Connect with us

News

Tesla offers limited-time transfers on free unlimited Supercharging in China

Credit: Tesla China | Weibo

Published

on

After Tesla launched the ability for customers to transfer its free unlimited Supercharging in North America last month, the automaker’s business in China has followed suit.

Tesla China is now offering transfers for customers with the free unlimited Supercharging benefit, so long as they take delivery by the end of the year, according to a post on the automaker’s Weibo page (via Sawyer Merritt). While Tesla’s North American version of the program excludes the Model 3, the program in China includes all four of the automaker’s models in the incentive program.

As translated from Chinese, Tesla writes the following about the incentive in the Weibo post:

“Winter benefits for old car owners are here, free Supercharger limited-time transfers warm online. Before the end of the year, if an old car owner orders any S3XY model and takes delivery on time, the free Supercharging benefit from the original car can be transferred to the new car. This winter, walk warmly with Tesla.”

The post also adds that the incentive will run from November 18 to December 31, and it includes the following image, with some more fine print at the bottom.

Advertisement

Credit: Tesla China | Weibo

You can also read an English translation of the fine print in the image below:

This ‘rights transfer program’ only allows free Supercharging perks to be transferred. The car owner needs to be a current ‘lifetime free Supercharging’ user and order a new car through the same Tesla account.

Ordered models that enjoy this program include official website customized cars of the Model S, 3, X or Y currently on sale, new viewing cars, non-new existing cars, show cars and test drives. The purpose of the current vehicle registration must and remains ‘non-operational.’ Certified second-hand cars and bulk purchase orders cannot participate in this program.”

Users need to place an order for a vehicle before December 31, 2023 and have it delivered between November 18, 2023 and December 31, 2023 before they can participate in this promotion.

The free Supercharging service rights under this policy are non-transferable and cannot be transferred to other vehicles. If the car owners resells the new car, the rights will be terminated immediately. This policy cannot be combined with other current sales policies (including incentive policies such as referrals, introductions, replacements, test drives of non-new vehicles, etc.)

The content of activities related to this policy shall be subject to the official website, and details provided in offline stores. Tesla reserves the right to interpret within the scope permitted by law.

Tesla regularly offers incentives and special perks to help boost sales nearing the end of quarters and years, with the company last offering discounted prices on some models in China for purchases made by the end of the year.

Advertisement

The program comes just after the automaker began delivering its updated Model 3 “Highland” in China and other countries last month. It also comes after Tesla has raised prices on the Model 3 and Model Y rear-wheel-drive variants in China.

At the time of writing, the refreshed Tesla Model 3 starts at a price of RMB 261,400 (~$36,251) in China, while the Model Y starting price is RMB 266,400 (~$36,945). The Model S sticker price begins at RMB 698,900 (~$96,925) in the country, while the Model X is priced starting at RMB 738,900 (~$102,472).

Tesla China sees 12,700 insurance registrations for November’s second week

What are your thoughts? Let me know at zach@teslarati.com, find me on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send your tips to us at tips@teslarati.com.

Advertisement

Zach is a renewable energy reporter who has been covering electric vehicles since 2020. He grew up in Fremont, California, and he currently lives in Colorado. His work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, KRON4 San Francisco, FOX31 Denver, InsideEVs, CleanTechnica, and many other publications. When he isn't covering Tesla or other EV companies, you can find him writing and performing music, drinking a good cup of coffee, or hanging out with his cats, Banks and Freddie. Reach out at zach@teslarati.com, find him on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send us tips at tips@teslarati.com.

Advertisement
Comments

Elon Musk

USDOT Secretary visits Tesla Giga Texas, hints at national autonomous vehicle standards

The Transportation Secretary also toured the factory’s production lines and spoke with CEO Elon Musk.

Published

on

Credit: Elon Musk/X

United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) Secretary Sean Duffy recently visited Tesla’s Gigafactory Texas complex, where he toured the factory’s production lines and spoke with CEO Elon Musk. In a video posted following his Giga Texas visit, Duffy noted that he believes there should be a national standard for autonomous vehicles in the United States.

Duffy’s Giga Texas Visit

As could be seen in videos of his Giga Texas visit, the Transportation Secretary seemed to appreciate the work Tesla has been doing to put the United States in the forefront of innovation. “Tesla is one of the many companies helping our country reach new heights. USDOT will be right there all the way to make sure Americans stay safe,” Duffy wrote in a post on X. 

He also praised Tesla for its autonomous vehicle program, highlighting that “We need American companies to keep innovating so we can outcompete the rest of the world.”

