Tesla has promised to plant double the number of trees that it will remove as part of the deforestation effort to build Gigafactory Mexico.

There are a lot of eyes on a piece of land spanning 4,200 acres just outside of Monterrey since Tesla confirmed its plan to build a gigafactory there.

Not much is known about the plant yet, as information has only been slowly released through Tesla and government officials. The massive size of the piece of land secured by Tesla was confirmed; it is twice as big as the land Tesla acquired for Gigafactory Texas.

The government confirmed that Tesla plans to spend about $5 billion to build the factory, which is going to employ 7,000 people directly and much more indirectly.

We also have a better idea of Tesla’s timeline for the factory. Tom Zhu, Tesla’s head of automotive and the person in charge of gigafactories, added that his team plans to build the factory at a record pace like Gigafactory Shanghai, which went from breaking ground to production in about nine months.

But Tesla first needs the permit to proceed and there have been indications that it could be issued as soon as this month.

Like with other Tesla gigafactory projects, it is expected that there could be some pushback from an environmental perspective, mainly due to the area’s deforestation needed to build.

This has been an issue for Tesla at Gigafactory Berlin and slowed down the process.

But it looks like Tesla is being proactive with Gigafactory Mexico as Samuel García, Governor of Nuevo Leon, announced that Tesla told him it has a strong reforestation plan:

Here’s the tweet’s translation:

Tesla will arrive by setting an example. I spoke with its director and he guaranteed me that they will reforest the area of Santa Catarina, where the gigafactory will be installed, with double the number of trees required by law on 1,600 hectares of land.

This should go a long way in appeasing concerns with the deforestation that is going to be required to build Gigafactory Mexico.

There’s no new information about the timing for the permit, but it’s clear Tesla is ready to move fast.

Rivian is preparing owners to use Tesla Superchargers fitted with the “Magic Dock” in its newest Over-the-Air update.

Tesla opened select Superchargers in the United States to other electric vehicle manufacturers last month, which has been a successful program thus far.

The decision by Tesla to open various charging piles around the U.S. to other EV makers helps it qualify for a slice of $7.5 billion in government funding, which required charging makers to develop non-specific or non-dedicated chargers that were only operational with set manufacturers.

Tesla makes its own chargers and has long held a sizeable advantage in EV charging due to the sheer size of its infrastructure and its dependability.

Here’s how Tesla appears to be rolling out the Magic Dock

Now, Rivian is helping owners take advantage of the Supercharger Network by adding locations in the in-car navigation.

As a part of Rivian Software Update 2023.10.00, Tesla Superchargers will now appear in Rivian’s in-car navigation:

“Your vehicle now shows select Tesla Supercharger locations with a Magic Dock in the Navigation app’s charger filters. A Magic Dock allows you to charge your Rivian at select Tesla Supercharger locations. These locations also show in the Rivian mobile app version 1.12 or later. To charge at a Tesla Supercharger, you need to download the Tesla app.”

Select Rivian owners have already utilized the Supercharger Network run by Tesla, and reviews have been mixed thus far. The most notable is that of well-known tech reviewer Marques Brownlee, who said his experience was chaotic due to the congestion the program could cause.

“Suddenly, you’re taking up two spots for what would normally be one,” he said.

The Superchargers are already optimized for Tesla vehicles, which have their port located on the rear of the vehicle. Other cars are forced to double park or park awkwardly to take advantage of the charging system.

“If I was like a huge Tesla person I would probably be worried about you know my own Tesla experience,” Brownlee added. “Will it get worse because more people are charging? Potentially, you’ll have more people waiting in line more people taking up more spots.”

Rivian is also adding a new TuneIn Premium Trial, giving owners a year of free service. Plug and Charge will also allow a more seamless experience at Rivian Adventure Network and Waypoint Chargers.

Rivian’s full 2023.10.00 release notes are available below (via Rivian.Software):

New TuneIn Premium Trial

An exclusive TuneIn Premium trial for 365 days is now available for Rivian customers. With TuneIn Premium you have access to:

• Every MLB and NHL game. Live. No blackouts.
• Nonstop news coverage. Commercial free.
• Less ads on 100,000 radio stations.

