Gail has a bachelor of art in film/radio/tv and a bachelor of science in nursing
She has worked for years caring for all ages of people with many diagnoses in over 5 hospitals and schools around the texas hill country
Originally from north dakota, she is now based in austin and writes about sustainable energy for the website she created ‘What’s up Tesla’ and 'What's up Twitter' and maintains her nursing practice
Welcome back to my blog. This past week, Tesla started delivering the first Model Ys following the opening of Giga Berlin-Brandenburg.
The new German-made Model Y has been handed over to customers in Germany as well as in Denmark, Belgium, Netherlands, and Italy. Soon customers all over Europe will celebrate receiving their Model Ys.
Elon Musk compares Giga Berlin to a gemstone for Germany, Europe and the world
These were Elon Musk’s first words when he addressed guests at the Delivery Day event on March 22, 2022.
“And to the community, Tesla will make sure that this is a gem — a gemstone for the area, for Germany, for Europe, and for the world. Every vehicle that we make will be another step in the direction of a sustainable energy future. We will also make battery storage. So this is going to be very important for storing renewable energy — so, for solar and wind. Because it’s intermittent, it needs to be stored, but we’re extremely confident that the world will transition to a sustainable energy future with the combination of solar, plus battery storage, and electric vehicles.”
Elon Musk
German Model Y is High Quality
Alex Voigt, a Munich-based blogger, engineer, and BEV Enthusiast was invited by Tesla to attend Giga Berlin Delivery Day. Alex has spent significant time examining vehicle build quality from Teslas built in California, Shanghai, and now, Berlin. Alex says,
“What I can say is the cars from Giga Berlin have the best quality, obviously they’ve been selecting them carefully so there is no doubt about it, not every car made it, but if you look at the panel gaps and the paint and all the details, it’s by a large margin the best quality I’ve seen so far from Tesla.
I know the critical areas for instance at the charging port but also other places where usually you have fit and finish problems, regardless if you go inside or outside I definitely couldn’t find any flaws.”
Alex and other people I spoke with observed that it appears Tesla has chosen black paint, the most difficult color to paint a car because if you are excellent at painting black, you can be good at about any color. I asked my friend Johnna Crider, writer for Clean Technica, for her opinion on the video that Alex created. She compared the Model Y in the sunlight to the gemstone black obsidian. Johnna custom wraps gemstones. Getting Stoned is her online store. Here is the video she watched, see what you think,
Made in Germany Model Y shows excellent build quality! Thank you @Tesla and @elonmusk for making the transition to electric vehicles so beautiful! $tsla#Cleanenergywillwin
Elon Musk makes it clear that he considers Giga Berlin to be a gemstone for the world. The analogy is significant. Gemstones are something that is both sought after and protected by humans. Here’s what Johnna Crider had to say about this in her article for Clean Technica,
When we think of something precious, we often compare that thought to rare gems, minerals, or something of high value.
And what is more valuable than a fully sustainable future, a goal that Tesla and its employees globally, including Elon Musk, seem to be passionately working toward?
This is worth more than any beryl, corundum, carbon (diamond or rare shungite), or natural Moissoanite from a meteorite. We can’t enjoy these gems or life if we are not here — or if we don’t have a planet with the capabilities of supporting human life. Right now we have a planet, but our dependence on fossil fuels is wreaking havoc on our environment.
And I’m not naive to think that mining the actual gems and minerals doesn’t have an effect. In the end, people with good hearts and who passionately care about our world do what we can to help as well as what we can to offset our own negative impacts.
Giga Berlin Model Y manufacturing [credit: Tesla]
My feeling is that our world needs Tesla in order to make the transition to sustainable energy as fast as possible. Tesla makes cars that are better than all other cars, regardless if they are electric or not.
Other vehicle manufacturers are acutely aware they will need to mass-produce cars as good as Tesla in order to survive.
The transition to all-electric vehicles is imminent, and that’s worth celebrating.
Gail Alfar, [edited by Sarah Alfar], Exclusive to What’s Up Tesla – All Rights Reserved. April 2, 2022
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“Tesla will make sure that this is a gem, a gemstone for the area, for Germany, for Europe, and for the world” – Elon Musk [photo courtesy Tesla Welt Podcast]
Welcome back to my blog, I hope you’ll enjoy this week‘s post. I am posting part of Elon Musk‘s speech given on March 22, 2022 at Giga Berlin Brandenburg. The reason I am focusing on his speech in this blog post is that I believe it is a historically significant speech. It contains a roadmap for the future of our world as we transition away from fossil fuels and into a clean energy future, involving solar, wind, and battery storage and electric vehicles.
Elon’s speech inspires us to look towards a more positive future. So grab a warm blanket, a good beverage, and enjoy!
Thank you for your hard work which has led to this great day, and it was amazing to see how excited the customers were to receive their cars. It was just super good vibes and it bided very well for the future of Giga Berlin Brandenburg.
