69 – Dissonance in Your Product Line

We cover the big updates since the first Model 3 deliveries. Starting with the official accessories on the Tesla shop. We also cover Ultra White seats sightings, new details about the Aero wheels, battery capacity and the decision to move to long range naming, permanent magnet motor switchover. We also explain more about the Keycard and Tesla Phone Key feature. And we end with the new interior camera and Autopilot HW 2.5.

63 – SN1 on Friday

We unpack Elon’s recent tweets about Model 3 progress. The news that the Model 3 has passed all regulatory requirements, the first car is scheduled to be produced later this week, and the delivery event is happening Friday July 28th at Tesla Fremont. We try to make sense of it all, how the ramp compares to the S and X and what is still to come. 

59 – < 100 Configurations

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.

58 – Short Video Clips

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.

57 – The Boring Company

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. 

55 – Q1 2017

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. 

53 – Apple Car

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.

51 – Mobileye + Intel

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.