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I'm not 100% sure but it seems a Plaid Cybertruck is different to a regular Tri-motor?
Maybe, or the tri includes the plaid additions.
SmartSelect_20200411-222101_Firefox.jpg
 
This is Covid related but I am gonna post it here because I think it is relevant. A recent Harvard study found that air quality increases chance of dying from Covid by 15% for one unit of µg/m^3 increase:
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/h...tion-linked-with-higher-covid-19-death-rates/

The study looked at 3,080 counties across the country, comparing levels of fine particulate air pollution with coronavirus death counts for each area. Adjusting for population size, hospital beds, number of people tested for COVID-19, weather, and socioeconomic and behavioral variables such as obesity and smoking, the researchers found that a small increase in long-term exposure to PM2.5 leads to a large increase in the COVID-19 death rate.

The study found, for example, that someone who lives for decades in a county with high levels of fine particulate pollution is 15% more likely to die from COVID-19 than someone who lives in a region that has just one unit (one microgram per cubic meter) less of such pollution.


Just for reference, Wuhan and Milano have ~50µg/m^3, Oslo(the Tesla capital) has 3µg/m^3.

Ok sure there might be a lot of confounding factors. But I think once the dust settles, a lot of people will have seen clearly for the first time in ages:
People in India can see the Himalayas for the first time in 'decades,' as the lockdown eases air pollution
Before and after photos show how stay-at-home orders helped Los Angeles significantly reduce its notorious smog

For some areas it might even become clear that the shutdown saved more lives by stopping emission than by stopping the virus.

I think a lot of votors, a lot of politician, a lot of good people and a lot of virtue signallers will be looking at reducing pollution. And what is the best way to do this? Electric vehicles and solar.

I also think that a lot of individuals will be considering spending money on a car rather than ride sharing and public transportation as a way to social distance further until the vaccine arrives.


Expect China to push for reducing emission even harder, expect Indians to start thinking about electric everything, expect Italy, Spain and France to start leaning towards electric. And expect people to start voting with their feet and move to areas with clean air.
 
This should help accelerate the transition to sustainable energy and transport:

Air pollution linked to far higher Covid-19 death rates, study finds

The work shows that even a tiny, single-unit increase in particle pollution levels in the years before the pandemic is associated with a 15% increase in the death rate. The research, done in the US, calculates that slightly cleaner air in Manhattan in the past could have saved hundreds of lives.

The study, by researchers at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health in Boston,analysed air pollution and Covid-19 deaths up to 4 April in 3,000 US counties, covering 98% of the population. “We found that an increase of only 1μg/m3 in PM2.5 [particles] is associated with a 15% increase in the Covid-19 death rate,” the team concluded.

A small increase in exposure to particle pollution over 15-20 years was already known to increase the risk of death from all causes, but the new work shows this increase is 20 times higher for Covid-19 deaths.

“The results are statistically significant and robust,” they said. The study took account of a range of factors, including poverty levels, smoking, obesity, and the number of Covid-19 tests and hospital beds available. They also assessed the effect of removing from the analysis both New York City, which has had many cases, and counties with fewer than 10 confirmed Covid-19 cases.
 
In terms of demand for vehicles as we emerge from the Coronavirus phenomenon, there's a force that will help counteract the economic force of fewer people being willing to buy a car this year. That force is a desire to use a private vehicle instead of taking public transportation. China's vehicle sales overall are down right now, but let's see how quickly they recover. China vehicle sales may give us some idea of what will happen in North America and Europe as well.

You may say this coronavirus was a once in a century type of phenomenon (at least from a North American perspective) but I suggest the desire to retain or obtain a private vehicle will be influenced for decades to come because of this experience. When the 911 attacks of 2001 occurred, there was widespread fear of traveling on airliners that slowly diminished. Wealthier travelers started spending money on more expensive jet charter and fractional jet ownership arrangements that allowed them to travel with piece of mind (and a nicer travel experience) in return for a noticeably higher price tag. That private jet phenomenon didn't evaporate when people became more comfortable with airline travel again. It persists to this day.

My point is that whatever trend toward people opting out of private vehicles there was before, that trend has been set back by the coronavirus phenomenon. As I type I'm thinking about that beautiful blue Model 3 in my garage and how much I look forward to my next trip in it.
 
Seems likely the Plaid is the Performance variant of the tri-motor. That would be fairly consistent with their usual approach.
How can that be their usual approach when there are no non perfomance/ non-plaid trimotor vehicles?
Thus far we have:
  • Roadster 2020 which only comes in trimotor plaid
  • Model S which is getting a plaid variant with tri motors (Nurburgring version)
  • At some point in the future, X with trimotor plaid
  • Cybertruck with trimotors
I mean, yeah Plaid implies trimotor, but do we have any data to support two power levels of trimotor? (SpaceX package excluded) Seems sort of pointless to go tri without the rest of the package.
 
How can that be their usual approach when there are no non perfomance/ non-plaid trimotor vehicles?
Thus far we have:
  • Roadster 2020 which only comes in trimotor plaid
  • Model S which is getting a plaid variant with tri motors (Nurburgring version)
  • At some point in the future, X with trimotor plaid
  • Cybertruck with trimotors
I mean, yeah Plaid implies trimotor, but do we have any data to support two power levels of trimotor? (SpaceX package excluded) Seems sort of pointless to go tri without the rest of the package.