I think it’s worth remembering that every car that we make is a step in the direction of a sustainable future. The thing about this factory and the cars that we make is that it gives people hope about the future and it’s like it’s very important to have reasons to be excited about the future. Often people are depressed or sad about the future because they think it won’t be good but what we’re doing here is with every car we make, with every battery we make, we’re making the future better. So what you are doing really matters, it makes a difference.
“I’m sort of working on the Master Plan Part 3”
Elon Musk
I’m sort of working on the Master Plan Part 3. Yes, it’s going to be good. But a huge part of that is scaling to high volume. So in order for us to really affect the world in a positive way- because we get a lot of press, we get a lot of attention- but say how many vehicles have we made as a percentage of total vehicles in the world? Because there are 2 billion vehicles in the world. Well, so far, we’re actually well below 1% and not even 1/2 a percent. So, it’s essential for us to really affect the future in a positive way. We have to make a lot of cars. It’s the only way. So that’s why we call it a Gigafactory, it’s very big.
We’re starting off with the Model Y and we’re going to do a number of exciting additional vehicles here. So I think this overall is going to be a center of excellence for sustainable energy in general, and it’s really going to help the world. I look forward to doing it with you and once again, thanks for everything!
“At Tesla, we really try to do the right thing. We want to be a company that you can believe in, in your heart and soul.”
Elon Musk
In addition to the work that we do here, we also inspire and encourage the rest of the industry to go towards electrification. I think it’s fair to say that without Tesla, without the work that the Tesla team has done, the rest of the industry would not be moving so quickly towards electrification. That’s also why we open-sourced our patents. We have made our patents freely available to the other car makers, because it was the right thing to do. No other company has done that far as I know. At Tesla, we really try to do the right thing. We want to be a company that you can believe in, in your heart and soul. In order to do that, we must be a company that does the right thing.
In response to a question about when Tesla would go to South America, and maybe some other markets, Elon stated,
We definitely want to go to the world, the challenge we have right now- it’s a high-class problem - the orders we have are well in excess of our production, so sometimes people will say, “why aren’t you in all these other markets and why don’t you make all these other different versions of the product like different cars like where is the Tesla semi-truck and the Cybertruck and the Roadster?” The challenge we have is that our orders far exceed our production, so, you know… ‘ A high-class problem.’ But we need to have our production get to the point where it exceeds our current orders and then it makes sense to expand to additional markets and to have additional products. Because, if we add complexity and we don’t add production volume, then we’ve not actually done anything more.
The good is a function of how many vehicles we are able to make. As we are able to ramp up production and satisfy demand in our existing markets, then we will expand to other markets and we will also add additional products. Last year there were a lot of supply chain challenges with chips, everyone knows about the chip shortage. This year there are still some chip shortages. Next year, I think will be a challenge with total battery production. Certainly, if you start going, like 2 to 3 years out, it’s all about how many gigawatt-hours of battery are produced. That will be the limiting factor.
And then going even further down into the supply chain, what is the right battery materials that are being mined and refined? And obviously, you want to do that in an environmentally sensitive way. In the grand scheme of things is “how many terawatt hours of battery can be produced per year.” Our rough calculation is that about 300 TWHR is needed to transition the world to a sustainable energy economy. This is a lot of batteries basically. So we want to try to do as much of that as possible. I think we are doing a pretty good job, we are growing by 70% to 80% per year on average and maybe even faster than that in the future. So that is, I think, the answer to ‘why not more markets, and why not more products?’
When asked what he was most proud of, Elon responded,
I am most proud of the amazing work done by the Tesla team, to scale at the rate that we are scaling and make compelling products that people love. You know, you think about, how many products can you buy that you really love? It’s so few, you know, and it would be great if people made more products that you love.
“At Tesla, we really focus on making products that people love.”
Elon Musk
And Tesla is a rare company that actually makes products you love. It brings you joy every day, that’s great. If you look at our rate of growth, Tesla is the fastest-growing company in history that makes a large manufactured product. So the next fastest was the Ford Model T and that was 100 years ago and we are actually growing faster than the Ford Model T, which is crazy!
Elon Musk explains Giga Berlin Model Y will be offered in a deep complex red and liquid silver
With respect to colors, which colors will be available from this factory?
Colors are always a challenge because when you think about You do not only need to manufacture it but you need to service it and fix it for like 20 years. You have to think about what are we going to put the service team through? You know, managing all these colors? So we have to be careful with a total number of colors but, we obviously are going to make some special colors here because - and it’s more than just color itself but it’s the layers of paint to get the dimensionality - we’re going to make a really special red, which I think a lot of people have seen. It’s like 13 layers of paint. The layers give you dimensionality. It makes the color look deep and complex. and then we will also have silver. It will have maybe eight layers, and it’s going to be really special. Like kind of liquid silver and a deep red. A deep complex red. In a few months, we will make this special deep dark red and quicksilver.
I think it will be the best paint on any production car that is not made for a show or something like that. And you have to design the paint job especially for 13 steps.
