Tag: Gail Alfar

Model Y at Tesla Investor Day 2023. Image Courtesy Gali.

Quick Look Back at Tesla Investor Day:  Supercharging, NACS, and 4th of July Road Trip

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Over the 4th of July holiday I took a road trip in my Model Y. This is one of many road trips I have enjoyed and yet it stands out as unique due to some wonderful people I met who love Tesla. Word of mouth travels fast, and this is how many people are aware of Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS). People like the idea that other EVs will charge at Tesla Superchargers.

TESLA’S SUPERCHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE IS SOLID

Before I go into my experiences with Supercharging and my conversations with EV owners, I want to bring you back to Tesla Investor Day on March 1, 2023, which showcased how strong the Tesla Supercharging Network is. This Network is well prepared to provide charging to other electric vehicles.

Tesla’s leaders gathered at Gigafactory Texas to present this important showcase. Rebecca Tinucci of Tesla’s Charging Infrastructure team explained,

“We think a lot about what it means to charge at home, even if that home is an apartment or condo, and we spend a lot of time thinking about what it means to charge away from home, including if that’s for daily commuting or if you’re going on a road trip.” 

Tinucci explained that in 2022 Tesla provided 9 Terawatt hours of charging across various charging methods and over 50% of that was supplied by convenient AC home charging. 

Tesla owners have always been able to access over 80,000 charging points and that includes 40,000 of Tesla’s Superchargers. Now this flourishing charging network will be open to other EVs who adopt the NACS.  

Tesla Model Y Charging at Home. Image Courtesy Tesla, Inc.
Tesla Model Y Charging at Home. Image Courtesy Tesla, Inc.

HOW DID TESLA GET SO GOOD AT SUPERCHARGING?

Only Tesla has dedicated countless hours and engineering talent to make electric vehicle charging an experience so delightful, that people love to talk about how good it is. Tinucci explains “Getting here has meant that we spent 10 years building charging infrastructure when basically no one else in the industry would do it, those 10 years have afforded us the opportunity to get pretty good at charging.”

For this reason, Tesla can depend on word-of-mouth advertising for its Supercharger Network. There are signs that other electric vehicle manufacturers may spend advertising dollars making their customers aware that their vehicles can access the Tesla Network however Tesla won’t have to spend a penny on advertising this. Instead, Tesla will invest every dollar into improving the Network.  

LOWER COST PASSED TO THE CUSTOMER

Tesla’s mission is to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy, so naturally costs to power your EV will cost less than filling up a gas tank. Tesla uses less expensive renewable energy to power Superchargers. These cost savings also come from Tesla’s approach to finding the most efficient ways to deploy Superchargers and vertically integrate the supply chain.  

Tinucci explained, “First, we have the industry’s lowest deployment cost, our costs are often 20% if not 70% lower than alternatives, and that goes for both our supercharging hardware and deployments and our AC charging product lines.”  

Tesla achieves this lower cost through being vertically integrated with manufacturing, and through engineering all of their own charging equipment. Tesla shares components across their different product lines and installs and operates all of its own charging sites.  In Tanucci’s words, this has led Tesla to be “obsessed with finding ways to innovate around installation.”

TESLA INNOVATES THE WAY SUPERCHARGERS ARE INSTALLED

Tesla applies manufacturing expertise to how they deploy Supercharger sites. 

One example is that Tesla is pre-builds “Four post Supercharger units” at Gigafactory New York. Tinucci explained that Tesla ships these pre-built superchargers to the site and then uses a crane to put them into position, which saves 15% on deployment costs. A site can be installed in a matter of days, and once it’s operating, Tesla continues to manage it efficiently. 

HOW DOES TESLA MANAGE SUPERCHARGER SITE UTILIZATION?

Tinucci explains how Tesla’s Trip Planner Software maximizes Supercharger site efficiency to lower cost,

“Over the last few years, we’ve been able to cut our per kilowatt hour cost by 40%, there are a lot of reasons for this but one of the top of the list is we focused on increasing our site utilization. Site utilization is just how many sessions or kilowatt hours can we push through a site or a post and basically doing that allows us to spread our cost over more sessions, thus, lower cost for kilowatt hour.  But of course that’s easier said than done because when we push efficiency, of course, the risk is that we have a poor customer experience when we have a wait time at our sites.”

Tesla seeks the best customer experience possible and developed a solution for this with Trip Planner software. 

Tinucci continued, 

“This is where Trip Planner comes in. Trip Planner is our in-vehicle routing or navigation system. Other electric vehicle manufacturers, or some of them, have vehicle data. Other infrastructure providers have site data, but at Tesla we have both and what that allows us to do is to use Trip Planner to route vehicles towards available sites and away from congested sites so we can balance our utilization without risking wait time.”

