Welcome to Electrified, it's your host, Dylan Loomis. Quick shout out to Minuus patron, Eileen F. Thank you for choosing to support the channel. As the lovely Alexandra has said, Tesla is recruiting heavily in legal and government affairs. She said she checks on this regularly and now this is at least 2x the previous listings. The reason this is of significance, if you were to go through Tesla's 10k, their annual reports and look through the legal proceedings, there are always lawsuits going on in the background that aren't always being reported on by the mainstream media.
Of course, we hear about the big and catchy ones, but just for one example, we have right here from their most recent 10k last year, they're looking into Tesla's waste segregation practices. And it's pretty simple, as Tesla continues to grow and has more customers where things could go wrong and as they develop autonomy, as they disrupt more industries and make more enemies, hire more employees, you get the picture, things will always come up. Tesla will be better able to defend itself now and for whatever is coming down the pike. And maybe also go on the offensive a bit more, remember Elon talking about hiring some street fighters so that could be the situation when warranted.
Responding to Thailand's Prime Minister talking about their shared vision of a cleaner future, Elon said it was an honor to meet, Thailand has a very exciting future. Heinrich Zayn put together a video on Tesla's semi and the latest developments, I want to share a few key takeaways. What we're looking at here is a sample of the long range version of the Tesla semi. The long range version is a three pack 900 kilowatt configuration and the standard range is a two pack 600 kilowatt configuration. The ones with the black fairings, I've never actually seen them on the highway and I believe they use these to test out inverters, possibly new self-driving software, bus bars. I don't actually see these ever out on the highway.
Here we go, we get three long range Tesla semis and then the short range Tesla semi and you can clearly see the difference in length and the size of the fairing. Two shifts, probably two to three vehicles Tesla semi is running the same route day after day, six days a week, one day off and the point is they want to stay ahead of the Tesla semi's and in mileage and in order to uncover any issues before Pepsi does. When we're talking about Tesla there's two distinct divisions. There's a Tesla production that uses Tesla semi's to deliver battery packs and drive units from Gig and Nevada to Fremont and that is separate from Tesla engineering which has the task of putting those mini miles on these Tesla semis as they can.
Just a quick note on the possible upcoming Model 3 plaid or performance, there is a lot of speculation right now. People are throwing around an 800 horsepower Model 3 performance. Where's this coming from? Well there's some speculation out there that this new variant could have 275 tires on the rear axle which would be broader than those on the previous Model 3 performance variant. The thought goes if they put wider tires on this vehicle it's because it needs to handle more power. With the horsepower I could be missing something but it looks like this source is just assuming that 800 horsepower could be the number given that the plaid is right around 1000 horsepower on the S. I also saw some folks talking about how this T for the European Model 3 plus certification could be in tri motor but I really don't think that's the case because right next to it it actually says dual motor. All of that to say a performance variant could absolutely be coming at some point I would almost go as far as saying it's likely but in terms of specs and horsepower and all of that it just seems far too early to tell.
So yes I want us to keep our expectations in check but if I'm being honest low key I'm really hoping that Tesla does go through with something like this even if it slows down the manufacturing process a little bit. I wanted to just get the Tesla truck just cause I don't know why.
Oh it looks amazing. Yeah I think more so for the look. Oh it looks amazing. I saw one in real life and I was blown away because the pictures are good but when you're there in real life it's big. Oh it is. It's big and it's stamped steel. Like that's not like a regular door that's a door that can stop a 45 round. Yeah the whole thing is stamped steel and it raises and lowers so it hits a button. It gets up like I think it raises like 16 inches or something crazy like that. I might be wrong but it has insane horsepower. It goes zero to 16 like three and a half seconds. It's a giant thing and a stamped steel. It's a car of the future. When you see it in real life man it's sick. It really does look like something from the future. I mean that looks like a future car. Look at that thing. Like if you were like looking at a movie from 2023 in like 1984 you would think this. Yeah they're gonna have like future looking spacecraft trucks. It's one of the dust. When you see it in real life it's undeniable. You see it in real life like I thought it was cool looking in pictures but you see it in real life like this is one of the coolest things I've ever seen. It's amazing.
