Tesla

After a report from Reuters said Tesla’s $25,000 Model 2 project got the ax, Elon Musk quickly scheduled a Tesla Robotaxi launch on August 8th. Other than the curiously selected date, this is a reminder that Elon’s made a lot of unfulfilled statements about robotaxis over the years (and “full self-driving,” and autonomy generally).

While it was working on its first factory in China, the company successfully lobbied to create a regulatory credit system in the country that was very similar to the one that helped it survive in California during its early years.

According to this Financial Times report, AI and robotics providers have some lofty expectations regarding how popular their technology will be in manufacturing environments.

In an internal memo, the Tesla CEO announced that its controversial driver assist system FSD would come pre-installed on all new vehicles, and that every customer taking delivery of a new Tesla would get a demonstration of its capabilities.

Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren (D) would like the Securities and Exchange Commission to investigate Tesla over the lack of independence of its board of directors from Elon Musk, according to the Wall Street Journal. Tesla’s board, which includes Musk’s brother and a number of the billionaire’s friends, poses a potential conflict of interest, that could harm shareholders, Warren alleges. The SEC, which has investigated Tesla more times than I can remember, declined to comment on its response to Warren.

The terms of the settlement are confidential, reports CNBC. Owen Diaz had previously told the court that supervisors failed to intervene when his coworkers used “daily racist epithets” against him and other Black employees at the Fremont, California plant where he worked.

The Gigafactory — which produces around 850 Teslas each day — lost power after a nearby transmission tower was set ablaze early Tuesday. The fire did not spread to the Tesla site and workers from the energy company are currently repairing the high-voltage pylon. Police are investigating the incident as possible arson since the area has been the focus of environmental protests ever since Tesla moved in.

Ford EV owners are the first to get access, with the company opening up orders for complimentary NACS-to-CCS adapters starting today. And (as noticed by Electrek) next in line will be GM, Rivian, Polestar, and Volvo. The companies will also need to roll out software updates to allow Tesla’s chargers to automatically recognize their vehicles for billing purposes.

A judge approved the class status of a group of nearly 6,000 Black employees of Tesla who are suing the company over claims of racial bias and harassment. The employees sued the company in 2017, alleging they suffered constant, often daily racial discrimination and harassment, and that the electric car company did little to nothing to stop the behavior. Tesla is likely to appeal the ruling.

Elon Musk isn’t great with timelines so take his latest proclamations about a 2024 reveal for the second generation Roadster announced in 2017 with appropriate skepticism, especially since he already missed the 2020, 2022, and 2023 dates.

Ford CEO Jim Farley showed off the charging adapter in a post on Threads and said the company will share “more info very soon.” The CCS to NACS charging adapter is expected to start shipping to Ford EV owners free of charge this spring.

Tesla reportedly stiffed a Black-owned bakery during Black History Month, canceling an order for thousands of dollars worth of pies — after asking the owner to double the amount.

Hans von Ohain, a former Tesla employee, was killed after his Tesla Model 3 veered off a Colorado road and into a tree, where the vehicle caught fire. However, The Washington Post interviewed the surviving passenger and obtained 911 dispatch recordings, which indicate von Ohain may have had FSD enabled at the time of the crash.

This week marks the launch of Decoder’s second episode, which will explain big topics in the news with Verge reporters, experts, and other friends of the show. (The other Decoder you know and love, featuring big interviews with CEOs and others, now publishes every Monday.)

That’s the impression many employees got after the company asked managers to sort which jobs were “critical,” according to Bloomberg. Also biannual performance reviews were cancelled.

The California Civil Rights Department is investigating complaints by seven workers that SpaceX execs “discriminated against women, joked about sexual harassment and fired workers for raising concerns,” reports Bloomberg and Reuters.

Not very, according to The Wall Street Journal’s examination, published last night.