Tinucci explained how the results of Tesla’s Trip Planner software speak for themselves since over the last few years Tesla has been able to drive up site utilization by 30% and that means lower per kilowatt hour cost while also cutting wait time in half.  

Tinucci revealed that Tesla plans even more advancements with Trip Planner. Trip Planner will be moving to projecting site occupancy based on the understanding of what vehicles are currently routing to those sites. She explains that “Ultimately, the vision for Trip Planner is that it’s the air traffic controller for electric vehicle charging across all infrastructure on a global basis.” This will become more important in 2024 when other EVs start Supercharging in the Tesla Network. 

QUICKER CHARGE TIMES

When I last Supercharged at Buc-ee’s in Waller, Texas, the 20 minutes went by so fast I did not have enough time to linger in the shops. It was enough to use the ladies’ room and buy lunch to avoid a $1/minute idle fee. I had to rush back to remove my Tesla from the post. 

Tesla aims for even quicker charge times than this! Tunicci said, “We have shaved off 30% of our average supercharger sites time, or visit time, over the last few years. This is taking improvements on the hardware side with our software on our vehicles and on our infrastructure and we’re really excited to continue pushing this trend down.”

WHAT IT TAKES TO CHARGE A FULLY ELECTRIFIED FLEET

Do you know how much a Petawatt is? Petawatts is a unit of power equal to one quadrillion watts, and it’s used to estimate the immense amount of energy required in the future to charge all cars if they were electric. 

Tesla aspires to a fully electrified, global fleet and that will take an enormous amount of energy. Nine Petawatt hours of charging will be needed on an annual basis. Tesla is preparing to meet that challenge by growing and maintaining a stellar charging experience.

Tinucci explains it this way, “While Tesla Charging certainly doesn’t have to supply all of that [9 Petawatts], it does require that for our part, we have a few new focuses in order to scale. First, if you want a fully electrified, global fleet, all of those vehicles have to have a great and reliable charging experience.”

In 2022, Tesla opened up its supercharging network on a global basis and now over 50% of Tesla’s superchargers in Europe are currently open to other electric vehicles. In 2024, get ready to see other EVs charging at Tesla Superchargers in the USA. Ford, General Motors, Mercedes-Benz, Polestar, Rivian, and Volvo will build EVs with Tesla’s easy-to-use and ergonomic North American Charging Standard (NACS). Expect to see most EVs built in 2025 to have the NACS. Until then, other EVs can access all Tesla Superchargers in the USA using an adapter.  

TESLA CHARGING: RENEWABLE SOURCES & DAYTIME CHARGING

The second thing Tesla is doing is to ensure when they build out charging infrastructure, that it’s powered by renewable sources. Tanucci said,

“Over the last two years, we’ve procured enough renewable energy to offset the amount of charging we’ve provided to customers. As we look forward and we talk about this fully electrified fleet on a global basis, we want to make sure the demand for charging more closely follows when renewable sources are available.”

Tanucci continued, “We think the best way to go towards daytime charging is to install AC charging that is convenient and low-cost everywhere vehicles are typically parked throughout the day.”  It comes as no surprise when Tanucci stated that Tesla Charging teams “are currently scaling to install AC charging everywhere vehicles charge during the day so we can power them from the new renewable sources.” 

MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCES

I’d like to leave you with my experiences with Supercharging and my conversations with EV owners on my recent 4th of July trip to Galveston Island, Texas. 

“I would love to charge my EQS in the Tesla Network! I hope it happens as soon as possible!”

My friend Chris, from Louisiana, drove a Mercedes-Benz EQS to Galveston Island for the 4th and is very excited to access Tesla Superchargers.  

“I had no problems at all with staying charged on my drive moving to Houston from New Jersey. Gas stations are smelly and I don’t miss them!”  

Another friend, a Model Y owner, shared his enthusiasm for how easy it was to travel and stay charged. I share his sentiments, and one of the reasons I bought a Tesla was to avoid the gas pump. Gas pumps bugged me for being clunky and often leaky. I remember raising the nozzle in the air so gas would not fall on my shoes. Yes, flammable, toxic gasoline would often be left on my car, hands, and feet. Thankfully, the future is electric!

Tesla Supercharging is one part of Elon Musk’s Master Plan Part 3. There is a long road ahead and we can help by using renewable energy and speaking up to policymakers to promote policy that will help, not hinder, Tesla and the amazing work their teams are doing. 

Don't Mess With Tesla Belt Buckle.
Don’t Mess With Tesla Belt Buckle.