Elon answered questions about battery composition, as well as when FSD beta might come to Europe,
I think will be ready to show it to regulators in the European Union, maybe in two or three months. But then we have got to do quite a lot of work for all of the special use cases in Europe. As you know, the roads vary quite a lot by country. The road rules, and the way the lines are painted, are different. And then you have to recognize all the different languages. It’s quite difficult to do full self-driving in Europe. Much more complex than say, the USA or Canada. There are a lot of little tricky things, the rules are not the same. But I think, probably, we can start doing FSDbeta maybe later this year in Europe. Depending on regulatory approval. Things are different in the USA, in the USA, things are legal by default. In Europe, they are illegal by default.
So, we have to get approval beforehand, whereas in the USA, you can do it on your own cognizance, more or less.
But as for what the next target is, Elon responded
I guess the next target is, to really scale production this year, and try to make as many cars as we can. We want to complete the development of the Cybertruck and be ready for production next year. Hopefully, have enough battery pack capability to start the Tesla semi-truck. Hopefully, we may complete the engineering of the new roadster, and then there are some future products that are also pretty important. There’s also stationary storage, new versions of the Tesla solar roof and Powerwall 3. There are a lot of things. So we have a very exciting product pipeline.
When asked what makes him happy, Elon responded with,
“It makes me happy to see you guys happy“
Elon Musk
There was a question from the audience was about production capacity and Elon responded,
Twenty million cars in 10 years. And that would be a good number because there are 2 billion cars and trucks in the world that are in active use. So 20 million would be one percent of the global fleet per year.
Waving goodbye, Elon said,
“Thanks again guys, love you.”
Elon Musk
This was my eleventh blog post and one of my favorite. I am extremely thankful that Tesla Giga Berlin-Brandenburg is open and producing wonderful electric vehicles. Each vehicle will bring happiness and joy to its owners. I have owned a Tesla since December 2019, and I love driving it around Austin. I went to see Gigafactory Texas a few days ago, and I am very excited about the future of electric vehicles made in Texas. I hope to learn more about both Gigafactories over time. I know that you also share this enthusiasm with me and many others. We are truly living in exciting times.
Elon Musk delivers an inspiring speech at Giga Berlin Brandenburg [credit Tesla]
Gail Alfar, [edited by Sarah Alfar], Exclusive to What’s Up Tesla – All Rights Reserved. March 26, 2022
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Black Tesla Model 3 by Zack @BLKMDL3 [used with permission]
Every car looks promising when it is sitting on the dealer’s lot. It’s nice and clean, begging you to hop in and take a drive.
Getting started in life as a young person can seem like a vicious cycle when a car is involved. There’s a circle of making payments and sinking money into insurance payments, not to mention the nightmare that happens when your car needs repairs. Since gasoline prices are spiking, combustion engine cars cost a lot to operate. On the other hand, electric cars are becoming more common because they cost little to operate.
If you absolutely have to own a vehicle, then there is no better choice right now than a Tesla. I’ll argue this statement in this blog today based on the low cost of Tesla insurance, the ease of charging the battery, and zero maintenance.
Tesla Insurance is low cost
Tesla Insurance, which is based on real-time driving behavior, is available in Arizona, Illinois, Ohio, and Texas [Virginia and Oregon soon]. Real-time driving behavior means that the monthly rate you pay for insurance will drop lower if you drive safer, and will increase if you drive less safe. Tesla will help you drive safer, through their app and your usage of the vehicle’s autopilot software that comes with every car.
California has a different kind of Tesla Insurance, and it is not based on real-time driving [but this may change, each state has complicated laws].
Tesla insurance usually costs less than $100 a month, with the likely probability that it will decrease in price. Or, it could increase based on your driving habits.
I am unsure what you expect to pay monthly, but I was paying about $250 a month before I got Tesla Insurance. I thought I had a good rate until I experienced the kindness of Tesla.
Old fashioned style insurance companies cannot compete with the low price of Tesla Insurance. The antiquated way is to charge you more based on your age instead of your ability to drive carefully.
Charging a Tesla is low cost
Your Tesla, if you decide to get one, costs much less to charge than what you would pay to fill a combustion engine’s tank up with petrol.
I am not going to give specific overall dollar amount averages in my argument. Instead, I will explain what I pay. Since I charge at home, I do see a small increase in my electric bill. I set the charge time to when electricity rates are low. I don’t notice more than a $25 increase in my monthly bill since I got the Tesla. Supercharging my Tesla away from home costs anywhere from $15 – $20 for a full charge.
Maintaining a Tesla is also low cost
My Tesla has an electric motor that requires no maintenance. There’s a saying among Tesla owners, that annual maintenance costs are about $7 [cost of windshield wiper fluid]. Conversely, people pay a lot to maintain a combustion engine as there are so many moving parts, valves, and coolant needs.
