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Tesla batteries powering SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and Dragon capsule, reveals Shotwell
In a May interview with CNBC’s Morgan Brennan, SpaceX President and COO Gwynne Shotwell revealed that Falcon 9 rockets and Dragon spacecraft currently rely on Tesla-derived battery tech for their internal power needs during launch and on orbit.
This statement was strengthened by recent job postings at Tesla implying that hires would facilitate SpaceX where possible, as well as LinkedIn profiles to current materials technicians and engineers with both Elon Musk-led companies.
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- Shotwell, pictured on the right, spoke in depth about SpaceX’s profitability and synergies with Tesla’s battery expertise. (NASA)
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- Falcon 9’s upper stage, seen after successfully lifting the Iridium NEXT-2 mission into orbit. The engine nozzle pictured is about 9 feet across. (SpaceX)
Shotwell’s claim that Tesla battery expertise is leveraged within the company’s Falcon 9 and Dragon vehicles confirms a much more direct level of interaction, hinting that hardware sharing routinely and systematically occurs between Tesla and SpaceX. In the past, CEO Elon Musk has noted that SpaceX’s special mix of aerospace materials expertise has at points been a major help in solving separate problems faced by Tesla’s engineers and technicians in their pursuit of electric vehicle manufacturing. More recently, Musk also indicated that The Boring Company already uses Model 3 electric motors and battery packs in their experimental tunneling efforts, and has hopes that Tesla expertise will enable even greater advances in tunnel-building.
In the opposite direction of tech transfer, it’s likely that Tesla battery engineers – if not the actual hardware used in the Model 3 and the company’s fleet of electric vehicles – have played major roles in the design, production, and operation of SpaceX’s orbital spacecraft, especially avionics and power supplies. While the first stage (S1) of Falcon 9 only operates on internal power for ten or fewer minutes, Falcon 9’s upper stage (S2) and SpaceX’s Cargo and Crew Dragon spacecraft must routinely operate in the harsh vacuum of space, spending half or more of that time in complete darkness. Although both Crew and Cargo Dragons sport solar arrays on their disposable trunk sections, Falcon 9 S2 has no such power source and must rely entirely on internal batteries to remain functional in orbit for more than a handful of minutes. Loss of power in the upper stage would also mean a loss of communications, telemetry, and the ability to safely start its Merlin Vacuum engine, all critical requirements for high Earth orbit and interplanetary missions.
As such, Tesla’s battery tech likely plays a fundamental and invaluable role in SpaceX R&D, not to mention the fact that using Tesla as a supplier allows the rocket company to avoid acquiring yet another subset of overly expensive “aerospace grade” components in the relentless drive to lower cost of access to orbit (and beyond). That SpaceX expertise also happens to help Tesla to continue its own rapid expansion of high-quality, accessible electric vehicles and battery storage is simply one more example of the benefits that can be derived from corporate cooperation in pursuit of goals beyond basic profitability.
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Tesla exec: Preparations underway but no firm timeline yet for FSD rollout in China
The information was related by Tesla China Vice President Grace Tao in a comment to local media.
Tesla has not set a specific launch date for Full Self-Driving in China, despite the company’s ongoing preparations for a local FSD rollout.
The information was related by Tesla China Vice President Grace Tao in a comment to local media.
Tesla China prepares FSD infrastructure
Speaking in a recent media interview, the executive confirmed that Tesla has established a local training center in China to support the full adaptation of FSD to domestic driving conditions, as noted in a report from Sina News. However, she also noted that the company does not have a specific date when FSD will officially roll out in China.
“We have set up a local training center in China specifically to handle this adaptation,” Tao said. “Once officially released, it will demonstrate a level of performance that is no less than, and may even surpass, that of local drivers.”
Tao also emphasized the rapid accumulation of data by Tesla’s FSD system, with the executive highlighting that Full Self-Driving has now accumulated more than 7.5 billion miles of real-world driving data worldwide.
Possible 2026 rollout
The Tesla executive’s comments come amidst Elon Musk’s previous comments suggesting that regulatory approval in China could arrive sometime this 2026. During Tesla’s annual shareholder meeting in November 2025, Musk clarified that FSD had only received “partial approval” in China, though full authorization could potentially arrive around February or March 2026.
Musk reiterated that timeline at the World Economic Forum in Davos, when he stated that FSD approval in China could come as early as February.
Tesla’s latest FSD software, version 14, is already being tested in more advanced deployments in the United States. The company has also started the rollout of its fully unsupervised Robotaxis in Austin, Texas, which no longer feature safety monitors.