Notes:  See Official Tesla Youtube LIVE “2023 Investor Day.” 

Thanks to the entire Tesla team and especially to Elon Musk for his engineering and leadership.  

An article by Gail Alfar For What’s Up Tesla & Twitter Publishing from July 8, 2023.

Gail’s Tesla Podcast Episode No. 19: Galveston Beach, Texas on the 4th of July

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Galveston Beach, Texas

Fourth of July is a popular time to visit the sparkling beaches on the Gulf Coast of Texas. I packed up my gear, and headed to Galveston Beach with my family to enjoy the sand, sun, ocean salt water, and Tesla FSD beta in a busy beach town! What an amazing experience.

Consider this: When you travel outside your usual comfort zone, Tesla FSD beta is your best friend who “knows” the new town well. This was my experience in Galveston. Enjoy the podcast and I hope your travels are fun, safe, and memorable!

Gail’s Tesla Podcast Episode 19

Gail Alfar, author. Exclusive to What’s Up Tesla – All Rights Reserved. My goal as an author and podcaster 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.

Tesla’s Achievements and What’s Next  

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(Austin, Texas) In October 2008, Elon Musk became CEO of Tesla and on June 29, 2010, Tesla made history by going public at a share price of $17. This move not only garnered attention from investors but also served as a turning point for the company’s growth trajectory. 

Let’s look at some major milestones in the history of Tesla. I’ll share my insight on what I think are the next big things for Tesla.

“The smartest money in the world is betting on Tesla. They must have a reason for doing so.” – Elon Musk, Tesla IPO day (2010)

Elon Musk is a wonderful Technoking of Tesla! 

He’s optimistic, takes action daily to make the future good and lives with a sense of urgency. This sense of urgency was evident on one occasion when I had the rare opportunity to speak with him at Giga Texas in August 2022.  

I can tell you that after meeting Elon Musk, what he shares on Twitter is essentially the same as what he talks about in person. He spoke about how important it is to get Starship into orbit and how important solving autonomy is. He is a highly technical and brilliant engineer. 

“But I think what a lot of people don’t realize, is what I do 80% of the time in engineering. You know it’s actually quite rare for me to give a talk. My day-to-day work at SpaceX and Tesla is almost entirely engineering and design and also production. Production is key, although I consider that to be part of engineering.” – Elon Musk, Baron Conference ‘22

Battery Technology Advancements

Tesla’s expertise in battery technology has been a game-changer in the world of electric vehicles and energy storage. The company’s relentless focus on research and development has yielded remarkable results, with continuous improvements in battery efficiency, energy density, and longevity. I own a Model Y and never worry about the battery. Tesla’s software does the job of keeping the battery healthy by preconditioning it as I drive towards a Supercharger, or cooling it depending on hot weather, and making sure it conserves energy in a pinch. 

Introduction of the Tesla Model S in 2012 

I was very excited to see the Model S in Austin in 2012 and go on a test drive soon after!  What an exciting time it was! The Model S showcased Tesla’s ability to create an electric vehicle that not only rivaled but surpassed its combustion-engine counterparts. With groundbreaking aerodynamics, innovative powertrain design, and advanced thermal management, the S demonstrated that electric cars could offer exhilarating acceleration, exceptional range, and luxurious comfort.

Recognizing The Importance Of A Robust Charging Infrastructure For All EVs 

Tesla pioneered the development of the Supercharger network. These high-power charging stations, strategically placed along popular travel routes, offer Tesla owners and now other EVs a convenient and efficient way to recharge their vehicles, reducing range anxiety and promoting long-distance travel. The deployment of V3 Superchargers, capable of delivering up to 250 kW of power, further solidifies Tesla’s commitment to fast and seamless charging experiences. 

Autopilot and Full Self-Driving Capabilities

Tesla’s advancements in autonomous driving have been a focal point of the industry and my personal favorite feature of my beautiful Model Y. I use Tesla FSD beta for 90% of my driving. Through a combination of hardware and software innovations, including the neural network-based perception systems, and machine learning algorithms, Tesla has made significant strides towards achieving full self-driving capabilities. The Autopilot feature, which comes with every vehicle at no extra cost, has revolutionized the driving experience, paving the way for a future with safer and more efficient transportation including future Robotaxis.

Gigafactories

Tesla’s relentless pursuit of scalability led to the establishment of Gigafactories, massive production facilities designed to manufacture big batteries, electric drivetrains, and vehicles on an unprecedented scale. These state-of-the-art factories, strategically located around the globe, optimize production processes, reduce costs, and accelerate the adoption of sustainable transportation on a global scale. At least three of Tesla’s gigafactories are expanding in size as you are reading this article! This includes Gigafactory Nevada, Giga Berlin, and Giga Shanghai.  I am familiar with Gigafactory New York, and Lathrop’s Megafactory for big batteries. 

