Tag: Tesla

Elon Musk has just fired the entire team at Tesla responsible for the Superchargers

The Tesla Supercharger team, responsible for managing and developing electric vehicle charging stations, has been fired.

Tesla developed the North American Charging Standard (NACS) for electric vehicles, which has been opened to other manufacturers in recent years. The nationwide availability of charging stations has been considered a success, especially considering the agreements reached with rival companies (Ford, General Motors, etc.) to use these locations.

Tesla DOWNLOAD

Well, the Tesla Supercharger team, responsible for the management and development of electric vehicle charging stations throughout the United States, has been fired.

William Jameson, responsible for Tesla’s strategic cargo programs, announced the news through Twitter. His message said: “Confirmed: @Tesla @elonmusk has fired our entire charging organization. What this means for the charging network, NACS, and all the exciting work we were doing in the industry, I still don’t know. It’s been a wild ride.”

Tesla begins massive layoffs to save its accounts

The news of the staff layoffs comes after a turbulent few weeks for Tesla and Elon Musk. Due to pressure from rival car manufacturers, the company cut many of its flagship models worldwide and recalled the Cybertrucks due to an accelerator problem that put human life at risk.

Musk said in a memo, first published by The Information, that the electric car manufacturer had to be “absolutely tough” in cost reduction.

Drew Baglino, Head of Powertrain at Tesla, and Rohan Patel, Head of Business Development, resigned after the need to reduce the workforce by 10% was announced.

Tesla DOWNLOAD

Elon Musk continued his statement regarding the reduction of Tesla’s workforce: “as part of this effort, we have conducted a thorough review of the organization and have made the difficult decision to reduce our workforce by more than 10% worldwide. There is nothing I hate more, but it must be done. This will allow us to be agile, innovative, and prepared for the next growth cycle.”

This next growth phase cycle will not include 14,000 employees, nor Rebecca Tinucci, head of the Supercharger team, nor Daniel Ho, head of New Products.

Elon Musk tweeted after the layoffs saying that Tesla still plans to expand the Supercharger network, but at a slower pace for new locations and more focused on 100% uptime and expanding existing locations.

This slower pace may be due to the slowdown in earnings and growth that the company reported earlier this month. These decisions to cut costs for electric vehicles, senior staff, and a tenth of the company’s workforce can be attributed, in part, to an unfavorable fourth-quarter earnings report.

Tesla already knows how to fix the deadly problem of the Cybertruck

A video shared on social media shows an engineer carrying out the repair procedure for Tesla’s Cybertruck.

The Cybertruck, Tesla’s electric truck that was supposed to compete with Ford’s best pickups, has only given Elon Musk headaches since its presentation. Endless delays, extremely high costs and now construction flaws that can be deadly.

Tesla DOWNLOAD

Less than five months after delivering the first Cybertrucks to customers, Tesla has had to recall the electric truck to fix an accelerator problem.

In a notice issued on Friday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said that the recall affects Cybertruck vehicles manufactured between November 13, 2023, and April 4, 2024.

A fix that affects thousands of Teslas and is fixed in 35 seconds

The NHTSA said in its recall notice that the pedal pad “may detach and cause the pedal to become trapped by the interior trim”, adding that “a stuck accelerator pedal can cause the vehicle to unintentionally accelerate, increasing the risk of an accident”.

Cybertruck owners can take their vehicle to their nearest dealership to have it fixed, which, according to several reports, involves drilling a hole and installing a rivet to secure the pedal cover.

A video shared on social media shows an engineer carrying out the procedure, which starts with a drilling template placed over the pedal to ensure that the rivet is placed in the center.

It is not clear whether this solution will also be part of the manufacturing process of the Cybertruck in the future, or if Tesla will develop a different design for the trucks that have not yet left the production line.

The security issue received extensive media coverage last week – before the recall was announced – after a Cybertruck owner posted a video on TikTok showing how the accelerator pedal cover of his vehicle slid forward and got stuck under a part of the interior, causing the pedal to jam and accelerate.

Tesla DOWNLOAD

The driver said he was able to cancel the accelerator by braking, but added that the Cybertruck would accelerate again every time he lifted his foot off the brake. In the end, he was able to release the pedal to come to a stop safely.

Tesla bubble bursts: they just announced that they are laying off over 14,000 employees

That represents at least 14,000 out of the 140,473 employees that Tesla reported in its latest annual results. A true economic disaster is expected.

A few weeks after reporting its first year-on-year decline in vehicle deliveries since 2020, Tesla now plans to lay off more than 10% of its global workforce, according to an internal company email seen by Electrek.

Tesla DOWNLOAD

For those wondering how many people are affected, 10% of Tesla’s workforce, the number is likely to scare more than one person.