Note: You may lose access to TuneIn Premium channels unless you activate the free trial or have a Premium account.

Tesla Supercharger Network Now Available In Navigation Charger Filters

Your vehicle now shows select Tesla Supercharger locations with a Magic Dock in the Navigation app’s charger filters. A Magic Dock allows you to charge your Rivian at select Tesla Supercharger locations. These locations also show in the Rivian mobile app version 1.12 or later. To charge at a Tesla Supercharger, you need to download the Tesla app.

Plug and Charge

This release enables vehicle Plug and Charge functionality when charging on the Rivian Adventure Network and Waypoint Chargers, in order to provide a seamless experience.

Note: This feature will be introduced on the Rivian Adventure Network and Waypoint Chargers on a rolling basis.

New Third Row Fan Control (R1S ONLY)

The second- and third-row seats now have separate controls for your convenince. For access, choose the temperature with the Fan icon on the center display. Then choose Middle to access the second-row climate controls, or choose Back to access the third-row fan controls.

Additional Improvements

• Highway Assist has been improved to reduce the frequency of hands-on warnings when Highway Assist is active in stop-and-go traffic scenarios. You still must remain attentive and should be prepared to take control of the vehicle at any time while Highway Assist is engaged. For more information, please see the Owner’s Guide.
• You can now open and close your liftgate with the mobile app version 1.12 and later (R1S ONLY)
• You can now open your tailgate with the mobile app version 1.12 and later (R1T ONLY)
• Improved range loss when a phone key is near the vehicle for long periods of time.
• Improved phone key and key fob proximity unlocking consistency.
• You can now toggle exterior lock sound on and off. Choose Settings > Vehicle > Access > Lock Sound (exterior).
• Added a text label to state your key fob’s battery level inside of Settings > Drivers and Keys. The indicator text will appear when the battery level is medium or low only.
• Hotspot Improvements
  • You can now choose the Hotspot button in the status bar to toggle the hotspot on or off and open hotspot settings.
  • Fixed an issue where quickly toggling the hotspot on and off indefinitely disabled it until you restarted the vehicle.
• Media Fixes and Improvements
  • You can scroll through your Favorites with the left thumb control on the steering wheel.
  • Fixed a rare issue where TIDAL crashed when trying to perform a text search.
  • Fixed an occasional issue where the Bluetooth media player showed the incorrect play/pause state.
  • Fixed an occasional issue where the radio wouldn’t resume playing after returning to your vehicle within five minutes.
• After you remove the charging cable, the charge port door no longer automatically closes after 30 seconds. The charge port door closes automatically when you drive the vehicle. You can also manually close it from the center display or using the sensor on the charge port door.
• Fixed an issue where an erroneous notification was shown when attempting to use Adaptive Cruise Control while stability control was disabled in vehicle settings.
• Fixed a rare issue that caused inconsistent lane centering when Highway Assist was active.
• Fixed an occasional issue where you would see an unrelated notification when switching between day and night mode.
• Fixed a very rare issue that caused an internal loss of communication when turning on a vehicle, which drained the 12 V batteries.

Rivian prepares owners for Tesla Supercharger use in latest OTA update

Tesla is taking delivery of another of the world’s largest press at Gigafactory Texas, and it is again expected to be used for Cybertruck production.

Last year, Idra, the maker of Tesla’s large casting press, teased a new 9,000-ton Giga Press that would take the prize as the largest in the world. Considering Tesla’s relationship with Idra, it was rumored that the new machine would be for the automaker.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has since confirmed that the machine is going to be used for the Cybertruck body at Gigafactory Texas.

Tesla’s investment in larger cast parts has been extremely successful so far. The automaker managed to produce the Model Y with a single rear body piece that replaced 70 different parts in the vehicle, and it is doing the same with the front underbody. This greatly simplifies the manufacturing process and reduces costs.

Following the success of the integration of large casting technology, several other automakers are reportedly looking to follow in Tesla’s footsteps. Idra reported last year that half a dozen other automakers are currently in talks to adopt the technology, but it could take years before they can integrate it into any vehicle programs.