Under the big, blue Texas sky is Giga Texas, an achievement that inspires and produces a sense of awe. The gigafactory can be seen from space as it is huge, with solar panels on the roof that spell out “Tesla.” The gigafactory and its surroundings buzz with activity and even driving near it fills you with exhilaration knowing this is the home of both Model Y and Cybertruck! 

“Giga Texas is a $10B+ investment over time, generating at least 20k direct & 100k indirect jobs” – Elon Musk on Twitter

What is Next for Tesla? 

This is not a full list, and there are likely many plans Tesla has which we do not know about. But here’s a few to get you excited! 

Giga Mexico will build a next-gen (more affordable) vehicle. The gigafactory will likely attract the best of Mexico’s talent in automotive. 

Tesla Lithium Refinery in Texas is being built and will strengthen the reliability and reduce the cost of Tesla’s batteries. The factory will bring needed jobs to the Corpus Christi area. 

Production will scale for Cybertruck and Semi. The roads will change, bringing the future to the present. Tesla will hold a Cybertruck Event!

The delightful and reliable Optimus Bot will charm both owners and co-workers!

More Stores, Galleries and Service Centers will be opened.

Supercharging will expand and so will Destination and Home charging.

Tesla Electric will expand Virtual Power Plants and, working with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) it will make sure all VPPs across the USA and Puerto Rico prove they can respond reliably and faster than traditional natural gas or oil power plants. 

For more, study Tesla Masterplan Part 3, a framework that lays the foundation for a sustainable economy that will result in less mining and/or extraction than is currently done. People often worry about “rare earths.” In reality, zero rare earths are needed for the transition to sustainable energy. Have a great day and thank you for supporting my independent journalism!

Article written with pleasure by Gail aAfar, please credit accordingly. All images in article are Courtesy Tesla, Inc.

Electric Vehicle Infrastructure is Growing In The USA

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(Austin, Texas) Tesla announced today that Volvo will build EVs with the North American Charging Standard (NACS), joining Ford, General Motors, and Rivian in accessing all Tesla Superchargers in the USA. 

This article is about the NACS and much more! I hope you’ll take a minute to read it. My goal is to inspire you, and put a smile on your face.

Why I’m in love with Tesla Supercharging

Nostalgia. As a kid, I liked going to gas stations. My favorite one was Sinclair Oil. I begged to go to Sinclair. Our family’s Oldsmobile used a lot of gas. We paid cash, and my father would pick up a pack of Camel cigarettes, buy us candy, and we would get a free small plastic dinosaur toy! 

When Sinclair Oil went out of business, I stopped enjoying fueling up my car.  Over the years the fun was removed from “gas stations,” and Tesla is making powering up your car fun again!  How?  

Tesla has created Superchargers that are easy to use in two main ways

  1. The payment system is integrated into the Tesla App and the vehicle.  When you plug in your EV, the payment is automatically integrated, so you never need to pull out a credit card or push any buttons on a screen.  There is no screen, it’s just that simple.  
  1. Tesla built the NACS so that you, with your hands full, can plug in the car.  The handle is small, ergonomic, and as it gets close to the charge port, it opens up the charger door. 

Tesla, Ford, General Motors, Volvo, And Rivian, Are All Part Of A New Movement 

Tesla has grown a robust Supercharging Network in the USA and there is plenty of room for other EVs to join in the fun. Soon, most EVs in the USA can be expected to either be assembled with the NACS charge port or to have an adapter. 

Today the current lineup includes Ford, General Motors, Volvo And Rivian. (see addendum at end of the article for more automakers that have adopted NACS). These automakers have an agreement with Tesla so that their vehicles can access Tesla Superchargers. To emphasize the scope and scale of Tesla’s Supercharger Network, see the current map of Superchargers below.  It keeps growing every day. How can it grow so fast?

Tesla builds Superchargers that are pre-fabricated at Giga New York, then ships them to a site, and they are installed within just a few days. 

This fast installation process using the NACS, is the biggest indicator to me that it will be quicker than most realize that we will transition to all electric vehicles in the USA. 

Superchargers in North America. Image Courtesy Tesla, Inc. (accessed on June 27, 2023)
Superchargers in North America. Image Courtesy Tesla, Inc. (accessed on June 27, 2023)

Texas and Washington Lead The Way In Making Charging Easier

Texas is the first state in the USA to guarantee all state-funded fast charging will offer the NACS. Washington is the second state and I’m ready to add most states to the list! 

I encourage you to make your next car electric. If you have not driven an electric car, I urge you to test drive one. 

You’re going to laugh when I tell you that I own two Teslas, yet I still take test drives! I loved testing the Tesla Model X. I’ve never been this excited, since that day when my father pulled into the Sinclair gas station and I started collecting those little dinosaurs!

If you drive a Tesla and see other EVs at the Supercharger, be sure to give a smile and a thumbs up to the new people you’ll be seeing soon at the Superchargers!

Addendum/Update:

(June 29, 2023) Polestar joins General Motors, Ford, and Rivian in adopting the North American Charging Standard (NACS) which will enable access to Tesla’s expansive Supercharger network for all Polestar drivers in the United States and Canada. On June 29, 2023, Polestar stated “From 2025, new Polestar vehicles sold in North America will be equipped with the NACS charging port by default. Adapters to help allow existing Polestar drivers to access the network in a convenient way are expected in mid-2024.”

Addendum/Update:

Mercedes-Benz becomes the first German automaker to adopt NACS, enabling access to Tesla’s expansive Supercharger network.

(July 7, 2023) Mercedes-Benz drivers in the USA and Canada are delighted with this announcement!

A press release by Mercedes-Benz from July 7, 2023 states,

“Mercedes-Benz will be the first German OEM to implement NACS ports into its new electric vehicles starting in 2025. As part of a phased transition, Mercedes-Benz will initially offer an adapter that enables the company’s existing CCS BEVs to charge seamlessly on the NACS network from 2024 onwards.”

Mercedes-Benz joins Ford, General Motors, Volvo, Rivian, and Polestar in making the Supercharging experience seamless and pleasant for EV drivers.

Mercedes-Benz has adopted the NACS. Image Courtesy Mercedes-Benz.
Mercedes-Benz has adopted the NACS. Image Courtesy Mercedes-Benz.
Supercharging, Image Courtesy Tesla, Inc.
Supercharging, Image Courtesy Tesla, Inc.

Article is by Gail Alfar please credit accordingly. 

Tesla Model 3

Saving With A Tesla Referral Link

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Tesla Model 3
Tesla Model 3

(Austin, Texas) There are moments in life when you know it is time to make big changes that will alter the course of your life forever. Purchasing a new Tesla Vehicle is one of those moments. When I bought my Model 3 with FSD beta, it opened up a whole new chapter in my life. How did this happen?

The all-electric Model 3 was clean, fast, and drove itself (with my supervision) and it inspired me to start learning about electric powertrain engineering. This led to me to research the creation of Tesla’s Gigafactory in Texas. I followed the development of Giga Texas from before Day 1.

Elon Musk Interview/Meeting

This passion eventually led to me writing this blog, making incredible friendships, and meeting these friends in real life. One such encounter was on June 25, 2022, at the completed Gigafactory Texas. I had the pleasure of meeting Elon Musk and asking him about battery storage and Distributed Energy Resources [DERs].

I asked Elon Musk if he could talk a little about DERs and if Gigafactory Texas could be protected in the event of an emergency, Elon replied,

“Well, I think this is going to be in terms of batteries, a combination of large batteries, sort of utility-scale batteries with very big installations. 
Like we just did a big thing with PG&E at Moss Landing in California which is going to be very important for maintaining power in California. There is a number of other installations happening. 
And then at the local level, you’ve got the Powerwalls that collectively can stabilize the grid within a neighborhood. 
So, the combination of centralized batteries with Megapack and distributed batteries at homes and businesses with powerwall working together can have a very positive effect in making sure the power stays on.” – Elon Musk

Save With Tesla Referral Link

When you purchase your first electric vehicle, you’ll want to make a wise choice. Tesla offers four variants: Model S, Model 3, Model X, and Model Y. You can save money when you use a referral link. Any referral link is valuable, and if you would like, I will share mine https://www.tesla.com/referral/gail74884

This link also helps you receive savings on Tesla Solar Panels, Solar Roof, as well as can provide you with a free Demo Drive. Enjoy!

Gail's Tesla Referral Link for Savings
Gail’s Tesla Referral Link for Savings
Starship Launch Test One, April 20, 2023. Image Courtesy SpaceX.

Elon Musk’s Talk About Starship and Starlink

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Starship Launch Test One, April 20, 2023. Image Courtesy SpaceX.
Starship Launch Test One, April 20, 2023. Image Courtesy SpaceX.

“Space is very big.  Space is bigger than people realize.  

