Elon driving cross-country

[TEG]

Is Elon done his trip? The media says he attended the premiere of the new show "Silicon Valley" in California last night

At HBO Premiere, Elon Musk Is Pissed | Re/code

 

[anticitizen13.7]

Is Elon done his trip? The media says he attended the premiere of the new show "Silicon Valley" in California last night

I actually don't think the cross-country trip was supposed to take place now.

Before attempting such a trip, a "test run" would be advisable in order to determine seating and luggage arrangement and/or problems.

With a full 5+2 onboard, my guess is that Elon would have quickly discovered the issues of insufficient luggage space, and the need for more interior storage and cup holders. The upside of this is that Elon learns firsthand exactly what Model X needs to function as a minivan replacement.

 

[SteveG3]

perhaps, Elon has progressed from outsmarting the auto industry to outsmarting TMC.

Maybe, they all flew out to the east coast over a week ago, got in a Model S and drove West. The only reports I know of from him and Talulah are from March 30 and 31st. Only the ones on the 31st name a place... Mt. Rushmore each time (the Betty Boop restaurant does not name a place, but it's sandwiched between Rushmore tweets). if he and the whole gang had to get themselves and their luggage on a plane at some point, why not start off that way, and dramatically increase the likelihood of uninterrupted family time.

update: just to clarify some dots... they "just stayed" at the hotel near Mt. Rushmore Monday morning, 3/31. that's 1372 miles to San Francisco via google maps... using SuperCharger route would be longer, but Monday-Wednesday from Rushmore to Northern CA would be within the 500 or 600 mile/day pace previously indicated. By dramatically increasing the likelihood of uninterrupted family time, I mean a "backwards" trip only detected after the fact throws media/fans off the track of successfully camping out at their next SuperCharger.

 

[Curt Renz]

perhaps, Elon has progressed from outsmarting the auto industry to outsmarting TMC.

Maybe, they all flew out to the east coast over a week ago, got in a Model S and drove West. The only reports I know of from him and Talulah are from March 30 and 31st. Only the ones on the 31st name a place... Mt. Rushmore each time (the Betty Boop restaurant does not name a place, but it's sandwiched between Rushmore tweets). if he and the whole gang had to get themselves and their luggage on a plane at some point, why not start off that way, and dramatically increase the likelihood of uninterrupted family time.

That's a most interesting conjecture, Steve. However, check out Talulah's tweet on March 30 at 5:48 pm CDT. The photo appears from somewhere out west. One of the replies is from Andrew Hall on March 30 at 11:45 pm CDT, who claims to have seen them on the road and left a note for them at the Supercharger in Cheyenne. Twitter / TalulahRiley: The Great American (Electric) ...

 

[SteveG3]

That's a most interesting conjecture, Steve. However, check out Talulah's tweet on March 30 at 5:48 pm CDT. The photo appears from somewhere out west. One of the replies is from Andrew Hall on March 30 at 11:45 pm CDT, who claims to have seen them on the road and left a note for them at the Supercharger in Cheyenne. Twitter / TalulahRiley: The Great American (Electric) ...

Curt, indeed, if Andrew Hall did in fact see them, looking at the map it would seem to be a data point saying it was more likely the Musk family and Mr. Hall were traveling West Coast to East. Guess we could tweet Hall and ask him which direction he was traveling when Elon was "following him"

regarding Talulah's photo of the road... I have not logged any miles in that part of the country, and with that lack of experience the photo just looked like a rather generic shot that could be just as easily heading to Rushmore from any direction.

 

[Curt Renz]

I have not logged any miles in that part of the country, and with that lack of experience the photo just looked like a rather generic shot that could be just as easily heading to Rushmore from any direction.

If the photo were taken shortly before the tweet time of 5:48 pm CDT, the Sun appears to have been too high for somewhere east of Mount Rushmore. In the afternoon the Sun would have been towards the west. Since the clouds are front lit, the car appears to be travelling east. If the photo were taken near midday, then the Sun would have been toward the south and the clouds would indicate northward travel.

EDIT: I now see that Andrew Hall tweeted Elon on March 28 at 11:46 CDT to note they were together at a Supercharger station. There was no indication of location, but he says he has Wyoming license plates. Andrew Hall (afhallmd) on Twitter

 

[AlMc]

If the photo were taken shortly before the tweet time of 5:48 pm CDT, the Sun appears to have been too high for somewhere east of Mount Rushmore. In the afternoon the Sun would have been towards the west. Since the clouds are front lit, the car appears to be travelling east. If the photo were taken near midday, then the Sun would have been toward the south and the clouds would indicate northward travel.

You should have gone into forensics Curt!

 

[Curt Renz]

You should have gone into forensics Curt!

Columbo is my inspiration. If he were still alive, we'd know what happened to the Malaysian plane.

 

[SteveG3]

If the photo were taken shortly before the tweet time of 5:48 pm CDT, the Sun appears to have been too high for somewhere east of Mount Rushmore. In the afternoon the Sun would have been towards the west. Since the clouds are front lit, the car appears to be travelling east. If the photo were taken near midday, then the Sun would have been toward the south and the clouds would indicate northward travel.