My own view is that when you need to get your first car, there really is no better car to buy than a Tesla. Here is a brief comparison of Tesla versus combustion engine car:
TESLA
COMBUSTION
insurance costs much less in some states
insurance based on your age, costs are high
avoid the gas pump
subject to high gas prices
no maintenance
scheduled maintenance and constant repairs
A comparison of the costs of owning a Tesla versus a combustion engine car.
Overall, owning a Tesla is less expensive than owning a combustion car. This issue is important because your vehicle is one of the biggest purchases you will ever make so it needs to be one of the best you can get.
Why I wrote this article and who I wrote it for
A few nights ago, I signed up for Tesla insurance. I was really happy with the significant rate reduction Tesla gave me. My teenage kid was also happy. She explained to me that her friends are just starting out with jobs and their first cars. She told me they have constant car expenses like insurance [big one], gasoline, and huge maintenance bills [one car needed a whole new engine]. She asked me to consider blogging in a “style that might help her friends believe they could afford a Tesla.”
Interested in what people think about Tesla Autonomy? You can check that out here.
This is the year to invest in solar. Putting money into a Tesla Solar Roof or panels with Powerwalls is a smart choice.
For a long time, most of us assumed we should reliably purchase energy from a local utility. The era of expecting a local entity to offer a never-ending supply of affordable energy has come to an end. Today people can generate their own energy.
The decision to go solar may be more affordable than we once thought
Vi To, father of two and homeowner in Dallas, shares with us why he bought Tesla solar panels and powerwall, “Texas had a scary Snowmageddon last winter where we lost power for one day and neighbors and friends lost it for ten days in freezing temperatures. I started to seriously look for solutions/backup power options.”
Vi likes to crunch numbers, and he shares that he spent about $50k on his Tesla Solar Panels and Powerwalls. After a 13k federal tax credit, he financed through Tesla for 10 years, so he pays $270 monthly to Tesla instead of paying $300 monthly to the utility company. “My system pays for itself in 5-7 years and then its free power thereafter,” he adds that he “also saves $200 a month by driving a Model Y.”
Would You Sell Energy to Your Local Grid?
Tesla has invited Solar and Powerwall owners like Vi to join in a demonstration to show that a fleet of powerwalls can be a source to power the Texas public utility grid. In this way, people who are part of the Tesla fleet may one day sell power to ERCOT.
“Powerwalls like yours can be a powerful tool to accelerate the grid’s transition to sustainable energy.
Opt-in to our technical demonstration to help Tesla and ERCOT prove that a fleet of Powerwalls can provide the same services as conventional power plants with distributed clean energy.
This is a valuable step toward Powerwalls’ paid participation in ERCOT markets.” -Tesla
Increasingly people like Vi are proving they can generate their own energy. They are showing that solar is more reliable than their local utility. Their word of mouth is just one indicator of the strength of solar power. Supporting the wider electricity grid will soon be another indicator. In short, solar and powerwalls work together to perform the important job of bringing energy to all people. The more that people invest in solar, the safer everyone will be from events that are beyond our control.
But above all, I say that we are transitioning into a world where many people will be helped by the intelligent system that Tesla is pioneering.
One day, it will seem ridiculous that people ever relied so heavily on utility companies for energy.
“I think the beauty of the product is that you can’t tell it’s solar, most people come by, they have no idea.” - Tesla Solar Roof Owner
Credit TTVZ NewsChannel 21 – Bend Roofing Co. first in C.O. to install Tesla Solar Roof [10/4/21]
In writing this blog post, I kept thinking about the amazing work that Elon Musk is doing to help Ukraine. Tesla and SpaceX employees not only facilitated bringing Starlink to Ukraine, but they also scrapped together parts last-minute from Tesla Giga Berlin to create a system for humanitarian purposes. Through a system linking solar panels to Tesla Powerwalls, they showed how to power up Starlink satellite receivers. This is another reason why I am willing to invest in Tesla Solar. It is a creative system designed to help ultimately help humanity.
Thanks for reading my blog post. I look forward to creating interesting takes on Tesla to share with YOU most Saturdays! Find out more about Tesla Solar here.
Raptor 2 featured in Charro days parade [photo courtesy whataboutit ]
In this blogpost, you’ll see how SpaceX -the most successful rocket manufacturing company in the USA- is closely involved with local students. I also share a brief scenario of what it might feel like to be a spacefaring civilization. Find a nice comfy chair, sit down, relax, and enjoy!
Star of the Parade: Raptor 2
Charro Days is a week-long celebration of friendship between the citizens of Brownsville, Texas and Matamoros, Tamaulipas along the Rio Grande. It began in 1938 to boost the economy and the spirits of the community suffering from the Great Depression and aftermath of a category 5 hurricane. This year marks the first one that SpaceX has participated.
Employees of SpaceX donned traditional Mexican costumes, built a float and rolled the superbly engineered Raptor 2 engine down Elizabeth Street. Using a huge LED screen showing Starship, and passing out small white SpaceX maracas, they gave the engine a proper introduction. This matters because Raptor 2 will carry Starship into orbit soon, and bring humans to the moon!
