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Tesla’s march to mainstream Model 3 consumers

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Some great books of literature involve traveling down a road or up a river, and can provide great insight on human nature, such as Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness.” This novella was the basis for the movie, Apocalypse Now, where Colonel Kurtz has to be eliminated “with extreme prejudice.” Kurtz had gone mad and created his own army in this fictional story.

The movie’s cryptic themes resonate, such as who are the good guys and sound institutions as seen through Capt. Willard’s eyes.

So, with that as a background, how are certain institutions and Tesla supporters perceived in 2016? We know some of the characters: the Koch brothers and their multi-million dollar media campaign against electric vehicles; the conservative — whatever that means these days — LA Times, the short sellers at Seeking Alpha; and the tired histrionics of the old guard automotive press.

https://twitter.com/russellgold/status/793144519885590528

We’ve all seen the hit jobs, which portray Musk’s companies as some raging socialist entity receiving all these huge subsidies while everybody else is pure as the capitalist, driven snow. Volkswagen’s sweet dollops of government incentives for its Tennessee plant are just business for this old guard company or nevermind the fact that Tesla Motors has never gone bankrupt and bailed out like Chrysler and GM.

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Musk recently acknowledged the continuous hypocrisy regarding green incentives during the last earnings call last week:

“And then – I need to maybe write a longer blog piece sort of going through this, but Tesla’s sometimes criticized for relying on kind of tax credits and that kind of thing. People really misunderstand this. What matters is, what does Tesla receive relative to its competitors? Not, what does Tesla receive in the absolute?”

And, right on cue, an article titled Behind the Myth: Has the Onetime Valley Visionary Lost His Magic? from Salon.com touched all the bases.

The piece is pure rubbish but the well-written headline does tantalize. Maybe some insights on the manufacturing ramp-up for the Model 3? Or, the very real integration challenges between Solar City and Tesla, and possible cash drain for the company?

Nope, nada. Of course, the article provides a litany of nanny-state “points” for why this fledgling automaker is still standing.

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To Musk’s point, there’s no mention in the article that the federal $7,500 tax credit is capped at the first 200,000 electric vehicles or that other car manufacturers actually receive the same credits. And, for old time sake, the author cites the Department of Energy (DoE) program loan program, created by the Bush administration, and delivered to Tesla in 2010 as a point of real contention in 2016. Yep.

How about a dollop of government contracts for SpaceX as a huge conspiracy for this socialist rocket company to spread its political correctness to the universe, eh? Check.

The shit screed never mentioned that SpaceX builds its own motors and 80% of its components for its rockets and has literally upended the aerospace business model.

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That could be the reason for the big contract, eh?

How about Boeing or Lockheed Martin — and United Launch Alliance — taken to task for their government contracts or $63 million in incentives from state of Illinois some 15 years ago. Ruins the narrative, I guess.

The argument from relatively sane Tesla detractors is that the media or enthusiast sites are just Tesla supporters. All these sites have reports of Musk turning everything into gold. However, Tesla does miss. Like the Model X falcon wing doors, delivery numbers and deadlines. It’s reported everywhere.

But Tesla and Elon Musk has hit from day one with the Model S. Does anybody remember the derision thrown at Musk for introducing a luxury electric car first. Mmmmmm?

CNBC missed on that one and did they ever admit their mistake? No and what do they do now? They have Bob Lutz trot out the same old tired nanny state talking points. This shit is tired.

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That’s partially why the Tesla Army is on guard or the Tesla Cult is in force, to call out these these rubes and ghouls…and well-financed freaks, too. The other side of it is following a transformative company that is completely dedicated to its mission.

As my wife says, maybe it’s a “death rattle” for the old guard and thinking. Let’s hope so.

"Grant Gerke wears his Model S on his sleeve and has been writing about Tesla for the last five years on numerous media sites. He has a bias towards plug-in vehicles and also writes about manufacturing software for Automation World magazine in Chicago. Find him at Teslarati

Lifestyle

Tesla Semi futuristic sci-fi acceleration sound will never get old

Videos that capture the Semi moving at speed are most notable due to their sheer cool factor.

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Credit: Tesla Owners Silicon Valley/X

The Tesla Semi is not yet in mass production, but the company has accumulated over 7.9 million miles across its test fleet. With Tesla using the Semi for its operations, it is no surprise that sightings of the Class 8 all-electric truck have been abounding. 

These sightings from Tesla enthusiasts vary, but those that capture the the Class 8 all-electric truck moving at speed are most notable, possibly due to their sheer cool factor.

Tesla Semi’s Roar

There is something that just stands out with the Semi, particularly on the road. While the Semi does not have the Cybertruck’s brutalist, angular design, it is still very striking because it’s such a massive machine that moves far too quietly for its size. This is, of course, one of the reasons why the vehicle also becomes extra noteworthy when it fires up its electric motors and accelerates.

Take this video from Tesla Owners Silicon Valley, for example, which shows the all-electric hauler accelerating while pulling what appears to be a full load. In these situations, the Tesla Semi actually becomes audible, but unlike traditional diesel-powered truck, the Class 8 all-electric truck “roars” with its own, unique futuristic, sci-fi sound. In such situations, one could feel the Semi’s raw power, which comes from its three independent motors on its rear axles.

