a significant breakthrough along that journey, and can now transfer a big chunk of the learning directly from human videos to the bots (1st person views for now). This allows us to bootstrap new tasks much faster compared to teleoperated bot data alone (heavier operationally).

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“Many new skills are emerging through this process, are called for via natural language (voice/text), and are run by a single neural network on the bot (multi-tasking). Next: expand to 3rd person video transfer (aka random internet), and push reliability via self-play (RL) in the real-, and/or synthetic- (sim / world models) world,” Kovac wrote in his post on X.

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Starship Flight 9 nears as SpaceX’s Starbase becomes a Texan City

SpaceX’s launch site is officially incorporated as Starbase, TX. Starship Flight 9 could launch on May 27, 2025. 

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(Credit: Jenny Hautmann/Wikimedia Commons)

SpaceX’s Starbase is officially incorporated as a city in Texas, aligning with preparations for Starship Flight 9. The newly formed city in Cameron County serves as the heart of SpaceX’s Starship program.

Starbase City spans 1.5 square miles, encompassing SpaceX’s launch facility and company-owned land. A near-unanimous vote by residents, who were mostly SpaceX employees, led to its incorporation. SpaceX’s Vice President of Test and Launch, Bobby Peden, was elected mayor of Starbase. The new Texas city also has two SpaceX employees as commissioners. All Starbase officials will serve two-year terms unless extended to four by voters.

As the new city takes shape, SpaceX is preparing for the Starship Flight 9 launch, which is tentatively scheduled for May 27, 2025, at 6:30 PM CDT from Starbase, Texas.

SpaceX secured Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval for up to 25 annual Starship and Super Heavy launches from the site. However, the FAA emphasized that “there are other licensing requirements still to be completed,” including policy, safety, and environmental reviews.

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On May 15, the FAA noted SpaceX updated its launch license for Flight 9, but added: “SpaceX may not launch until the FAA either closes the Starship Flight 8 mishap investigation or makes a return to flight determination. The FAA is reviewing the mishap report SpaceX submitted on May 14.”

Proposed Texas legislation could empower Starbase officials to close local highways and restrict Boca Chica Beach access during launches. Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino, Jr., opposes the Texas legislation, insisting beach access remain under county control. This tension highlights the balance between SpaceX’s ambitions and local interests.

Starbase’s incorporation strengthens SpaceX’s operational base as it gears up for Starship Flight 9, a critical step in its mission to revolutionize space travel. With growing infrastructure and regulatory hurdles in focus, Starbase is poised to become a cornerstone of SpaceX’s vision, blending community development with cutting-edge aerospace innovation.

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