You can put a lot up in Space.”  – Elon Musk

While in Italy, Elon Musk graciously took the time to share an update about Starship and Starlink. I attended the first Starship launch, and I join many other people in being very excited about this update. Elon’s dedication to communicating is notable, as he attempted to host a Twitter Space on two previous days but had to stop due to connection issues. I listened live to this third attempt hosted by Ashlee Vance. I am sharing the highlights of Elon’s talk which includes the late-breaking news that hot staging will be used. Elon explains hot staging in this article.  

How Starlink is Helping Small Business: Railroads vs. Horse and Wagon

Amidst clinking dishes, pouring water, and the occasional singing Italian voice, Elon explained how the cost to orbit is much reduced with Falcon 9.  He explained how numerous small satellite companies have been greatly helped, by Falcon 9, to create a business through the low cost to get their company satellites into orbit. 

To better illustrate the low cost of transport, Elon used the example of early train rails,

“In a way it’s sort of like the Union Pacific railroad across the US where it’s like back when the early businesses were popping up in California, now you’ve got a railroad and previously you had to drag a wagon over the Sierras or the Rockies.  

The point is, once you enable world-class transport you also enable a lot of companies to create interesting businesses because it is no longer prohibitively expensive to get to orbit.”

Starship and Falcon 9

Getting to orbit is hard, Elon explains,

“I think it’s worth identifying the difference between space and orbit, most people think of those as synonymous, but getting to Space is easy, and getting to orbit is hard.

Getting to orbit is much harder than getting to Space, which is somewhat arbitrarily defined as a 100 km altitude, but you still have an atmosphere at 100 km, it’s over 60 miles.” 

It is extremely hard to get Starship into orbit, with its massive height of about 400 feet and mass of 5000 tons.  And yet Elon remains on course to pursue that SpaceX mission of colonizing Mars. In fact, today Starship is humanity’s only hope to become multi-planetary. 

The Space Station

Elon continued, 

“If you immediately get to Space and you have no velocity you will fall back down just like a cannonball. Going up is all about orbit.

Space Station is somewhat of a misnomer because it is anything but stationary. The Space Station is moving around Earth at 17,000 miles an hour. The Space Station is moving roughly 12X faster than a bullet from an assault rifle, right now. And it goes around the earth every hour and a half, roughly every 90 minutes. So I wouldn’t call that stationery.  It’s basically not a Space Station.” 

Space is Big

One of my favorite parts of Elon’s talk today was when he brought listeners into the world we know from the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. He said,

“Space is very big.  Space is bigger than people realize.  You can put a lot up in Space. Think of the Earth as a sphere but being in orbit is basically a vast number of Earth’s surfaces, like a series of concentric spheres, and they’re not filled with debris, they’re filled with nothing.”  

 

Elon explained that with coordination, satellites can be placed at different orbit levels so they will not interfere with other satellites or collide.  He explained satellites can be maneuvered to avoid even coming close to anything else. Communication is important to make sure various countries have coordination between various satellite positions.  For example, the Starlink satellite orbit is unique, and other satellites will never be put into that same orbit.  

SpaceX Does not Worry About the Competition

“Anyone who spends time thinking about the competition is wasting their mental energy.” – Elon Musk

Elon Musk said SpaceX does not think about the “competition.” Instead of worrying about the competition, Elon and his team at SpaceX think about how they can make Starlink better and the Rockets better. He explains this using the example of sports.  If you see a runner look back at the other runners right before he crosses the finish line then he’ll lose the race. 

SpaceX has launched competitors’ satellites into orbit (since Soyuz stopped) indicating that SpaceX is supportive of competitors. 

For example, on May 20, 2023, SpaceX launched a demonstration satellite for OneWeb’s second-generation broadband constellation. OneWeb is considered a competitor to Starlink. COSMO-SkyMed was launched for the Italian Space Agency in January 2021. See Rocket Launch live’s website for an up-to-date list of each SpaceX mission.

SpaceX’s Global Lead

I am amazed that 80% of all payload from Earth going to orbit will likely be brought there by SpaceX. Elon explained that China will put about 10% into orbit, and the rest of the world will put about 8-9% into orbit. “This year, if our luck holds, we’ll do 80% of Earth mass to orbit.  That’s the key metric.” 

Starship’s Significant Late Breaking Change: Hot Staging

Elon carefully explained that there are well over 1000 changes between the last Starship flight on April 20 (see video attached from SpaceX) and the upcoming launch test. Because of these changes, the next flight has a possible 60% higher probability to get into orbit.

“It depends on how well we do at stage separation.” 

Elon revealed that a late-breaking change has been made for the next Starship launch, which is planned for about 6 weeks from now. 

Hot staging will be used.  The upper stage engines are lighted while the first stage of booster stage engines are still on. SpaceX will shut down most of the engines on the booster, leaving just a few running, and then at the same time, start the engines on the ship (or upper stage). This obviously results in blasting the boosters then you’ve got to protect the top of the booster from getting incinerated by the upper stage engines.  

