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Tesla Model Y goes up for grabs in new climate action raffle

The Tesla Model Y crossover. (Credit: Tesla)

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There is something extra special about being one of the first owners of a vehicle that has the potential to change the auto industry as we know it. The Tesla Model Y is such a vehicle, and you can be one of the first owners of this all-electric crossover thanks to an initiative by a leading voice in the ongoing and escalating fight against climate change.

The CCAN Action Fund is a nonprofit created to inspire climate-friendly changes in public policy at the local, state, and national levels to directly address the ever-prevalent threat of global warming. The group’s activities span several programs, from voter education, lobbying, and direct participation in the electoral process.

Among the issues that concern the nonprofit is the electrification of the transportation sector. Cars, trucks, and other forms of transport account for almost 30% of the United States’ climate pollution. Thus, electric vehicles like Teslas, which only get cleaner over time, contribute to lowering the overall emissions of the transportation sector. For the CCNA Action Fund, it only makes sense to hold a fundraising raffle and give away one of the most highly-anticipated all-electric cars today: the Tesla Model Y.

Support climate change and enter in a chance to win a Tesla Model Y via CCAN Action Fund, the advocacy arm of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network

Following last year’s fundraising success, helped by the Tesla community’s efforts to raffle off a new Tesla Model 3, the CCAN Action Fund is back this year looking to raise another round in its fight against climate change.

In partnership with Teslarati, CCAN supporters have a chance to take home a rare Tesla Model Y Dual Motor AWD! Winners of the raffle will have the option to customize their Model Y according to their preference, with the nonprofit allotting its prize money for the purchase of a Dual Motor AWD vehicle with 19″ Gemini Wheels, all-black interior, and blue, silver, black, or white paint. CCAN will also cover the federal tax payments associated with the prize.

The Tesla Model Y Dual Motor AWD is expected to be one of the most important electric cars that will be released in recent years. Priced aggressively like its Model 3 sedan sibling and equipped with bleeding-edge tech and a range of 315 miles per charge, the Model Y has the potential to disrupt the crossover industry, which just happens to be one of the market’s fastest-growing segments today. Based on sightings from the Tesla community, Model Y deliveries are likely to start very soon.

Tickets for the CCAN Action Fund’s Tesla Model Y raffle are worth $100 each, and only 3,000 will be allocated before being sold out. Because this is a fundraising effort for climate action, the Tesla Model Y will be raffled off regardless of the number of tickets sold, making the odds of winning anywhere from an incredible 1 in hundreds chance of winning to an amazing 1 in 3000 chance.  

The Tesla Model Y drawing will be held on May 1, 2020 at 4:54 EST, regardless of the number of tickets that are purchased.

Interested participants in the CCAN Action Fund’s Tesla Model Y raffle could click here.

Some of our teammates have been friends with members of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network over the past few years. In support of their cause and through a sponsorship with their climate action fund, Teslarati has been helping our friends raise much-needed funds that will help their mission to institute climate policies with local governments. 

Please consider helping. Entering in a raffle with amazing odds to take home a Tesla Model Y doesn’t hurt either 🙂

Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

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Cybertruck

Tesla Cybertruck AWD is a steal at $60k, is it still at $75k? Full Review

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Tesla Cybertruck’s three configurations are all the same on the outside from an appearance perspective, but they differ slightly in price, range, performance, and other features. After yesterday’s price adjustment, Tesla’s Base All-Wheel-Drive Cybertruck is now priced at $74,990, a far cry from the $59,990 it started at several months ago.

At $60,000, the Cybertruck All-Wheel-Drive is a steal: no pickup, electric or gas-powered, comes close in terms of overall driving capability thanks to Steer-by-Wire; no truck is more fun to drive at that price, and add in Full Self-Driving for $99 per month, and you truly have the best possible pickup on the market, at least if you’re planning to use it for driving.

I unfortunately didn’t have the equipment to test towing and payload and how it impacts the truck.

But at $75,000, is it still worth it? Obviously, the question gets to be more difficult because of the $15,000 difference. But there’s still an argument.