National Standard

While speaking with Tesla CEO Elon Musk, the Transportation Secretary stated that other autonomous ride-hailing companies have been lobbying for a national standard for self-driving cars. Musk shared the sentiment, stating that “It’d be wonderful for the United States to have a national set of rules for autonomous driving as opposed to 50 independent sets of rules on a state-by-state rules basis.”

Duffy agreed with the CEO’s point, stating that, “You can’t have 50 different rules for 50 different states. You need one standard.” He also noted that the Transportation Department has asked autonomous vehicle companies to submit data. By doing so, the USDOT could develop a standard for the entire United States, allowing self-driving cars to operate in a manner that is natural and safe.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

News

Tesla posts Optimus’ most impressive video demonstration yet

The humanoid robot was able to complete all the tasks through a single neural network.

Published

on

Credit: Tesla Optimus/X

When Elon Musk spoke with CNBC’s David Faber in an interview at Giga Texas, he reiterated the idea that Optimus will be one of Tesla’s biggest products. Seemingly to highlight the CEO’s point, the official Tesla Optimus account on social media platform X shared what could very well be the most impressive demonstration of the humanoid robot’s capabilities to date.

Optimus’ Newest Demonstration

In its recent video demonstration, the Tesla Optimus team featured the humanoid robot performing a variety of tasks. These include household chores such as throwing the trash, using a broom and a vacuum cleaner, tearing a paper towel, stirring a pot of food, opening a cabinet, and closing a curtain, among others. The video also featured Optimus picking up a Model X fore link and placing it on a dolly.

What was most notable in the Tesla Optimus team’s demonstration was the fact that the humanoid robot was able to complete all the tasks through a single neural network. The robot’s actions were also learned directly from Optimus being fed data from first-person videos of humans performing similar tasks. This system should pave the way for Optimus to learn and refine new skills quickly and reliably.

Tesla VP for Optimus Shares Insight

In a follow-up post on X, Tesla Vice President of Optimus (Tesla Bot) Milan Kovac stated that one of the team’s goals is to have Optimus learn straight from internet videos of humans performing tasks, including footage captured in third person or by random cameras.

“We recently had a significant breakthrough along that journey, and can now transfer a big chunk of the learning directly from human videos to the bots (1st person views for now). This allows us to bootstrap new tasks much faster compared to teleoperated bot data alone (heavier operationally).

Advertisement

“Many new skills are emerging through this process, are called for via natural language (voice/text), and are run by a single neural network on the bot (multi-tasking). Next: expand to 3rd person video transfer (aka random internet), and push reliability via self-play (RL) in the real-, and/or synthetic- (sim / world models) world,” Kovac wrote in his post on X.

Continue Reading

News

Starship Flight 9 nears as SpaceX’s Starbase becomes a Texan City

SpaceX’s launch site is officially incorporated as Starbase, TX. Starship Flight 9 could launch on May 27, 2025. 

Published

on

spacex-starship-flight-9-starbase-city
(Credit: Jenny Hautmann/Wikimedia Commons)

SpaceX’s Starbase is officially incorporated as a city in Texas, aligning with preparations for Starship Flight 9. The newly formed city in Cameron County serves as the heart of SpaceX’s Starship program.

Starbase City spans 1.5 square miles, encompassing SpaceX’s launch facility and company-owned land. A near-unanimous vote by residents, who were mostly SpaceX employees, led to its incorporation. SpaceX’s Vice President of Test and Launch, Bobby Peden, was elected mayor of Starbase. The new Texas city also has two SpaceX employees as commissioners. All Starbase officials will serve two-year terms unless extended to four by voters.

As the new city takes shape, SpaceX is preparing for the Starship Flight 9 launch, which is tentatively scheduled for May 27, 2025, at 6:30 PM CDT from Starbase, Texas.

SpaceX secured Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval for up to 25 annual Starship and Super Heavy launches from the site. However, the FAA emphasized that “there are other licensing requirements still to be completed,” including policy, safety, and environmental reviews.

Advertisement

On May 15, the FAA noted SpaceX updated its launch license for Flight 9, but added: “SpaceX may not launch until the FAA either closes the Starship Flight 8 mishap investigation or makes a return to flight determination. The FAA is reviewing the mishap report SpaceX submitted on May 14.”

Proposed Texas legislation could empower Starbase officials to close local highways and restrict Boca Chica Beach access during launches. Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino, Jr., opposes the Texas legislation, insisting beach access remain under county control. This tension highlights the balance between SpaceX’s ambitions and local interests.

Starbase’s incorporation strengthens SpaceX’s operational base as it gears up for Starship Flight 9, a critical step in its mission to revolutionize space travel. With growing infrastructure and regulatory hurdles in focus, Starbase is poised to become a cornerstone of SpaceX’s vision, blending community development with cutting-edge aerospace innovation.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending