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Tesla opens dialogue with local citizens about Gigafactory 4 with new community office

Credit: Twitter/@Gf4Tesla

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Tesla opens a community office that will help address the concerns of the locals as the electric car manufacturer takes steps to prepare a portion of the 300-hectare building site and eventually start construction of its Gigafactory 4 in Grünheide.

The Tesla information office opens its doors Thursday to hear the side of citizens who might have questions for the electric vehicle carmaker. This step taken by the company comes after a forest walk demonstration over the weekend conducted by 50 locals who are members of the group Nature Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU). According to the police, another peaceful demonstration of 50 to 100 people is set for Saturday from Grunheide to Schleuse, a nearby community.

“I hope that with this citizens’ office, the situation will relax a little now,” said Minister of Economic Affairs of Brandenburg Jorg Steinbach during the meeting of the state economic committee on Wednesday. With the information office, Steinbach said that there’s “continuously the possibility of dialogue” and that Tesla will be able to handle public relations work by itself without having to rely on the state government.

Tesla opening an information office in Grunheide just means it means business, and that it conducts business with the local community in mind too. Despite tight deadlines to handle matters such as relocating endangered species of bats and other animals from the forest in Grunheide, the Palo Alto, California-based electric vehicle manufacturer will take time to talk to the locals so they understand that all measures are in place to ensure that everything is done within the legal framework, including taking care of the environment.

Tesla plans to begin construction on a 90-hectare parcel of the property by mid-March. The timetable is tight for the Elon Musk’s car brand as it plans to initially produce 150,000 vehicles per year and ramp-up to 500,000 vehicles, most likely the Model Y and Model 3 that will be distributed in Germany and the rest of Europe.

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The Gigafactory 4 deal is almost certain to push through with economic minister Steinback saying it’s 95 percent secure. Recently, the sales contract for the GF4 property was approved by the Financial Committee of Brandenburg. Tesla’s car factory will create about 12,000 jobs and open opportunities not only for young professionals in Germany but nearby countries such as Poland as well.

Green Agriculture Minister of Brandenburg Axel Vogel is also optimistic about Tesla’s Gigafactory 4.

“I do not think so. Tesla has tied a renowned office, for Grünheide practically copies an existing factory. So you do not have to make all the drawings again, the technical process is clear and also what by-products and waste products are created.,” he said when asked if there’s a chance for the project to fail in an interview with German publication Der Tagesspiegel.

“…because Tesla approached the conservationists early and aggressively. The offer to compensate the pine forest to be cleared three times came from Tesla itself. Tesla’s offensive strategy should be style-setting for other projects. And overall, Tesla does not only want to build a CO2-neutral factory, but also to manufacture products that the German automotive industry has missed the time for 100 percent electrical,” Vogel explained why he is so optimistic about Tesla’s project in Brandenburg.

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A curious soul who keeps wondering how Elon Musk, Tesla, electric cars, and clean energy technologies will shape the future, or do we really need to escape to Mars.

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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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