I spent the last week with this awesome truck, and when I took it back, I was sad because it truly is the best Tesla in the lineup. I formerly said the Model S was my favorite Tesla, but after a week with Cybertruck, I can easily say it would be my choice over the now-defunct all-electric sedan.

What makes it so great? Well, a lot of things, and there are some things that I’d like to see change. However, this is a truck that truly has a serious argument for those who are thinking of trying something completely different.

Exterior and Interior

This build comes with 18″ Molten Wheels as the standard offering, but 20″ Core Wheels with 35″ tires are also available. The standard wheel option on this affordable model is not my favorite, but it can be easily swapped for something more attractive.

Overall, this particular build did have some panel gap issues that were especially noticeable between the hood and both front quarter panels. This is obviously not an “across the board” issue, as the Cyberbeast I took home for comparative reasons was significantly better overall.

The interior is different, with its textile material instead of the vegan leather. Personally, I missed the leather due to the ventilated seats, but I prefer the textile as I personally felt like they were more comfortable. This is something I’d definitely consider if I were between the three trim levels and money was not really an issue.

After 610 miles on Monday in this thing, I did not feel any different than I did when I left my house that morning. It feels like a living room on wheels; after a long drive, you truly do not feel as if you’ve been in a car all day long.

My biggest interior complaints were that I’d like at least two USB-C ports in the front; you are confined to just one, and it’s hidden in the center console. The rear row has two ports. Additionally, the windshield is super difficult to clean, so if you end up buying one of these, save your back and get something that extends.

Driving Performance and Comfort

One of the most surprising things about Cybertruck is the fact that it is perhaps the smoothest ride of any Tesla available. Most believe it might be rough, stiff, and rugged like most trucks, maybe not as forgiving on the back and bottom as you sit in it for an extended period of time.

I’m here to tell you, you won’t regret sitting in a Cybertruck for a long drive.

I put as many people who dislike EVs, don’t like Cybertrucks, or use trucks for work, and judge the Cybertruck in this thing in the past week.  Every single person who got in this truck loved it: they loved the speed, the handling, FSD, the space, the capability, and the feel.

As previously noted, even after hundreds of miles and 14 hours spent driving around Pennsylvania, I didn’t feel tired, exhausted, or in any hurry to come home. I would have driven another 300 miles without question.

Final Thoughts

If I had my choice of the three Cybertruck trims, I think I’d take the All-Wheel-Drive for a few reasons. Initially, the price is more attractive, it is not that stripped of features, and it has everything I need.

Is it worth it at $75,000? I believe it is. I’ve driven trucks that are at a higher price point and consider this to be a better product from a driving and experience perspective. However, other pickups on the market have more towing capacity, payload capacity, and range. They do not have FSD or steer-by-wire, the two things that truly make the Cybertruck in a league of its own.

I can’t think of a time in recent memory that I’ve been this excited to drive a vehicle each day, and I literally look for excuses to drive my Model Y on a daily basis. This Cybertruck just blows the Model Y out of the water in every possible way, at least in my opinion. With the size, performance, and driving experience, there is no better Tesla out there.

You can check out the full video review below. If you have any questions about the Cybertruck AWD, be sure to reach out and let me know:

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Elon Musk

County vote hands Elon Musk’s Vegas tunnel network a huge new target

Clark County approved 19 more Vegas Loop stations, pushing Boring Company’s entitled total to 123.

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The Boring Company just got permission to nearly double how far Vegas Loop can reach. Clark County commissioners approved 19 additional stations for the underground transit system, bringing the total entitled to 123, the company said in a post on X thanking the county for the vote. Elon Musk’s tunneling company also flagged the direction it sees the project heading long term. “Because Loop is point-to-point with no intermediate stops, in the limit, one could have a Loop station in every driveway,” the company wrote.