Free rides to all kids were provided by SpaceX. According to local club spokesperson from ‘Space X Girls’ there were about eight rides and the spaceship ride was the one that stood out the most. ‘I did see them [the kids] have so much fun’ said Space X Girls.
Elon Musk was seen with his 21-month-old son, X, enjoying a delicious festival treat called Spiropapas or spiral potatoes [fried potato cut in a spiral and stacked on a long stick]. Fans hope this will become the official food for SpaceX and Tesla.
I caught up with Jessica Tetreau-Kalifa [Commissioner, District 2], after the festival. "Charro Days," she says, "is an intricate celebration between three organizations. SpaceX caught us by surprise and was a major sponsor of all three. We were very excited to see how willing they were to contribute to the festivities."
She tells me that, "the best part was seeing how many children came to see the SpaceX float in the parade on Saturday. There were at least ten times as many children at Saturday’s parade than any year that I’ve participated in. Mr. Musk has been incredibly generous to our students, so they really wanted to meet him and see him in person. It was very exciting that many kids did get to see and thank him personally."
Also, she adds, "Mr. Musk distributed 20 million dollars to schools for our students in Cameron County, 10 million dollars to the City of Brownsville for downtown revitalization, and other significant donations throughout the community."
We talk about the generosity of Elon Musk. "Just last week," she says, "he donated a Starship prototype to the Brownsville airport." She continues, "It’s incredible to see that Brownsville ISD students are now able to have access to technology, math, and science programs."
"The city was finally able to install much-needed lighting that makes our downtown area feel safer. Community members are able to venture out as a family during the night hours because it’s cleaner and safer."
"More than anything," she continues, "we appreciate the kindness, thoughtfulness, and generosity behind Mr. Musk's contributions to our community. He is a person that gives from his heart, and we are incredibly grateful to support and have him in our community."
Humans as a Spacefaring Civilization
When you were a kid, did you ever imagine autonomous flying cars, battles in space? I’d like to leave you thinking about a beautiful future, inspired by the Raptor 2 and Elon Musk. Here’s my updated vision of life for future humans,
Gathering in Spaceball City [Brownsville elected to be renamed in 2099] via supersonic rocket travel, are humans from all over earth. There is a welcoming complex with as much or as little entertainment or information that anyone could want in order to learn about Mars, SpaceX and the glorious history of its founder, Elon Musk.
At Starbase, families rally around their beloved Mars-bound astonauts as they watch Starships launch elegantly to space. Boosters return to earth, landing gracefully, as Starships glide effortlesssly among the stars and past the moon to the red planet.
Every single human, upon arrival to Mars, stops at a memorial called Thrawn. Thrawn, a statue similar to the Thinker, inspires the Martians to continue their mission to travel beyond Mars, to other galaxies.
Traditional folk dress combined with a celebration of space travel [credit Space X Girls]
Gail Alfar, Exclusive to What’s Up Tesla – All Rights Reserved, March 5, 2022
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In this blog post, I share how Tesla Supercharging is changing your world for the better. In addition, I share my vision of the future that today’s children will live to experience. So grab a cup of coffee & enjoy this quick read!
On February 28, 2022, Tesla opened up free Supercharging in Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary. Supercharging is available in areas affected by the recent situation in Ukraine for both Teslas, and non-Tesla vehicles.
Austin, Texas and the surrounding area has rapidly gone from having three Supercharger stations in 2020 to eleven in 2022. Moreover, Tesla plans to add eight more to that number this year!
Tesla consistently demonstrates that they are capable of building Superchargers at a very fast rate. Their Tesla Charging Twitter account is evidence that they are adding up to six or more per day. This matters because Tesla has plans to welcome other electric cars to use their Superchargers.
Tesla Supercharging is for non-Teslas too
In a move that may have surprised some, Elon Musk emphasized to Marques Brownlee (in a tweet right before Christmas 2020) that Tesla was making superchargers accessible to other electric cars.
They are, although it’s kind low-key. Tesla Superchargers are being made accessible to other electric cars.
In late 2021, Tesla opened ten Supercharger stations to non-Teslas in the Netherlands. This trial run or pilot program turned out to be a success. Soon after, on Valentine’s Day 2022 Tesla opened up ALL of its Superchargers in the Netherlands to non-Teslas! The Netherlands was a beautiful place to begin the pilot program that Elon Musk referred to back in December 2020.
Tesla’s website states other electric vehicles can supercharge in France, Norway, Germany, and Belgium.
Here, Tesla explains their ambition behind providing Supercharging for all:
Our ambition has always been to open the Supercharger network to Non-Tesla electric cars in order to encourage more drivers to make the switch to electric driving.
This fits in seamlessly with our mission to accelerate the global transition to sustainable energy.
The more customers use the Supercharger network, the faster we can expand the network.
Our goal is to quickly gain experience and make any necessary adjustments.
