Welcome to Electrified, it's your host Dylan Loomis. First up today we have the Tesla China weekly number that came in at 13,500, comparing that to the same week in quarter two. That number was 14,800. If we go back a bit though, you'll see that week one in quarter two was much lower than usual because it was the tomb sweeping holiday in China. So the quarter over quarter comparison is going to be skewed slightly. With that in mind, so far quarter over quarter Tesla China is up 48.9%. And year over year, Tesla China is up 33%. Honestly though, even if you were to normalize week one in quarter two a bit, Tesla would still have a significant lead so far for quarter three. I have not been seeing reliable reporting for the Model 3 and why split for each week. So if any of you out there happen to see it, please let me know. Don't forget though, domestic Tesla China sales should be strong right now as they're still offering that five year, zero percent interest loan. It was going to expire at the end of July, but they recently extended it to the end of August.
You know how yesterday we pointed out the Tesla account said FSD 12 dot five can find its way out of parking lots as well as unmarked roads. Just know, this is not some new breakthrough with 12 dot five. It's still very hit or miss if it can navigate out of a parking lot. Right here, I was testing it earlier today. All it had to do was make a simple left turn the exact way we came in to get out of this parking lot. And as you're about to find out, it did not figure it out. It did decide to just stop right here. And it sat there. So I touched the accelerator and encouraged it to keep going. Then this time around, I thought there was a chance it was going to make this right turn to get out as it's just a straight shot making a right after this red car, but it decided to make a left. It got confused again here and was pretty jerky. Then at the same spot, it got stuck once again. So I tapped the accelerator and I gave it one more chance to figure it out. Maybe take this right turn after the red car, but it didn't. So I intervened. Just know that this feature is not ready for prime time. At this point, we should not expect it to be as far as we know, it's not really being trained on that data, which is why I was confused why the Tesla account would promote something like this in the first place.
In what I hope and expect will be a sign of the times the South Pasadena police fleet has become the first city in the nation to go all electric. We heard this would be coming months ago, but it's now official. They have a fleet of 20 Teslas and they said these police cars have been meticulously designed with a focus on safety, efficiency and fiscal responsibility. They said the operational cost of the EVs is projected to be at least half the per mile cost of gasoline powered vehicles. Plus a bank of 34 new EV chargers have been installed at South Pasadena City Hall.
Should we just embrace cheap EVs coming from China? No, because it's not fair competition. We're talking about a, I can't even call it industrial policy, it's really a market distortion policy driven by China. By the way, not because the Chinese Communist Party is populated by environment buffs, right? I mean, they're doing this because it is strategic, because they understand the strategic value of trying to dominate the EV market, because the EV market is where the entire automotive sector is going. I've said it on X. I'll say it again here. Can somebody explain to me why our government and legacy OEMs are pointing the finger right at China, blaming them for succeeding with EVs because they subsidize that industry well. Keep in mind, America is $35 trillion in debt, so we do our own fair share of subsidizing, it's just that we've been lagging far behind with EVs, both from a government policy perspective for the last decade and from an OEM perspective and trying to make better EVs starting 10 years ago, not just a few years ago. The government and the media love to package this up in national security concerns, but Tesla operates in China and the same argument could go vice versa.
But guess what, there was a solution to that problem and that was Tesla handling the data and keeping certain data in China. But the Chinese knew that a rising tide would lift all boats and ultimately lead to better prices and better products for its citizens. I just think more blame belongs on our own government and our legacy automakers that failed to act over a decade ago. Pointing the finger at China because they spent their money well and learned from the best in Tesla seems like a foolish decision. And look, we all know that if affordable Chinese EVs were allowed to freely come into the US market, the Detroit 3 would get obliterated. But as a fan of free markets, as long as those data concerns were handled properly, I wouldn't mind seeing American citizens with access to those vehicles. Along those lines, there was a new letter that became public today, addressing our energy secretary Jennifer Grannell. Basically, a few Republicans are questioning her about why graph fight and some other critical materials were delayed when it comes to their requirements for the IRA credits. If you don't remember those graph fight sourcing requirements to actually qualify for the tax credits were supposed to kick in in 2025, but for graph fight and a few others, it was delayed until 2027. And this letter is pushing back on that decision.
