Category: Automotive

Frunk Stories from Tesla Owners

Gail Alfar2 Comments

The term “frunk” was new to me when I bought my Model 3 in 2019. Tesla created a convenient and secure front trunk for storage for you that can carry up to 55 pounds of cargo.

Tesla owners are an amazing group of people and very inventive when it comes to ways to use the frunk! This article includes one of the latest inventions made just for the Tesla frunk, the “Fruble.”

The Fruble in action on a camping trip.

Frunk Animals and Frunk Parties

Dogs, cats, bunnies, birds, and other animals have posed for pictures in the frunk since the early days of Tesla. Earl of Frunkpuppy has created a literal dynasty based on the frunk. Earl features a weekly contest with prizes and international voting for the cutest frunkpuppy. Earl has awarded prizes to many animals, including to a frunk-duck!

The Tesla frunk is a truly a practical space, as Tesla Model S owner, Jonathan, describes,

“Our Classic Tesla Model S frunk is big enough for a birthday party of 12 + sleepover gear, leaving room for 7 in the car.

The excitement from 2 in the rear-facing seats is priceless. If finances allow we may never sell this Tesla it is such a freakishly functional machine.”

The Humane Society of Silicon Valley had 7 frunkpuppies up for adoption.

Cooking up a Storm in the Frunk

Tesla owners are practical and a few have built their own wooden frunk tables to make cooking easier in the wild. Jimmy explains,

“Calvin from Calgary invited me for a hike today in Alberta and I didn’t expect to see a full-blown Tesla camping setup.

I was shocked to see a frunk table existing elsewhere. We made sure to set up our kitchens and made some delicious tofu+salad+mashed potatoes!”

Calvin designed his own frunk-kitchen.

A frunk – table called the “Fruble” delights Tesla owners!

Jimmy is hand-crafting frunk tables to share with other Tesla owners! His concept, which he calls the “Fruble,” makes it easier to prep food to enjoy when camping. You can see how he makes his tables and all the many ways they can be used in your Tesla on his kickstarter site!

Jimmy says, “The frunk is the best place to store food in our opinion. In combination with the Fruble, you’ve got yourself a kitchen countertop on the mountain, at the beach – anywhere and everywhere the car takes you.”

Tesla Frunk Keeps Food Odors out of the Car

Chad, who helps lead the East Bay Tesla Club, loves to use his frunk to put take-out in.

“I love DOGS, and takeout in the frunk is the best! No food stank in the whip!” 

Chad was filling his frunk with vegetables at a Farmers Market when two women walked by, delighted to see a frunk in use,

“Is that a Tesla? Why yes it is! Oh, I love that front open space for extra storage.”

Baby Portrait in the Frunk

My heart went out to the dad who placed his newborn in his Model 3 frunk for a portrait soon after the infant was born. His love for a world with electric cars led him to celebrate his daughter’s birth in a unique and beautiful way!

Matthew had his baby daughter’s portrait done in the frunk.

Wedding Photos feature one in the Frunk

Newlyweds from Virginia decided to include a picture in the frunk of their Model 3, along with a message of gratitude to Elon Musk for their car’s safety features saving them from an accident just days before the wedding bells rang.

Emily Nachbar with her new Husband in the Frunk of her Model 3.

My searches on Twitter, Reddit, and all over the web led me to laugh at how funny and creative people can be with the Tesla frunk from Germany to New York, California, and beyond! I found people filling the frunk with flowers, lighting frunks up with psychedelic lights and making TikTok videos of people hiding from their bosses in the trunk. There are grown men so enamored with the frunk that they post videos of themselves studying, sleeping, and popping out of frunks. Most other electric carmakers also post frunk shots although no frunk matches the charm of the Tesla frunk.

My thoughts

Security from theft is one of many reasons I love my Tesla frunk. It is a very visible area of the vehicle, and difficult to access unless you own the car. Every time I open the frunk up to stash groceries, I’m reminded of how my vehicle does not contain a polluting combustion engine. I am also pretty excited about the frunk table (the Fruble) that Jimmy is developing for people!

