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Tesla’s former CTO JB Straubel is ramping up his stealthy recycling business
When former CTO JB Straubel announced that he would be taking more of an advisory role in Tesla and that he would be stepping down from his day-to-day responsibilities as the electric car maker’s Chief Technology Officer, he provided a firm assurance that he was not “disappearing” from the company. The ongoing growth of a stealthy recycling startup registered under Straubel’s name suggests that his words back in the Q2 2019 earnings call were no fluke.
JB Straubel is known for being the backbone of Tesla’s battery tech. One of the most notable photos in Tesla history quite literally depicts Straubel assembling a battery module by hand. It would not be a stretch to state that innovations in Tesla Energy and at Gigafactory 1 in Nevada have been possible primarily due to Straubel’s work and genius. Yet, despite Tesla’s batteries being pretty much the best in the market, Straubel has noted that there is something still missing from the puzzle: closed loop battery recycling.
During the 2018 Annual Shareholders Meeting, Straubel addressed an inquiry from an investor about Tesla’s approach to battery waste. The former CTO’s response was brief, stating that Tesla’s priorities lie in recycling its batteries, thereby preventing the company’s old cells from ending up in landfills. Eventually, Straubel stated, Tesla wants to develop a closed loop, using the same materials from batteries that it recycles to create new packs.

“Tesla will absolutely recycle, and we do recycle, all of our spent cells, modules and battery packs. So the discussion about is this waste ending up in landfills is not correct. We would not do that, these are valuable materials. In addition, it’s just the right thing to do. We have current partner companies– on every major continent where we have cars operating– that we work with to do this today. And in addition, we’re developing internally more processes, and we’re doing R&D on how we can improve this recycling process to get more of the active materials back. Ultimately what we want is a closed loop, right, at the Gigafactories that reuses the same, recycled materials,” he said.
As noted by Tesla investor-enthusiast Galileo Russell of YouTube’s HyperChange channel, JB Straubel just so happens to have a startup that appears to address the very same point that he emphasized during the 2018 Shareholder Meeting. Registered to do business in Nevada, Straubel’s startup, called Redwood Materials, is focused on next-generation recycling technologies. A look at Redwood’s bare-bones official website shows a statement that goes very well with Tesla’s mission.
“Advancing sustainability through research and development, engineering, and operational excellence for next generation recycling processes and programs.”
Redwood Materials lists Straubel and fellow Tesla alumni Andrew Stevenson, who served under the former CTO as Head of Special Projects, as executive officers of the stealthy recycling startup. Filings for the recycling company have also shown that Redwood received $2 million worth of investments. Quite interestingly, Straubel provided a response to CNBC last year when the news outlet published a report on the startup, stating that Redwood, at least at that point, was not doing any direct business with Tesla.

“Redwood is not currently doing any business with Tesla and our expansion to Nevada is unrelated to Tesla or to the Gigafactory directly. Northern Nevada has a welcoming business environment, a growing technology presence and gives us a strong foundation for aggressive future growth,” he said.
It’s been over a year since Straubel gave his response to CNBC, and a lot has happened since then. Tesla’s batteries have improved, and if the Cybertruck’s starting price is any indication, the electric car maker appears to have lowered its battery production costs even further. Straubel has also transitioned to an advisory role in Tesla, presumably to focus on other projects. One of these projects could very well be the work being done by Redwood, which just happens to be completely compatible with Tesla’s electric cars and energy storage systems.
The signs definitely are there, and if the HyperChange host’s speculations prove right, it would mean that Tesla could be the auto industry’s first company that can achieve true closed loop battery recycling, a thing that was once considered as the holy grail for electric car production.
Watch HyperChange‘s video about JB Straubel’s stealthy startup in the video below.
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Tesla just unlocked sales to 50,000+ government agencies
It marks a significant step in expanding Tesla’s presence in the public sector, where procurement processes have traditionally slowed electric vehicle adoption.
Tesla just unlocked sales to over 50,000 government agencies by entering a new agreement with Sourcewell, a purchasing cooperative.
Tesla entered a new master purchasing agreement with Sourcewell, the largest government purchasing cooperative in the U.S. This will enable streamlined sales of its EVs to more than 50,000 U.S. public entities. Tesla entered Designated Contract 0813525-TES, and the agreement covers Model 3, Model Y, and Cybertruck, and potentially other vehicles the company could release.
It marks a significant step in expanding Tesla’s presence in the public sector, where procurement processes have traditionally slowed electric vehicle adoption.
The deal allows eligible agencies, including cities, school districts, state governments, and higher-education institutions, to purchase Tesla vehicles directly through Sourcewell without conducting their own lengthy competitive bidding or request-for-proposal (RFP) processes.
Pricing is pre-negotiated and capped, providing transparency and predictability. Agencies simply register for a Sourcewell account online or by phone and place orders under the existing contract. This cooperative model aggregates demand across thousands of members, reducing administrative costs and time while ensuring compliance with public procurement rules.
For Tesla, the agreement removes major barriers to government fleet sales. Public-sector procurement cycles often stretch 12 to 18 months due to bidding requirements and committee reviews.