Tesla Chan shared some images of the Model 3 Plus in ultra red. This was the first time I had seen this color on the new Model 3. And then just a quick side to side comparison. This car can't come to North America soon enough in whatever colors they choose to give us over here. We also got some pictures of the actual OEM power trunk install from Tesla. This was what we saw in their marketing materials and this is how it actually looks. So yeah definitely a slight bit of a difference.
For those in cold weather climates just something to keep in mind Troy tests like shared some data from the EPA that showed us the 2170 cells with the NCA chemistry lose about 12.9% of their energy in cold weather climates. Compare that to a pack using LFP lithium iron phosphate that only loses about 4.5%. To be clear these numbers do not factor in things like heating the cabin. It's just how much energy you can actually pull from the battery in those colder climates.
We've known that giga Austin was set to expand pretty significantly with Cybertruck production but we actually get a lot more color from this article. Right now Tesla employs more than around 20,000 people at Gigataxis making it the second largest private employer in the region. However once they rent production of the Cybertruck that number is expected to triple to around 60,000 employees. This according to Jason Shahan Tesla director of manufacturing at Gigataxis. Jason just gave a fairly rare keynote address in Austin. Shahan took on his role at Gigataxis after previously working at Ford. He said so far the biggest struggle has been the company's mass hiring. With 20,000 employees on site daily with workers coming from far reaches of the metro area. We essentially brought in a ton and a ton of people the company didn't have enough parking for workers to fix the issue the company is now building a parking garage near the factory. As Joe Tett Meyer said if you're wondering where the new multi-level garage will be he shared this image so here's the factory here's some employee parking and the garage is set to go right here. The sheer magnitude of Tesla's employee base also means the company needs to be mindful of company culture and safety. With this expansion Tesla is set to become one of the largest employers in central Texas. Right now they rank behind only grocery chain H.E.B. Tesla is installing a melt center so it can reuse casting scraps and it plans to do the same with old wheels that can become the front underbody of the car. They're also looking into how to reuse minerals from battery packs which could be a market for the EV space eventually.
As we've mentioned Tesla is doing line upgrades to increase the output of model wise. The article also shared this memo that Elon had sent to his employees focusing on progress, precision and profit. So if you'd like to read it you can go ahead and pause the screen here or take a screenshot. But on X I did provide some quick bullet points get rid of large and excessive meetings, leave meetings if you're not adding value, don't use acronyms and jargon, direct communication across departments, get rid of the chain of command and pick common sense as your guide. And as Elon says if following a company rule is obviously ridiculous in a particular situation such that it would make for a great Dilbert cartoon then the rule should change.
But here's a story that Jason shared that really encapsulates the essence of Tesla. He said most people would start building a building, then install the robots and then have the cars designed and start building. But with Tesla we were doing everything at once. He actually launched the new gigacasting for the front structure and so we were putting the body robot lines in without the roof on the building. Two June's ago it was the wettest June in Austin. Every night we were out there with squeegees trying to get the water away from the robots.
Tesla doing incredible things for employment, for the economy and the supply chain and yet still minimal acknowledgement from the government. I thought Tesla's new help me choose page on their website was pretty ironic. It's essentially a quiz that helps you figure out what Tesla might be best suited for your needs when they only have four options to select from in the first place. So real quick I'll just click through this so you can see what it's all about. You can choose SUV, we'll go next, how far do you drive each day, how will you use your new vehicle, select all that apply. That sounds good. What do you want most from your next vehicle and they recommend me a Model X all wheel drive. I'll click over, it also mentions the plaid and one more time it has a little bit on why go electric. So for us it might seem a little silly but for the general public who really is starting from the ground level, hopefully it's a little helpful.