In the upcoming few months, I’m looking forward to writing about what YOU like about your Tesla. I am excited to share with you what a family in Little Rock, Arkansas loves about their Model 3. A family in Tuskaloosa, Alabama also has a great story about their Tesla that I plan to write about soon!

What do you really like about your Tesla?

Austin, Texas. Credit: Truest B. on Unsplash

Want to read more excellent articles? I suggest…

Header image of White Maltese in Tesla Frunk used with exclusive permission from Reddit user u/mahkus11.

Article by Gail Alfar. Edited by Sarah Alfar. Exclusive to What’s Up Tesla – This blog post was created utilizing STARLINK satellite services. All Rights Reserved. July 17, 2022

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A White Model 3 drives through the forest

Enjoying Tesla Autonomy

Gail Alfar5 Comments
White Model 3 [credit: Caleb]

Speed and handling were what originally pulled me into ordering a Tesla in 2019. Tesla Autonomy unexpectedly won my heart the day after I took delivery of my Model 3. I am part of a large group of delighted Tesla owners.

Autonomy Makes Traveling Safer

What makes a road trip more fun? Tesla Autopilot definitely does! Freeway driving is also safer when there are eight cameras looking out for your family’s safety. Michael from Boston explains,

“We took a road trip from Boston to Niagara Falls, 9 hours each way, to test out the Tesla Supercharger network and it was a great family experience. Planning our charging stops almost felt like back in the day when you’d plan a road trip with a huge unfolding paper map. We watched Mr. Beast YouTube videos with my kids at a stop or had dinner at the next. In the last hours of a long drive, Autopilot was an extra layer of safety.”

Tesla FSD takes owning a Tesla to the next level

Dylan shares FSDbeta visualization on Twitter, [credit: Dylan]

People with FSD beta in their Teslas often feel like they are living in the future. One owner, Corey who drives his Tesla for Uber, says

“Hop in the car with a nice coffee, click anywhere on the map, and click ‘Navigate.’ This works for me many times now at night. This is close to the future we dream of. I can’t wait till all my friends and family have a Tesla. There is no better product out there. This is what changes the entire equation: Once you drive a Tesla, you’ll literally never want to drive anything else. Doing Uber in the Tesla sells people on the car itself which gets more Teslas in my community which is a net benefit for all!”

Tesla Full-Self Driving

FSD Beta has improved over the past 6 months. Caleb told me that using this autonomous software in his Tesla has been such a unique experience and it makes him excited for the future!

“It puts a smile on my face every time I get in it because it is so thoughtfully designed. It’s so much fun to drive.”

A great example and explanation of Full Self Driving beta are made in this 10-minute video by Whole Mars Catalog here. Whole Mars asks the car to take him to different places in the video, “Director’s Commentary on FSD Beta 10.11.2.”

Another Tesla owner is wild over FSD beta!

Tesla owner, Marc Benton, shared his impressions of his first drive using FSD beta,

It is mind-blowing in the sense that this car is driving itself with just cameras because I think back just three years ago when I first started driving with autopilot when I first started using autopilot my mind was blown, it was truly blown because I could not believe a car was navigating in the lane.

You look where we’ve come now the car is reading the turn signal, it’s making a turn, it’s staying in the lane. Thats how I would turn!

“Wide-angle skyscraper pictures through Tesla glass roofs are the best!” Caleb’s photo in downtown Columbus, Ohio through the Tesla glass roof & Caleb’s white Model 3 is the featured image in this article [credit: Caleb]

My thoughts

Driving my Model 3 has been exceptionally enjoyable because of its ever-improving autonomous features. Tesla is the only company pioneering truly autonomous driving.

Interested in why Tesla is so good for our world? You can view the Tesla 2021 Impact Report here.

Want to read more excellent articles? I suggest…

Boats at night on Austin’s Ladybird Lake by Ryan Magsino on Unsplash

Gail Alfar [edited by Sarah Alfar], Exclusive to What’s Up Tesla – May 14, 2022 –  All Rights Reserved

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American Innovation: Tesla owners share their favorite features

Gail Alfar1 Comment

For this blog post, I’m sharing the enthusiasm of Tesla owners by telling their unique stories, as well as putting a spotlight on some of their favorite features in their Tesla! Hope you’ll relax and enjoy these positive vibes!

