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Tesla will reveal its 'cyberpunk' electric pickup on November 21st
If you've been eager to cast your eyes on Tesla's pickup truck, you won't have to wait too much longer. CEO Elon Musk says the automaker will reveal its Cybertruck at a Los Angeles event November 21st.
Tesla's dashboard Sketchpad is getting an upgrade
Aside from the many games that are available on Tesla dashboards, drivers have enjoyed plenty of other easter eggs over the years. Since it arrived two years ago, in-the-know Tesla owners have used the infotainment system's Sketchpad to doodle on the screen while they're, for instance, waiting for the battery to charge. Today, the company said it's bringing more features to the tool in its next software update.
Watch Elon Musk and Todd Howard's E3 chat at 3PM ET
It's the final day of E3 2019 and for some reason, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is chatting on stage about "games, cars, space and everything in between" with Bethesda executive producer Todd Howard. Musk has a clear interest in games -- he even wrote and sold one when he was 12. He's also put a number of them on Tesla dashboards, including Asteroids, Super Breakout and 2048.
SpaceX tests heat shields that will stop its Starship from burning up
After successfully getting its Crew Dragon capsule to the International Space Station (ISS) and back, SpaceX has shifted focus to another huge project: the interplanetary Starship. In a tweet, Elon Musk showed off tests on the Starship's heat shield, the part that will keep it from burning up when it returns to Earth. The blow-torch like devices brought the temperatures up to 1,650 degrees Kelvin (2,500 degrees F) at the most extreme, white-hot regions -- enough to stand the heat of orbital re-entry, Musk said.
Tesla's change of heart will bring Autopilot prices 'back to normal'
Tesla's partial about-face on vehicle pricing will also have an effect on Autopilot pricing. Elon Musk has confirmed that prices for Enhanced Autopilot and Full Self-Driving will "revert to normal" on March 18th. The company shouldn't have dropped prices in the first place, Musk said, and only did so "because some simply couldn't afford it." Some existing owners felt as if they'd been ripped off after paying higher prices for features that still weren't fully unlocked.
Tesla investors sue to stop Elon Musk's 'unchecked' use of Twitter
The SEC isn't the only one concerned that Elon Musk may have crossed the line (again) with his tweets. A group of institutional investors has sued to stop Musk's "unchecked use of Twitter" to make "repeated misstatements" they believe hurt Tesla and, of course, its shareholders. Musk allegedly violated his duties to investors when he tweeted that Tesla would make "around 500k" cars in 2019, and backers want permanent safeguards to be sure this doesn't happen again.
Las Vegas taps Elon Musk's Boring Company for transport project
Your next visit to Las Vegas might include a peek at the possible future of transportation. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority has recommended choosing Elon Musk's The Boring Company to develop an underground tunnel loop that would use autonomous electric vehicles to shuttle people around the city's Convention Center (aka the LVCC). A proposed expansion (below) would include a much larger loop that would cover much of the Strip, McCarran International Airport and Las Vegas Stadium.
Tesla will unveil the Model Y crossover on March 14th
Tesla is following up a very busy February with an even more hectic March. Elon Musk has announced that his brand will unveil the long-promised Model Y crossover at the LA Design Studio on March 14th. On top of that, you can expect the first "v3.0" Supercharger station to switch on March 6th at 8PM Pacific. Musk didn't provide more clues beyond that, but you might already have an idea as to what to expect.
SEC says Elon Musk violated settlement with tweet
Elon Musk might be in hot water with regulators mere months after he reached a settlement over a financially relevant Twitter post. The US Securities and Exchange Commission has asked a judge to hold Elon Musk in contempt for allegedly violating the settlement by tweeting that Tesla would make "around 500k" cars in 2019. Musk was supposed to get approval from Tesla before social network posts that would include vital info, but the SEC claimed he directly shared "inaccurate and material" data with more than 24 million people.
AI can write disturbingly believable fake news
AI is getting better and better at writing convincing material, and that's leading its creators to wonder whether they should release the technology in the first place. Elon Musk's OpenAI has developed an algorithm that can generate plausible-looking fake news stories on any topic using just a handful of words as a starting point. It was originally designed as a generalized language AI that could answer questions, summarizing stories and translating text, but researchers soon realized that it could be used for far more sinister purposes, like pumping out disinformation in large volumes. As a result, the team only plans to make a "simplified version" of its AI available to the public, according to MIT Technology Review.
Elon Musk shares footage of SpaceX's latest Mars rocket test
Elon Musk has taken to Twitter to celebrate the first-test fire of the SpaceX Raptor flight engine, which will be used on its next-gen rocket. The company's head honcho shared footage of the thunderous, two-second test conducted at its McGregor, Texas facility, the site where the Raptor was first put through its paces back in September, 2016. SpaceX followed up with an Instagram post confirming that the Raptor performed the "highest thrust ever" from a SpaceX engine, despite operating at 60 percent power.
Elon Musk: Model 3 price now starts at $35k -- after incentives
If you visit Model 3's "Design Your Car" page, you'll notice that it looks a bit more affordable than before. Tesla has lowered its price across versions by $1,100, so you can now get the mid-range battery option for $42,900 before incentives. Meanwhile, the car's long-range version now costs $49,900, while the performance option will set you back $60,900 before savings. Elon Musk said that means Model 3 now has a starting price of $35,000, though that's after you apply tax credits and fuel savings -- you'll have to wait a bit more for a Tesla car with a $35,000 base price. "We're doing everything we can to get there," Musk tweeted. "It's a super hard grind."
Elon Musk teases Tesla 'sentry mode' that captures video in 360 degrees
Elon Musk says Tesla is working on a "sentry mode" security feature that could let owners record damage and break-ins. The announcement came in response to a customer's tweet complaining of a dent to his Model 3 and suggesting a "360 dash cam feature while parked." To which Musk replied: "Tesla Sentry Mode coming soon for all cars with Enhanced Autopilot." He later clarified that the update would be available for all EVs with the Autopilot 2.5 Hardware.
Tesla is laying off 7 percent of its full-time employees
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has announced that the company is laying off 7 percent of its full-time employees in an effort to cut costs and increase profits. He revealed that while Tesla will run a second consecutive quarterly profit, it will be less than what it earned last quarter. Over the past year or two, Tesla had massively increased its workforce to try to fulfill hundreds of thousands of orders. "We grew by 30 percent last year, which is more than we can support," he said, adding that the company will only retain the most critical temps and contractors.
Tesla's referral perks are going away
Tesla is ending its customer referrals scheme that gives free electric charging to its EV buyers, among other perks. In a tweet, Elon Musk announced the program will end on February 1st, stating in a subsequent reply that it's "adding too much cost to the cars, especially Model 3." Asked if Tesla was replacing it with another program, Musk responded: "no, the whole referral incentive system will end."
Elon Musk shows off the first SpaceX Starship test vehicle
SpaceX is done preparing the Starship for its very first test flight ever, and Elon Musk has shared an actual photo of assembly on Twitter. Formerly known as the "BFR," the Starship is the private space company's upcoming super heavy-lift launch vehicle meant for journeys to the moon and Mars and for hour-long trips anywhere on Earth.
Tesla will stop selling Model S and X cars with 75kWh batteries
Tesla isn't done streamlining its electric car lineup. Elon Musk has announced that his company will stop taking orders for the 75kWh versions of the Model S and Model X after January 13th. He didn't directly explain the move, but said "yes" when a Twitter user asked if Tesla was moving away from its longstanding use of battery capacity numbers to denote variants.
Elon Musk teases final look of SpaceX's Starship test vehicle
It's no secret that SpaceX has been constructing its Starship test vehicle -- it's easy for curious onlookers to snap photos. But what will it look like when it's finished? You don't have to wonder. Elon Musk has posted concept artwork showing what the completed vehicle will look like. It's surprisingly pretty for a prototype, if borrowing more than a few cues from 1950s sci-fi with its gleaming stainless steel body.
Tesla adds Larry Ellison to its board after SEC slapdown
Oracle co-founder and executive chairman Larry Ellison and Kathleen Wilson-Thompson, an EVP and global head of human resources at Walgreens Boots Alliance, have joined Tesla's board. The pair were appointed to ensure Tesla complies with a Securities and Exchange Commission settlement following allegations CEO Elon Musk misled investors over a plan to take the company private.
Elon Musk asks judge to toss 'pedo guy' defamation lawsuit
Elon Musk is hoping to end the US lawsuit over his "pedo guy" statements against British cave diver Vernon Unsworth before it gets started. His attorneys have filed a motion to dismiss the case on the grounds that his insults weren't serious and thus were protected free speech in the US. This was just a "schoolyard spat," Musk's attorneys said. They contended that Twitter was a place where you could "expect to read opinions, not facts," and thus that no one could realistically assume Musk was telling the truth.