Tesla is Defining the Future

12 February 2020
by pesala
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Current Affairs

Ignore the FUD • Gigafactories • Performance • Police Cars • TSLA to Mars • FSD Beta • Model S Plaid • Extreme Journey • Tesla Conquers Ford • Tesla Energy • Semi-truck • Cybertruck • Model 3 Highland

Never mind the outstanding acceleration, low running costs, and quiet ride, there are other stronger reasons why Teslas are a game-changer in the market-place.

Watch this video on Someone Killed My Model 3 – but we’re uninjured! to see what they are:

  • Autopilot and Collision Avoidance Systems
  • Auto-updates of software whenever improvements are made
  • Structural strength to protect occupants from collisions
  • Alert sent to the company if an accident occurs.

IMAGINE that you’re female or an elderly driver involved in a collision on a rural road at night. The car immediately alerts Tesla to the fact that your vehicle has been involved in a collision, and someone calls your mobile to check if you need assistance. Data about the collision is collated, and improvements can be made to improve braking, autopilot, etc., then issued as updates within weeks (as happened when a car review site highlighted longer stopping distances).

Are Self-Driving Cars Safe?

Drivers need to understand that Autopilot and FSD Beta are driver-assist software, not fully autonomous self-driving. Even Autopilot on aircraft needs to be overridden by the pilot sometimes, and there are not nearly so many other close-proximity vehicles in the sky as there are on the road.

How the Tesla Model 3 Became the World’s Safest Car

Ignore the FUD

Whenever disruptive technology first appears, many say that it will never catch on, and are quick to point out the disadvantages. They do not understand the issues at all.

The Range is Too Limited

CURRENTLY, the range is about 300 miles on a single charge. That is adequate for daily use, but for long journeys one will have to stop to recharge. However, one should stop after four hours anyway, if only to take a toilet break and buy a snack. Super-chargers can add 80% of the car’s range in about half an hour. The new model S has a range of 400 miles, the Cybertruck will have a range of 520 miles, and the Roadster a range of 600 miles.

They Cost Too Much

The initial purchase price is high, but the total cost of ownership breaks even after about five years, depending on the model and the mileage. Lower maintenance, depreciation, and insurance will mean significant savings. Tesla insurance has a significant advantage over other companies because Tesla have vast amounts of data about each user’s real-world driving habits, so they can offer lower insurance premiums to safer drivers.

Full self-driving will allow your investment to earn money whenever you’re not using it. The vehicle may wear out sooner if used as a robotaxi, but it will earn many times its purchase price in revenue.

Even if you don’t want to have strangers riding in your smart new car, you can send the kids to school in it, transport elderly relatives to the shops or hospital, fetch urgent deliveries, etc., all from the comfort of your home or office without spending your precious time to be an unpaid chauffeur.

Where will the Extra Electricity Come From?

Solar, wind, wave, and tidal energy are increasing. The main problem with solar and wind is storage. Invest in a solar roof to produce all that you need for your own use. Megapack production is increasing exponentially for large scale storage for grid-stabilisation, and virtual power plants are growing in popularity. Power Pack owners can store excess energy during the day and sell it back to the VPP at night.

How will you Charge During a Power Outage?

Hurricane Ian in late September 2022 caused severe problems in Florida. Bearded Tesla Guy, who lives in Orlando, checked out Charging stations and Gas stations on the Friday after the storm had passed. He had the sense to charge his Tesla to 90%. Petrol was not available before and after the storm, whereas electrical power was available nearly everywhere, and the Tesla App shows which superchargers are functional.

Electricity is Not Green if Produced from Fossil Fuels

Some electricity is produced by burning coal, but more and more is now produced from renewable resources. Octopus account holders use only electricity purchased from renewable sources. • Are Electric Cars Really Green? Even if the electricity is generated using coal, EVs use the energy much more efficiently, and have no tailpipes emitting toxic pollutants at street level.

The World will Run Out of Lithium

Lithium may become more expensive, but that will drive the search for alternative sources. Nearly 100% of lithium can be recycled. Degraded EV batteries can be used for Power Walls; degraded Power Wall batteries can be stripped and the lithium recycled. We don’t need to throw away aluminium, copper, or lead; why would we throw away lithium? • The Race to Recycle Batteries.

Electric Cars Catch Fire Easily

Fact: Cars with Internal Combustion Engines are 19 times more likely to catch on fire. Fires in EVs are harder to extinguish, but the newer LFP cells are much safer, and rarely catch fire. Other manufacturers still have problems with recalls to fix defective battery packs, e.g. the Jaguar I-Pace is the latest vehicle with battery fires. Tesla’s technology is more mature and constantly improving.

Gigafactories

Work at the Gigafactory in Texas continues at a rapid rate all over the huge site, not just at the main factory building. They are constructing an electricity substation, extending car parking areas for workers and new vehicle storage before shipping, and there is even a Heliport.

