The Secret Tesla Motors Master Plan Part 2 (just between you and me)
Elon Musk, Co-Founder & CEO of Tesla Motors July 20, 2016
As you know, Tesla’s mission has been to create widespread adoption of sustainable transport. We achieved this through our top secret master plan which can be summarized as follows:
1. Build sports car (Roadster)
2. Use that money to build an affordable car (Model S/ModelX)
3. Use that money to build an even more affordable car (Model 3)
4. While doing above, also provide zero emission electric power generation options (SolarCity)
Don't tell anyone.
Each step is intended to produce the capital needed to achieve the successive step. We are now in between step 2 and 3. In addition to the above, we have inserted a step in between 2 and 3: produce energy storage systems (Powerwall/Powerpack) that are necessary to enable wider spread solar energy production—energy that is only produced during daylight hours. This would have really been a part of step 4, but we did it earlier as it will enable larger scale of car battery production and tech development, which was necessary for a successful step 3. Everything has been going mostly to the secret plan and we are ready to churn ahead, but as it turns out a unique opportunity has arisen. Energy prices are low which has been hard on the solar energy sector. This created a great buying opportunity of SolarCity. Providing zero emission electric power generation was already outlined as number 4 in our master plan, but given this rare opportunity, we want to jump on it now. After all, it’s always been a part of our master plan.
Ultimately our goal is unchanged: to help expedite the move from a mine-and-burn hydrocarbon economy towards a solar electric economy, which I believe to be the primary, but not exclusive, sustainable solution.
But now, given some new interests of mine, we want to extend our master plan to part 2.
Autopilot and ultimately Autonomous driving
Tesla has already shown the capabilities of Autopilot. Since computers are much faster at making decisions and reacting than humans, it is obvious that we should let them take the wheel and transport us around. Autonomous driving will increase safety of driving and eliminate the work and attention required from drivers.
Artificial intelligence
Autonomous driving will change the way humans are transported. But humans will still have to instruct the car where they want to go and when they want to go. Ideally, autonomous vehicles should be capable of doing that for the passenger. This way, we will always be at the right place at the right time in the most efficient and safest way possible.
I think it’s something that we can do, that we should do, and I think something that we will do.
*Disclaimer: this is not the real master plan.
Elon Musk, Co-Founder & CEO of Tesla Motors July 20, 2016
As you know, Tesla’s mission has been to create widespread adoption of sustainable transport. We achieved this through our top secret master plan which can be summarized as follows:
1. Build sports car (Roadster)
2. Use that money to build an affordable car (Model S/ModelX)
3. Use that money to build an even more affordable car (Model 3)
4. While doing above, also provide zero emission electric power generation options (SolarCity)
Don't tell anyone.
Each step is intended to produce the capital needed to achieve the successive step. We are now in between step 2 and 3. In addition to the above, we have inserted a step in between 2 and 3: produce energy storage systems (Powerwall/Powerpack) that are necessary to enable wider spread solar energy production—energy that is only produced during daylight hours. This would have really been a part of step 4, but we did it earlier as it will enable larger scale of car battery production and tech development, which was necessary for a successful step 3. Everything has been going mostly to the secret plan and we are ready to churn ahead, but as it turns out a unique opportunity has arisen. Energy prices are low which has been hard on the solar energy sector. This created a great buying opportunity of SolarCity. Providing zero emission electric power generation was already outlined as number 4 in our master plan, but given this rare opportunity, we want to jump on it now. After all, it’s always been a part of our master plan.
Ultimately our goal is unchanged: to help expedite the move from a mine-and-burn hydrocarbon economy towards a solar electric economy, which I believe to be the primary, but not exclusive, sustainable solution.
But now, given some new interests of mine, we want to extend our master plan to part 2.
Autopilot and ultimately Autonomous driving
Tesla has already shown the capabilities of Autopilot. Since computers are much faster at making decisions and reacting than humans, it is obvious that we should let them take the wheel and transport us around. Autonomous driving will increase safety of driving and eliminate the work and attention required from drivers.
Artificial intelligence
Autonomous driving will change the way humans are transported. But humans will still have to instruct the car where they want to go and when they want to go. Ideally, autonomous vehicles should be capable of doing that for the passenger. This way, we will always be at the right place at the right time in the most efficient and safest way possible.
I think it’s something that we can do, that we should do, and I think something that we will do.
*Disclaimer: this is not the real master plan.