Never Stop Thrusting

In Soviet rocket history, hot staging has been used. There is a meaningful payload to orbit advantage with hot staging that is, conservatively, about a 10% improvement in payload to orbit.

Elon explains, 

“With hot staging, you basically just never stop thrusting! The moment the rocket stops thrusting it’s engine, it starts falling back to earth. You don’t want to be coasting or be in a situation where the engines are not on because you just immediately start falling back to earth, unless you are already in orbit. You want to have a nonstop thrust situation. 

Basically, you want to start the ship engines before you completely shut down the booster engines.  In order to do this we actually have to have vents or the super hot plasma from the upper stage engines are going to go somewhere so we’re adding an extension to the booster which is almost all vent essentially.  So that allows the upper stage engine to go through the vented extension of the booster and not just blow itself up.  This is the most risky thing for the next flight, I think.”  

This explains why protective shielding will be added to the top of the booster.

I could hear the concern in Elon’s voice when he mentioned to the interviewer (Ashlee Vance) that there are a lot of variables that are outside of his control when it comes to the next Starship launch test. The amount of work needed to prepare for this test is massive. The team at SpaceX must be working around the clock to prepare for this launch.  Blood, sweat and tears go into every aspect.  Starbase is hot, humid, and the work is very physical.  

Elon continued, explaining time is needed to get the launch pad ready with 2 thick plates of steel, welded together with water-cooling layers sandwiched in. 

“Think of it like a gigantic upside-down showerhead. It’s going to blast water upwards while the rocket is over the pad to counteract the massive amount of heat from the booster. The booster is the world’s biggest cutting torch, with a massive amount of heat and force. The pad is overkill on the steel sandwich and the concrete, but it should leave the pad in much better shape than last time. We’ll also be doing a higher thrust weight so it will spend less time on the ground.”

If you are interested in Elon’s deep technical dive into more changes to Starship, please see the interview on Vance’s Twitter account, “The Rise of Commercial Space with me and Elon Musk” and go to 43:10 to begin. I won’t add in the technicalities due to most people will glaze over, unless they are that 1 in 1000 rare engineer. 

I am thankful that Elon had time to connect with the Space community and others on a Saturday afternoon.  I listened from Austin, Texas while he was in Italy.  Listeners were there from all over the world.  Millions are inspired by Starship.  Starship is humanity’s only hope to become a spacefaring civilization.  If you are like me, this makes you excited to get up in the morning!

Starship Launch Test One, April 20, 2023. Image Courtesy SpaceX.
Starship Launch Test One, April 20, 2023. Image Courtesy SpaceX.

Article by Gail Alfar, first appeared on Gail’s Twitter account as an original article. Please credit Gail Alfar accordingly.

How did cars.com come up with Tesla as most-American made car (all 4)?

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Let’s take a quick look at how cars.com came up with Tesla as most-American made car. All four made top of the list: Model S, Model 3, Model X and Model Y.

It was their analysis of 5 criteria:

assembly location,

parts content,

motor origin,

transmission origin &

U.S. mfg workforce.

Ultimately, they vetted 388 cars to arrive at 100 which made the index. Tesla made the top 4 – simply Amazing!

Source: 2023 Carscom American-Made Index: Which Cars Are the Most American? See https://www.cars.com/articles/2023-cars-com-american-made-index-which-cars-are-the-most-american-467465/

Gail Alfar, author. Exclusive to What’s Up Tesla – All Rights Reserved. My goal as an author and podcaster 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.  If you liked this article, comment your opinion! Your feedback informs me, helps me write better, and helps me understand you the reader better. 

Gail’s Tesla Podcast Episode No. 18

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Ashley St. Clair and Gail Alfar at Tesla Supercharger.

Ashley St. Clair joins us for the podcast.

Join Ashley St. Clair and me for a drive from the Austin airport to visit 1 Tesla Road, try out V3 supercharging, and experience FSD beta for the first time!

A thought-provoking conversation with Ashley

After our stop at Giga Texas, Ashley explains her book, written for children, Freedom Island, Elephants Are Not Birds, and we also touch on topics like ESG and boycott. I hope you enjoy both the conversation and the incredible ride showcasing the amazing FSD software that Tesla continues to put so much effort into perfecting through tens of thousands of hours of work utilizing their fleet of millions of vehicles.

Thank you for watching!

Giga Texas Casting. photo courtesy @Brandonee916

This is what the rear casting of a Tesla Model Y looks like. Photo at Giga Texas by Gail Alfar.

