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Tesla wraps matte black Semi prototype in stunning red amid continued road tests

[Photo: Derek Rasina/Twitter]

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Tesla has seemingly decided to spice up the road tests of its all-electric truck, wrapping one of its test mules in a stunning matte red color. The vehicle, which has caught the attention of the Tesla community, was spotted on the 405 in LA, before being sighted in the Kettleman City Supercharger.

While Tesla’s silver and matte black Semi prototypes are eye-catching trucks in their own right, there is no doubt that the matte red wrap makes the vehicle downright stunning. Inasmuch as initial sightings of the red test mule suggested that Tesla had produced another prototype, though, details such as the truck’s license plate and its trailer proved that the vehicle was just a wrapped version of the matte black prototype that Elon Musk debuted during the long-hauler’s unveiling.

Unlike prior sightings of the Semi, the matte red test mule appears to have stayed at the Kettleman City Supercharger for a rather long time. Tesla enthusiast and r/TeslaMotors member u/CardSpecialist, who sighted the vehicle in the Supercharger after sundown, noted that he was able to speak briefly with the Semi’s driver. According to the Tesla enthusiast, the driver of the vehicle stated that the red wrap has been getting a lot more looks compared to the truck’s previous matte black paint scheme.

The Tesla Semi in matte red. (Photo: Derek Rasina and Tim Alguire/Twitter)

Tesla is yet to provide any details behind its decision to change the color of one of its Semi test mules. That said, the new wrap does make the vehicle stand out more, resulting in more visibility for the upcoming all-electric long-hauler. With such an eye-popping color scheme, after all, the vehicle would likely catch the attention of even more potential reservation holders.

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The Tesla Semi might be taking a backseat to the Model 3 for now, but the vehicle has a lot of potential to disrupt a very lucrative industry. To say that the trucking market presents a huge opportunity for Tesla is an understatement, considering that it is responsible for handling the transportation of up to 71% of the United States’ food, retail goods, and other cargo being delivered every day. The American Trucking Associations’ American Trucking Trends 2018 report, for one, noted that the US trucking industry generated $700.3 billion in economic activity last year. This is a market that Tesla could breach if the Semi proves to be a success.

The Tesla Semi definitely appears to have the necessary goods to disrupt the trucking industry. The Semi is a Class 8 truck, allowing it to haul a considerable amount of cargo. Performance-wise, the Semi also stands to shame its diesel counterparts, thanks to its four Model 3-derived electric motors that allow it to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 5 seconds flat without a trailer. With a full load, the Semi reaches highway speeds in 20 seconds, considerably faster than its fossil fuel-powered counterparts.

The Tesla Semi is also set to be equipped with semi-autonomous features. Among these is “Convoy Mode,” which would allow multiple trucks to semi-autonomously draft in close proximity with each other. Concept videos of the feature posted by Tesla show one manned Semi leading a couple of unmanned electric trucks. Musk noted during the vehicle’s unveiling that the Semi’s convoy tech is something that Tesla can already accomplish today.

The Tesla Semi is expected to start production sometime in 2019, though later statements from Tesla head of investor relations Martin Viecha suggested that the company would “earnestly” start producing the vehicle by 2020. 

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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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Tesla launches new loaner program that owners will love

Tesla is now giving owners the opportunity to rent a vehicle from them, and it includes a few very attractive features that will have you second-guessing another loaner from insurance.

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tesla service tech
Credit: Tesla

Tesla has launched a new loaner program that owners will love, as it resolves some concerns over a replacement vehicle while it is being repaired.

Earlier this week, Tesla launched the option to rent a Tesla loaner vehicle for just $45 per day if your vehicle is in Collision Repair. Collision repairs did not formerly warrant the issuance of loaner vehicles, as the insurance provider of the car owner would provide transportation arrangements.

Tesla is now giving owners the opportunity to rent a vehicle from them, and it includes a few very attractive features that will have you second-guessing another loaner from insurance.

The Tesla you rent while your car is in collision repair will come with free Full Self-Driving, free Supercharging, and free toll coverage, no small print included.

All things considered, this is a great deal for those who require a car for transportation while their car is being repaired.

The cost of Supercharging and Full Self-Driving alone would warrant the $45 per day price tag. Add in the tolls for those who commute on turnpikes for work or are planning an extensive trip that would require it, and it truly becomes an even more attractive deal.