Tesla Roadster [credit: Tesla]

Leader in Innovation

Tesla is a leader in American innovation and is one of the greatest American success stories of all time. Model 3 performance owner Don Fransisco originally migrated to the USA when he was 11 years old. He shares, “I am an immigrant from El Salvador and this was the first brand new car that I was able to buy and that I chose to buy. I wanted a Made in America vehicle that could push the limits of automotive technology. This car does just that, I’ve taken it on 7 rallies and it hasn’t disappointed one bit!”

The Tesla Model 3 is the most American-made vehicle, and Tesla employs nearly 100k people. Tesla’s 2021 Impact Report states, “Our employee count has grown ~70 fold over the past decade and, in just over ten years, Tesla has created nearly 100,000 direct jobs. While many companies in the automotive industry have been trimming the number of employees and launching early retirement programs, we plan to grow our employee base for years to come.”

Car Farts Rule

At 12 years old, Zane’s favorite parts of his family’s Tesla Model 3 are the “car fart” sound effects, playing chess in the car’s game center, and the excitement of the daily “speed boosts” on his drives to and from school. Zane’s family has owned their Model 3 for almost three years, and the car still makes them feel happy, excited, and safe. “I absolutely love my 3! It’s fast and fun and makes me feel safe, all the while being better for the environment. I’m in the Full Self Driving beta program so every day the car is learning more and becoming smarter. ” says Jillian, Zane’s mom, who describes the Tesla as a “Work of art that drives like a Rocket.”

Chess in the Tesla [credit: Darrell Spice, Jr.]

Dogs Adore Teslas

Going down from the mountains in Austria, Robert Sendziak gains about 4% of battery charge. The regenerative braking that his 2021 Tesla Long Range Model 3 has is one of his favorite features. Robert and his dog Rasti (who’s a big fan of Tesla Dog Mode) go on a lot of road trips, and the fact that his Tesla is electric and inexpensive to maintain means a lot to him. “I love the performance and how it’s a new kind of gadget with things like sentry mode and remote access to the cameras and remote controls.  In a sense, it’s still a car but also so much more.”

Dog Rasti loves Dog Mode in the Tesla [with permission from Robert Sendziak]

No Car Does it Better

Blake Check, who has owned a 2018 Model 3 Performance for about a year, shared, “It’s my dream car because it’s the complete package. It’s green, packed with tech, blisteringly quick, beautiful, and compact, and it keeps getting better the longer I have it. I love the juxtaposition of performance and practicality. No car does it better, in my opinion.” 

Blake Check shares his positive experiences on his Youtube. 

My thoughts

“What’s Up Tesla” was started to be a 100% positive voice in support of Tesla and the mission to accelerate the transition to sustainable energy. I am so grateful to you for supporting this blog. I am very thankful for the kindness of many people giving me permission to share their stories and pictures. I plan to share more first-hand accounts from Tesla owners soon.

Like this article? You can read more like this

Gail Alfar [edited by Sarah Alfar], Exclusive to What’s Up Tesla – May 7, 2022 –  All Rights Reserved

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Supercharging A Brighter Future

Gail AlfarLeave a comment
Tesla Decanter in Austin, Texas

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.

Elon Musk on Twitter

Tesla Charging in the Netherlands

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!

Photo of Amsterdam by Viv/Twitter

Like this article? You can read more like this

Gail Alfar, Exclusive to What’s Up Tesla – All Rights Reserved.

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Model Y Emerges from Giga Texas Today

Gail AlfarLeave a comment
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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Tesla Word-of-Mouth, No Advertising

Gail Alfar2 Comments
Tesla Model Y. credit, the author

Word-of-Mouth is the best Advertising

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 Musk Q3 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

Want to read more excellent articles? I suggest…

Gail Alfar, Exclusive to What’s Up Tesla – All Rights Reserved.