January 2023 Update: Work at the Texas Gigafactory began on 23rd July 2020. The grand opening was held on 7th April 2022. Behind the Scenes Supercut (Tesla Daily). The Battery Cathode plant is closed in, and steel erection has started on a second building next to it. The Solar Panels on the main factory roof outline the word TESLA. Most of the roof will eventually be covered in solar panels, providing an estimated total capacity of 50 Megawatts when it is completed. Gigafactory Texas produced its 10,000th Model Y on September 17th, and its 20,000th Model Y on October 30th. The extension of the main factory building is progressing well, with many piles driven.

March 2023 Update: Gigafactory Berlin reached 5,000 vehicles per week run-rate.

May 8th Update: Gigafactory Austin reached 5,000 vehicles were week run-rate.

Gigafactory Mexico

Gigafactory in Nuevo Leon, Mexico

Tesla’s planned factory near Monterrey in Nuevo Leon will be built on a site spanning almost 4,200 acres in an industrial zone. It will also be substantially larger than the Gigafactory Texas complex, which is listed by Tesla as 2,500 acres. The site is expected to produce the next generation $25,000 vehicle.

Update 10/8/2023: No official announcement yet, but excavators are apparently working at the site.

Texas Gigafactory Layout

Joe Tegtmeyer does regular drone flyovers of the Gigafactory at Austin, Texas, with a detailed description of the work that is currently in progress. His video of 13th April 2022 provides an update on the layout of the factory. This video took a lookback at how construction began..

Gigafactory Austin, Texas

Performance

In 2020, a production Tesla Model 3 Performance set a new world record for the annual Pike’s Peak hill climb race. Sponsored by Tesla fans without corporate finance, they achieved an amazing result.

28th June 2021 Update: Unplugged Performance win the Exhibition Class with the Tesla Model S Plaid.

3rd August 2021 Update: Unplugged Performance sets a new lap record of 1:28:21 on Laguna Seca.

10th September 2021 Update: Model S Plaid (unmodified production car) sets a new world record at the Nürburgring.

Fastest Lap Production EV

27th November 2021: Model S Plaid production vehicle, with passenger seat removed, achieves 8.944 seconds for the quarter mile drag race.

28th June 2022: Unplugged performance Model S Plaid severely hampered by foggy conditions on Pikes Peak and a fogged up windscreen.

30th June 2022: Tesla Model S Plaid achieves record 216 mph top speed. The factory model is software limited to 175 mph, for safety reasons, but after bypassing that, 216 mph was achieved.

15th April 2023: Unplugged Performance Model 3, lap record. Almost no tyre noise due to superior suspension.

5th May 2023: Tesla release its updated Track Package for the Model S Plaid, increasing the maximum speed to over 200mph. The price is from $15,000 to $20,000 for ceramic brake pads, track tyres, and a set of wheels, plus software upgrades.

3rd June 2023: Model S Plaid with Track Pack sets new record at Nürburgring

26th June 2023: Unplugged Performance Model S Plug posts a time of 9:54.901 in the Pike’s Peak Hill Climb Event.

Police Cars

Another perfect market for Tesla Performance cars are Police, Paramedics, and others who do a lot of mileage or need to get around fast. The Police department is talking to Tesla engineers to incorporate their radios into the software. They can securely store equipment such as computers and weapons, and allow access to medical equipment in the frunk using their mobile without leaving the victim. Boulder City Police bought a fleet of Tesla cars in August 2022. South Pasadena police bought 10 Model Y patrol vehicles in May 2023, converting its entire fleet to EVs.

🚀 TSLA to Mars 🚀

The TSLA stock price fell for most of 2022, but has recovered significantly in 2023. I am confident that the long-term growth will continue to trend upwards for many more years. At market close on 3rd October 2023, the price was $246.53. TSLA stock is valued at 99% of its price a year ago ($249.44). Rob Maurer of Tesla Daily gives his views on how to deal with the Volatility of TSLA. He is always worth listening to, offering a well-balanced view.

If you invest for the long-term, low prices are a great opportunity to buy more shares at a bargain price. Look at the growth over at least three to five years to know the true value of an investment. Think of it as a pension fund, or a college fund for your children, not as a building society savings account for holiday trips or emergencies. If you have to sell at short notice, you may lose a big slice of your investment. In a single month, the stock price can fall by 20% or more, as it did in August 2023. However, it can also rise just as quickly. If in doubt, zoom out!

13.63x Growth in Five Years

April 21st 2023: ARK Invest published their five-year target of $2,000 for 2027 (end), with a Bear case of $1,400 and a Bull case of $2,500.

The Competition is Coming!

SEVERAL manufacturers have released premium range electric cars that can be compared to Tesla cars. The Lucid Air Dream edition at $180,000 is significantly more expensive than the Model S Plaid, and still with limited production. The end of December 2021 saw the delivery of the first few vehicles to customers. Production targets for 2022 have been reduced from 20,000 to 6-7,000 for 2022. Ford admitted that their popular Mach-E is not profitable. Rivian has massive debts, and its R1T is Not Cutting It.