In addition, we will continue to rapidly expand our network so that hopefully we can welcome both Tesla owners and Non-Tesla drivers around the world to our Superchargers in the future.
An Act of Kindness and Generosity
Although I am a mom of five kids, it’s important for me to think about all kids. Along the same lines, Tesla cares about both Teslas and non-Teslas. I’d like to leave this world behind someday, with warm thoughts that the future will be positive for many people to come, not just my own kids.
Allow me to share the futuristic scenario I envision about our interesting time of transition:
A Human of the Future Looks Back at our Time of Transition
As it became cheaper to manufacture electric cars, factories assembling combustion cars slowly grinded to a halt. Accordingly, automakers sought valuable help from Tesla’s vehicle division. Tesla kindly assisted them in any way possible to build their own electric vehicles.
It was a rarity to see gas cars and gas stations had become supercharging centers, keeping just a few pumps open for an occasional combustion car. Naturally, it was mostly Teslas that were charging with a scattering of other makes that included Ford, Volkswagen and others.
Once in a while, there would come along somebody with a memory of the past, when most vehicles ran on gasoline, paid for in obsolete dollars. It wasn’t so much nostalgia that was interesting in these stories, but wondering, how challenging it must have been to buy things before Dogecoin. Why did vehicles with such complicated motors take on such a big role in the past?
China was respected for leading the way with two Tesla gigafactories.
Rather than thinking of it as just financial incentive driving business, people began to realize that driving electric vehicles and living in a situation with sustainable energy leads to greater overall happiness.
If happiness is the goal, people tend to want to enjoy the days, stretching them out to enjoy every ray of sun, every minute that they can. Things like the arts flourish, music, painting, dance and writing.
What a Beautiful Future We Have
You are here because you love what Tesla is doing. You may own a share of TSLA, know someone who works at Tesla, drive a Tesla, or know of a neighbor who has a Tesla Solar Roof, in any case, your life is likely somehow already connected with Tesla. Thanks for your support!
(Austin, Texas) A Tesla Plaid Model S will compete on the track at Circuit of the Americas in the 4th annual Super Lap Battle time attack event, held February 19-20. This is important because it is the first time a Plaid will compete in the event in Austin.
The Plaid is an example of great craftsmanship and superior technology. It is Tesla’s best vehicle. Being both a four-door family sedan and a vehicle that can compete on the racetrack is a huge achievement. It is the fastest production car in the world. It is also proudly made in the USA.
Brief Interview with Plaid Model S Owner, Mike Dusold
I spoke to racer Mike Dusold earlier this week while he was at his shop in Lewisville, Texas.
Gail Alfar: How long have you raced, how did you get your start?
Mike Dusold: I’ve competed for 9 years. I started racing motorcycles and switched to cars because I kept getting injured.
GA: Well now you are in one of the safest cars made. How does it feel to drive the Plaid?
MD: It is my first Tesla. I like it, it’s quick.
GA: Wow, your first Tesla, and you get a Plaid!
MD: Yes, It surprises all my friends!
GA: Tell me about the race, have you practiced?
MD: I am excited about this race. I took it to COTA for practice and it was raining. We did 163 mph in the rain. The car handles it well.
GA: Have you modified it in any way?
MD: The only changes we made to the car are new brakes and tires.
GA: So, you did not remove the backseat?
MD: No, the regulations are that if you do that you have to install a roll bar. We are not going to do that.
GA: So, you are going to race a stock production car, up against a lot of finely tuned combustion cars, how do you think it will do?
MD: I know there are other cars that may go faster, I am going because I want to compete with the Plaid. I think it is better on the track.
GA: I am so glad you are doing this, I’m rooting for you!
MD: Thank you, that’s great!
Mike Dusold is helping to break new ground. As more and more racers switch from combustion engines to electric, we can expect to see more drivers competing for first place in Teslas.
As Mike races his Plaid, Tesla Giga Texas, which lies just up the road from COTA, moves towards certification of the first Model Y vehicles made in Texas. It is a milestone for Tesla to begin mass production of the Model Y in Texas.
Tesla has also updated the Model S product page with some new beautiful videos, photos and animations, as reported by Sawyer Merritt on Twitter.
NEWS: Tesla has updated the Model S product page with some new beautiful videos, photos and animations. I’ve included some of them in this thread.
A Model 3 driven by Dai Toshihara will also participate in the Super Lap Battle.
Tesla Model S Plaid in Austin
Thanks for reading my blog, my goal is to support Tesla through a fresh approach where good thoughts are communicated quickly through both Twitter and here.
Interested in Battery life in a Tesla, traveling, or what people love about their Teslas?
Tesla Battery Life is an article highlighting what to expect from your vehicle’s battery.
Austin Model Y Production (credit Jeff Roberts, February 17, 2022)
(Austin, Texas) 17 Feb 2022. Today was a very exciting day, as it marks the day when numerous made in the USA Model Y emerged directly from Giga Texas. Tesla employees parked rows of Model Y in a large parking area just south of Giga Texas, possibly because they have now run out of room to store them inside the gigafactory.