Tesla released a new video sharing some engineering insights into their sound system that a lot of people do rave about. Most of the complaints that I've seen are about the sound in the back seat but it sounds like people just being a little nitpicky. It'll be below if you want to check out the full thing but there is one clip I wanted to play. This is Tessie, our head and torso simulator. It's used to tune telephony. It has a speaker in the mouth and microphones in the ears so it can acoustically do everything a human could do. The measurements are done first and then in the second level we really listen to it and do fine adjustments. So most people spend time in their cars listening to music but Tesla is special because they also have video and gaming capabilities. Very few cars currently let you do that. With the subwoofer and the woofer in the car, the effects of watching the movie it sounds much bigger than the screen or the car so people definitely enjoy it. I think the really unique thing is the amount of design and development that we do in house. When I first started driving and was growing up it was literally all about the sound system and the interior ambiance for me. So to see Tesla doing so much in-house engineering work on the sound system, I love to see it.
We have Esther reporting the first V4 Supercharger has opened in Italy located southeast of Rome, southeast of Italy but this station does appear to have some V4 and some V3. So perhaps one of the first blended supercharger stations that we've seen.
Tesla's virtual power plant is now expanding to also include San Diego gas and electric utility customers. So now Tesla Powerwall owners in San Diego can join this VPP right through the mobile app. So right now Tesla is working on rolling out its virtual power plant program in Texas, South Australia, San Diego, Puerto Rico, and California. And quickly checking in on the VPP in California you can see as of the end of July of this year the number of homes in this program has crossed 7,700. In 2022 alone in California this VPP contributed 577 megawatt hours during grid events providing around 116 megawatt hours of potential backup energy per event.
A new article from RBB24 says Brandenburg has the strongest economic growth in the country and we know whose factory is in Brandenburg. They start off by saying the German economy is weakening but in Brandenburg the situation is completely different.
This growth in Brandenburg was primarily driven by the automotive industry. And York Steinbach has said he sees Tesla as a driving force behind this growth. In recent years this area has developed into the industry with the highest sales and employment in the state of Brandenburg which is largely due to the ramp up of production at Tesla.
But it's not just the company but also the grown supply industry and the battery materials industry aka the supply chain that follows Tesla wherever it goes. He continued many suppliers have settled in Brandenburg and formed a value chain around this new industry. A growth core is being created here that will bring a boost and new prosperity to the entire region. This right here is exactly why people around the world are clamoring to have Elon and Tesla setup shop in their home markets.
Keep in mind these numbers could be even better if we didn't have the inflation reduction act taking some of the 4680 focus from Berlin away from that location that has since been moved to Austin. It's also been reported that Gigabrelin has been hampered by some labor shortages so it's not like Gigabrelin is firing on all cylinders. It's still ramping but it could be even better and eventually it will be.
This video was shared on X of the Uber and Lyft pickup area at the airport as you can see super long lines. The last time I traveled I rented a Tesla from Hertz in Orlando. If I'm being honest the experience was subpar at best. At first they said they didn't even have the Tesla that I rented. They were going to give me an entirely different car. That story aside the reason I'm sharing this is because my mind immediately goes to thinking about bots with little next-gen robotaxies just sitting there waiting for these people to go right in, plug in their destination and be off. So the fact that most likely most of these people standing in these lines have no idea about FSD or that Tesla is trying to solve the problem is why we need to keep telling people about what's going on and what's coming.
Tesla's environmental impact permits have been approved by the government in Mexico. So now Tesla is going to have to comply with some regulations that are set forth by these agencies. Level number one Tesla will not be allowed to clear the entire site at once and will only be allowed to clear the property in stages. Tesla can only clear land that is required for the current construction. Then Tesla can clear subsequent areas as the construction continues to expand. To clear and level certain parts of the land they said Tesla has to use a high powered explosive which hopefully a drone operator captures on video.
