News
Bespoke Tesla interiors teased by luxury sustainable materials disruptor
Teslas are premium vehicles and their tech stands far beyond the competition, but some of their more traditional components — such as the materials used in their interiors — are typically not on par with those utilized by legacy luxury carmakers like Porsche and Mercedes-Benz.
A recent teaser from materials innovation company von Holzhausen suggests that the EV maker’s vehicles are about to get some luxurious interior options. The short teaser featured a Model S interior with burnt orange seats and what seemed like bespoke accents.
von Holzhausen hinted that more announcements are coming on June 21, 2022.
On its website, von Holzhausen notes that it is a sustainable “material innovator” that’s on a mission to make leather extinct. The company sells premium items such as handbags, belts, backpacks, and other items, all of which are made from sustainable materials. The company is also highly focused on recycling materials that have been discarded.
The company seems very busy, announcing that its Banbū Leather biodegrades 100% in less that 250 days (in a landfill) as opposed to PU, which takes hundreds of years to biodegrade. Last month, von Holzhausen also announced a partnership with Australian biotechnology company Nanollose to develop vegan leather from plants and recycled content.
It remains unknown how von Holzhausen’s apparent luxury Tesla interiors will be rolled out. It may be offered by the materials innovator itself, or it could be offered by Tesla as a more luxurious option for its vehicles. It may also be offered through aftermarket companies such as Unplugged Performance, which has extensive experience modifying and tuning Teslas over the years.
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News
Tesla Full Self Driving (FSD) is nearing approval in a new country
As per the official, Tesla’s Full Self-Driving system could be enabled in Israel in the near future.
It appears that Tesla FSD (Supervised) is heading to a new country soon, at least based on comments from Israel’s Transport and Road Safety Minister Miri Regev.
As per the official, Tesla’s Full Self-Driving system could be enabled in Israel in the near future.
Israeli drivers are pushing for FSD rollout
While Tesla’s FSD is already operational in markets like the U.S., Canada, and Australia, Israeli owners have long been unable to use the feature due to regulatory barriers. Despite its premium price tag, however, numerous Tesla owners in Israel have noted that the technology’s safety benefits, at least when approved for real-world use in the country, justify its cost.
It was then no surprise that nearly 1,000 Tesla owners in Israel have already petitioned the government to greenlight FSD’s domestic release in Israel. In a post on X, Regev seemed to confirm that FSD is indeed coming to Israel. “I’ve received the many referrals from Tesla drivers in Israel! Tesla drivers? Soon you won’t need to hold the steering wheel,” she wrote in her post.
FSD’s regulatory support in Israel
Regev stated that her Ministry views promoting innovative technologies as essential to improving both road safety and smart mobility. A working group led by Moshe Ben-Zaken, Director General of the Ministry of Transportation has reportedly been tasked to finalize the approval process, coordinating with regulatory and safety agencies to ensure compliance with international standards.
In a comment to Geektime, Israel’s Ministry of Transportation and Road Safety noted that Regev is indeed supporting the release of FSD in the country. “Minister Regev sees great importance in promoting innovative technologies, and in particular in the entry of advanced driving systems (FSD) into the Israeli market, as part of the ministry’s policy to encourage innovation, safety, and smart transportation,” the Ministry stated.
Investor's Corner
Bank of America raises Tesla PT to $471, citing Robotaxi and Optimus potential
The firm also kept a Neutral rating on the electric vehicle maker, citing strong progress in autonomy and robotics.
Bank of America has raised its Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) price target by 38% to $471, up from $341 per share.
The firm also kept a Neutral rating on the electric vehicle maker, citing strong progress in autonomy and robotics.
Robotaxi and Optimus momentum
Bank of America analyst Federico Merendi noted that the firm’s price target increase reflects Tesla’s growing potential in its Robotaxi and Optimus programs, among other factors. BofA’s updated valuation is based on a sum-of-the-parts (SOTP) model extending through 2040, which shows the Robotaxi platform accounting for 45% of total value. The model also shows Tesla’s humanoid robot Optimus contributing 19%, and Full Self-Driving (FSD) and the Energy segment adding 17% and 6% respectively.
“Overall, we find that TSLA’s core automotive business represents around 12% of the total value while robotaxi is 45%, FSD is 17%, Energy Generation & Storage is around 6% and Optimus is 19%,” the Bank of America analyst noted.
Still a Neutral rating
Despite recognizing long-term potential in AI-driven verticals, Merendi’s team maintained a Neutral rating, suggesting that much of the optimism is already priced into Tesla’s valuation.
“Our PO revision is driven by a lower cost of equity capital, better Robotaxi progress, and a higher valuation for Optimus to account for the potential entrance into international markets,” the analyst stated.
Interestingly enough, Tesla’s core automotive business, which contributes the lion’s share of the company’s operations today, represents just 12% of total value in BofA’s model.
News
Tesla Model Y on FSD saves couple after encountering King of edge cases
Experts have noted that if confirmed, this could be the world’s first recorded meteorite collision involving a Tesla.
A South Australian Tesla driver is thanking his Model Y’s Full Self-Driving system after a mysterious object, possibly a meteorite, slammed into his car’s windshield while it had FSD engaged.
The impact sent hot glass fragments flying through the cabin as the vehicle continued driving without human input through the darkness. Experts have noted that if confirmed, this could be the world’s first recorded meteorite collision involving a Tesla.
The Tesla owner was enjoying a quiet drive home when they hit the king of edge cases
Veterinarian Dr. Andrew Melville-Smith and his wife were traveling north on Augusta Highway on the night of October 19 when a sudden blast struck their newly delivered Model Y. At the time, it was clear, pitch black night, and Dr. Melville-Smith and his wife were just listening to a podcast while FSD was operating the vehicle, as noted in a Yahoo News report.
Suddenly, something hit the Tesla’s windshield. “Then there was, (what) I can only describe as a very, very violent explosion. The whole inside of the car was literally blasted with glass fragments. It was full of white smoke, and it smelled like the car was on fire,” Dr. Melville-Smith stated.
The vet stated that he and his wife were stunned for a good 10 seconds, and for a bit, he and his wife thought they had crashed. Images of the crash’s aftermath showed a massive crack on the Tesla’s windshield, which Dr. Melville-Smith noted was hot to the touch. The object that hit the Tesla’s windshield was so hot that part of the vehicle’s windshield was partly melted.
FSD kept driving despite the possible meteorite strike
Thankfully, the Tesla was operating with its FSD (Supervised) system engaged at the time. Thus, despite the vehicle being hit by what might be a literal meteorite, and despite Dr. Melville-Smith and his wife being stunned because of the impact, their Tesla just kept driving steadily.
“I thought we’d had an accident, but then I looked at the screen and went ‘Oh, we’re still driving. We were moving around, so it obviously thought we were paying attention, and it was happy to keep driving to Port Augusta. After we pulled over, we saw the big crater in the windscreen,” the vet said.
The South Australian Museum is now examining the case, with geologist Dr. Kieran Meaney stating the scorched glass and heat damage do suggest a potential meteorite strike. “The little detail that’s really selling it for me at the moment is that whatever it was that hit the windscreen seems to have been very hot,” Meaney explained. However, the object has yet to be recovered.
Check out a video of the remarkable edge case below.
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