Gail Alfar, author. Exclusive to What’s Up Tesla – All Rights Reserved. My goal as an author and podcaster 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.

Image Courtesy Tesla, Inc.

Tesla Engineers Are Relentless in the Pursuit of Improving Products: Tesla Backup Switch

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Image Courtesy Tesla, Inc.
Image Courtesy Tesla, Inc.

(Austin, Texas) This evening I’m listening to the sound of rolling thunder, the skies are filled with lightning and I’m watching my Texas flag flapping in the wind outside.

In moments like this, I like to sit back and think about the significant things of the week. One significant thing that I do not want to let fade into history is the response I received on Twitter from Drew Baglino.

At Tesla Shareholder Day with Elon Musk, Baglino let investors and others know about the importance of his role at Tesla by describing intricate parts of Master Plan 3. As SVP of Powertrain and Energy Engineering at Tesla, he holds a lot of responsibility. On June 14, Baglino tweeted a message of thanks to utilities that are working to approve the Tesla backup switch in their territory.

What is a Tesla Backup Switch? 

This is the question I posed to Baglino on Twitter because my Tesla Solar System has a large and elegant white Gateway with the Tesla logo on it.  It is beautiful, and I understood it to also be an advanced switch system.  I asked if the backup switch replaces Gateway. The Tesla Gateway is considered an engineering marvel, however, it is much bigger than a backup switch.  Could Backup Switch do everything Gateway does in such a small package?

The answer is yes! Baglino graciously attached a schematic of backup switch and explained the purpose, saying, 

“Yes, the backup switch is a meter socket adapter that provides the metering and automatic grid disconnect functionality of the Tesla Energy Gateway.” (see image)

Image Courtesy Tesla, Inc.
Backup Switch, Image Courtesy Tesla, Inc.

My Power Went Down and my Powerwalls Took Over

I had to pull away from writing this article for about an hour as a severe storm warning was in effect for Austin, Texas. When this happens, I walk outside, bring in the dry clothes from the line, secure lawn chairs and make sure the car is parked in the garage. I love watching storms roll in, the sky in shades of grey, the wind rushing all around the tall trees, and the earthy smell of the storm. 

Meanwhile, my Tesla Powerwalls, like sentry guards against the weather with their backup storage, started to fill with power from the grid, and eventually, power from the grid went down. 

The Powerwalls started to power up the house.  Hail started to hit our home. I ran out to the porch to watch the falling hail and smell the earthy air of a summer storm.  

This was the Tesla Gateway in action.  Backup switch can do the same task, only it is more efficient by 30%.  

Tesla says of the switch, “Powerwall installs with Backup Switch are 30%+ faster and use less equipment.”  

Baglino also explained, “Powerwall+ contains the cellular and WiFi capabilities of the Tesla Energy Gateway. So there is no need for an Energy gateway when you install Powerwall+ with a Backup Switch.”  

Tesla Engineers Are Relentless in the Pursuit of Improving Products

Tesla Energy engineers built an incredible product called the Gateway. Gateway would have been a great place for Telsa to stop, but it was not good enough for Tesla, so they engineered backup switch. 

I get excited when I see Tesla advancing through smart engineering this way. I know that it’s important to accelerate the transition to sustainable energy as fast as possible, and this is a beautiful, sublime way of doing it.

From Tesla’s incredible engineering in their vehicles, to how their systems seamlessly protect families from power outages, safety seems to be the top priority in every aspect.

I hope you, dear reader, will benefit from clean energy where you live, you may not have Powerwalls, but someday you may have solar or wind power that is sold to the grid near where you live, powering your home. We have a lot of work to do in the USA and around the entire world. My cup is half full, I am optimistic, as long as there are good-hearted people, I believe that Tesla Master Plan 3 can be achieved.

Addendum: Five More Reasons Backup Switch is So Amazing

Here are more amazing facts about the Tesla Backup Switch taken from the Interconnection Reform to Accelerate Residential Solar and Storage by Arushi Sharma Frank 

  • Installs in under an hour and allows for safe disconnects and whole-home backup with the battery when the grid is in an outage
  • Tesla Backup Switch reduces project costs
  • Compliant with National Electric Code
  • Certified to UL 414, UL 2735, UL 916, UL 1741 PCS
  • Less intrusive for customer & easier installs on diverse property sizes
Austin Texas on the night I drafted this amazing article. Courtesy Shane Ware on Twitter.

This article written by Gail Alfar, please credit accordingly. With special mention to TESLA ENERGY & Drew Baglino.  Thank you to Tesla Energy for being amazing. Thank you to Elon Musk for giving Masterplan 3 to the people of earth.  Images Courtesy Tesla, Inc.