And that represents at least 14,000 out of the 140,473 employees that Tesla reported in its latest annual results. It is not clear which Tesla teams will be affected.

Elon Musk says that layoffs are good… for him

“There is nothing I hate more, but it has to be done,” said Elon Musk, in the email published by Electrek. “This will allow us to be lean, innovative, and hungry for the next growth phase cycle.”

Today’s news is the latest in a series of bad news for the electric vehicle manufacturer. The company failed to meet delivery estimates before presenting its quarterly results on April 23, and in January announced a slowdown in sales growth, which it attributed to manufacturing issues with its next generation of vehicles.

Apparently, Tesla has also abandoned its plans to produce an affordable Model 2 that would cost around $25,000 to focus on a new robotaxi. The company is facing increasing pressure from declining demand and more affordable electric vehicles manufactured in China.

Last year, Tesla lost the title of the world’s leading electric vehicle manufacturer to the Chinese company BYD, which produced 3.02 million electric vehicles compared to Tesla’s 1.81 million.

Elon Musk’s Tesla Cybertruck has a factory error that could cost you your life

On Twitter, we’ve seen that the issue lies with the accelerator pedal of the Cybertruck, something that others have also pointed out…

We have talked many times about the Cybertuck, the electric pick-up truck from Tesla that has taken four years longer than expected to go on sale. Now the production problems of this model, which is already on the streets, justify its delay… and if they had waited another year to polish errors, even better.

Tesla DOWNLOAD

While the production of the Cybertruck is very advanced, the latest batch units are experiencing a colossal failure, so serious that it could kill its customers. This has led the factories to have to announce an “unexpected delay” for the next deliveries.

A delay that can save lives and prevent Elon Musk from ending up in jail

The details of the postponement were not revealed to the frustrated owners who were expecting to receive their units this weekend. However, on Twitter we have been able to see that the problem is with the accelerator pedal of the Cybertruck, something that other forum users have also pointed out.

A user, Avery21, said that the problem is with the lubricant that causes the slipping in the accelerator. Tesla has not commented on the actual cause of the delay, but it is something to be scared of.

It is not the first problem that the Cybertruck has faced since it was released on the market at the end of last year. The first owners have reported signs of oxidation on the stainless steel body of the truck, something that the chief engineer of Tesla has categorically denied.

Tesla has also repaired over 2 million electric vehicles, including the Cybertruck, due to issues with the tires, which were rectified through over-the-air updates. It seems that some of the early deliveries arrived without aerodynamic hubcaps.

Tesla DOWNLOAD

Rectifying important issues before they reach the hands of customers is a good initiative for the company, instead of just solving them after several complaints and possible accidents.

Are you going to buy a Tesla? Elon Musk obliges you to do this first

Customers purchasing a Tesla will now receive a demonstration of the car’s self-driving capabilities before their vehicle is delivered to them.

According to a new report from Bloomberg, the order comes directly from CEO Elon Musk, who wants dealerships to demonstrate the capabilities of Tesla’s Autopilot, its critical point and is under scrutiny by federal regulators.

Tesla DOWNLOAD

Customers who purchase a Tesla will now receive a demonstration of the car’s self-driving capabilities before their vehicle is delivered to them. And the blame is that Autopilot has too many negative headlines.

“From now on, it will be mandatory to install and activate FSD V12.3.1 and perform a brief test drive for customers before delivering the car,” Musk wrote in an internal note sent to Tesla employees.

$12,000 to access autonomous driving

With “FSD V12.3.1”, Elon Musk refers to the latest version of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving package, an optional $12,000 upgrade that, according to Tesla, allows your car to “be capable of driving itself almost anywhere with minimal driver intervention”.

After a closed trial, Tesla opened FSD as beta software to everyone in the United States in 2022, although the system has not yet reached the levels of autonomy promised long ago by Musk.

In the note, the CEO of Tesla and Twitter acknowledges that the practice of having every customer go through a test drive “will slow down the delivery process”, but argues that “hardly anyone really realizes how well the FSD works”.

The underlying idea behind this measure, which will undoubtedly complicate the lives of some Tesla employees due to the time it entails, is for more people to decide to spend the $12,000 and switch to FSD after seeing what it can do.

Buyers who choose the package should be cautious of Musk’s promises about FSD. In 2020, Musk claimed that, after regulatory approval, the value of FSD would be “over $100,000” and that owners could send their Teslas to work as robotaxis, earning money.

Tesla DOWNLOAD

However, years have passed and FSD is still far from that level of autonomy, as regulators are increasingly investigating Tesla’s self-driving functions in recent years.