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TESLA: MADE IN TEXAS

Gail AlfarLeave a comment

Giga Texas is built with an iconic Cybertruck look and is at once powerfully productive. Giga Texas’ attention to detail is evident the minute you see it for the first time. I see Tesla as wanting to celebrate engineering production at scale, not just churn out cars from a boring cement box. No one EXPECTS a vehicle factory to be aesthetically pleasing. Then again, when people ride in a Tesla it is also an unexpectedly pleasurable experience.

Cruising past Giga Texas at night you see the suspended Model Y soaring high amongst perfectly aligned and symmetrical steel beams, lighting, and conduits.

Austin Model Y Suspended in Giga Texas, credit, the author

The flying Austin Model Y is delightful and evokes Elon Musk’s sense of irony

Consider that Giga Texas is perfectly aligned true North, a mile long, and blends in with the Texas landscape. The lines of the Gigafactory also resemble the lines of the Cybertruck.  The front of the factory incorporates an abstract T for Tesla.  The solar panels on the roof will spell out TESLA for the enjoyment of all who fly over Austin.

It is a celebration to drive past the Gigafactory as an observer.  People smile when they see this large structure with angular glass. Giga Texas is designed so that you are invited to look inside, especially at night. I take you there in the video below.

This connection is taken so seriously that Elon Musk insisted Giga Texas will one day be open to the public, not closed and only for Tesla.

“It’s right on the Colorado River,
so there’s actually going to be a boardwalk where there’ll be a hiking and biking trail.
It’s going to basically be an ecological paradise,
birds in the trees, butterflies, fish in the stream,
and they will be open to the public as well.
So not closed and only Tesla.”
Elon Musk, Q2 2020 Earnings Call

Giga Berlin Celebrates German Precision and Local Art

It is notable that Giga Texas and Giga Berlin have both been designed to showcase incredible beauty on the outside while being a manufacturing powerhouse on the inside.

German Model Y is highly acclaimed for its luxury excellence. The factory also features local graffiti art, as seen below. This imaginative approach is appreciated because it creates an important connection with local talent.

GigaFactory Berlin Graffiti (Source: Tesla Q4 and FY2021 Update)
Gigafactory Berlin Graffiti (source @GF4Tesla/Twitter)
Giga Texas Model Y Flying High at Night. credit, the author
Note: Giga Texas and Giga Berlin are both currently under construction, hopefully, they will be open to the public when construction is completed.

CONCLUSION

  • Giga Texas is an artistic landmark that celebrates engineering production at scale
  • The factory is perfectly aligned true North, a mile long, and blends in with the Texas landscape
  • One day, the factory grounds will be open to the public, Elon Musk said it will be an “ecological paradise, birds in the trees, butterflies, fish in the stream.”
  • Giga Berlin is known for its manufacturing excellence and precision as well as being a showcase for local artistic talent.
Tesla Giga Texas. credit Joe Tegtmeyer. August 30, 2022

Here’s why I created this blog. In January 2022, I was frustrated over spending valuable energy on trivial matters. My friend Johnna Crider, suggested to start painting or start a blog. I did both (you can see my Giga Texas painting here). We tossed around different names. Johnna came up with “What’s Up Tesla.” I rented shared office space in order to work uninterrupted. I am thoroughly enjoying expressing creative energy in support of Tesla and Elon Musk in this way.

Want to read more excellent articles? I suggest…

Gail Alfar, author. Exclusive to What’s Up Tesla – February 5, 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.

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Tesla Q4 2021 Earnings Call and the Long Road Ahead

Gail Alfar17 Comments

Hello, I’m Gail Alfar, a Tesla owner in Austin, Texas. I love to share good vibes about Tesla, Giga Texas, Tesla China & Tesla Solar. I really do believe our future is bright! I recently rented a shared office space to start “What’s Up Tesla,” and a funny thing happened to me.

Have you ever been locked out? I went into a secret room that was filled with beautiful art. The door locked behind me and I was forced to exit the area. Outside, the hallway was empty, except for a Pepsi someone had left sitting on the floor. Eventually a stranger came along and unlocked the door. “You need to get back in, there’s lots of work to do.”

