News
Tesla Roadster rival Rimac C_Two is almost sold out despite $2M price tag
Next-generation Tesla Roadster rival Rimac C_Two is proving to be incredibly popular, practically selling out its projected 150-unit run in less than three weeks.
Reports of the C_Two’s sales were posted on Croatian news website Index.hr, which cited Krešo Ćorić, Sales Manager at Rimac Automobili. According to Ćorić, as of March 29, there were only a “few” more of the vehicles that are available for purchase. What’s more, Ćorić revealed that on average, Rimac’s customers have added around $600,000 worth of extra options.
The good news comes on the heels of the electric car startup’s growth and development this year. As we noted in a previous report, Rimac recently announced that it had signed a deal with China’s Camel Group, a battery manufacturer in the region, to develop and manufacture electric motors and electric car batteries. The two companies will be operating under the name Zhongkeluorui Technology Co. Ltd., with Rimac expecting to bring its expertise in electric car technologies and research into the joint venture.
Rimac’s C_Two hypercar is just the second vehicle that the Croatian electric car startup has produced. Its first vehicle, the Concept_One, had an incredibly limited run of 10 units. This time around, however, Rimac is aiming to build 150 units of the C_Two.
The C_Two brings some insane specs to the table. During its unveiling, Rimac announced some impressive figures for the all-electric hypercar. The vehicle’s 0-60 mph time was listed at 1.85 seconds, which is 0.05 seconds faster than Tesla’s next-generation Roadster. The C_Two is also capable of reaching a top speed of 258 mph, thanks to its electric motors that produce 2,300 Nm of torque.
Adding icing on the cake, Rimac claimed that the C_Two would be able to complete at least two laps around the 12.9-mile Nurburgring without a drop in performance. This is particularly noteworthy, especially considering that Tesla’s vehicles are yet to master full-power track driving.
Rimac is aiming to start the production of the C_Two hypercar on 2020, which also happens to be the year when Tesla will start the manufacture of its next-generation Roadster. Unveiled last November, the next-generation Roadster boasts specs that are comparable, if not superior to the $2 million Rimac C_Two.
During the electric car’s unveiling, Elon Musk stated that the next-gen Roadster would be capable of hitting 0-60 mph in 1.9 seconds and run the quarter-mile in 8.9 seconds. The upcoming Roadster will also feature 10,000 Nm of torque, which is 77% more than what is offered by Rimac’s hypercar. Tesla’s supercar is also far more affordable at just $200,000 – $250,000.
Nevertheless, the Rimac C_Two’s sales are noteworthy. It takes skill, after all, to make a $2 million electric car that can practically sell out in just three weeks.
Elon Musk
Music City Loop could highlight The Boring Company’s real disruption
The real story behind the tunneling startup’s Nashville tunnel project is the company’s targeted $25 million per mile construction cost.
Recent commentary on social media has highlighted what could very well prove to be The Boring Company’s real disruption.
The analysis was shared by tech watcher Aakash Gupta on social media platform X, where he argued that the real story behind the tunneling startup’s Nashville tunnel project is the company’s targeted $25 million per mile construction cost.
According to Gupta’s breakdown, Nashville’s 2018 light rail proposal was priced at roughly $200 million per mile. New York’s East Side Access project reportedly cost about $3.5 billion per mile, while Los Angeles Metro expansion projects have approached $1 billion per mile.
By comparison, The Boring Company has stated it can construct 13 miles of twin tunnels in the Music City Loop for between $240 million and $300 million total. That implies a cost near $25 million per mile, or roughly a 95% reduction from industry averages cited in the post.
Several technical departures from conventional tunneling allow the Boring Company to lower its costs, from its smaller 12-foot diameter tunnels to its fully electric Prufrock machines that are designed to mine continuously with no personnel inside the tunnel and their capability to “porpoise” for easy launch and retrieval.
Tesla and Space CEO Elon Musk responded to the post on X, stating simply that “Tunnels are so underrated.”
The Boring Company has seen some momentum as of late, with the company recently signing a construction contract in Dubai and the Universal Orlando Loop progressing. Recent reports have also pointed to tunnels potentially being constructed to solve traffic congestion issues near the Giga Nevada area.
While The Boring Company’s tunnels have so far been used for Loop systems publicly for now, Elon Musk recently noted that the tunneling startup’s underground passages would not be limited only to ride-hailing vehicles.