This design flaw in the Cybertruck is causing many accidents

Thanks to their unparalleled efficiency, LED headlights are the preferred option for modern vehicles. However, that same efficiency is also causing…

Owners of the Tesla Cybertruck driving in snowy conditions discovered that the LED headlights are easily blocked by the snow, leaving them in the dark.

AppleTV+ DOWNLOAD

The front design and the lack of heated lenses in the headlights could have worsened this problem, turning driving in the snow into an annoyance (even a serious safety issue).

Thanks to their unmatched efficiency, LED headlights are the preferred choice for modern vehicles. However, that same efficiency is also causing problems for owners who live in snowy climates.

Beautiful design of the Tesla, but very impractical

Since LED headlights practically do not emit heat, they allow snow and ice to accumulate, blocking the light. There are solutions to minimize this inconvenience, although few car manufacturers understand or take measures to improve the situation.

In November 2022, the first owners of a Rivian in colder climates discovered that the beautiful headlights of the R1T were a nuisance to drive in while it was snowing. As the front dashboard was essentially flat, snow and ice would accumulate on the headlights and block the light.

In some cases, designers can improve this situation by designing the headlights in a way that snow does not adhere to the lenses. Airflow alone is enough to keep the headlights clean, but this does not work when the headlights are flat and perpendicular to the airflow.

Wet snow is the worst, and even windshield wipers and spray systems can’t prevent it from blocking the headlights.

AppleTV+ DOWNLOAD

The Tesla Cybertruck impressed with its ultra-thin headlights, which seemed to come from the future. However, they were integrated between the trunk hood and the bumper in a recessed position. This has proven to be a very serious problem for driving safety.

This is what we know about the new car that Tesla is designing for 2025

Elon Musk said in May that the company is working on two new models, although he did not provide more details, except for an outline of one of the models.

Tesla is preparing to manufacture a new electric car model in 2025, and the idea is to make it a bestseller. After the disappointment of the Cybertruck, with its endless delays and price increase, this new model would reconcile the company with its customers.

Tesla DOWNLOAD

According to Reuters, Tesla has informed suppliers that it wants to start production of a new electric vehicle in June of next year.

The new car, codenamed Redwood, will be a compact crossover. If true, it is likely that this new model will become an affordable and popular option among buyers. Tesla’s mid-size SUV, the Model Y, is currently the company’s best-selling car.

Tesla aims to produce 10,000 units of this new model per week

Tesla has recently started selling a new model, the Cybertruck, after several years of delays. But that car is an unusual, expensive and massive pick-up, which undoubtedly will never reach the volume of Tesla’s most popular models.

The company has also recently started selling a refreshed variant of its compact sedan Model 3, and some reports claim that a refreshed version of the Model Y will arrive this year.

Tesla’s CEO, Elon Musk, said in May that the company is working on two new models, although he did not provide further details, except for a silhouette of one of the new cars.

Although he did say that “both the product design and manufacturing techniques are far superior to anything else in the industry.” Elon Musk mentioned a new model with a starting price of around $25,000, so we could be talking about the same car that will be released in 2025.

Tesla DOWNLOAD

By the way, the company also plans to build a robotaxi, which is a car specifically designed to transport passengers autonomously. With the deaths resulting from its AutoPilot, we’ll see if they get approval.

Elon Musk has just issued an ultimatum to Tesla: a shareholder war is looming!

“Give me more shares, or the development of AI and robotics stops,” Elon Musk has threatened the other shareholders of Tesla. Interesting times ahead…

Who would have thought that Elon Musk would end up on the front pages of newspapers once again in 2024. This time with reason, since the expensive purchase of Twitter forced him to get rid of many Tesla shares… and now he wants them back.

Tesla DOWNLOAD

Elon Musk has given an ultimatum to Tesla: either increase his stake in the company to 25% or he will cut back on his AI and robotics development.

The billionaire already owns 13% of the electric vehicle giant, about 411 million shares, but it seems he won’t be satisfied unless he is granted another 12%.

More power or investigations will end

Writing on his own platform, Elon Musk warned that unless his ownership in Tesla increased to 25%, he would feel “uncomfortable growing Tesla to be a leader in AI and robotics.”

Musk continued his threat by saying that without owning a quarter of Tesla, which he believes is enough to be influential but not so much that he cannot be overthrown, he would prefer to build products outside of the car manufacturer.

“They don’t seem to understand that Tesla is not a startup, but a dozen of them. Just look at the difference between what Tesla does and GM”, he added.

Musk continued questioning why large investors in Tesla who have similar stakes to his, like Fidelity, “don’t show up at the office.”

Investors who are already concerned about Tesla’s declining profit margins may not be pleased to read their latest post, which accuses Musk of drug use, his obligations to other companies, and the often erratic behavior of the CEO.