His words reminded me of why I am writing this blog. I have to do more to support the mission of Tesla and Elon Musk, as there is still a very long road ahead.

“While 2021 was a defining year for our company, we believe we are just at the very early stages of our journey. Thank you for being part of it.”  Tesla
Tesla Giga Texas (Source: Tesla Q4 and FY2021 Update)

October 7, 2021: Tesla Headquarters is officially Austin, Texas. Elon Musk announced this historic move at the Tesla 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.

January 26, 2022: Tesla Q4 and Full Year 2021 Financial Results are a game-changer, revealing that making electric cars is actually more profitable than making combustion engine cars!

“2021 was a breakthrough year for Tesla. There should no longer be doubt about the viability and profitability of electric vehicles. With our deliveries up 87% in 2021, we achieved the highest quarterly operating margin among all volume OEMs, based on the latest available data, demonstrating that EVs can be more profitable than combustion engine vehicles.”  Tesla

My view is that 2021 was the year for Giga Shanghai and the Fremont Factory to shine! The two factories had a combined record number of vehicle deliveries of 0.94 million in 2021. For comparison, these same two factories produced and delivered 0.5 million vehicles in 2020. 

Elon Musk acknowledged Tesla will build more Gigafactories in addition to Giga Texas and Giga Berlin-Brandenburg [locations may be announced by the end of the year]. On the one hand factories should ideally be close to customers. On the other hand, it is so critical to build gigafactories, that I argue there should be a second ultra fast and efficient gigafactory in China.

Tesla allowed us a view into the assembly line in Giga Texas. We see Austin Model Y seats being mounted on a structural battery pack. This shift in manufacturing means all Tesla Gigafactories can produce vehicles even faster [and more profitable] with less parts. This is part of Tesla’s winning plan to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy. Make no mistake though, this was and still is a painfully difficult journey for Tesla!

“Prototypes are easy, production is hard.” 
Elon Musk
Gigafactory Texas- Attaching Seats to a Structural Battery Pack (Source: Tesla Q4 and FY2021 Update)

I used to think that a “Financial Result” meeting should only be about Tesla’s hardcore production and profitability. Now I wholeheartedly endorse allowing Elon Musk to speak in order to draw listeners into imagining a wonderful world of the future. 

Allow me to share a futuristic scenario I envisioned after listening to Elon Musk speak at the “Full Year 2021 Financial Results” meeting:

Here, all vehicles are fully autonomous, so imagine for a moment a world filled with  Cybertrucks, Model Y and many other EVs in their most durable forms, all capable of driving almost 24/7. The cost to get from one place to another is low, and people prefer to use entertaining Robotaxis. Its rare to see anyone owning a personal vehicle. 

In crowded places, there are tunnels beckoning people underground, and away from the traffic up above. Many tunnel entrances are repurposed parking lots or garages. People wonder why there were so many of these strange things built. 

Everywhere, we see friendly Optimus humanoid robots. Optimus are doing almost any kind of menial task, or any task that takes place in uncomfortable situations or temperatures. 

As news headlines proclaim a human labor shortage, Tesla Gigafactories roll out large numbers of Optimus. These kind, sentient humanoid robots help to ease the labor shortage, and propel the economy into a stable place. Optimus helps build Tesla HVAC and hot water systems. They even help install systems in homes. 

"I've designed your home now for maximum efficiency and comfort, test it out and let me know what you think, see you tomorrow as I must go get recharged at the local solar-port Megapack," declares Optimus while climbing into a Robotaxi that has gently pulled up playing Sandstorm on the boombox.

Thanks for reading my first blog post. I’m looking forward to creating interesting takes on Tesla to share with YOU most Saturdays! Listen to the entire Tesla Q4 and Full Year 2021 Financial Results here. 

By the way, I drank that Pepsi and I still have the bottle, just to remind myself not to get locked out again.

Photo by Tomek Baginski on Unsplash

Want to read more excellent articles? I suggest…

Gail Alfar, author. Exclusive to What’s Up Tesla – January 29, 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.

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