We discuss the recent changes in the Autopilot team at Tesla. Chris Lattner, formerly of Apple, who was VP of Autopilot Software at Tesla has left and Andrej Karpathy of OpenAI has joined as Director of AI and Autopilot Vision reporting to Elon Musk. We unpack what Chris accomplished, what Andrej’s past experience tells us about the types of projects he will work on & more.
We unpack the recent Tesla shareholder meeting where Elon gave an update on Tesla, what’s coming next, and answered a bunch of questions.
We also recently caught 2 Model 3’s on video exiting Tesla HQ in Palo Alto: https://youtu.be/e-yL6B1iucE
We were fortunate to be invited to the recent Tesla VIP event. We share what we can due to the NDA. We got to experience the Model 3 up close and we recount what stood out to us. Plus we caught footage of Model 3’s testing on the Tesla test track.
We discuss the latest specs Tesla has released about the Model 3, their strategy to push sales of Model S and try to correct confusion in the market about Model 3 being better than Model S. We also discuss what the limited set of configs for Model 3 at launch means. We reveal some new tips we have about the Model 3 HVAC system and Tesla’s work on a HUD.
Tesla has started collecting short video clips to help improve their self-driving software through crowdsourced learning from their fleet. They are using the clips to improve lane detection, sign recognition, traffic light locations and more. Plus the implications for these clips on training their neural nets, HD maps, and redundancy for sensing.
Elon is boring. We discuss one of Elon’s latest ventures – The Boring Company. We cover a brief history of tunnels, how Tunnel Boring Machines work, and some of the major tunneling projects in the US and Europe in recent decades. We unpack what The Boring Company is trying to do and what we know about the feasibility of their vision.
We test drove a Volt. We discuss our recent Tesla Factory tour, as much as we are allowed, the brief silver Model 3 sighting we had outside the factory, and our impressions of the Volt, focusing on the UI and human machine interface choices.
We unpack Tesla’s record Q1 2017 results. We discuss the latest updates on the Model 3 development, the production lines for Model 3, news about the service and Supercharger expansions, new information about Model Y’s new platform and automation, upcoming Gigafactories, Tesla Semi, China, Solar Roof and more.
We discuss Tesla’s recent market cap passing Ford and GM to become the most valuable U.S. automaker. We discuss the basis for valuations, what influences valuations, and the different scenarios that lead to Tesla being valued more than GM and Ford today. And how Tesla could be worth Elon's supposed $1 Trillion valuation.
Apple was recently approved to test autonomous vehicles on the streets of California by the DMV. The long rumored Apple car project has been picking up in the recent months. We discuss the puzzle of what Apple could be working on and how they could bring a car or transportation service to market, and the difference in strategy compared to Tesla.
Caleb saw a Model 3 release candidate in person near Tesla HQ, and managed to take 25 photos of it up close. We discuss the sighting and impressions. And we also discuss the market the Model 3 is going to be competing in, the compact luxury sedan market against the BMW 3 series, the Audi A4, the Mercedes C-class and many others.
Our spy shots: http://theteslashow.com/model-3-spy-shots/
Intel is buying Mobileye for $15 billion. Mobileye was a key supplier for Tesla’s Autopilot before Tesla moved to the new HW2 suite and Tesla Vision for software. We discuss the history of Mobileye, how they work with major automakers for ADAS, and their intentions to move into full self-driving functionality. We also unpack why Intel wanted Mobileye and how it will help bring the technology to market sooner.
We unpack Elon’s recent tweetstorm focused on the Model 3 and the first video of a release candidate version of the Model 3. We are joined by a special guest Trev Page who runs Model 3 Owners Club. We cover what it means for Tesla to change tact and start with RWD only vehicles, the bigger goals of a smooth production ramp, and we discuss how the HUD is out and how it is a good sign Tesla has learned their lesson from Model X.
In Part 2 of our battery episode we continue our discussion with Bernard Kim. We cover all sorts of topics. Why does capacity and thus range go down over time? Why can you brick a Tesla? What are the limits to the speed you can charge a battery? Does the rumbling from a Tesla cause any issue for the batteries? How can we know a battery will actually last for 10 years or more? How new developments in precise measurement instruments impacts the ability to iterate on new chemistries. As well as what is coming next in lithium ion batteries, how much innovation is chemistry limited, vs. manufacturing capability limited.
We have a special two part episode about batteries, the fundamental enabling technology for Tesla. Since it’s such a big topic area, we brought in a special guest, Bernard Kim a PhD from University of California Berkley specializing in advanced battery technology to discuss everything batteries –their history, how they work, why AA’s are different than what’s used by Tesla, what causes batteries to degrade and more.
We discuss the history of Tesla’s AC induction motor, which is the basis for the electric propulsion system in the S, X, and soon Model 3. As well as how the AC induction motor works, why it’s used in electric cars, and its inherent benefits to the vehicles and Tesla’s particular innovations on motor technology.
We unpack Tesla’s Q4 2016 results. We discuss how SolarCity is doing now it is a part of Tesla, S & X, and a deep dive into the news and predicted production ramp on Model 3. And our predictions for the yet to be unannounced features for Model 3.
We discuss Lucid Motors and their first car, the Air. Lucid has recently come out of stealth mode after nearly 10 years. We discuss their founding, their key people, their Tesla connections, their production capabilities, their luxury sedan the Air, and our thoughts on their approach and our take on the Air.
We discuss the news that Tesla will be pausing production to prepare for Model 3 production. We then discuss what we know about Model 3 – the factory ramp, the Gigafactory progress, Autonomy, the interior, and performance stats.
We discuss Tesla Energy’s newest deployment of 400 Powerpacks at Southern California Edison’s Mira Loma Substation. We unpack the sizable impact Tesla’s utility scale storage will have on the electric grid. Also, how Tesla energy benefits programs like Model 3 and future Gigafactories.