There were two new videos from the Wall Street Journal today talking about Tesla's autopilot and some of the crashes and the investigations. The new information that the journal has purported to have found was actually from a hacker that gets the Tesla inference computers from a mechanic who works on salvage Teslas. The hacker is shipped to these FSD Tesla computers after the accident, and then he basically finds the autopilot visualizations and how they recognize certain objects in the scene when autopilot is in use. Personally, I would not call this a hit piece, I think overall it was pretty fair, but it definitely had a skeptical and an anti autopilot tone. But we do have to acknowledge that autopilot has had problems recognizing stationary objects usually at night, like emergency vehicles, and I think it's worth a reminder to everyone to never get complacent. The piece pointed out the thousands of autopilot crashes that have been reported to NHTSA and some of which have been deadly, but the Wall Street Journal focused on 222. They did focus primarily though on one story where a gentleman did pass away a few years back, but that was the story where this guy was warned to keep his hands on the wheel 19 times before that crash. And listen, I do not want to sound insensitive, but it's just a fact that right now whether autopilot or FSD, the driver is still responsible.
The video talked about Tesla's camera only approached versus a more robust sensor suite using things like radar and lidar, naturally painting the ladder as a safer option. And we've already known that the DOJ is investigating Tesla for its marketing of autopilot, but part of the problem I think folks will have with this video is they did call Missy Cummings a leading expert on autonomy. On that point, we've also known that NHTSA has done investigations into autopilot for years and Tesla has been working closely with them. But at the end of the video, Missy Cummings said computer vision is a deeply flawed technology, and she thinks having the car do most of the driving and requiring you to pay attention, aka A-DAS features, she does not think that technology is going to be in the car's long term. Now if she means because Tesla is going to solve FSD and eventually move to unsupervised, then I would agree. But I'm pretty sure that's not what she meant. Just a fun fact, if you did not know the Tesla FSD computers are under the glove box. Just some more important context, if you're new to this whole story, Missy Cummings was appointed into her role at NHTSA by the Biden administration. She was very adversarial toward Elon and Tesla on X, but then she actually ended up deleting her account. More than that though, we learned that she had some conflicts of interest. She was on the board of directors at Viennier, which is a company that focuses on LIDAR, from which she was making a decent salary. And because of that, and a petition that went around that many have assigned, she was ultimately ordered to recuse herself from any matters relating to Tesla.
Gene Munster said this was impressive reporting by the Wall Street Journal, but in my opinion it was really just providing more granular detail for storylines that we've already known about. Gene still thinks eventually Tesla will add more sensors, whether it's radar or LIDAR, but finally he said this is a bad look for Tesla and will stoke the debate related to the feasibility of autonomy. But I don't think that's totally fair taking Tesla's autopilot technology, which maybe does have some shortcomings they're still figuring out, and then extrapolating that to, well, I guess FSD is probably never going to work. While what he really said is true, this will stoke that debate, what you would like to see an analyst do is choose a side and then provide their rationale. He did say eventually he believes the FSD code will replace autopilot, and that's one thing I wish Elon and the team would give us a bit more clarity on. Just as a reminder, NHTSA does still have open probes into Tesla for vehicles using autopilot after reports of 20 crashes after Tesla's autopilot recall, and one of the original NHTSA investigations into autopilot dating back to 2021 identified at least 13 Tesla crashes involving at least one death, and many more involving serious injuries which totaled 54. But that many of these were driven by driver misuse of the system playing an apparent role. As we've been saying for years, these systems are not yet perfect, unfortunately bad and tragic things are going to happen, but the long term vision should save many, many more lives. Another way of saying it, the trolley dilemma. My main reason for sharing all of that though was just a reminder to please make sure that you and your family stay as safe as possible out there as we transition toward autonomy.