EDIT: I now see that Andrew Hall tweeted Elon on March 28 at 11:46 CDT to note they were together at a Supercharger station. There was no indication of location, but he says he has Wyoming license plates. Andrew Hall (afhallmd) on Twitter

Hey Curt. I don't know... still suspect he did a "backwards" trip from East Coast to West. My ability to read the sun on the clouds as you described is none... so I have no opinion on that at all. Whatever the direction of the trip, I hope it was completed with everyone on board for the whole ride.

... and nice find on that other tweet from Andrew Hall. best I can tell Hall's having seen them on the 28th in an unknown location, and joking a couple days later about leaving a note in Cheyenne for the Musks doesn't reveal anything about the direction Elon took for the trip.

 

[Curt Renz]

Hey Curt. I don't know... still suspect he did a "backwards" trip from East Coast to West. My ability to read the sun on the clouds as you described is none... so I have no opinion on that at all. Whatever the direction of the trip, I hope it was completed with everyone on board for the whole ride.

... and nice find on that other tweet from Andrew Hall. best I can tell Hall's having seen them on the 28th in an unknown location, and joking a couple days later about leaving a note in Cheyenne for the Musks doesn't reveal anything about the direction Elon took for the trip.

I did tweet Andrew Hall and asked him to verify the direction of travel, and his certainty that the Musks were in the other car. Waiting to hear from him. In any event, Elon will eventually let us know.

 

[Curt Renz]

Columbo, or Feynman.

Indeed!

 

[rolosrevenge]

I actually don't think the cross-country trip was supposed to take place now.

Before attempting such a trip, a "test run" would be advisable in order to determine seating and luggage arrangement and/or problems.

With a full 5+2 onboard, my guess is that Elon would have quickly discovered the issues of insufficient luggage space, and the need for more interior storage and cup holders. The upside of this is that Elon learns firsthand exactly what Model X needs to function as a minivan replacement.

Insufficient luggage for a multibillionaire? He can just buy everything he needs as he travels and throw it away when he's done.

 

[InTheShadows]

Insufficient luggage for a multibillionaire? He can just buy everything he needs as he travels and throw it away when he's done.

Plausible, but not for the billionaire we are talking about.

His passion for the environment would likely make him cringe at the very thought of that. After all, he's recycling what is probably the most difficult thing in the world to recycle... Rockets.

 

[SteveG3]

Plausible, but not for the billionaire we are talking about.

His passion for the environment would likely make him cringe at the very thought of that. After all, he's recycling what is probably the most difficult thing in the world to recycle... Rockets.

I see we've gotten a response to Curt's tweet:

Andrew Hall ‏@afhallmd 1h
@CurtRenz Positive. I was parked next to Elon at the Blanding, UT supercharger and saw their convoy drive into Moab later

looking at the map, this pretty well says West Coast to East Coast. I hope Elon was with his family to complete the trip, but I think Columbo, err, Curt's suggestion that the trip was cut short for Elon, if not the whole group, has a considerable probability of turning out to be so... unless Elon & Talulah tweeted everything a day or so after the fact. it's just hard to see Elon getting from Rushmore to NY and then flying to back to CA all apparently from 3/31 to the evening of 4/2. not impossible, but pushing things quite a bit considering the time to fly from NY to LA.

 

[Curt Renz]

I was surprised Elon still planned to go through with the trip after others had already done so. Additional publicity value had been reduced to nil. After the Pennington County Sheriff advised no road travel for at least two days, and considering commitments that Elon undoubtedly had, the trip seems to have understandably been cut short.

 

[ggr]

I was surprised Elon still planned to go through with the trip after others had already done so. Additional publicity value had been reduced to nil. After the Pennington County Sheriff advised no road travel for at least two days, and considering commitments that Elon undoubtedly had, the trip seems to have understandably been cut short.

Maybe he really did just want to do a road trip with his family... I've been known to do the same thing.

 

[Mayhemm]

I was surprised Elon still planned to go through with the trip after others had already done so. Additional publicity value had been reduced to nil.

Yeah, the only way they could have gotten any decent amount publicity is if they took an X. Still, Elon talked about this trip often, I hope it wasn't a bust. The man could use a few days off (though, a roadtrip with 5 kids is not my idea of relaxing).

 

[bonnie]

Yeah, the only way they could have gotten any decent amount publicity is if they took an X. Still, Elon talked about this trip often, I hope it wasn't a bust. The man could use a few days off (though, a roadtrip with 5 kids is not my idea of relaxing).

But it was a roadtrip with HIS kids, not just any kids. Good for him. Family time doesn't have to be relaxing to be fun.

 

[mhpr262]

I doubt it was really about the publicity. It is a big thing - and a big selling point - that one can drive the car across a huge continent with only minimal bother, and for free too. Elon probably simply isn't the type who can make all these claims, justified as they are, without actually doing it himself, even if it is just once.

 

[Jack6591]

Elon must have decided to not make this a "media event". Not what I expected, but then he thinks at a different level than I do.