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Tesla transports Model 3 RHD units to Philadelphia port for faster UK transit

(Image: Keng Chang/Twitter)

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Several semi-truck loads of Tesla Model 3 right-hand-drive (RHD) vehicles are on their way from the company’s headquarters in California to the Port of Philadelphia for transit to UK customers. This alternative route of travel will reportedly provide quicker delivery times than the usual path that takes the all-electric cars around the western part of the country via the Port of San Francisco and through the Panama Canal. Tesla’s strategy could help increase its Q2 2019 delivery numbers and possibly provide cost savings from the shorter delivery distances traveled.

The quicker transit looks to save about two weeks from Tesla’s shipping time, as detailed in a report published by XAutoWorld. The usual San Francisco to the Port of Zeebrugge (Belgium) route is around 10,600 nautical miles with an average shipping time of 24 days, depending on a few variables. The distance from Philadelphia to Zeebrugge is about 4,000 nautical miles with a travel time of around 10 days.

Similar efforts by the community to track Model 3 shipments to the UK came in June when the first truckloads carrying the RHD midsize sedans in London, and later confirmed by text messages from Tesla’s customer service to new owners awaiting delivery.

It’s not uncommon for Tesla enthusiasts to track cargo ships with regard to deliveries around the world. The first batch of Model 3 vehicles to arrive in China came on the carrier ship Glovis Symphony in February, and the first European deliveries came aboard the ship Glovis Captain. Enthusiasm for such shipments is more than just the excitement from customers awaiting the arrival of a product they ordered; the shipments themselves mark Tesla’s success around the world, which in itself is a marker of success towards its overall sustainable energy mission.

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Accidental computer geek, fascinated by most history and the multiplanetary future on its way. Quite keen on the democratization of space. | It's pronounced day-sha, but I answer to almost any variation thereof.

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Elon Musk

SpaceX reportedly discussing merger with xAI ahead of blockbuster IPO

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Credit: SpaceX/X

In a groundbreaking new report from Reuters, SpaceX is reportedly discussing merger possibilities with xAI ahead of the space exploration company’s plans to IPO later this year, in what would be a blockbuster move.

The outlet said it would combine rockets and Starlink satellites, as well as the X social media platform and AI project Grok under one roof. The report cites “a person briefed on the matter and two recent company filings seen by Reuters.”

Musk, nor SpaceX or xAI, have commented on the report, so, as of now, it is unconfirmed.

With that being said, the proposed merger would bring shares of xAI in exchange for shares of SpaceX. Both companies were registered in Nevada to expedite the transaction, according to the report.

Tesla announces massive investment into xAI

On January 21, both entities were registered in Nevada. The report continues:

“One of them, a limited liability company, lists SpaceX ​and Bret Johnsen, the company’s chief financial officer, as managing members, while the other lists Johnsen as the company’s only officer, the filings show.”

The source also stated that some xAI executives could be given the option to receive cash in lieu of SpaceX stock. No agreement has been reached, nothing has been signed, and the timing and structure, as well as other important details, have not been finalized.

SpaceX is valued at $800 billion and is the most valuable privately held company, while xAI is valued at $230 billion as of November. SpaceX could be going public later this year, as Musk has said as recently as December that the company would offer its stock publicly.

SpaceX IPO is coming, CEO Elon Musk confirms

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The plans could help move along plans for large-scale data centers in space, something Musk has discussed on several occasions over the past few months.

At the World Economic Forum last week, Musk said:

“It’s a no-brainer for building solar-powered AI data centers in space, because as I mentioned, it’s also very cold in space. The net effect is that the lowest cost place to put AI will be space and that will be true within two to three years, three at the latest.”

He also said on X that “the most important thing in the next 3-4 years is data centers in space.”

If the report is true and the two companies end up coming together, it would not be the first time Musk’s companies have ended up coming together. He used Tesla stock to purchase SolarCity back in 2016. Last year, X became part of xAI in a share swap.

