The highlight of the annual shareholder meeting this week was Elon sharing that the Gigafactory could be expanded to deliver 3x the original planned output. Also, at the Code Conference, Elon shared his latest thoughts on autonomous driving, the Model 3 and artificial intelligence. Both videos are linked below.
Model S
Elon Musk: We Are Less Than Two Years From Complete Car Autonomy
The Tesla CEO spoke at the Code Conference on Wednesday night and predicted that we’re closer to self-driving cars than anybody thinks. “I think we are less than two years away from complete autonomy, safer than humans, but regulations should take at least another year,” Musk said.
Tesla Launches New Referral Program
The new Tesla Referral Program begins May 30 and will run until July 15, 2016. Anyone who orders a new Model S or Model X during this period using the referral link of a Tesla owner will get a $1,000 credit towards the purchase price. To show our appreciation, referring owners will be eligible for our Referral Program awards: 5 Qualifying Referrals - Owners who make 5 qualifying referrals will receive a set of 21” custom Arachnid wheels in black, silver or grey, including summer performance tires and installation. These exclusive forged aluminum wheels offer improved performance and are not available for purchase. 4+ Qualifying Referrals - Each owner who makes 4 or more qualifying referrals will receive an invitation for two to attend the Gigafactory opening event at the end of July, including transportation to the Gigafactory from Reno, Nevada. 3+ Qualifying Referrals - Owners who make 3 or more referrals will receive an exclusive Tesla Owners Jacket. 2+ Qualifying Referrals - Owners who makes 2 or more qualifying referrals will receive a Tesla Moab Weekender Bag that matches their car’s interior. Ludicrous P90D Model X - Each qualified referral you make gives you an additional entry into a drawing to win a Ludicrous P90D Model X.
The new referral program looks great. If you're already an owner then with just 5 referrals Tesla will give you a new set of 21" custom wheels and tires. If you're in the market for a new model S or X, feel free to use my referral code, http://ts.la/david7556 . You can use the referral code for $1000 off even if you've already placed your order (as long as you haven't taken delivery). And the referral code should also apply to inventory cars as well.
Model 3
Tesla Still Hasn't Told Us Everything About The Model 3 Yet
The big mysterious moment of the night was when Musk hinted at another “big” event for the Model 3 later this year. The hint was given in response to a question about seeing a fully-realized autonomous Model 3 when the design was complete in six weeks, with Musk answering that there are no events planned for that time frame. But that still leaves a big event for 2016, so is it an advancement of Tesla’s autopilot program? That’s likely, but what else could it be?
My guess is that at the end of this year or early next year Tesla will hold an event where they announce the next generation Auto-pilot on the Model S and X along with a new heads-up display (HUD). And they will announce the Model 3 will also have the same next gen autopilot hardware and HUD.
No free charging for Model 3? Tesla can explain
The only way to bring the Model 3 to market at the proposed base price, he said, “is to decouple (free supercharging) from the cost of the Model 3.” Free access to the superchargers could be purchased as an option, or a package, Musk said at the meeting in Mountain View, Calif. “But it will not be free long-distance charging for life unless you purchase that package.”
Makes sense.
Tesla Energy
Tesla could triple the planned battery output of ‘Gigafactory 1’ to 150 GWh, says Elon Musk
During the 2016 Shareholders Meeting today, Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced that the company could triple the total planned battery output of the Gigafactory to ~105 GWh of cells and ~150 GWh of battery packs – or over 3 times the current total li-ion battery production worldwide. The new potential total capacity would be based on the current planned factory of 13 million sq-ft – with no expansion needed. Musk revealed a few other tidbits of information about the plant during the meeting. Total capacity aside, the biggest announcement is the confirmation that Tesla and Panasonic, the automaker’s strategic partner in the Gigafactory, will manufacture a new 20700 cell format – compared to the current 18650.
Tesla Takes Delivery Of 1.74 Million Samsung Battery Cells
It’s come to our attention, via an April 19th 2016 bill of lading for the Port Of Oakland, that Tesla received a massive shipment of Samsung SDI ICR18650-22V lithium-ion battery cells. The weight of the shipment is listed at 113,183 kilograms or 249,526 pounds. This volume is far more than would be required for testing purposes, so the logical conclusion is that Tesla has indeed signed a battery cell supply deal with Samsung SDI.
TSLA
2016 Shareholder Meeting Video
Elon and his team spent over 2 hours going over the history of Tesla Motors at the annual shareholder meeting. It's followed by a Q&A session.
Elon Musk Confessions: All the Stupid Things Tesla Has Done
In an event that spanned over three and a half hours, Tesla CEO Elon Musk and CTO JB Straubel—in addition to a series of Tesla executives—candidly discussed many of the issues and problems that plagued a young, inexperienced, and cash-strapped Tesla in its early days. Musk also talked about more recent problems for Tesla, like challenges with getting the software and doors to work on its Model X, an electric SUV car.
Elon Musk announces plan to revolutionize factories
In a freewheeling talk before shareholders Tuesday, Musk said he and his Tesla team will completely rethink the factory process, hoping to bring “factors of 10 or even 100 times” in improvements in efficiency to the manner in which “you build the machines that build the machine.” “The most important point I want to make is … that we’ve realized that the true difficulty and where the greatest potential lies is in building the factory,” Musk said. Charging the world's best automotive factories with using outmoded and inefficient systems, Musk said, “We can make dramatic improvements to the machine that makes the machine. A lot of people will not believe us about this, but I am absolutely convinced this can be accomplished.”
Elon Musk
Elon Musk Full interview at Code Conference 2016
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk talks with Recode's Kara Swisher and The Verge's Walt Mossberg about his plans to send a one-way rocket to Mars in 2018. He estimates colonists could start arriving on the Red Planet by 2025. Musk also talks about the proliferation of electric vehicle initiatives that compete with his other company, Tesla, and why autonomous cars will become the norm. He says he doesn't see Google as a competitor, but that "Apple will be more direct." Plus: Why Musk wants more people to have access to the power of artificial intelligence.
Promotion
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