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Tesla Semi lines up for $165M in California incentives ahead of mass production
The update was initially reported by The Los Angeles Times.
Tesla is reportedly positioned to receive roughly $165 million in California clean-truck incentives for its Semi.
The update was initially reported by The Los Angeles Times.
As per the Times, the Tesla Semi’s funding will come from California’s Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Incentive Project (HVIP), which was designed to accelerate the adoption of cleaner medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. Since its launch in 2009, the HVIP has distributed more than $1.6 billion to support zero-emission trucks and buses across the state.
In recent funding rounds, nearly 1,000 HVIP vouchers were provisionally reserved for the Tesla Semi, giving Tesla a far larger share of available funding than any other automaker. An analysis by the Times found that even after revisions to public data, Tesla still accounts for about $165 million in incentives. The next-largest recipient, Canadian bus manufacturer New Flyer, received roughly $68 million.
This is quite unsurprising, however, considering that the Tesla Semi does not have a lot of competition in the zero-emissions trucking segment.
To qualify for HVIP funding, vehicles must be approved by the California Air Resources Board and listed in the program catalog, as noted in an electrive report. When the Tesla Semi voucher applications were submitted, public certification records only showed eligibility for the 2024 model year, with later model years not yet listed.
State officials have stated that certification details often involve confidential business information and that funding will only be paid once vehicles are fully approved and delivered. Still, the first-come, first-served nature of HVIP means large voucher reservations can effectively crowd out competing electric trucks. Incentive amounts for the Semi reportedly ranged from about $84,000 to as much as $351,000 per vehicle after data adjustments.
Unveiled in 2017, the Tesla Semi has seen limited deliveries so far, though CEO Elon Musk has recently reiterated that the Class 8 all-electric truck will enter mass production this year.
Elon Musk
Tesla reveals major info about the Semi as it heads toward ‘mass production’
Some information, like trim levels and their specs were not revealed by Tesla, but now that the Semi is headed toward mass production this year, the company finally revealed those specifics.
Tesla has revealed some major information about the all-electric Semi as it heads toward “mass production,” according to CEO Elon Musk.
The Semi has been working toward a wider production phase after several years of development, pilot programs, and the construction of a dedicated production facility that is specifically catered to the manufacturing of the vehicle.
However, some information, like trim levels and their specs were not revealed by Tesla, but now that the Semi is headed toward mass production this year, the company finally revealed those specifics.
Tesla Semi undergoes major redesign as dedicated factory preps for deliveries
Tesla plans to build a Standard Range and Long Range Trim level of the Semi, and while the range is noted in the company’s newly-released spec list, there is no indication of what battery size will be equipped by them. However, there is a notable weight difference between the two of roughly 3,000 lbs, and the Long Range configuration has a lightning-fast peak charging speed of 1.2 MW.
This information is not available for the Standard Range quite yet.
The spec list is as follows:
- Standard Range:
- 325 miles of range (at 82,000 lbs gross combination weight
- Curb Weight: <20,000
- Energy Consumption: 1.7 kWh per mile
- Powertrain: 3 independent motors on rear axles
- Charging: Up to 60% of range in 30 minutes
- Charge Type: MCS 3.2
- Drive Power: Up to 800 kW
- ePTO (Electric Power Take Off): Up to 25 kW
- Long Range:
- Range: 500 miles (at 82,000 lbs gross combination weight)
- Curb Weight: 23,000 lbs
- Energy Consumption: 1.7 kWh per mile
- Powertrain: 3 independent motors on rear axles
- Charging: Up to 60% of range in 30 minutes
- Charge Type: MCS 3.2
- Peak charging speed: 1.2MW (1,200kW)
- Drive Power: Up to 800 kW
- ePTO (Electric Power Take Off): Up to 25 kW
It is important to keep in mind that the Semi is currently spec’d for local runs, and Tesla has not yet released or developed a sleeper cabin that would be more suitable for longer trips, cross-country hauls, and overnight travel.
Tesla Semi sleeper section and large side storage teased in new video
Instead, the vehicle will be initially used for regional deliveries, as it has in the pilot programs for Pepsi Co. and Frito-Lay for the past several years.
It will enter mass production this year, Musk confirmed on X over the weekend.
Now that the company’s dedicated Semi production facility in Sparks, Nevada, is standing, the timeline seems much more realistic as the vehicle has had its mass manufacturing date adjusted on several occasions.
Tesla exec: Preparations underway but no firm timeline yet for FSD rollout in China
Tesla Semi lines up for $165M in California incentives ahead of mass production
