⚡️ Tesla Space #31: Cyberattack delays Cybertrucks

ELON’S X OF THE WEEK

First off, 500MW here is just mind-boggling. Second, I’m glad Elon jumped in along with all of our jokes about it on X. I just titled mine that went wide with “when gamers take it too far”, using this other angle from a Brad Sloan flyover video:

THE COMPANY

See our video above for our thoughts on Musk announcing he is working on the Tesla Master Plan 4. We’ll cover the Pt 1-3 and a few other news, from Cybertruck ramp-up to Tesla suing its former equipment supplier.

Tesla is considering to again start a stock option compensation program, per a Tesla internal memo:

Cyberattack delays Cybertruck delivery? It seems like Tesla is also somewhat affected by the cyberattack on dealership software CDK Global which crippled most of the US dealerships for days. In Michigan, a CyberTruck delivery was delayed as Tesla needs to register vehicles in the state through the software. Our friend hasn’t got his Cybertruck even today (24^th), Wisconsin and Colorado seem to be affected too.

Going deeper into this, I found that Tesla seems to be using the CDK system in select states only, where it’s required by the state itself to register the vehicles through the system.

Largely, however, Tesla was unaffected from the CDK problems in most states. Musk’s post on June 11th still stands strong: “Better to just buy things online. Our stores are just for test drives and answering questions.”

Reading tip: One of my favorite Tesla analysts with real financial background and ability to provide clear reasoning, AJ (@alojoh), has created a 55-slide deep dive on Tesla 2^nd Quarter earnings estimates.

In TL;DR, he expects Q2 will be a significant improvement over Q1 but earnings metrics will be distorted by record high one-time charges related to headcount adjustments." Here’s a specific look at those restructuring costs (RC) in historical perspective, showing the Tesla statement of at least $350M will exceed any prior RC by over 2x or even more.

Why I call out specific people like this here: my goal in these newsletters is also to introduce you to the Tesla content creator ecosystem — people you’d perhaps miss otherwise, but are great to follow for deeper looks into the industry and the Tesla side of it. 

👀 Airless tires: Tesla is in talks with Michelin to test its new Uptis airless tires on Tesla vehicles, Michelin CEO Florent Menegaux confirms in an interview. Here’s how the prototype tires look on a Chevy Bolt EV:

However, note that prototypes of these airless tires have been circling for years upon years now. Let’s see if they’ve become closer to reality — it’d sure be great for robotaxis.

Update on the Tornetta case: they’ve reduced the initial ~$5.4B fee request to ~$1.44B. As a reminder, this is the case Tesla shareholders led by Amy and Alexandra are actively fighting against the ridiculous by attorneys imposing on Tesla, on the Tornetta v Elon Musk et al case on Musk’s pay package in Delaware court.

Martin Viecha, now having left from the Tesla head of IR position so probably more free to express this, comments on Tesla’s advertising:

👀 Watch tip: Tesla Manufacturing released a three-minute “A day at Giga Berlin” video.

CHART: Now here’s perhaps the clearest way to show how Tesla has led the industry in the US:

THE VEHICLES

$7,500 IRA tax credit eligible? 
Great, here’s our Model 3/Y with Panasonic batteries.
Not eligible for credit anyway?
No problem, you’ll just get one with LG batteries.

Tesla now has a toggle to list specific inventory that qualifies/doesn't qualify for the US $7,500 tax credit.

However, it might be worth considering which battery option is better for you anyway (Panasonic batteries tend to have a better charging curve as far as I recall)… Let’s see if Tesla passes on the savings to the customers too.

This Tesla Model 3 LR has done 320,000 miles (516,000 km) in the Netherlands. Battery has degraded 20% so far, and the owner has had €3,500 ($3.7k) worth of repairs done over this time.

👀 Watch tip: Tesla Model 3 Performance going 263 km/h (163 mph) on German Autobahn in this video review (acceleration to max speed starts at 4:50 in the video). Looks stable. Tesla commented: Improved aerodynamics from front splitter & rear diffuser + spoiler bring you high-speed stability”

👀 Watch tip #2: Munro Live tears down the Cybercell.