But as for Tesla, the automaker is already moving into a wider integration of the technology, including with the Cybertruck, which is going to have even larger single-casting parts.

In January, Tesla was spotted taking delivery of the massive 9-ton casting press, the biggest one in the world. Over the last few months since the delivery, Idra has been teasing the preparation for the shipment of another 9-ton press and obviously, Tesla was rumored to again be the client.

Today, we can confirm that the new press is indeed for Tesla and that it has arrived in Texas. Cybertruck Forum user Greggrtruck found the bill of lading that confirms Tesla is the client and that it has arrived at the port of Houston:

The new Giga Press is bound for Gigafactory Texas in Austin. Once it is installed, Tesla is going to have the two largest presses in the world. They are both expected to be used for Cybertruck production. The automaker also has a few 6-ton Giga Press units for Model Y production at the same factory.

Tesla aims to start Cybertruck production this summer, but volume production is not expected until 2024. At this point, it’s not clear if both 9-ton Giga Press are going to be needed for the start of production or if the second one is meant to be used to achieve higher volumes.

Tesla (TSLA) stock is surging amid data coming out of China, showing that the automaker will likely deliver a strong quarter in this important market.

At the time of writing, Tesla’s stock is up 6%, while the market is up about 1%.

This surge comes after the China Merchants Bank International released car insurance registration data; the data shows 106,915 new Tesla vehicles registered in China between January 1 to March 19.

It is tracking ahead of the last quarter, which was a record quarter for Tesla in China, with 122,038 cars delivered.

With almost two weeks left in the quarter and Tesla often delivering more vehicles over the last few weeks of a quarter, the automaker is expected to beat its latest record in China.

China is a critical market for Tesla and electric vehicles in general. Tesla’s performance in China often makes the difference in whether it has a good quarter.

The increase in sales comes after Tesla slashed prices globally. The price cuts came to China first in early January.

Electrek’s Take

Everything points to Tesla having a great quarter for deliveries in Q1 2023.

However, the attention is going to be on Tesla’s gross margin. The price cuts successfully boost sales, but they will negatively affect its gross margin.

The good news for Tesla is that it had industry-leading gross margins. They are large enough to eat the price cuts, but investors are hoping for Tesla to still be in the double digits gross margin.

In Q4 2022, Tesla had a record of 405,000 deliveries globally. Investors are hoping for Tesla to beat that – likely only marginally.

The company has the capacity to produce about 2 million vehicles in 2023, and it wants 10 times that by 2030. Not many people outside of Tesla fans believe that it is possible, but there weren’t many people who believed Tesla would get to a capacity of one million people. But it did – and more.

Posted on
March 21, 2023
by
Peter McGuthrie

It’s been just four months since Tesla CEO Elon Musk took over Twitter, and a lot has happened in that time. Despite declining advertising revenue in recent months, the company may still improve its cash flow by next quarter, according to Musk.

Above: “Elon bucks” above a Tesla frunk (Image: Casey Murphy / EVANNEX).

Musk said that Twitter has “a shot” to become cash flow-positive in Q2, as detailed in a recent report from Business Insider. The statement came at a Morgan Stanley conference, where Musk was interviewed by the consultancy’s Michael Grimes, the head of global technology investment banking.

Twitter has been facing “a massive decline in advertising” in recent months according to Musk, who cites the cyclical nature of business and “political” reasons as the reasons behind the losses. Despite these losses, Musk’s hopes to improve cash flow do show some positive undertones.

“It’s been a very difficult four months, but I’m optimistic about the future,” Musk said.

Alongside the optimism, however, Musk has been vocal about Twitter’s lack of monetization since the beginning of his saga to purchase the company for $44 billion. During the interview with Grimes, he called it “startling,” saying that Twitter earns only 5 to 6 cents per hour, despite the fact that users spend a cumulative 130 million hours on the platform every day.

Upon Musk’s initial takeover of Twitter, he made huge shifts toward cutting costs, including things such as mass layoffs, cutting free lunches and other employee benefits, and more. Musk also said in November 2022 that Twitter was losing $4 million per day.