All of the Model Y were covered, for reasons unknown. This could possibly just be to protect them from weather exposure, or possibly because Tesla has not yet certified their vehicles for delivery to customers yet. Vehicles spotted today were of colors Solid Black and Deep Blue Metallic.
It is thought that Giga Texas has produced Model Y in all of their offered colors, as a car carrier truck was spotted recently loaded with all variants.
Jeff Roberts contacted me today after he photographed these beautiful American made vehicles. I asked him how he felt seeing these emerge straight out of Giga Texas for the first time. “I had seen new Model Y in the Westside parking lot, and that was cool, and I had seen a full load of Ys on a car carrier with Texas plates, but until you see them driving out of the factory, you always wonder in the back of your mind – are these production vehicles that were made at Giga Texas? – but now we know 100% and that felt so exhilarating! I’m on cloud nine!” stated Joe.
Currently, the paint colors that Tesla offers at no extra cost are Midnight Silver Metallic and Pearl White Multi-Coat. Tesla also provides the 21’’ Überturbine Wheels for no extra charge with the performance version. Model Y has two independent motors that digitally control torque to the front and rear wheels. The Performance Version of the Y goes from 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds. Tesla’s website states: “Model Y is fully electric, so you never need to visit a gas station again. If you charge overnight at home, you can wake up to a full battery every morning. And when you’re on the road, it’s easy to plug in along the way—at any public station or with the Tesla charging network. We currently have over 30,000 Superchargers worldwide, with six new locations opening every week.”
Tesla Model Y Supercharging (Credit: Tesla)
Why I created this blog
I love to share good vibes about Tesla, Giga Texas, Tesla China & Tesla Solar. I really do believe our future is bright! “What’s Up Tesla” is one way that I support the mission of Tesla and Elon Musk. It is also my way of preserving what I consider major milestones for Giga Texas. There is truly a long road ahead for Tesla!
Having fun painting the Flying Model Y
Gail Alfar, author. Exclusive to What’s Up Tesla – February 17, 2022. All Rights Reserved. My goal as an author is to support Tesla (the most American vehicle manufacturer) and Elon Musk in both making life better on earth for humans and becoming a space-fairing civilization.
Header Image Red Model Y Supercharging Credit: Tesla
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(Austin, Texas) by guest contributor Joe Tegtmeyer
Jow Tegtmeyer is a dedicated Tesla enthusiast and highly skilled drone operator. Today he shared observations of Tesla Giga Texas with me that I would like to pass along to anyone interested. Thankfully, Joe gave me his permission to do this.
Giga Texas South End
The morning started out with strong winds, low clouds but warm temperatures. Immediately noticeable when I arrived at Tesla Road is that something palpable has changed on the site.
Tesla Giga Texas North End
Most, if not all of the equipment, cranes, materials, and trash containers have been removed from the north and northeast sides of the casting, paint, and battery cell structure, and the stamping test part containers and other materials have been removed from the southeast corner of the stamping machine area. Other areas around the main factory building similarly look much cleaned up. Only one small crane was lifting drywall up onto the loading platforms which themselves look much more “clean” with all of the plastic and extraneous structures now removed.
As I said, it is immediately noticeable today!
Tesla Giga Texas 4680 battery production area
We also get a good look into the 4680 battery production area on the 3rd floor of the battery cell structure this morning. We see quite a bit more has been installed and most appear operating. There was also activity of workers in this area tending to the machines, possibly doing tests or calibrations. It appears more “completed” for lack of a better word and more of the equipment appears to be operating. All great signs!
Here are some other highlights from around the site this windy morning:
Tesla Giga Texas South End
– On the south end, we see quite a bit of concrete has been poured and is well on it’s way to curing, while some of the remaining phase 2 area forms and rebar are in preparation to complete this area. The stormwater pipe install in this area also is nearing completion.
– The south end of the General assembly structure also is much cleaner with most equipment and materials relocated to the east side staging areas. We look briefly into the two large openings on this end (ground level) and see more materials moved inside here as well. Overall, the south end looks much “cleaner” and organized this morning.
– On the east side of the stamping area, most of the AIDA stamping press crates and parts are now gone, with just a few remaining near the disassembled gantry crane. The bins that were used for test parts in this area are also noticeably absent, which may mean they have moved to a different phase of operations.
– On the roof of the General Assembly structure, we see solar panel installation continuing, but also nearby, we see crews working on the HVAC large ducting over the body-white structure. The vents themselves were emitting quite a lot of vapor, but it was quickly blown away due to the strong winds.
– On the north end of the battery cell, we also see more wall panels have been added, almost finishing off this area (except where the temporary loading platforms are). Only three much smaller loading docks are now visible on the ground level.
– The electrical conduit installation on the northeast of the casting structure is now surrounded by concrete barriers and overall this area also presents a much cleaner appearance.
– On the east parking lot area, we see the earthwork nearest to the powerlines has moved farther north and now reaches the new Tesla Road. The parking lot also had a lot of cars parked on the eastern half, indicating lots of activity.
– The trailer area just south of the electrical sub-station also has much of the equipment and other vehicles formerly located on the north end of the main building, possibly indicating a shift in where this equipment will now be stored.
– The far northeast clearing area is buzzing with activity this early morning with many earthmovers and excavators at work removing hills, ponds and getting ready to improve the overall grade of the land area.
Overall, there is definitely something that has changed in the construction of Giga Texas, and it seems we may be moving into a new phase of operations, possibly related to Model Y production-ready to pick up soon.
Distinct Tesla T at the entrance to Giga Texas
Gail’s Thoughts on today:
Tesla Model Y production in Texas is going to move Tesla into a new and brighter phase that will put this factory on the global stage. Giga Texas will take center stage as it ramps up production. Currently, Giga Shanghai leads in production, and my take is that operations in Austin likely benefitted from talent from both Tesla China and talent from Giga Berlin Tesla team (as well as Tesla Fremont of course). This places Giga Texas in a position to serve as a flagship model for future operations.
Gail Alfar, Exclusive to What’s Up Tesla – February 16, 2022 – All Rights Reserved
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Some weeks ago I went to a drive-in movie. The Twilight Drive-In sits atop a building in downtown Austin. It has a great view of the city. It was a cold evening, and I put the Tesla in CAMP mode and enjoyed a Pepsi and some Popcorn. It was the perfect setting for a fast-moving action movie.
It was word-of-mouth that led me to go see True Romance. Word-of-mouth is also how people first hear about Tesla. It is the best form of advertising!
“Tesla does not advertise or pay for endorsements. Instead, we use that money to make the product great.” Elon Musk
Money Spent Making a Better Product
Elon Musk knew from the beginning that money is better spent on making a better vehicle than on advertising. There are so many wonderful qualities about Model Y, it is such a beautiful vehicle.
Tesla’s approach is to spend effort on making a product that generates word-of-mouth. In dollar amounts, they spend $0 on advertising. Instead, their relentless dedication to creating the best product possible is worth pure gold in the form of word-of-mouth. When I was in film school at CSULB, one of my professors explained that nothing creates a box office hit more than a great film that makes you talk about it after you watch it. No amount of advertising compares to word-of-mouth.
Other vehicle manufacturers spend money to attempt to convince us their product is worth our money. Subaru of America is a great case study in this. Subaru spent over $100 million on advertising in digital, print, and national TV in the last year. They created a campaign to evoke feelings of warmth and benevolence and use the word ‘love’ often. Tesla takes a better approach,
Yeah, what we’re seeing is that word-of-mouth is more than enough to drive our demand in excess of production. We have no plans to advertise at this time. At some point in the future, we may do advertising not in the traditional sense but more to just inform people and make sure they are aware of the product, but not engage in the typical trickery that is commonplace in advertising. Elon MuskQ3 Earnings Call in 2019
Tesla vehicles are wonderful for travel, something many people also share by word-of-mouth and on social media. Tesla obviously won’t advertise it, but the Model Y would make an incredible “Adventure Vehicle.” A good friend and I came up with this idea,
“Model Y Adventure option”:
Forest Green Paint
Roof and Bike Racks
All-Terrain Tires, Mudflaps
“Off-Road” assist with 7″ Ground Clearance (comes standard already)
Model Y can sleep two people and a dog in comfort. Model Y is perfect for driving on dirt, sand, gravel, and snow. It has superb traction control, especially on ice.
Tesla Model Y on the Spiral Jetty in Utah
Marjorie Allen recently put her Model Y to the test in Utah, in a quest to see Smithson’s notable earthen sculpture that spirals into the Great Salt Lake. “The spiral jetty was further off-road than I was expecting and the Y handled it like a champ!”
Marjorie Allen’s Tesla Model Y at Spiral Jetty
CONCLUSION
As a consumer, it’s great to know Tesla places so much value on creating a better product instead of conjuring up ways to make us think they have a better product.
When is the last time you saw a really great movie? I think “True Romance” is one of the best movies from the 1990s. You may want to check it out. I hope you will join me here every Saturday for a fresh and positive view of Tesla. Thanks for reading!
Made-in-Texas Model Y. credit Joe Tegtmeyer from August 30, 2022
5 Takeaways from Tesla’s 2022 Shareholder Meeting This article features highlights of what Elon Musk said about Tesla Gigafactories, AI, Cybertruck, Optimus robot, how we can help support the mission, and more.
Reasons Why Tesla Has the Best Factory Safety in the Industry This article will bring you along with me as we look into how Tesla has become a leader in job site safety in manufacturing. Our focus will be on statements about workplace safety from Elon Musk at the 2022 Shareholder’s meeting and the Tesla 2021 Impact Report.
Gail Alfar, Exclusive to What’s Up Tesla – All Rights Reserved.
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