CYBERTRUCK

The Cybertruck now tours Thailand for the summer (link). The European and Asian tours since May have been great to dispel a lot of the negative takes on the truck so far.

No comments needed for this post from the one and only Doc Brown:

Related: in case you haven’t seen it yet, check out the “Back to the Future meets Cybertruck” video, with the DeLorean swapped with Cybertruck in a great CGI.

Oh and I cannot not mention this image from Wham Baam Teslacam of a Cybertruck being charged with 1.21 gigawatts:

The Tesla conspiracy guy in me (hey, I even made the news with the 12/9 Tesla conspiracy back in ‘21) still thinks if there’s a connection between the 8/8 robotaxi event and 88mph significance in Back to the Future.

Meanwhile, two totaled Cybertrucks have popped up on IAAI auction site, one with flood damage and another with a front-end crash.

SOFTWARE & FSD

Tesla account and Elon both reshared this 30s video of AI DRIVR’s Tesla not finding an available parking spot at its cul-de-sac destination, so deciding to park across the streets instead. I like seeing (S)FSD not avoiding u-turns in the navigated routes anymore.

FSD transfer is again available from today, for people who take delivery of a new S3XY before August 31^th, 2024. Trade-in of the existing VIN with FSD is not required… which means you can keep the existing vehicle.

XPeng CEO, He Xiaopeng, tried out (S)FSD in California, here’s what he wrote:

Musk commented: “The Chinese automakers are by far the most competitive.” And XPeng official account replied offering Musk a test drive of their XNGP ADAS, and asking to borrow a Tesla with FSD 12.4.1. There’s something fun about watching these conversations happening publicly.  

TESLA-POWERED

Tesla-powered EV conversions

Did you know that Tesla’s battery packs and drive units have been the favorite for DIY car conversions? I’m thinking of highlighting one each week for you (let me know in the poll if you’d like it). Here’s the first one:

1969 VW Crewcab, runs on 16 of Tesla Model S P100D modules and a Tesla drive unit. It gets ~250 miles on highway. Here’s a 12-minute video of the Voltswagen. 

ELON’S OTHER COMPANIES

SpaceX tour

Everyday Astronaut released a new Starbase and Starfactory tour video with Elon. This was shot before Flight 4 of Starship (early June), with Pt II coming out next week.

On Raptor production, Musk also commented (more if you click it) “we could build a lot more, but the next version of Raptor [3] is really the one to scale up production. We begin testing it in McGregor within a week or so.”

SpaceX also completed its 250^th droneship landing.

Starlink

Starlink Mini dish is now launched, currently as invite-only. Initally priced at $599 and later cheaper, available for early Starlink Residential customers. Here are the details. Musk says it took less than 5 minutes to set up and can be carried in a backpack.

“This product will change the world,” Elon says on X, adding “about half the price of the standard dish to buy and monthly subscription, but you can still watch multiple 4k video streams simultaneously!”

You know, in case you ever want to watch multiple of our Tesla Space videos on 4k… simultaneously.

The Mini weighs 2.43 lbs, has a kickstand, and max download speeds at over 100 Mbps (seen 140+ reported already). The VP of Starlink Engineering says “ramping production and will be available in international markets soon.”

Here’s a pup for scale:

Oh, and Starlink signed a deal with Comcast to offer its services to some of its 2.5M business customers with limited network access.

X & xAI

Here’s a 30-minute video of Elon’s speech at Cannes Lions. Mostly talking of X there. My favorite quote: “I do shoot myself in the foot from time to time but at least you know it is genuine, not from the PR department.”

The other one was his answer to what he does with his money. Musk: I have a big money bin and I do swimming in it. You gotta get exercise somehow.”

Also, Michael Dell (yes, of the Dell), posted they’re building a Dell AI factory with Nvidia to power Grok for xAi.

Neuralink

Don’t miss out our video from yesterday. We’re talking a look at one of Neuralink’s competitors, built by one of the early Neuralink co-founders: