It was a busy week for Tesla news, with stories developing around the Autopilot program, the Tesla Semi, and a new speed record for the Model X. Check out this week’s news roundup below.
I Like Big Batteries And I Cannot Lie – TMC Member Chad Schwitters made the case that big batteries are about much more than range. “Of course somebody always chimes in to advocate for big batteries, but I feel the big-battery argument is often too simple: a bigger battery gives you more range. A similar thing happens on these forums when a potential buyer asks “Is it really worth it to buy the bigger battery? That seems like a lot of money for only xx miles of range.” Range is indeed an important advantage to big batteries, but it is far from the only one.
Tesla Execs Attend Private Owners Reception at Monterey – TMC Member smorgasbord was lucky enough to attend a private reception for Roadster owners during Monterey Car Week in Monterey, California, which included a lineup of all Tesla vehicles and appearances by President of Global Sales & Service Jon McNeill and Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen.
Tesla Model X Takes Title as World’s Quickest SUV – The Tesla Model X is now the quickest SUV in the world. A video posted on the YouTube channel DragTimes shows a Model X hit a 1/4 mile time of 11.418 seconds at 117.95 mph.
Model 3 Depreciation Projected as ‘Best-In-Class’ – The Model 3 will retain its value as well as any car in its class, according to a new report from automotive search engine Autolist. To attempt to forecast Model 3 depreciation, the company looked at the Model S, it’s competitors, and their in-brand counterparts. If the Model 3 tracks analogously with the Model S, the projected trajectory would be best in class. Autolist previously pegged Model S depreciation at 28% after 50,000 miles.
New Drone Footage of Tesla’s Gigafactory – Drone footage taken last week by YouTube user California Phantom shows off a busy scene at the 3,000-acre site. The factory, located in Sparks, Nevada, produces the battery cells for Tesla’s electric vehicles and drivetrains for the Model 3.
Tesla Referral Program Offers Chance To Drive Digging Machine – Tesla has added a unique “secret level” prize to its referral program – a chance to drive The Boring Company’s massive tunnel-digging machine.
Musk Debuts First Image of SpaceX Space Suit – Elon Musk shared an image of the suits to be worn by NASA astronauts that will travel on SpaceX equipment to the International Space Station.
NTSB to Vote Next Month on Cause of Fatal Tesla Autopilot Crash – The National Transportation Safety Board said a meeting will be held next month to determine the probable cause of a fatal crash that occurred while Autopilot was engaged on a Model S.
SpaceX Launched Taiwanese FORMOSAT-5 – A Falcon 9 rocket carrying a satellite called FORMOSAT-5 for Taiwan’s space agency was successfully launched and landed.
Around the web…
WSJ said that disagreements over deadlines and marketing related to Tesla’s Autopilot efforts led some employees to leave the company.
Reuters scored details on the upcoming Tesla semi, saying it will have a range of 200-300 miles.
Electrek reported on the discovery of what appears to be the backend for a potential Tesla-operated music service. A “TTunes” tab was found in the latest software updates. Elon Musk hinted at aspirations for a music streaming service earlier this summer. But, Musk responded to the report on Twitter calling TTunes a joke.