There are 2 alternative interpretations:-

1. Plaid is tri-motor, torque steering, etc.

2. There is a regular tri-motor, and Plaid is a special type of high performance motor, or some form of software unlock..

The only reason I think 2. is a chance is Elon's recent tweets, he could have simply said "Yep Plaid and tri-motor are the same thing".
Again there are 2 ways of reading his tweets, so we can't rule 1. or 2, 100% out IMO.

But the one implication I got from his tweets is, Plaid is a fair bit more than just 3 motors.

EDIT: I wonder if we see a Plaid Cybertruck with Track Mode software challenge other Pickups to a race around a track? If so, I bet there are no takers...
 
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How can that be their usual approach when there are no non perfomance/ non-plaid trimotor vehicles?
Thus far we have:
  • Roadster 2020 which only comes in trimotor plaid
  • Model S which is getting a plaid variant with tri motors (Nurburgring version)
  • At some point in the future, X with trimotor plaid
  • Cybertruck with trimotors
I mean, yeah Plaid implies trimotor, but do we have any data to support two power levels of trimotor? (SpaceX package excluded) Seems sort of pointless to go tri without the rest of the package.
Elon Musk on Twitter
 
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Reactions: Eugene Ash
Wealthier travelers started spending money on more expensive jet charter and fractional jet ownership
There's a simpler explanation: Private jets are FREE for businesses (or rather, 100% tax deductible at the expense of the public):

Private jets receive ludicrous tax breaks that hurt the environment | The Economist, March 2019

"Donald Trump's tax reform allowed individuals and companies to write off 100% of the cost of a new or used private jet against their federal taxes."​

I don't see the GOP handing out free EVs anytime in the near future. :rolleyes:
 
LA without cars/pollution: (a city fit for Angels)

EVPfrAyUcAIo1gL


CH33RS!

P.S. 5 of the top 10 Ten Cleanest Air Cities in the World right now are in the USA. And Los Angeles isn't even one of the 10 best.

P.P.S. The No. 1 "Cleanest Air" distinction goes to Salt Lake City, with an outstanding AQI score of "1". SUPER CLEAN, near PERFECT!
 
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A Nike Tick shape recovery
Cool - you should patent that....
Moderators still roam this thread. Not to prevent OT content, that is now firmly everybody’s own responsibility. But attacking other members, even calling them trolls, for voicing dissenting opinions is not acceptable. We can only make good investment decisions if we hear from all sides, not if it is a one way street. So personal attacks on members (not being obvious troll accounts) for having a less rosy view of Tesla’s future, will meet zero tolerance. As some have already experienced these last few days.
@Fact Checking @KarenRei The moderators will not stop us posting OT. This is why you left.

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Latest weekly instalment of GF3 is up.


Plenty of cars still being pumped out of phase 1
upload_2020-4-12_8-34-50.png


Phenominal progress of phase 3A. The steel frame will likely be complete in a couple of weeks at this rate
upload_2020-4-12_8-36-45.png


Phase 3B is still a bit of a mystery, but it is looking more likely that it will contain multiple smaller buildings judging by the roads running through the middle of relatively heave foundations
upload_2020-4-12_8-41-22.png


Certain areas of phase 3B appear to just be loading/storage areas
upload_2020-4-12_8-43-6.png


Work on the casting/foundary area continues. I wonder if they have been so slow to build the walls around this foundation because they need to drop in the giant casting machine Elon mentioned previously.

upload_2020-4-12_8-47-6.png


The wall pillars appear to be be being built in the middle of the heavy foundations. No idea why they would do that. any thoughts?
upload_2020-4-12_8-50-1.png


Some trucks are backed up to the loading docs of phase 2 for the first time. Production imminent?
upload_2020-4-12_8-51-53.png
 
One year ago, construction of Phase 1 where the Model 3 is build:
upload_2020-4-12_10-42-23.png


Phase 1 one year ago: The entire middle section, where Body in White and General Assembly is taking place, has just one level.
Phase 3A: As you can see in @CorneliusXX post above, the entire eastern part has two levels. Only the middle section on the western side has one level. I'd guess this results in about 20% more floor space.


Phase 1 one year ago: Construction for stamping is well underway (very right on the pic). Construction of the paint shop has not stared (left up).
Phase 3A: Construction is well underway on all section. But this is barely a head start and the two levels on the western middle section could take a little longer to construct.


One Month later (May 7th 2019)

upload_2020-4-12_11-13-28.png
 
Just in case that wasn't posted yet.

Demand in China is going through the roof and GF3 is ramping.

Ray4️⃣Tesla⚡☀️ on Twitter

Let's imagine for a second Tesla would be able to make sequential growth on a quarterly basis happen. You find my thoughts about it in my latest video. A lot needs to happen of course but even if it's just small decline - its a success.

Despite supply & demand challenges I could imagine Tesla to have just a growth reduction in Q2 despite all other automakers are down 30-40% and only get up again if massive incentive programs will be put in place.