In a reply to a post on X which discussed the specifications of the Music City Loop, Musk clarified that “any fully autonomous electric cars can use the tunnels.” This suggests that vehicles potentially running systems like FSD Supervised, even if they are not Teslas, could be used in systems like the Music City Loop in the future.
Elon Musk
SpaceX IPO could push Elon Musk’s net worth past $1 trillion: Polymarket
The estimates were shared by the official Polymarket Money account on social media platform X.
Recent projections have outlined how a potential $1.75 trillion SpaceX IPO could generate historic returns for early investors. The projections suggest the offering would not only become the largest IPO in history but could also result in unprecedented windfalls for some of the company’s key investors.
The estimates were shared by the official Polymarket Money account on social media platform X.
As noted in a Polymarket Money analysis, Elon Musk invested $100 million into SpaceX in 2002 and currently owns approximately 42% of the company. At a $1.75 trillion valuation following SpaceX’s potential $1.75 trillion IPO, that stake would be worth roughly $735 billion.
Such a figure would dramatically expand Musk’s net worth. When combined with his holdings in Tesla Inc. and other ventures, a public debut at that level could position him as the world’s first trillionaire, depending on market conditions at the time of listing.
The Bloomberg Billionaires Index currently lists Elon Musk with a net worth of $666 billion, though a notable portion of this is tied to his TSLA stock. Tesla currently holds a market cap of $1.51 trillion, and Elon Musk’s currently holds about 13% to 15% of the company’s outstanding common stock.
Founders Fund, co-founded by Peter Thiel, invested $20 million in SpaceX in 2008. Polymarket Money estimates the firm owns between 1.5% and 3% of the private space company. At a $1.75 trillion valuation, that range would translate to approximately $26.25 billion to $52.5 billion in value.
That return would represent one of the most significant venture capital outcomes in modern Silicon Valley history, with a growth of 131,150% to 262,400%.
Alphabet Inc., Google’s parent company, invested $900 million into SpaceX in 2015 and is estimated to hold between 6% and 7% of the private space firm. At the projected IPO valuation, that stake could be worth between $105 billion and $122.5 billion. That’s a growth of 11,566% to 14,455%.
Other major backers highlighted in the post include Fidelity Investments, Baillie Gifford, Valor Equity Partners, Bank of America, and Andreessen Horowitz, each potentially sitting on multibillion-dollar gains.
News
Tesla expands global FSD (Supervised) testing with Abu Dhabi trials
The program marks the emirate’s first formal testing framework for Tesla’s supervised autonomous driving technology.
Tesla has started its first Full Self-Driving (Supervised) road trials in Abu Dhabi under the oversight of the Integrated Transport Centre, also known as Abu Dhabi Mobility.
The program marks the emirate’s first formal testing framework for Tesla’s supervised autonomous driving technology.
FSD (Supervised) road trials are being conducted with the support of the Smart and Autonomous Systems Council and in coordination with the Legislation Lab at the General Secretariat of the UAE Cabinet.
Dr. Abdulla Hamad AlGhfeli, Acting Director General of the Integrated Transport Centre (Abu Dhabi Mobility), highlighted the agency’s regulatory role in overseeing the FSD (Supervised) tests in a press release.
“The supervision of the Integrated Transport Centre (Abu Dhabi Mobility) over the commencement of Tesla’s advanced autonomous driving technology tests reflects its regulatory and legislative role. These tests represent a qualitative step to evaluate the technology’s performance in a real-world operating environment and to collect the necessary data to verify its readiness before any future expansion in usage.
“Through this organized framework, and in cooperation with strategic partners, we seek to achieve a balance between supporting innovation and encouraging the adoption of smart solutions on one hand and ensuring the safety of road users on the other, in line with the emirate’s direction to develop an advanced, safe, and sustainable transport system,” he said.
Tesla is putting a lot of effort into expanding the rollout of FSD (Supervised) to territories outside in the United States. During a recent interview with Giga Berlin plant manager Andre Thierig, Musk stated that Tesla is looking to secure approval for FSD (Supervised) in the Netherlands this coming March.
“Tesla has the most advanced real-world AI, and hopefully, it will be approved soon in Europe. We’re told by the authorities that March 20th, it’ll be approved in the Netherlands,’ what I was told. Hopefully, that date remains the same. But I think people in Europe are going to be pretty blown away by how good the Tesla car AI is in being able to drive,” Musk stated.
Music City Loop could highlight The Boring Company’s real disruption
SpaceX IPO could push Elon Musk’s net worth past $1 trillion: Polymarket