Tesla will also have to ensure that native trees located in areas where construction don't take place be protected and not removed. Tesla must ensure that at least 500 native trees will be preserved or replanted in the area. Tesla must also create a dust control plan to minimize the impact construction we'll have on air quality in the region. Now Tesla has 26 months to begin construction but there are still some other permits Tesla has to have in hand before they can actually begin construction. One of which is the land use permit which is still awaiting approval.
If you're wondering this is the actual source where all of that information just came from. Unfortunately the video is in Spanish and the English translation is questionable at best. And we'll call this two years. Personally I took that part to mean that Tesla would not be able to begin construction for another two years and two months. Not that any time in the next two years Tesla is able to begin construction. So it's possible we don't see construction of Giga Mexico the factory itself begin until toward the end of 2025. Meaning production maybe not until the end of 2026. But again that could work out really well. Hopefully we see some early next gen production at Giga Austin well before that.
From drive Tesla Canada they pointed out that a Tesla magic dock station has been installed in Alaska. It's on all eight of the V3 supercharger stalls at this location. Today we've seen magic dock locations in New York, Canada, Texas, California and now Alaska.
Not a Tesla app is reporting that with software dot 32 dot four Tesla is bringing some of the FSD visualizations to the regular autopilot. They said the vehicle will now determine the width height and length of each vehicle in the surroundings and the size of the 3D model appropriately in the visualization where before they use static 3D models.
One example of the visualization coming to autopilot the open door visualization. The door will be displayed in the vehicle's standard gray color unless autopilot determines the door is in the vehicle's course which it will then highlight in orange.
From benchmark they're saying lithium battery capacity is set to grow fourfold by the end of the decade but the industry has to overcome cost and quality issues as it expands outside of Asia. And they said more than a third of this production set to come online is tied to or coming from producers that are untested or unqualified. So something to keep in mind but they did say that North America's percentage of this battery supply capacity is set to increase to 14.7% by the end of the decade from 6% last year and that China is on track to maintain its dominance as the world's top sell producer with 68% share in 2030.
Rivian just opened a new retail store in Brooklyn and they said think playground not showroom. You're welcome to jump in and on our vehicles at this showroom you can also purchase some of their adventure gear. So if you're in the area you can schedule a demo drive and they have experienced specialists on hand to answer everybody's questions.
We get a pretty big update for the UAW strikes. They will expand their strikes against GM and Stellantis but they said they have made real progress in talks with Ford.
The UAW will begin strikes against 38 parts distribution centers across the United States at GM and Stellantis at noon today. The additional facilities will add about 5600 workers to the 12700 already on strike.
Sean Fane said that by targeting distribution centers this turns the strike into a nationwide event. He said the way to fix the frustrating customer experience is for the companies to end price gouging. We will be everywhere from California to Massachusetts from Oregon to Florida. Stellantis and GM in particular are going to need some serious pushing.
Sean Fane表示,通过将目标指向分销中心,这将使罢工成为全国性事件。他表示,解决令人沮丧的顾客体验的方法是让企业停止价格不正当竞争。我们将会遍布从加利福尼亚到马萨诸塞,从俄勒冈到佛罗里达的地方。Stellantis和GM尤其需要进行严厉压力。
They have more work to do at Ford but we do want to recognize that Ford is showing their serious about reaching a deal. Stellantis has said it wants to be able to consolidate and close some of its parts distribution centers. Fane said Ford had improved its contract offer including boosting profit sharing and agreeing to let workers strike over plant closures but said the union still has serious issues with Ford. Ford also agreed to convert temporary employees with at least 90 days employment to full time upon ratification of a deal. Ford said it is continuing to negotiate adding that we have more work ahead of us before we can reach an agreement.
I like how Dan Ives put it he said this strike is going to get a lot nastier. The current deal is a torpedo to the business models of the Detroit 3. To take a deal just to avoid a strike and to get it done is great for the next 24 hours but a nightmare for the next 30 years.
