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The Age of Tesla: Consumer Reports survey reveals that the EV era has begun
Amidst the release of Tesla’s record-breaking numbers for 2020, which saw the electric car maker produce and deliver half a million vehicles during a pandemic, it appears that the American public is just about ready to embrace the EV revolution. This was emphasized in a survey conducted by Consumer Reports, which revealed that the American car buyers are just about ready to embrace the Age of Tesla and EVs.
Consumer Reports’ latest nationally representative survey on electric cars showed that public perception regarding EVs is taking steps towards the mainstream. While only about 30% of the survey’s respondents stated that they are notably familiar with electric cars, almost all the participants had at least heard of EVs. Interest in electric cars was extremely high, with 71% of US drivers stating that they would consider buying an electric car at some point in the future.
Nearly a third of the survey’s respondents indicated that they are interested in purchasing an electric car for their next car. More than 70% of the study’s respondents also agreed on the notion that electric vehicles would be better for the environment, and that automakers should offer more vehicle types such as plug-in electric pickups and SUVs alongside their car EV offerings.
Overall, the results of Consumer Reports’ survey shows that consumers are now becoming steadily more aware of electric cars. And while there are still some concerns about challenges such as the availability of charging stations on the road, Chris Harto, CR’s senior sustainability policy analyst, noted that the use of public charging stations is actually quite rare for a good number of electric car owners.
“American drivers are accustomed to having ready access to gas stations, and may not realize that if they have a personal garage or driveway, they’ll be doing most of their charging at home with an EV. Even though we have found that the typical driver would make as few as six stops at a public charging station every year, a more robust network of fast-charging stations would help alleviate buyers’ concerns about switching to an electric vehicle,” Harto said.
Amidst this shift, the progress and growth of companies like Tesla have been invaluable in pushing the electric vehicle revolution. Tesla’s Supercharger Network, for one, was established and ramped at a time when the company was only producing one vehicle, and at very limited numbers. But years down the road, the Supercharger Network stands as one of the most convenient and reliable rapid charging systems in the country. And considering that Tesla is only getting more aggressive with its Supercharger ramp, the rapid-charging system seems poised to be opened to other EVs as well.
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What is rather remarkable is that the EV revolution is now going far beyond Tesla. While Tesla is still poised to lead the market thanks to its head start in battery tech and software, other compelling electric cars from other automakers are also being released. There’s Rivian with its R1T pickup and R1S SUV, both of which are designed to make waves in the luxury adventure market. Lucid Motors’s Air sedan is coming for luxury vehicles like the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Even legacy automakers like Volkswagen are making some serious bets on electric vehicles, as evidenced by the efforts of VW exec Herbert Diess, a noted ally of Elon Musk.
As electric cars go mainstream and vehicles like the Model 3 and Model Y become more attainable, reasons for sticking with the internal combustion engine decreases significantly. With numerous regions like Europe and China looking to ban ICE cars within the coming years, after all, gas and diesel-powered vehicles are only going to be less compelling. And amidst this decline, electric vehicles like Tesla’s lineup are only bound to get more and more attractive.
EV-Survey-2020-Fact-Sheet-12.16.20-3 by Simon Alvarez on Scribd
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Elon Musk
SpaceX’s Starship program is already bouncing back from Booster 18 fiasco
Just over a week since Booster 18 met its untimely end, SpaceX is now busy stacking Booster 19, and at a very rapid pace, too.
SpaceX is already bouncing back from the fiasco that it experienced during Starship Booster 18’s initial tests earlier this month.
Just over a week since Booster 18 met its untimely end, SpaceX is now busy stacking Booster 19, and at a very rapid pace, too.
Starship V3 Booster 19 is rising
As per Starbase watchers on X, SpaceX rolled out the fourth aft section of Booster 19 to Starbase’s MegaBay this weekend, stacking it to reach 15 rings tall with just a few sections remaining. This marks the fastest booster assembly to date at four sections in five days. This is quite impressive, and it bodes well for SpaceX’s Starship V3 program, which is expected to be a notable step up from the V2 program, which was retired after a flawless Flight 11.
Starship watcher TankWatchers noted the tempo on X, stating, “During the night the A4 section of Booster 19 rolled out to the MegaBay. With 4 sections in just 5 days, this is shaping up to be the fastest booster stack ever.” Fellow Starbase watcher TestFlight echoed the same sentiments. “Booster 19 is now 15 rings tall, with 3 aft sections remaining!” the space enthusiast wrote.