Supervising FSD? Yes, even version 12.5.1 requires mental acuity and staying sharp. You can't get lazy or tired out there as seen by this clip from my drive this morning. FSD was speeding up to make a right turn and apparently did not see the car that was flying around the corner. And what better way to stay sharp than having some AG1, the sponsor of this video. From this recent study, the most common nutrient deficiencies are vitamin A, vitamin B's, zinc, vitamin E, and the list goes on. And what do you know, in AG1, the percent of daily value you get for vitamin A is 62%, B6 is 176%, zinc is 136%, and vitamin E is 553%. Vitamin D is another common deficiency and if you use my link below or the QR code on the screen, you can get a one-year supply of vitamin D3K2 for free. I put a few drops in each time I have AG1, which is usually midday. And hear me out, I'm not trying to say AG1 is a health panacea, but I do prefer my energy levels in how I feel when I'm getting all of the nutrients I need as compared to when I'm not. And I'm going to need a few more months to get to where I want to be physically, but I am making progress with my gut specialist after the parasite destroyed my biome. My goal is 200 pounds at 10% body fat at 511. Right now, I weigh 194 in my body fats around 15%. But if you want to try AG1 to see if it gives you more energy, among other things, like it did for 97% of participants in a recent study, it's drinkag1.com slash electrified for the D3K2 and 5 travel packs for free. Enjoy.
This report was highlighting the Chinese takeover of the Thailand auto market, which for decades has been dominated by the Japanese. In 2022, those Japanese auto brands accounted for 86% of new car sales in the Thai market. That figure was down to 75% last year. That's thanks to BYD, Great Wall and SAIC, making their entries into the market. And 6 Chinese EV companies are already selling cars in Thailand, and 3 more entrants are coming this year. That's a good segue for this. We now have DTC reporting that BYD is preparing to enter the Canadian EV market. Public documents filed with Ottawa show lobbyists acting on behalf of BYD to advise on matters related to the expected market entry of BYD into Canada for the sale of passenger EVs, and the establishment of a new business and the application of tariffs on EVs. A source said BYD has recently met with Canadian dealers about establishing local dealerships. And we know BYD has already established a presence in Mexico selling some vehicles there and it's also planning a factory in central Mexico. The next two years are going to be incredibly interesting for the automotive industry worldwide, but definitely in North America.
Alexandra gave us an update that Amy's lawyers for Elon's 2018 comp plan as she's fighting for Tesla investors may be heard on Friday. If you need one line to summarize these documents and the arguments they're making, the ratification vote was fully informed. Indeed, it's likely among the most informed votes in Delaware corporate history. Elon liked it as he replied with two fire emojis. You may have seen there was a Tesla recall of 1.85 million cars in the US due to risk of a software failure to detect an unlatched hood. But last month Tesla began rolling out an OTA update to fix the issue. The updated software detects an open hood and alerts drivers. Tesla said it has three reports of the issue in the US but no reports of crashes or injuries. Sadly that petition to change the wording of a Tesla recall when it's a software update has not done anything so far.