Musk reiterated that 25% is the perfect amount of ownership in Tesla and that he would agree with a dual-class voting structure similar to the one used by Facebook. However, it would be an illegal restructuring after the takeover bid.

Tesla DOWNLOAD

Musk sold nearly $40 billion in Tesla shares in 2022, using most of the money to help finance his purchase of Twitter.

Elon Musk acknowledges that the impressive video of Optimus, the Tesla robot, is a montage

Serious robotics companies like Boston Dynamics had robots that could do backflips, and here was Musk with a person dressed as…

While artificial intelligence has already begun to take jobs away from people in all major technology companies, humanoid robots still have a long way to go before they are truly efficient and useful.

SkyShowtime DOWNLOAD

Elon Musk released a new video on Monday of Tesla’s humanoid robot Optimus folding a shirt. And although Musk acknowledged in a subsequent tweet that the robot does not function autonomously, it is still very interesting to watch for anyone interested in the future of robotics.

However, a closer examination of the video reveals that it is closer to a magic trick than a leap forward in the evolution of humanoid robots.

A trick video, like everything from Elon Musk

In the video above, viewers can see Optimus taking a shirt out of a basket and carefully folding a shirt with both hands.

Musk himself pointed out on Twitter that “Optimus can’t do this autonomously yet, but it will definitely be able to do it fully autonomously and in an arbitrary environment (it won’t need a fixed table with a box that only has a shirt)”.

The most observant viewers will have noticed that something is moving in the bottom right corner of the screen. An engineer seems to be off-screen dictating how the robot should move.

Viewers can see a hand moving within the frame, suggesting that there is a person on the right making the movements that the robot then imitates. This type of technology is not exactly new. In fact, it has existed since the sixties.

So, although it’s great to see a company like Tesla playing around with robotics, it seems like we still have a long way to go before sharing our homes with servant robots, a promise of the future that we have been waiting for over a century.

Optimus doesn’t seem to have capabilities beyond what we could do in 1964, not to mention the advances made in the 2010s by the Darpa teams.

Musk announced his new robot Optimus in the summer of 2021 bringing in a person dancing instead of a real robot, a decision that received a lot of mockery at the time.

Serious robotics companies like Boston Dynamics had robots that could do backflips, and here was Musk with a person in a robot suit. But many people still cheer on Musk, hoping that someday he can offer an affordable robot that can do household chores.

Samsung is going to unify the entire ecosystem of Tesla, Hyundai, and home automation

The new features seem useful, especially if you have an EV or a Tesla power system installed. It’s still in the development phase, but Samsung…

We have reached the best time of the year for all technology lovers. CES 2024 starts next week, on Tuesday, January 9th, and brands are taking advantage to showcase their innovations behind the scenes to the press.

Tesla DOWNLOAD

Samsung has kicked off by announcing its partnership with Tesla and Hyundai to expand SmartThings into the areas of home energy and vehicle and home automation.

The partnership with Tesla will allow owners of the company’s electric vehicles, along with products like Powerwall and Solar Inverter, to monitor and control their homes through Samsung’s SmartThings Energy app, which will display information related to energy production, storage, and usage.

What can we do with the Samsung total app

For example, Powerwall users will be able to sync the “Storm Watch” feature of the Tesla app with their home devices, so they can receive alerts of extreme weather events such as hurricanes or snowstorms through connected Samsung TVs and smartphones.

It will also allow you to activate AI Energy mode before and during power outages to conserve the remaining energy of the Powerwall.

Other companies will be able to do the same, as Tesla has recently released its “FleetAPI” application, which allows developers to interact with Powerwall, Solar, and Wall Connector, as well as with their electric vehicles. However, Samsung is one of the first to jump on the bandwagon.

Samsung has also partnered with Hyundai to expand its SmartThings platform to Hyundai electric vehicles and other vehicles, enabling “home to car” and “car to home” services.

This will allow you to connect your smart home to a Hyundai car’s infotainment system so you can control one with the other. For example, you will be able to start your car through the SmartThings app, control the air conditioning, open and close the windows, and check the charging status.

And from the car, you will be able to control appliances such as televisions, air conditioning, and electric vehicle chargers. It will also allow you to create a routine in which the lights in the house and the air conditioning are activated when the car arrives home, or the possibility of setting the car to the ideal temperature after your smartphone alarm goes off.

Tesla DOWNLOAD

At the same time, you will be able to control energy information about electric vehicles and chargers to establish the optimal charging time for a vehicle, based on factors such as energy price, solar panel data, and others.

The new features seem useful, especially if you have a VE or a Tesla power system installed. It is still in the development phase, but Samsung will offer a first look at its booth at CES 2024 next week.