S&P has said the strikes were highly likely to last several weeks potentially cutting third quarter US GDP by 0.4% and causing upheaval across the global automotive supply chains.
The companies have been around 19 to 20% in their offer it's not enough it's not going to get where we need to be and you know when we get to that point you know we'll make that decision but ultimately it's the members decision they're going to make that decision no matter what we bring to the membership this is their contract they're going to have the final say.
We came out and said where where's the need to be figures Sean I didn't hear that I'm sorry. Where's the need to be figure meaning are you still at 40 or when you say they need to get where we need to be. They're going to depend on a lot of things it's going to depend on cost of living it's going to depend on retirement security it's going to depend on several issues and right now we are nowhere on several of those issues with the company so all those things play into the final decision so.
Are the negotiations contentious or is there a friendly dialogue? I mean I wouldn't call it friendly I mean we have we have an objective we have a membership to represent we're going to represent their interest and you know we're going to do whatever we have to do to get it.
How far do you think the gap is between GM and Scalantis right now? It's pretty big. Most of our members can't even afford to buy what we make and so this is about way to 6% pay increases in the last four years inflation went up almost 20 we're going backwards.
You may have also seen part of the UAW strategy aims to damage the company's reputation and to keep them wounded for months. The union's goal is to extract gains from automakers by pitting them against one another instead of using the pattern bargaining approach of past negotiations. This strategy has added to the concerns among the companies that the union has not been bargaining in good faith according to two sources with knowledge of the matter.
Apparently these comments were posted in a group chat on X by the UAW communications director and Stalantis has called this incredibly disturbing. The UAW director then said they were private messages you shouldn't have and Sean Fane said a shame on the corporations for putting that stuff out there. Ford's communications chief said it's disappointing to say the least given what is at stake for our employees, the companies and this region. GM striking a bit different of a tone saying it's now clear that the UAW leadership has always intended to cause months long disruption regardless of the harm it causes to members and their communities. The leaked info calls into question who's actually in charge of UAW strategy and shows a callous disregard for the seriousness of what is at stake. And Stalantis said these reported comments made by the UAW communications director are incredibly disturbing and strongly indicate the UAW's approach to these talks is not in the best interest of the workforce. In one of those private messages a UAW representative said they can basically price in an all out strike but if we can keep them wounded for months they don't know what to do. Again we're breaking pattern and they're bargaining against each other for the first time in 70 years. So yep things are certainly heating up.
Toyota plans to triple electric vehicle production in 2025 from its 2024 plan. The automaker has notified major part suppliers of its plans to boost production of Toyota and Lexus brand EVs to 600,000 units in 2025. The target for 2024 is 190,000 while Toyota sold 24,000 EVs last year. The EV target for this year is 150,000. But for 2025 their new EV targets still only make up 5 to 6% of all of the vehicles they're set to produce. Toyota is rolling out a new EV Hilux model in Thailand and electric SUVs in China in the US next year. In the US batteries for the EVs will be primarily produced at a dedicated plant scheduled to start operation in 2025. They're also looking to get batteries from CATL, BYD and LG. Toyota plans to introduce a next generation EV platform starting with Lexus models in 2026 using gigacasting equipment. Toyota hopes to sell 3.5 million EVs in 2030 of which 1.7 million will be on this new platform. But their overall strategy remains to value all power sources. And yes you better believe this has been added to the prediction tracker.
BYD is continuing its aggressive push into global markets. They just launched the dolphin into Mexico. BYD is now in Japan, South America, Australia, India and some others and it's the top selling EV maker in Thailand, Brazil, Colombia and Israel. As Cindy Monroe likes to say, the Chinese are still coming. Hope you guys have a safe and wonderful weekend. Please take a second to like the video if you did. You can find me on X, linked below and a huge thank you to all of my Patreon supporters.