Aggressive targets despite Booster 18 fiasco
SpaceX’s V3 program encountered a speed bump earlier this month when Booster 18, just one day after rolling out into the factory, experienced a major anomaly during gas system pressure testing at SpaceX’s Massey facility in Starbase, Texas. While no propellant was loaded, no engines were installed, and no one was injured in the incident, the unexpected end of Booster 18 sparked speculation that the Starship V3 program could face delays.
-->Despite the Booster 18 fiasco, however, SpaceX announced that “Starship’s twelfth flight test remains targeted for the first quarter of 2026.” Elon Musk shared a similar timeline on X earlier this year, with the CEO stating that “ V3 is a massive upgrade from the current V2 and should be through production and testing by end of year, with heavy flight activity next year.”
Considering that Booster 19 seems to be moving through its production phases quickly, perhaps SpaceX’s Q1 2026 target for Flight 12 might indeed be more than feasible.
News
Elon Musk makes a key Tesla Optimus detail official
“Since we are naming the singular, we will also name the plural, so Optimi it is,” Musk wrote on X.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk just made a key detail about Optimus official. In a post on X, the CEO clarified some key wording about Optimus, which should help the media and the public become more familiar with the humanoid robot.
Elon Musk makes Optimus’ plural term official
Elon Musk posted a number of Optimus-related posts on X this weekend. On Saturday, he stated that Optimus would be the Von Neumann probe, a machine that could eventually be capable of replicating itself. This capability, it seems, would be the key to Tesla achieving Elon Musk’s ambitious Optimus production targets.
Amidst the conversations about Optimus on X, a user of the social media platform asked the CEO what the plural term for the humanoid robot will be. As per Musk, Tesla will be setting the plural term for Optimus since the company also decided on the robot’s singular term. “Since we are naming the singular, we will also name the plural, so Optimi it is,” Musk wrote in his reply on X.
This makes it official. For media outlets such as Teslarati, numerous Optimus bots are now called Optimi. It rolls off the tongue pretty well, too.
Optimi will be a common sight worldwide
While Musk’s comment may seem pretty mundane to some, it is actually very important. Optimus is intended to be Tesla’s highest volume product, with the CEO estimating that the humanoid robot could eventually see annual production rates in the hundreds of millions, perhaps even more. Since Optimi will be a very common sight worldwide, it is good that people can now get used to terms describing the humanoid robot.
-->During the Tesla 2025 Annual Shareholder Meeting, Musk stated that the humanoid robot will see “the fastest production ramp of any product of any large complex manufactured product ever,” starting with a one-million-Optimi-per-year production line at the Fremont Factory. Giga Texas would get an even bigger Optimus production line, which should be capable of producing tens of millions of Optimi per year.
News
Tesla is improving Giga Berlin’s free “Giga Train” service for employees
With this initiative, Tesla aims to boost the number of Gigafactory Berlin employees commuting by rail while keeping the shuttle free for all riders.
Tesla will expand its factory shuttle service in Germany beginning January 4, adding direct rail trips from Berlin Ostbahnhof to Giga Berlin-Brandenburg in Grünheide.
With this initiative, Tesla aims to boost the number of Gigafactory Berlin employees commuting by rail while keeping the shuttle free for all riders.
New shuttle route
As noted in a report from rbb24, the updated service, which will start January 4, will run between the Berlin Ostbahnhof East Station and the Erkner Station at the Gigafactory Berlin complex. Tesla stated that the timetable mirrors shift changes for the facility’s employees, and similar to before, the service will be completely free. The train will offer six direct trips per day as well.
“The service includes six daily trips, which also cover our shift times. The trains will run between Berlin Ostbahnhof (with a stop at Ostkreuz) and Erkner station to the Gigafactory,” Tesla Germany stated.
Even with construction continuing at Fangschleuse and Köpenick stations, the company said the route has been optimized to maintain a predictable 35-minute travel time. The update follows earlier phases of Tesla’s “Giga Train” program, which initially connected Erkner to the factory grounds before expanding to Berlin-Lichtenberg.
-->Tesla pushes for majority rail commuting
Tesla began production at Grünheide in March 2022, and the factory’s workforce has since grown to around 11,500 employees, with an estimated 60% commuting from Berlin. The facility produces the Model Y, Tesla’s best-selling vehicle, for both Germany and other territories.
The company has repeatedly emphasized its goal of having more than half its staff use public transportation rather than cars, positioning the shuttle as a key part of that initiative. In keeping with the factory’s sustainability focus, Tesla continues to allow even non-employees to ride the shuttle free of charge, making it a broader mobility option for the area.
SpaceX’s Starship program is already bouncing back from Booster 18 fiasco
Elon Musk makes a key Tesla Optimus detail official
