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Tesla and Elon Musk tried to help

(Credit: Ryan Lash/TED)

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Tesla and Elon Musk tried to help automakers that have ultimately delayed their transition to electric vehicles to the point that change is likely, but at a much slower pace than what is ideal.

But Musk said in a Tweet on his social media platform X this morning that Tesla, his industry-leading car company, has tried to make the transition easier and seamless.

Many of his calls to help other car companies have gone unanswered, although the open-sourced patents and other advantages Tesla has offered to what many would call “rivals” would help them advance their efforts.

Musk said on Tuesday morning, in response to a popular meme that portrayed rival automakers in the midst of a housefire while saying, “This is fine,” Musk said:

“It is unfortunately trending that way for many automakers. Some companies do understand, but their pace of change is nonetheless slow.”

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There are exceptions. Ford is likely the most serious of all legacy automakers in terms of its commitment to EVs. Its $5.6 billion investment into BlueOval City, a Tennessee mega campus that will build batteries and vehicles, was the Detroit-based company’s “put your money where your mouth is” moment.

Along with separating its EV division from commercial and combustion engine projects, Ford has launched the Mustang Mach-E, F-150 Lightning, and E-Transit, along with plans for a future EV truck.

General Motors is likely second. Although the Biden-proclaimed “Leader in EVs” has struggled to put a major effort forward through the past few years, struggling with the early rocky roads of an EV transition, it has some credibility. The Chevrolet Bolt has been a mainstay in the sector, and after announcing it would discontinue the vehicle, it reversed its plans.

But others have lagged in their transitions, even though help is available to them. A 2014 blog from Musk titled “All Our Patent Are Belong to You” showed Tesla was ready to help “accelerate the advent of sustainable transport,” as Musk put it. Put advantages over competitors aside. It was much bigger than an edge over them.

Not only are the patents available, but Musk has hinted toward licensing Full Self-Driving to a major automaker during the last Earnings Call, and with many thinking Ford is the most likely to do so, nothing concrete has been announced.

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Additionally, the Supercharger Network has been one of the more evident examples of Tesla trying to help EVs be more appealing, even if it means giving up its biggest competitive advantage.

Credit: Tesla

“Tesla is trying to be as helpful to other carmakers as possible with the transition to autonomous electric vehicles: we open source our patents, provide access to our Superchargers and have invited them to license our self-driving AI system,” Musk said.

When companies continue to make excuses for their lack of effort in the EV transition, their reasons should be pushed by the wayside. The help is there, and so is the infrastructure.

Could you imagine if Tiger Woods said he’d help all of his PGA Tour playing mates improve their game all around during his legendary run from 1997 to 2008?

Tesla is essentially doing this. If you don’t take the help and guidance, then what will the next excuse be?

I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.

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Joey has been a journalist covering electric mobility at TESLARATI since August 2019. In his spare time, Joey is playing golf, watching MMA, or cheering on any of his favorite sports teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles, Miami Heat, Washington Capitals, and Penn State Nittany Lions. You can get in touch with joey at joey@teslarati.com. He is also on X @KlenderJoey. If you're looking for great Tesla accessories, check out shop.teslarati.com

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Tesla makes online ordering even easier

Tesla has a great trade-in program that allows you to give the company your vehicle in exchange for cash, even if it’s not an EV. Their trades are mostly fair, but the company seems to undervalue its own vehicles, and there have been plenty of complaints over offers in the past.

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(Credit: Tesla Asia | X)

Tesla has adjusted its Online Design Studio to make for an easier trade-in process, reflecting the details of the exchange for a more accurate reflection of payment terms.

Tesla has a great trade-in program that allows you to give the company your vehicle in exchange for cash, even if it’s not an EV. Their trades are mostly fair, but the company seems to undervalue its own vehicles, and there have been plenty of complaints over offers in the past.

Trade-ins are usually given by submitting vehicle details, then Tesla sends an email with an offer. Offers are non-negotiable, but do adjust over time, although the latest offer is valid for 30 days.

I traded my ICE vehicle for a Tesla Model Y: here’s how it went

Knowing your new Tesla’s cash price, leasing or loan details, and monthly payment information used to be done by the car buyer. From personal experience, I simply subtracted my trade-in from the cash price of the Tesla Model Y, and I plugged those numbers into the payment calculator.