FSD Beta

Model S Plaid

On June 10th 2021, Tesla held a delivery event for the Model S and X Plaid versions. The Model S Plaid was the quickest production car of any kind. (The Rimac Nivera is quicker, but it is a limited edition $2million super-car). Review by Tesla Raj.

Review of Model S Plaid by Fully Charged.

  • 0-60 in 1.99 seconds – Quicker than a Bugatti Chiron
  • Standing quarter mile in 9.23 seconds
  • Top speed 200 mph, 1020 HP
  • Lowest drag coefficient of any production car: 0.208
  • Range 390 (Plaid) – 405 miles (Long Range)
  • Charging 187 miles in 15 minutes – new battery pack
  • Carbon-sleeved rotors 20,000+ rpm delivering full power right up to 200 mph with no gearing
  • Improved heat pump 30% more efficient for cold weather range. Model S Dominates in Extreme Cold-weather Testing
  • Yoke steering with no stalks, smart gear-shift, back-seat PS5 quality entertainment and 36 watt wireless charging, three zone air-conditioning, double-glazed acoustic glass, 22 speakers 920 watts! New UI on 17″ main screen, waypoints on route-planning.
  • September 1st: Big price drops in Model S and X. Long Range S is under $75K, Plaid is under $90K. Model X is $76K and $86K respectively.

Extreme Journey

Can a Tesla Take this Freezing Abuse?

Lars, of BestInTESLA, drives his three-year-old Tesla to the north of Norway, the land of EVs. Heading for the Arctic Circle in Winter, up and down mountains, sleeping in the car.

TeslaAsia drove two Tesla Model 3 cars to Qomolangma Base Camp of Mount Everest in Tibet at 5,200m elevation. When the hotels were full, they slept in the car, using camp mode. Even ICE cars have difficulty getting to this destination.

Can Tesla Take Extreme Heat?

Testing in United Arab Emirates at 50°C

Tesla Conquers Ford

No Sweat. The weight of EVs stops them floating in several feet of water. The battery packs and drive-train are well-sealed against water ingress. Ford Kuga ICE chokes and fails.

Tesla Energy

Tesla Energy will benefit from Federal Tax Credits for Solar Roofs, Solar Panels, and Battery Storage (Power Packs), Rob Maurer reports on Tesla Daily. Many owners of Power Walls are enjoying good profits from selling energy to the grid during events at $2 per KwH. On 15/12/2022 Tesla Launched Tesla Electric for Texas. Virtual Power Plants can offer some protection from black-outs during Winter storms or Summer floods.

Semi-truck

  • December 1st 2022 saw the delivery of the first Semi-trucks to Pepsi Cola.
  • In the US, heavy trucks account for 20% of vehicle emissions, and 36% of vehicle particulate emissions, so it is important for health reasons, especially for people living near highways
  • Tesla’s mission to accelerate the transition to sustainable energy
  • Three plaid motors — one is always engaged, the other two are used when needed for high torque and acceleration
  • Drive at full-speed up gradients
  • Regenerative braking down gradients is much safer than brakes that can overheat and fail
  • 2 kWh per mile efficiency. 500-mile range tested from Fremont to San Diego
  • Comfortable to drive with plenty of cabin storage
  • Version 4, 1 Megawatt charger will also be coming to the Cybertruck
  • 24th January 2023, announcement of a $3.5 Billion investment in a new Gigafactory in Nevada to build 50,000 Semi-trucks by the end of 2024.
  • PepsiCo will be entering at least one of its Semi-trucks in the Run on Less stress-testing event.
  • Large scale production put back until late 2024 due to battery constraints.
  • Semi-truck tested by Jay Leno

Cybertruck

Model 3 Highland

  • Available in China and EU from 1st September 2023
  • About 5% more expensive
  • 1 inch Longer, and 1 inch less high. 0.219 drag coefficient vs 0.225 for previous Model 3
  • 1 cubic ft more storage space
  • Two New Colours: Stealth Grey and Ultra Red
  • No more stalks — controls on steering wheel, including horn on the centre
  • New Headlight and Tail Lights, removed Fog Lights
  • Stronger doors for better side impact protection
  • Improved suspension
  • New wheel rims and tyres
  • Interior LED Ambient Lighting
  • New 15.4 inch touch screen with smaller bezels, brighter and more responsive
  • 8 inch video screen for rear seat passengers with two headphone sockets
  • 17 loudspeakers instead of 14, improved microphones, and passenger-side too, for clearer phone calls
  • All-round acoustic glass and sound absorbing fabrics for 30% less noise from the road
  • Ventilated front seats and perforated rear seats
  • Separate climate controls for driver and front seat passenger
  • 65 watt USB C charging, and improved blue tooth and WiFi connectivity
  • Test Drive with the Fully Charged Show

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