That framing captures how far the ambitions have moved. The Vegas Loop opened its first stretch of tunnel in 2021 and has grown its footprint through a string of county approvals since. In 2023, commissioners signed off on 18 additional stations, part of a plan that later doubled the system’s target to 69 stations across 65 miles. By the end of that year the company was describing a build out closer to 93 planned stations. Last year the long term design called for 104 stations across 68 miles of tunnel. The new approval pushes that number to 123, another jump in a project that keeps outgrowing its own blueprints.

The Boring Company gets approval for more stations in Las Vegas

Station count on paper is still well ahead of what riders can actually use. As Teslarati reported earlier this month, the network has about 11 open stations and has carried more than 4 million passengers since it began running, with newer stops at Fontainebleau and Sahara among the latest additions to the Strip corridor. A tunnel connection to Harry Reid International Airport remains under construction and has already slipped past its original first quarter target. The company is also racing to finish a Westgate to Paradise Road segment that Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority CEO Steve Hill has said it hopes to have running in time for November’s Formula 1 race.

The gap between entitled stations and operating ones is where the real story sits. Regulatory approval gives Boring Company the legal runway to keep tunneling toward new resorts, residential pockets and eventually the airport, but building each connection still comes down to boring machines, fire safety sign offs and construction timelines that have slipped before. The company’s Prufrock series machines set an internal record in March with a 2.28 mile tunnel near Westgate, evidence that construction has been picking up even as the list of approved destinations grows faster than the tunnels themselves.

Musk’s driveway comment reads as aspirational rather than a near term plan, but it fits how Boring Company has talked about Vegas Loop from the start: treat every approval as a floor, not a ceiling, and keep pushing county officials for room to dig.

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Elon Musk

SpaceX announces new Starbase for ‘thousands of Starship launches annually’

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Credit: SpaceX

SpaceX announced today that it would expand its launch capabilities into a new U.S. state: Louisiana.

Today, SpaceX, in conjunction with the Louisiana Economic Development Office, said that it will establish a new launch facility, which it will call Starbase, Louisiana. It will be located near Vermilion Parish, supporting thousands of launches each year, at least eventually.

CEO Elon Musk commented by stating, “Starbase Louisiana will ultimately have over a dozen launch towers, enabling more than 30 Starship flights per day and making it the biggest launch site on Earth!”

The expansion is SpaceX’s latest move to push its launch cadence to be more frequent than ever. SpaceX said that Starbase, Louisiana, will be built to “support thousands of Starship flights a year,” with the first coming in 2029.

SpaceX announced the new facility in partnership with the Louisiana Economic Development Office as it will bring a major influx of jobs and investments into the area. Currently, it will produce more than 3,000 new jobs in Louisiana, and SpaceX plans to invest at least $100 billion into the entire facility, ensuring that many jobs are created as a result.

Environmental Responsibility

SpaceX acknowledges the impact launches could have on marshlands, local wildlife, and water sources. Here’s how the company plans to help with the issues in Vermilion Parish:

  • Restoring the Shoreline: “In Vermilion Parish, the shoreline is eroding between 3.3 and 23 feet per year. We’re partnering with state and federal agencies to expand Louisiana’s Coastal Master Plan and Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act projects, including Gulf shoreline protection breakwaters designed to reduce wave energy and slow loss along the Gulf edge.”
  • Rebuilding the Marshlands: “In working with the state, we’re planning thousands of acres of marsh creation using beneficial-use placement of dredged material and offshore sediment sources. Restoration will also include interior marsh bank stabilization and rebuilding marsh in remnant canals. These projects can reconnect fragmented wetlands, restore natural buffers against storms, and return habitat that has been lost to erosion and historic canalization.”
  • Preserving Coastal Wildlife: “Pecan Island and nearby wetlands are high-value habitat for migratory waterfowl, shorebirds, wading birds, and other coastal wildlife. SpaceX is not developing the full footprint of the land and will preserve wetlands and wildlife habitat. At existing launch sites, waterfowl and other birds continue to use nearby habitat during operations. Working with wildlife agencies, landowners, and conservation groups, SpaceX will support monitoring and management so this habitat stays productive and hunting, fishing, birding, and other recreational activities that are part of this coast’s culture can continue.”

SpaceX shares rose about 2.5 percent on the news.

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