Tesla owners put on heart-shaped light show with over 200 cars

Posted on


The latest coordinated Tesla light show has taken place, this in Europe with more than 200 vehicles participating in a heart-shaped display.

Tesla owners in Salzburg, Austria, have put on a light show with over 200 cars as part of the larger Tesla Takeover event happening over the weekend. The light show took place on Friday night during the event, with the meetup set to continue through Sunday, as can be seen on the event’s website.

The event is being hosted by Tesla Owners Club Austria, though the Tesla Takeover organization itself is closely tied with several other owners clubs, including many others across Europe.

This particular light show also ends with a very special surprise that’s admittedly pretty heartwarming. You can see a few setup photos from the Tesla light show below, courtesy of the Tesla Owners Club of the Netherlands.

You can see the full light show event below on YouTube, running about five and a half minutes long.

Tesla first launched as an exclusive feature for the Model X, giving owners the ability to hold coordinated light shows with multiple of the vehicles. In December 2022, the company debuted the feature across all of its vehicles, and several groups have had massive Tesla light shows like this one since.

In April, Tesla owners in South Korea held the largest Tesla light show yet, featuring over 1,000 vehicles. Prior to that, owners in Finland had held a 687-car Tesla light show, while other previous record-holders included owners in Germany (255), and those in San Luis Obispo, California (170), who shared a Cybertruck-themed show during last summer’s Tesla Takeover.

This year, the Silicon Valley Tesla Takeover has rebranded to call itself the X Takeover, broadening its appeal to now include enthusiasts interested in Elon Musk’s other companies. The California takeover is set to take place on July 27 and 28, and organizers are planning a Tesla light show, in addition to hosting keynote speakers like Franz von Holzhausen and Jared Isaacman.

Tesla Supercharger Network achieves 99.97% average uptime in 2023

What are your thoughts? Let me know at zach@teslarati.com, find me on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send us tips at tips@teslarati.com.

Tesla owners put on heart-shaped light show with over 200 cars





Source

Tesla CEO Elon Musk flips stance on China tariffs

Posted on


Tesla CEO Elon Musk flipped his stance on China tariffs during a conference on Thursday. In January, Musk said that measures would need to be taken so that Chinese automakers did not “demolish” global competitors.

Now, the Biden Administration is enforcing tariffs to prioritize U.S. manufacturing, and Musk believes they are the wrong step to take as he said things that limit a foreign country’s ability to do business in other regions are disadvantageous for the market.

At the Viva Technology Conference in Paris, Musk detailed his thoughts:

“Neither Tesla nor I asked for these tariffs; in fact, I was surprised when they were announced. Things that inhibit freedom of exchange or distort the market are not good. Tesla competes quite well in the market in China with no tariffs and no deferential support. I’m in favor of no tariffs.”

It is a major switch up from what Musk said just a few months ago in January, where he detailed a need for barriers that would protect domestic companies:

“If there are no trade barriers established, they will pretty much demolish most other car companies in the world.”

In mid-May, the Biden Adminsitration launched a new tariff program that would equate to a 100 percent rate on EVs, while other sectors were impacted less.

The Washington Post said in its report of the tariffs that the program would impact $18 billion in Chinese products and was being done “to protect American workers and businesses.”

White House to hike tariffs on Chinese EVs to fend off cheap imports

It is not the first time Musk has talked about tariff programs between the U.S. and China. In April 2018, he said that China’s plan to lower import tariffs was a “very important action” and would help to avoid “a trade war.”

The Trump Adminsitration in 2020 had aimed to impose tariffs on car parts, which Tesla challenged in court.

I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk flips stance on China tariffs: ‘Things that…distort the market are not good’





Source

Tesla Supercharger Network achieves 99.97% average uptime in 2023

Posted on


Tesla’s Supercharger Network achieved some impressive feats in 2023. As per Tesla’s 2023 Impact Report, the Supercharger Network was able to achieve an average uptime of 99.97% worldwide. That’s an impressive number, and it highlights the capability of Tesla’s electric vehicles to engage in seamless long distance travel.

Tesla’s 2023 Impact Report revealed that in 2019, the Supercharger Network achieved an average uptime of 99.90%. The network’s average uptime saw a slight dip in 2020 when the system’s score was tracked at 99.74%. However, the Tesla Supercharger Network’s average uptime rose in 2021 and 2022 to 99.96% and 99.95%, respectively. 

With this in mind, the Tesla Supercharger Network’s average uptime in 2023 was the best to date. It would then be interesting to see how this score would change this 2024, considering Elon Musk’s changes to the company’s Supercharger strategy. Amidst reports that Tesla had let go of a significant portion of its Supercharger team, Musk assured EV owners that the network would still be growing, albeit at a slower pace.  

Musk did note, however, that while raw expansion of the Supercharger Network is not necessarily the top priority for the company today, Tesla would be focusing on achieving a 100% average uptime for its existing locations. In a follow-up post, Musk reiterated that Tesla would still be spending over $500 million this year to grow its Supercharger Network, even with the company’s updated strategy. 

While the Supercharger Network is one of Tesla’s biggest trump cards in the electric vehicle market, the company has opened its charging standard to other automakers through the North American Charging Standard (NACS). As of writing, Ford and Rivian electric vehicles are able to access more than 15,000 NACS-compatible Superchargers in North America. General Motors, Volvo, and Polestar electric vehicles are expected to gain NACS access in Spring 2024. 

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

Tesla Supercharger Network achieves 99.97% average uptime in 2023





Source