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Now, Tesla is implementing the trade-in process directly into the Design Studio. It will adjust the price of the car and the different monthly payment methods automatically:

The change is already noticed in a handful of states, including California, but it has not rolled out across the board quite yet. It will be implemented in all of the U.S., as well as Canada, this coming week.

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The trade-in process is very simple, and after you accept your offer, you simply drop your vehicle off during the delivery process. Making this simple change will be greatly appreciated by owners.

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Tesla confirms Robotaxi is heading to five new cities in the U.S.

After launching in Austin, Texas, in late June and the Bay Area of California just a few weeks later, Tesla has been attempting to expand its Robotaxi suite to new states and cities in the U.S., and even outside of the country.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla Robotaxi will hit five new cities in the United States in the coming months, the company confirmed.

After launching in Austin, Texas, in late June and the Bay Area of California just a few weeks later, Tesla has been attempting to expand its Robotaxi suite to new states and cities in the U.S., and even outside of the country.

The Robotaxi suite is a ride-hailing service Tesla offers, but the details of it change with each jurisdiction, as regulations vary. For example, in Austin, Tesla can operate the Robotaxi suite without anyone in the driver’s seat, as long as the vehicle does not enter a freeway.

Credit: Tesla

In the Bay Area, a Safety Monitor rides in the driver’s seat, essentially acting as the vehicle operator with Full Self-Driving controlling the car.

The local regulations and how Tesla handles them will continue to be a relevant part of the discussion, especially as the company aims to expand the Robotaxi program to different areas. This has been a primary focus of the company for several months, especially within the United States.

CEO Elon Musk said that Tesla was aiming to launch Robotaxi in Nevada, Arizona, and Florida. However, the company detailed five specific cities where it will launch Robotaxi next during the Annual Shareholder Meeting on Thursday.

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Tesla will launch Robotaxi in Las Vegas, Phoenix, Dallas, Houston, and Miami next, broadening its Service Area for the suite to more major cities across the U.S.

It has said it plans to offer the service to half of the U.S. population by the end of the year, but it does not seem as if it will expand to more than a handful of cities this year, which is still tremendous progress, all things considered.

As far as autonomy is concerned, Tesla has always had lofty expectations and has made some even loftier statements.

At the Shareholder Meeting, Musk said that the company would likely be able to enable vehicle owners to text while the vehicle drives, alleviating them from potentially having some of the responsibility they have behind the wheel.

Tesla says texting and driving capability is coming ‘in a month or two’

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It is not confirmed that Tesla will roll this out in the next few months, but Musk said there is a possibility.

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Tesla launches another new Model Y trim at a bargain price with massive range

It is the second most-affordable Model Y trim level in China, trailing the base Rear-Wheel-Drive and coming in under the All-Wheel-Drive.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla has launched yet another new Model Y trim level, but this time it is in China, and it is at a bargain price.

It also has an insane range rating.

On Friday, Tesla launched the new Model Y Long Range Rear-Wheel-Drive in China, priced at 288,500 yuan ($40,500), an incredible deal considering it is not a stripped-down version of the vehicle like the Model Y Standard.

It is the second most-affordable Model Y trim level in China, trailing the base Rear-Wheel-Drive and coming in under the All-Wheel-Drive.

The big appeal with this new Model Y trim is obviously its price, but its range rating is also one of the best we’ve seen. Rated at 821 kilometers on the CLTC scale, it converts to 510 miles. It uses a 78.4 kWh CATL battery.

Converted to real-world range, however, that 821-kilometer range rated by the CLTC actually is equivalent to about 357 miles on the EPA scale, which is still a very respectable number and comes in at a higher range than the Long Range All-Wheel-Drive configuration that is available in the U.S.

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Tesla has truly brought a wide variety of Model Y trims to the Chinese market, including a new Model Y L configuration that features a slightly longer wheelbase, as well as additional interior features like extended thigh legrests and captain’s chairs with armrests.

It is unclear whether Tesla will bring a Premium Rear-Wheel-Drive option of the Model Y to the U.S., especially as it has already rolled out four configurations of the all-electric crossover in the market. With the new Standard offerings, Tesla will likely keep its lineup as simple as possible.

However, the company has hinted that there is a slim possibility the Model Y L could come to the U.S. sometime late next year, but CEO Elon Musk said that it is not a guarantee.

Tesla is more concerned with self-driving efforts in the U.S., and despite calls from customers for larger vehicles, it does not seem concerned with making them available, at least not for now.

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