Connect with us

News

Tesla Model X is Jay-Z and Beyoncé’s SUV of choice at Roc Nation’s The Brunch 2020

Tesla Model X - Beyonce and Jay-Z Roc Nation's The Brunch 2020 (Source: Voltly | Instagram)

Published

on

Jay-Z and Beyoncé skipped the 2020 Grammys but the entertainment industry’s power couple hosted the annual Roc Nation’s The Brunch and were spotted leaving the venue on a sleek Tesla Model X.

Jay-Z’s entertainment agency Roc Nation hosted the star-studded pre-Grammy event on Saturday in Los Angeles. Bey wore a blue mini dress with low V neck perfectly while Jay-Z was the most fashionable in his mauve suit (yes, don’t call it pink). They did not have to do anything to stand out from the rest as they exuded music royalty, of course, but the electric vehicle community cannot miss that the two biggest stars left the party in a black all-electric SUV.

Beyonce and Jay-Z Roc Nation’s The Brunch 2020 (Source: Rocnation | Instagram)

The Model X waited for the music industry giants with its Falcon Wing doors wide open. The legendary rapper hopped onto the right side of Tesla’s flagship SUV while he poshly corrected someone that his suit wasn’t pink, all while Beyonce was escorted to the other side of the vehicle by her bodyguard.

The music industry’s elite attended the event that some consider even bigger than the Grammys itself. Jay-Z and Beyoncé welcomed the likes of Diddy, Rihanna, Usher, DJ Khaled, Kelly Rowland, John Legend, and many more in the posh mansion where Roc Nation’s The Brunch was held.

Why the couple opted to ride a sleek Model X to one of the biggest events of the year is no surprise. Both award-winning artists are known to wrap their hands around worthy causes such as Beyonce’s focus on climate change.

“During the time where it’s impossible to watch the violence or racism in this country, just when you think it couldn’t possibly get worse, natural disasters take precious life, do massive damage and forever change lives — leaving behind contaminated waters, flooded hospitals, schools and nursing homes,” Beyoncé said during a benefit telethon for the victims of hurricanes in 2017.

Advertisement

Jay-Z, meanwhile, intertwines his art with his activism for change to end poverty and improve lives. He once said in an interview, “If we had a power base together, it would be a much different conversation than me having a conversation by myself and trying to change America by myself. If I come with 40 million people, there’s a different conversation, right?”

The Tesla brand has a loyal community who believes in Elon Musk’s mission to achieve real sustainability, but celebrities such as Jay-Z and Beyoncé can definitely give it a good push and help get the message across to more people.

Check out the short video footage of Jay-Z and Beyonce boarding the Tesla Model X as they leave the Roc Nation’s The Brunch:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B7yma1jApAg/

H/T to voltly

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement
Comments

Elon Musk

Elon Musk shares incredible detail about Tesla Cybercab efficiency

Published

on

(Credit: Tesla North America | X)

Elon Musk shared an incredible detail about Tesla Cybercab’s potential efficiency, as the company has hinted in the past that it could be one of the most affordable vehicles to operate from a per-mile basis.

ARK Invest released a report recently that shed some light on the potential incremental cost per mile of various Robotaxis that will be available on the market in the coming years.

The Cybercab, which is detailed for the year 2030, has an exceptionally low cost of operation, which is something Tesla revealed when it unveiled the vehicle a year and a half ago at the “We, Robot” event in Los Angeles.

Musk said on numerous occasions that Tesla plans to hit the $0.20 cents per mile mark with the Cybercab, describing a “clear path” to achieving that figure and emphasizing it is the “full considered” cost, which would include energy, maintenance, cleaning, depreciation, and insurance.

ARK’s report showed that the Cybercab would be roughly half the cost of the Waymo 6th Gen Robotaxi in 2030, as that would come in at around $0.40 per mile all in. Cybercab, at scale, would be at $0.20.

Credit: ARK Invest

This would be a dramatic decrease in the cost of operation for Tesla, and the savings would then be passed on to customers who choose to utilize the ride-sharing service for their own transportation needs.

The U.S. average cost of new vehicle ownership is about $0.77 per mile, according to AAA. Meanwhile, Uber and Lyft rideshares often cost between $1 and $4 per mile, while Waymo can cost between $0.60 and $1 or more per mile, according to some estimates.

Tesla’s engineering has been the true driver of these cost efficiencies, and its focus on creating a vehicle that is as cost-effective to operate as possible is truly going to pay off as the vehicle begins to scale. Tesla wants to get the Cybercab to about 5.5-6 miles per kWh, which has been discussed with prototypes.

Additionally, fewer parts due to the umboxed manufacturing process, a lower initial cost, and eliminating the need to pay humans for their labor would also contribute to a cheaper operational cost overall. While aspirational, all of the ingredients for this to be a real goal are there.

Advertisement

It may take some time as Tesla needs to hammer the manufacturing processes, and Musk has said there will be growing pains early. This week, he said regarding the early production efforts:

“…initial production is always very slow and follows an S-curve. The speed of production ramp is inversely proportionate to how many new parts and steps there are. For Cybercab and Optimus, almost everything is new, so the early production rate will be agonizingly slow, but eventually end up being insanely fast.”

Continue Reading

Elon Musk

Elon Musk to attend 2026 World Economic Forum at Davos

The Tesla CEO was confirmed as a last-minute speaker for a session with BlackRock CEO Larry Fink.