Tesla buyers in the U.S. military can get $1,000 off Cybertruck purchases
By securing the master contract, Tesla gains immediate, simplified access to a massive customer base that previously faced friction in adopting EVs. The company highlighted in its announcement that the partnership will help these 50,000-plus agencies “save thousands of $$$ in operating costs for their vehicle fleet over time” through lower maintenance, energy efficiency, and the elimination of tailpipe emissions.
The initial four-year term runs through November 13, 2029, with options for up to three one-year extensions, offering long-term stability for both parties.
Sourcewell’s role is central to execution. As a cooperative purchasing organization, it negotiates and manages vendor contracts on behalf of its members, then makes them available nationwide. Participating entities contact Tesla’s dedicated fleet team or Sourcewell representatives to complete purchases, bypassing redundant paperwork.
This structure accelerates fleet electrification while maintaining fiscal accountability—agencies receive pre-vetted pricing and terms without reinventing the wheel for each vehicle order.
The partnership positions Tesla to capture a larger share of the public fleet market, where total cost of ownership often favors electric vehicles once procurement hurdles are removed.
For government buyers, it translates to faster deployment of sustainable fleets, reduced long-term expenses, and alignment with environmental mandates. As more agencies transition, the contract could contribute to broader EV infrastructure growth and taxpayer savings across the country.
Elon Musk
How much of SpaceX will Elon Musk own after IPO will surprise you
SpaceX’s IPO filing confirms Musk will maintain his voting power to make key decisions for the company.
Elon Musk will retain dominant voting control of SpaceX after it goes public, according to the company’s IPO prospectus that was filed with the SEC. The filing reveals a dual-class equity structure giving Class B shareholders 10 votes each, concentrating power with Musk and a handful of other insiders, while Class A shares sold to public investors carry one vote.
Musk holds approximately 42% of SpaceX’s equity and controls roughly 79% of its votes through super-voting shares. He will simultaneously serve as CEO, CTO, and chairman of the nine-member board after the listing. Beyond that, the filing includes provisions that may limit shareholders’ influence over board elections and legal actions, forcing disputes into arbitration and restricting where they can be brought.
The case for Musk holding this level of control is grounded in SpaceX’s actual history. The company’s most important bets, from reusable rockets to a global satellite internet constellation, were decisions that ran against conventional aerospace thinking and would likely have faced resistance from a board accountable to investor gains. Fully reusable rockets were considered economically irrational by established industry players for years. Starlink, which now generates over $4 billion in annual operating profit, was widely dismissed as financially unviable when it was proposed. The argument for concentrated founder control seems straightforward, and the decisions that built SpaceX into what it is today required someone willing to ignore consensus and absorb years of losses.
SpaceX files confidentially for IPO that will rewrite the record books
For context, Musk’s position is significantly more dominant than Zuckerberg’s at Meta. The comparison with Tesla is also worth noting. When Tesla did its IPO in 2010, it did not issue dual-class shares. Musk has only recently pushed for enhanced voting protection, proposing at least 25% control at Tesla in 2024 after selling shares to fund his Twitter acquisition left him with around 13%.
SpaceX has clearly learned from that experience and structured the IPO differently by planning to allocate up to 30% of shares to retail investors, roughly three times the typical norm for a large offering. The roadshow is expected to begin the week of June 8, with a Nasdaq listing rumored to be a $1.75 trillion valuation and a $75 billion raise.
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Tesla bolsters App with new safety, insurance, and storage features
The Tesla Smartphone App is one of the biggest and best features and advantages owners have. Everything from moving the vehicle with Summon, to getting Navigation sent to the car, to preconditioning the cabin can be done with the Tesla App.
Tesla is bolstering its smartphone App with a series of new features to streamline operations for owners. The new additions include fixes to safety, its in-house insurance offering, and storage management for Dashcam clips.
The Tesla Smartphone App is one of the biggest and best features and advantages owners have. Everything from moving the vehicle with Summon, to getting Navigation sent to the car, to preconditioning the cabin can be done with the Tesla App.
But in classic Tesla fashion, the company is aiming to improve the offerings of the app, and it is doing so with a handful of new features. They were first discovered by Tesla App Updates.
Tesla Insurance – Safety Score 3.0
This is truly part of the Spring 2026 Update, but Tesla has now given more transparency on how FSD has saved people money on their premiums.
Tesla intertwines FSD with in-house Insurance for attractive incentive
Additionally, Tesla is now automatically awarding a Safety Score of 100 for every mile traveled on Full Self-Driving (Supervised).
Update Tracking
Updates traditionally appear on the App or on the Center Touchscreen in the car. There is nothing better than seeing that Green Arrow at the top of the screen, or opening your app and seeing that there is a Software Update available.
Now, there will be no need to manually check the app and initiate the download. Tesla is enabling a new feature that will automatically download updates for you.
Storage Management
Your USB drive can now be remotely formatted, and old Dashcam clips can be deleted straight from the phone. When you record a lot of things using the Dashcam feature, that storage fills up pretty quickly.
Now, manually deleting the Dashcam videos is easier than ever.
Trailer Light Test
This is perhaps the coolest and most crucial addition to the Tesla App, as those who tow and haul will now be able to trigger a diagnostic light sequence from the app while standing behind your trailer to ensure the brake lights work.
Verifying your trailer lights are connected properly and operating normally and as intended is normally a massive hassle.
Now, a new trigger will be available to initiate a diagnostic light sequence directly from your phone.