Alexandra 给我们更新了消息,Amy 为了 Tesla 投资者正在针对 Elon's 2018 补偿计划进行法律斗争,她的律师们可能会在周五发言。如果你需要用一句话来总结这些文件及其论点,那就是,批准投票是完全知情的。事实上,这可能是特拉华公司历史上最知情的投票之一。Elon 喜欢这点,还回复了两个火焰表情符号。
你可能已经看到,美国召回了 185 万辆 Tesla 汽车,原因是软件故障可能无法检测到未锁紧的引擎盖。但是上个月 Tesla 开始发布 OTA 更新来修复这个问题。更新后的软件可以检测到打开的引擎盖并提醒司机。Tesla 表示在美国有三起相关问题报告,但没有发生任何碰撞或受伤的报告。遗憾的是,要求在特斯拉召回涉及软件更新时改变措辞的请愿,目前尚未有任何进展。
Notebook check was reporting that Samsung has been shipping its solid state battery to some EV makers and they've been testing the cells for about six months. But given the price of these cells in the pack, it's only going into super premium EVs to begin with but they're touting 600 miles on a charge. These oxide solid state batteries apparently have an energy density of 500Wh per kilogram and both Toyota and Samsung have vowed to begin mass solid state battery production in 2027. Toyota said they would use these solid state batteries in a Lexus brand EV first. Samsung also said these new battery packs can be charged in nine minutes but was that 0-100 or 10-80? I was able to find a separate article talking about the same story saying the ultra-fast charging from 8-80% in 9 minutes. And they're touting over a 20-year long life of the battery and 20% lighter sell to pack platform. I still don't think we see a real solid state battery in a production vehicle until closer to the end of the decade but it's certainly going to be worth monitoring any progress.
VW has been working on a next-gen platform for its EVs, what they call the SSP, Scalable Systems Platform. It was supposed to hit the roads this year but thanks to more software delays from the carry-out division, the software division of VW, it's been pushed back past 2026. Because of that, they're saying Audi is now looking to a Chinese provider for a new EV platform. They're also saying next-gen models of EVs like the Golf and the ID4 are looking at a 2029 release at the earliest.
This image was shared of the Tesla Diner out in Hollywood and the second movie screen has finally gone up, at least the framing for it. And the exterior of the building is starting to look a lot more finished. Some of you will be very happy about this, Galley wrote a long heartfelt post to Elon basically asking him to chill out the political rhetoric.
One line, there's no doubt material damage has been done to the Tesla brand every time I step into my car it used to be about fun, positivity, and sustainability. Now at least in every major US city, my car has become a political statement that is divisive. Elon did reply to Galley saying, I hear you.
I know that my opinion on this may not be popular but personally I would like to see Elon use his platform to push back things that I believe need pushed back or called out. And even if I disagreed with what Elon was saying and fighting for, I still think he should have the ability to say it.
Because here's the unfortunate truth. Even if Elon were to silence himself and stop posting about politics or anything else that's controversial, the mainstream media still has a strong dislike for Elon they have for a long time and that's not going away.
And I fully agree that in the short term, Tesla's sales will likely be lower than they otherwise could be. However, if they keep making the best products and if they actually solve autonomy in the end in the long run, it really won't matter that much. Personally, I do think there are things that are more important than Tesla. I'm not saying I agree with everything Elon says or does.
We are a few months out from an election so we can just hope that by 2025, all of this political rhetoric does calm down. You know, I'm reminded of a seat in the princess bride. Great movie. Great. Where he confronts the person who killed his father. He says, the man off of me money, off of me power. I don't care. See, you just don't care. You want to share what you have to say. I'll say what I want to say and if if the consequence of that is losing money, so be it.
It looks like Lucid has a release candidate ready for their upcoming SUV, the Gravity that they're dubbing the best SUV in the world and it is supposed to go on sale later this year. And you can't see too much, but here's a quick shot of the back of the vehicle. I do think there's some distortion in this lens, but from this angle, it kind of looks like a minivan.
Tesla scopes said the largest and most inclusive rollout of FSD 12.5.1 is now going out to additional AI for vehicles. Rivian's second generation R1s and R1t are now going to be delivered without a physical key fob. Replying to Gail Alfar talking about 12.5.1, Elon said the car drove me around Austin to random GPS pin drops, no interventions. I had some interventions on 12.5.1 this morning. I'll hope to share some of those videos tomorrow.
Tesla stock closed the day at $222.62 down 4.08% while the NASDAQ was down 1.28%. It was a normal volume day trading about 18 million shares below the average volume the past 30 days, which has been much higher than it was in prior months.
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