Published

on

Elon Musk planned to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos for the first time, marking a notable shift after years of public criticism of the annual gathering. The Tesla CEO was confirmed as a last-minute speaker for a session alongside BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, signaling a thaw in Musk’s long-strained relationship with the global economic forum. Musk was confirmed as a late addition to Davos program Organizers of the World Economic Forum confirmed that Elon Musk was added shortly before the event to a Thursday afternoon session in Davos, where he was scheduled to speak with Larry Fink. The appearance marked Musk’s first participation in the forum, which annually draws political leaders, business executives, and global media to Switzerland. Musk’s attendance represented a departure from his past stance toward the event. He had been invited in prior years but declined to attend, including in 2024. His Davos appearance followed remarks from his political ally, Donald Trump, who addressed the forum earlier in the week with a wide-ranging speech. The session also underscored Musk’s expanding role beyond Tesla, reflecting his leadership across multiple ventures, including SpaceX and xAI. A previously strained relationship showed signs of easing Musk had frequently criticized the World Economic Forum in the past, describing it as elitist and questioning its influence. In earlier posts, he characterized the gathering as “boring” and accused it of functioning like an unelected global authority. Those remarks contributed to a long-running distance between Musk and WEF organizers. The forum previously said Musk had not been invited since 2015, though that position shifted as his global influence grew. Organizers indicated last year that Musk was welcome amid heightened interest in his political and business activities, including his involvement in efforts to improve government efficiency during Trump’s administration. Musk later stepped away from that role. Despite the past friction, Musk remained central to several global debates, ranging from SpaceX’s provision of satellite internet services in geopolitically sensitive regions to controversy surrounding content generated by xAI’s Grok chatbot. His decision to attend Davos suggested a pragmatic recalibration, even as his relationship with the forum remained complex.

Elon Musk is poised to attend the 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos. The Tesla CEO was confirmed as a last-minute speaker for a session with BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, signaling a thaw in Musk’s long-strained relationship with the event.

A late addition

Organizers of the World Economic Forum confirmed that Elon Musk was added shortly before the event to a Thursday afternoon session, where he was scheduled to speak with Fink, as noted in a Bloomberg News report. Musk’s upcoming appearance marks Musk’s first participation in the forum, which annually draws political leaders, business executives, and global media to Davos, Switzerland.

Musk’s attendance represents a departure from his past stance toward the event. He had been invited in prior years but declined to attend, including in 2024. His upcoming appearance followed remarks from his political ally, Donald Trump, who addressed the forum earlier in the week with a wide-ranging speech.

A previously strained relationship

Musk had frequently criticized the World Economic Forum in the past, describing it as elitist and questioning its influence. In earlier posts, he characterized the gathering as “boring” and accused it of functioning like an unelected global authority. Those remarks contributed to a long-running distance between Musk and WEF organizers.

The forum previously said Musk had not been invited since 2015, though that position has since shifted. Organizers indicated last year that Musk was welcome amid heightened interest in his political and business activities, including his involvement in the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Musk later stepped away from that role.

Advertisement

Despite his friction with the World Economic Forum, Musk has remained central to several global events, from SpaceX’s provision of satellite internet services in geopolitically sensitive regions through Starlink to the growing use of xAI’s Grok in U.S. government applications.

Continue Reading

News

Tesla states Giga Berlin workforce is stable, rejects media report

As per the electric vehicle maker, production and employment levels at the facility remain stable.

Published

on

tesla-model-y-giga-berlin-delivery
Credit: Tesla

Tesla Germany has denied recent reports alleging that it has significantly reduced staffing at Gigafactory Berlin. As per the electric vehicle maker, production and employment levels at the facility remain stable.

Tesla denies Giga Berlin job cuts report

On Wednesday, German publication Handelsblatt reported that Tesla’s workforce in Gigafactory Berlin had been reduced by about 1,700 since 2024, a 14% drop. The publication cited internal documents as its source for its report. 

In a statement to Reuters, Tesla Germany stated that there has been no significant reduction in permanent staff at its Gigafactory in Grünheide compared with 2024, and that there are no plans to curb production or cut jobs at the facility. 

“Compared to 2024, there has been no significant reduction in the number of permanent staff. Nor are there any such plans. Compared to 2024, there has been no significant reduction in the number of permanent staff. Nor are there any such plans,” Tesla noted in an emailed statement. 

Tesla Germany also noted that it’s “completely normal” for a facility like Giga Berlin to see fluctuations in its headcount.

Advertisement

A likely explanation

There might be a pretty good reason why Giga Berlin reduced its headcount in 2024. As highlighted by industry watcher Alex Voigt, in April of that year, Elon Musk reduced Tesla’s global workforce by more than 10% as part of an effort to lower costs and improve productivity. At the time, several notable executives departed the company, and the Supercharger team was culled.

As with Tesla’s other factories worldwide, Giga Berlin adjusted staffing during that period as well. This could suggest that a substantial number of the 1,700 employees reported by Handelsblatt were likely part of the workers who were let go by Elon Musk during Tesla’s last major workforce reduction.

In contrast to claims of contraction, Tesla has repeatedly signaled plans to expand production capacity in Germany. Giga Berlin factory manager André Thierig has stated on several occasions that the site is expected to increase output in 2026, reinforcing the idea that the facility’s long-term trajectory remains growth-oriented.

Advertisement
Continue Reading