Musk also pointed out in the interview that Twitter was looking to monetize the company, including the Blue subscription launched in November, which lets users pay $8 per month to gain extra security verification and other benefits.

The monetization measures also include a cut of non-debt expenditures to $1.5 billion from its original projection of $4.5 billion for this year. This resulted in decreasing cloud services, which cut down on the bill by as much as 40 percent. Twitter is also up against around $1.5 billion in annual interest payments following its $13 billion debt incurred during the acquisition, says Musk.

By the end of the year, Musk is expected to step down as CEO at Twitter, and he has already said he’s looking for someone to replace him. In any case, Musk’s bid to make Twitter profitable will be a challenge, though his track record with financially-sound companies could influence the outcome.

===

Source: Business Insider

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Posted on
March 21, 2023
by
Matt Pressman

I decided to move to South Florida from the Big Apple. It was 2011, and I just got married. I was also (soon after) blessed with a beautiful baby girl. My life was changing, fast. One day, at my parents house, my father called me into his office. He was amped. He pointed, enthusiastically, at the computer screen and said, “Check out this new car! I’m going to get one. It’s called a Tesla.”

Above: Mike, Roger, and Matt Pressman grew the family business, EVANNEX, as one of the first companies in the Tesla ecosystem (Image: EVANNEX)

A what? I said, “Isn’t that the new Maserati?” He shook his head, “No, it’s a Tesla Model S. And it’s electric.” Whoa. The sedan was certainly stunning. But an electric car? I wasn’t surprised. My father was always into new tech before others. When I was a kid, he bought an Apple Macintosh (serial number 000787) back in 1984. Fast forward: it was time for him to get his hands on another revolutionary piece of tech — a Tesla Model S (VIN number 000184) in 2012.

My Dad had been participating in the Tesla forums and started a popular thread about designing the first-ever accessory, a DIY project mind you, for the Model S. It was a center console insert that he was building in his garage. Forum regulars pressed him to make one, commercially available, for their Tesla. My father asked me to put together a splash page on the web for those interested, a wait list of sorts. It grew, quickly, to a few hundred names.

“Well, I guess I can’t just build only one in my garage… it looks like we’ll have to start a business here,” he told me. And so, in March of 2013, EVANNEX was born.

Wait, a father-son business? Could something like this work? Could Tesla grow into anything beyond a niche automaker? I didn’t blink an eye — I took the plunge. My father rarely gets anything wrong. Rumor has it, according to my Grandmother, he got one wrong on his entire SAT test. Later, he got a PHD in mechanical engineering — graduating (ahem) summa cum laude.

Above: A look at some of those in the Tesla community who have embraced EVANNEX from its humble beginnings (Source: EVANNEX)

So, sure enough, my Dad was right. Tesla took off. A few years later, we recruited my brother Mike. He moved his whole family from Los Angeles and also took the plunge. Let’s do it, we thought, a business built around the mission of Tesla. Risky? Sure. But, Tesla was gaining traction. And we, as a family, were in this together.

Looking back, it’s been a wild ride. We’ve been featured on PBS, CNET, and Fox Business News. And now, we all drive a Tesla! But our site is expanding (rapidly) to offer a wide variety of non-Tesla EV parts and accessories from other automakers too.

We think it’s wonderful to work hard and build, brick-by-brick, a family business. In addition, it’s pretty cool to be involved in a much larger Tesla family that’s growing, every day, all over the world.

Our family has grown too. In 2021, we were acquired by Enthusiast Auto Holdings EAH) and joined the ranks of some amazing companies in the automotive aftermarket space including ECS Tuning, Z1 Motorsports, Pelican Parts, Rennline, Texas Speed, and Turner Motor Sport.

Above: EVANNEX has been able to massively scale since its acquisition by Enthusiast Auto Holdings (Source: Enthusiast Auto Holdings)

The incredible team at EAH has helped us grow from about 150 parts to a catalog of nearly 1,000 parts! And although we still have a substantial presence in Florida, we’ve also got an amazing (and growing) support structure in Ohio as well. 

As Tesla and the electric vehicle movement grows, we can’t wait to see what the next decade has in store for EVANNEX!

Posted in

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