Tesla has done a good job at improving its Service division over the past few years, and it truly needed it. In hopes of launching an F1-style service experience, Tesla started doing away with some of its perks, including loaner vehicles for single-day visits and even Uber credits.

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Tesla’s ‘F1’ Service strategy eliminates same-day loaner vehicles, Uber credits

However, it has listened to the complaints of its owners and tried to cater an experience that is more advantageous and less of a hassle. It’s already made tremendous steps in the past few years, and this is the icing on the cake.

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SpaceX Starship Flight 10: What to expect

SpaceX implemented hardware and operational changes aimed at improving Starship’s reliability.

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Credit: SpaceX

SpaceX is preparing to launch the tenth test flight of its Starship vehicle as early as Sunday, August 24, with the launch window opening at 6:30 p.m. CT. 

The mission follows investigations into anomalies from earlier flights, including the loss of Starship on its ninth test and a Ship 36 static fire issue. SpaceX has since implemented hardware and operational changes aimed at improving Starship’s reliability.

Booster landing burns and flight experiments

The upcoming Starship Flight 10 will expand Super Heavy’s flight envelope with multiple landing burn trials. Following stage separation, the booster will attempt a controlled flip and boostback burn before heading to an offshore splashdown in the Gulf of America. One of the three center engines typically used for landing will be intentionally disabled, allowing engineers to evaluate whether a backup engine can complete the maneuver, according to a post from SpaceX.

The booster will also transition to a two-engine configuration for the final phase, hovering briefly above the water before shutdown and drop. These experiments are designed to simulate off-nominal scenarios and generate real-world data on performance under varying conditions, while maximizing propellant use during ascent to enable heavier payloads.

Starship upper stage reentry tests

The Starship upper stage will attempt multiple in-space objectives, including deployment of eight Starlink simulators and a planned Raptor engine relight. SpaceX will also continue testing reentry systems with several modifications. A section of thermal protection tiles has been removed to expose vulnerable areas, while new metallic tile designs, including one with active cooling, will be trialed.

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Catch fittings have been installed to evaluate their thermal and structural performance, and adjustments to the tile line will address hot spots observed on Flight 6. The reentry profile is expected to push the structural limits of Starship’s rear flaps at maximum entry pressure.

SpaceX says lessons from these tests are critical to refining the next-generation Starship and Super Heavy vehicles. With Starfactory production ramping in Texas and new launch infrastructure under development in Florida, the company is pushing to hit its goal of achieving a fully reusable orbital launch system.

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Elon Musk takes aim at Bill Gates’ Microsoft with new AI venture “Macrohard”

It is quite an appropriate name for a company that’s designed to rival Microsoft.

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Credit: xAI/X

Elon Musk has set his sights on Microsoft with a new company called “Macrohard,” a software venture tied to his AI startup, xAI. 

Musk described the project as a “purely AI software company” that’s designed to generate hundreds of specialized coding and generative AI agents that could one day simulate products from companies like Microsoft entirely through artificial intelligence.

Macrohard‘s Purpose

Musk announced Macrohard on Friday, though xAI had already registered the trademark with the US Patent Office a few weeks ago, as noted in a PC Mag report. Interestingly enough, this is not the first time that Musk has mentioned such an initiative.

Just last month, he stated that xAI was “creating a multi-agent AI software company, where Grok spawns hundreds of specialized coding and image/video generation/understanding agents all working together and then emulates humans interacting with the software in virtual machines until the result is excellent.”

At the time, Musk stated that “This is a macro challenge and a hard problem with stiff competition,” hinting at the venture’s “Macrohard” moniker. A few years ago, Musk also posted “Macrohard >> Microsoft” on X. 

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Powered by xAI and Colossus

Macrohard appears to be closely linked to xAI’s Colossus 2 supercomputer project in Memphis. Musk has confirmed plans to acquire millions of Nvidia GPUs, joining rivals such as OpenAI and Meta in a high-stakes race for AI computing power. Colossus is already one of the most powerful supercomputer clusters in the world, and it is still being expanded.

xAI is only a couple of years old, having been founded in March 2023. During its Engineering Open House event in San Francisco, Elon Musk highlighted that the company’s speed will be its primary competitive edge. “No SR-71 Blackbird was ever shot down and it only had one strategy: to accelerate,” Musk said.

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