Tesla Semi Ramp

Tesla has been promoting the Semi quite a bit as of late, and recent reports have suggested that the company is putting in a lot of effort to prepare the vehicle for its production in Nevada. Tesla’s Careers website has gone live with over 80 Semi-related job openings recently as well, and a recent report has suggested that Tesla has ramped the Semi’s factory workers in Nevada to over 1,000 employees.

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The company has even shared an update video of the Semi factory’s progress near Giga Nevada, as well as the design of the vehicle’s new logo. The Semi’s updated logo is quite interesting as it features elements from the Tesla Model 3’s first logo, which was unveiled way back in 2016.

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Elon Musk jokes he will join Mr Beast’s “100 Men vs 1 Gorilla” challenge

It’s a good sign, if any, that the overworked Musk is becoming a bit more lighthearted again.

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Credit: Elon Musk/X

Following the first quarter Tesla earnings call, CEO Elon Musk seems to have become a bit more relaxed—relaxed enough to joke about fighting a gorilla with 99 other people, at least.

It’s a good sign, if any, that the overworked Musk is becoming a bit more lighthearted again and not too busy picking fights with politicians on social media.

The Viral 100 Men vs 1 Gorilla Challenge

Over the weekend, a post on social media platform X went viral. The post itself was quite simple, with user @DreamChasnMike stating that he thinks 100 men could beat one gorilla. “Everybody just gotta be dedicated to the sh*t,” the X user joked. The post exploded on the platform, garnering 284 million impressions as of writing.

The silly question also triggered a massive debate about whether 100 men would really stand a chance against a literal gorilla. Some users even lamented that the premise was a sign of male hubris. Nevertheless, the question proved to be a fun topic on X, with some more dedicated users even posting simulated videos of what the “100 Men vs 1 Gorilla Challenge” could look like. 

Mr. Beast and Elon Musk Join In

The premise is quite similar to other viral videos from noted YouTube creator Mr. Beast, so it was no surprise that edited images of Mr. Beast YouTube thumbnails with “100 Men vs a Gorilla” also started spreading on the social media platform. Mr. Beast, who tends to be game to such silly ideas, actually reposted the edited image, joking “Need 100 men to test this, any volunteers?”

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In true Elon Musk fashion, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO noted that he would join the challenge. “Sure, what’s the worst that could happen” Musk wrote in his post on X. Musk’s reply triggered quite a few laughs on X, with some stating that the world probably still needs the CEO.

While silly, Musk’s comment and his recent, more frequent posts about his companies’ products like Starlink and Grok have been received well by his supporters. Over the past months, after all, Musk has been very political and quite confrontational on social media. With Musk soon taking a step back from the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) daily operations, however, it seems like X will soon get a more tempered and lighthearted Elon Musk once more.

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Possible first glimpse of Tesla “Model 2” affordable car in Fremont Factory

The models that Tesla will release in the coming months will resemble the company’s current lineup.

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Image Credit: @metgodinwilderness7130/YouTube

During the Q1 earnings call, Tesla VP of Vehicle Engineering Lars Moravy set expectations on the design of the affordable models that the company is expected to launch this 2025. As per the Tesla executive, the models that Tesla will release in the coming months will resemble the company’s current lineup.

Drone footage from the Fremont Factory earlier this month might have provided the EV community its first potential glimpse at Tesla’s affordable cars–fondly dubbed by EV fans and analysts as the “Model 2” or even “Model Q”–or at least their components and overall shape.

The Sighting

Tesla watcher and drone operator Met God in Wilderness, who has been posting aerial videos of the Fremont Factory for years now, recently shared some footage from his drone flyovers this month. While the Fremont Factory was abuzz with activity as usual, a couple of rather strange vehicles were quickly spotted by EV watchers on social media.

During the drone operator’s flyover on the 17th, for example, an unfinished vehicle could be seen parked next to what appeared to be fully-built Model S and Model Y units. What was especially interesting was the vehicle’s roof, which seemed to be slightly narrower than the Model Ys around it. Based on the video, at least, the vehicle seemed to be shaped like a crossover as well.

Footage from the 24th of April also proved quite interesting, with the drone operator capturing footage of another cryptic vehicle. Unlike the mysterious, unfinished, crossover-esque car spotted on the 17th, this particular unit seemed to have a more sloping rear, at least based on the shape of its covering.

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What Lars Moravy Said

In Tesla’s Q1 2025 Update Letter, Tesla noted that “plans for new vehicles, including more affordable models, remain on track for start of production in the first half of 2025.” Tesla also noted that the new vehicles will utilize aspects of its next generation and its current platforms. They will also be produced on the same manufacturing lines as its present vehicle lineup, likely the Model Y and Model 3. 

During the earnings call itself, Moravy specifically stated that the new models that would come out in the next months would resemble the company’s current vehicles. They will, however, be affordable. “Models that come out in next months will be built on our lines and will resemble, in form and shape, the cars we currently make. And the key is that they’ll be affordable, and you’ll be able to buy one,” Moravy stated.

Watch the drone operator’s footage from April 17 below.

The drone operator’s footage from April 24 can be viewed below.

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