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Elon Musk

Tesla hits major milestone with Full Self-Driving subscriptions

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Credit: Ashok Elluswamy/X

Tesla has announced it has hit a major milestone with Full Self-Driving subscriptions, shortly after it said it would exclusively offer the suite without the option to purchase it outright.

Tesla announced on Wednesday during its Q4 Earnings Call for 2025 that it had officially eclipsed the one million subscription mark for its Full Self-Driving suite. This represented a 38 percent increase year-over-year.

This is up from the roughly 800,000 active subscriptions it reported last year. The company has seen significant increases in FSD adoption over the past few years, as in 2021, it reported just 400,000. In 2022, it was up to 500,000 and, one year later, it had eclipsed 600,000.

In mid-January, CEO Elon Musk announced that the company would transition away from giving the option to purchase the Full Self-Driving suite outright, opting for the subscription program exclusively.

Musk said on X:

“Tesla will stop selling FSD after Feb 14. FSD will only be available as a monthly subscription thereafter.”

The move intends to streamline the Full Self-Driving purchase option, and gives Tesla more control over its revenue, and closes off the ability to buy it outright for a bargain when Musk has said its value could be close to $100,000 when it reaches full autonomy.

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It also caters to Musk’s newest compensation package. One tranche requires Tesla to achieve 10 million active FSD subscriptions, and now that it has reached one million, it is already seeing some growth.

The strategy that Tesla will use to achieve this lofty goal is still under wraps. The most ideal solution would be to offer a less expensive version of the suite, which is not likely considering the company is increasing its capabilities, and it is becoming more robust.

Tesla is shifting FSD to a subscription-only model, confirms Elon Musk

Currently, Tesla’s FSD subscription price is $99 per month, but Musk said this price will increase, which seems counterintuitive to its goal of increasing the take rate. With that being said, it will be interesting to see what Tesla does to navigate growth while offering a robust FSD suite.

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Tesla confirms Robotaxi expansion plans with new cities and aggressive timeline

Tesla plans to launch in Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, Miami, Orlando, Tampa, and Las Vegas. It lists the Bay Area as “Safety Driver,” and Austin as “Ramping Unsupervised.”

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla confirmed its intentions to expand the Robotaxi program in the United States with an aggressive timeline that aims to send the ride-hailing service to several large cities very soon.

The Robotaxi program is currently active in Austin, Texas, and the California Bay Area, but Tesla has received some approvals for testing in other areas of the U.S., although it has not launched in those areas quite yet.

However, the time is coming.

During Tesla’s Q4 Earnings Call last night, the company confirmed that it plans to expand the Robotaxi program aggressively, hoping to launch in seven new cities in the first half of the year.

Tesla plans to launch in Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, Miami, Orlando, Tampa, and Las Vegas. It lists the Bay Area as “Safety Driver,” and Austin as “Ramping Unsupervised.”

These details were released in the Earnings Shareholder Deck, which is published shortly before the Earnings Call:

Late last year, Tesla revealed it had planned to launch Robotaxi in Las Vegas, Phoenix, Dallas, and Houston, but Tampa and Orlando were just added to the plans, signaling an even more aggressive expansion than originally planned.

Tesla feels extremely confident in its Robotaxi program, and that has been reiterated many times.

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Although skeptics still remain hesitant to believe the prowess Tesla has seemingly proven in its development of an autonomous driving suite, the company has been operating a successful program in Austin and the Bay Area for months.

In fact, it announced it achieved nearly 700,000 paid Robotaxi miles since launching Robotaxi last June.

With the expansion, Tesla will be able to penetrate more of the ride-sharing market, disrupting the human-operated platforms like Uber and Lyft, which are usually more expensive and are dependent on availability.

Tesla launched driverless rides in Austin last week, but they’ve been few and far between, as the company is certainly easing into the program with a very cautiously optimistic attitude, aiming to prioritize safety.

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