Tag: What's Up Tesla

Tesla Battery Life

Gail Alfar24 Comments

Welcome back to my blog, I truly hope your summer is great.  If you like learning about Tesla, you’ll love reading about how much care Tesla puts into making sure you feel confident that your vehicle’s battery will serve your needs. Find a cool spot and cold drink and enjoy! I’m sipping some cold Boba milk tea with pearls as I write this.  If you have never tried Boba tea, it’s great!

Tesla Model Y (photo credit to 吃不胖的胖小雷 and Tesla China)

Your Tesla Battery is Guaranteed

Your Tesla battery comes with a warranty.  Here are the details, taken today from the Tesla website,

Credit above:  Tesla new vehicle limited warranty page.

FACT: The existing warranty on any Tesla is transferred to the new owner if you purchase the vehicle from Tesla.

Tesla says in the 2021 Impact Report,

“Our batteries are designed to function for the entire life of the vehicle.  Tesla’s battery packs are designed to outlast the vehicle. We estimate that a vehicle gets scrapped after approximately 200,000 miles of usage in the U.S. and roughly 150,000 miles in Europe.  Creating a battery that could last for 1,000,000 miles (4,000 charging cycles) would dramatically reduce the emissions per mile driven for high-mileage vehicles such as taxis, delivery vans, or trucks.”

If you own a Model Y that was bought with a range of ~318 miles on the battery.  You should expect your Model Y will retain a range of over 222 miles by the time you reach 120,000 miles.  In the rare case that your Y does not then know that Tesla will replace the battery for free.  Tesla may also decide to replace your battery if it has a defect or problem like the inability to charge. 

The Average EV will never need a battery replacement

It is a myth to assume that the average EV needs a battery replacement at some point in its life, according to Tesla, 

“Extending the life of a battery pack is a superior option to recycling for both environmental and business reasons. For those reasons, before decommissioning a consumer battery pack and sending it for recycling, Tesla does everything it can to extend the useful life of each battery pack. 
Any battery that is no longer meeting a customer’s needs can be serviced by Tesla at one of our service centers around the world. None of our scrapped lithium-ion batteries go to landfill, and 100% are recycled.”

Tesla Batteries are Recycled

Tesla says in their 2021 Impact Report,

“Every battery used in R&D or returned from the field that cannot be remanufactured is recycled.  Tesla batteries, including the battery packs in our vehicles and our energy storage products, are made to last many years, and therefore, we have received a limited number of them back from the field. Most batteries that Tesla recycles today are pre-consumer, coming to us through R&D and quality control. None of our scrapped lithium-ion batteries go to landfills and 100% are recycled. Furthermore, Tesla has an established internal ecosystem to re-manufacture batteries coming from the field to our Service Centers. We actively implement circular economy principles and consider all other options before opting for battery recycling."
Battery materials are refined at Tesla and put into a cell and will remain in the cell at the end of their life when they can be recycled to recover valuable materials for reuse, repeatedly, pg 95-96 Tesla Impact Report 2021 

My Thoughts, Enjoy your Tesla, Do Not Worry 

I am very happy with my Tesla, a 2020 Model 3 Rear-Wheel Drive that was bought with a range of 250 miles on the battery.  I just hit 69,420 miles. My battery currently retains 86% of its original range of 216 miles. I expect my Model 3 will retain a range of over 175 miles by the time I reach 100,000 miles.   

The timeless design of Tesla vehicles continues to amaze me.  A 2018 Model 3 is just as beautiful as a new 2022 one.  The body design is so classically elegant that it needs no changes from year to year. 

For this reason, I expect most Tesla owners will feel zero need to update their vehicle from year to year as was common with the old combustion cars. Therefore, I think many people will reach 120,000 miles and beyond in their Tesla.  Tesla estimates that most cars will be scrapped after reaching 200,000 miles. I think we will see many Teslas make it to 250,000 miles before they are scrapped.

I was inspired to write this article by Sofiaan Fraval who recently had his Model 3’s battery replaced under Tesla’s warranty, “Although it’s not new info, it’s often forgotten about or overlooked over time. I just got a pack replacement for my 3 under warranty and cost me $0. It actually bumped my range up by 11 miles and the car charges quicker. Super happy about it.” Sofiaan advises, “Tesla owners needn’t worry about battery packs, and should fully enjoy their Teslas!”

Photo of Austin, Texas by Jeremy Banks on Unsplash

Like this article? You can read more like this

You can subscribe to this blog here.

Gail Alfar, with special thanks to Sofiaan Fraval for his valuable insight.  [Edited by Sarah Alfar] Exclusive to What’s Up Tesla – This blogpost was created utilizing STARLINK satellite services. All Rights Reserved. June 18, 2022

Save with Gail’s Referral

Order Tesla products through Gail’s Referral Link to earn cash off your order – plus exclusive referral benefits. https://www.tesla.com/referral/gail74884

A white Tesla charges up at Superchargers

Breaking down Tesla’s 6+ businesses, comparing them to a traditional car company

Gail Alfar7 Comments

Welcome back to my blog, I hope you’ll enjoy this week’s post. I am sharing part of Elon Musk‘s words from the All-In Summit on May 16, 2022. The reason I’m focusing on this in today’s post is that I believe Elon explains what Tesla is in an easy-to-understand way. We are all transitioning away from fossil fuels and into a clean energy future involving solar, wind, battery storage, and electric vehicles.

I believe that after reading this you will be inspired to see the future in a more positive way. So find a cool spot, grab an iced beverage, and enjoy!

A white Tesla charges up at Superchargers
Tesla Supercharging Network [Credit: Tesla]

When Elon Musk spoke at the All-In Summit on May 16, he detailed how Tesla is 6+ businesses. Below is Elon’s response to the question: Could you just explain to people all these companies inside this super-company just so folks have a sense of what had to be done to get here? 

"Okay, I mean this question requires thought and I’ll probably be leaving out quite a few things but if you look and see what does a typical car company do, what they do is they assemble vehicles and they send them to dealers and they manage the supply chain. They might make the engine, they typically will make the engine but most of the parts are made by suppliers and a lot of the actual technology development is done by suppliers, and most of the vehicle software is done by suppliers, so the actual amount of a real work done by car companies - what you think of as GM or Ford - is not actually that much. They don’t do sales, they don’t do service."  

Tesla Sales, Service, Supercharging Network

"So in the case of Tesla for example we do our own sales and service. We don’t have dealerships. Tesla also has by far the biggest network of superchargers, the electric equivalent of gas stations.  We built the entire global supercharger network, which is still the most advanced and by far the best way to charge your car when traveling long distances or if you live in a city and don’t have the ability to charge your car because of street parking or an apartment. We developed the Supercharger network, and we deployed it I think we have around 15,000 superchargers globally.  You can travel anywhere in America right now with the Tesla supercharger network."

Tesla Vertical Integration

"In terms of vertical integration, we make the battery pack, and the power electronics, the drive unit.  We are more integrated into the parts, we actually make so much of the car internally, we’re vertically integrated, not necessarily because we think that there is some religious reason to be vertically integrated, but because the pace we needed to move is much faster than the supply chain could move.  To the degree that you inherit the legacy supply chain, you inherit the legacy constraints including their speed, cost, and technology."

Tesla Software, Hardware, Artificial Intelligence

"Tesla is as much a software company as it is a hardware company.  The software that runs in a Tesla operates the car, operates the screen, does the charging, and all of that stuff is developed by Tesla. And so we have sort of a ‘Tesla OS’ in the car." 

“Very importantly, Tesla has built an autopilot AI team from scratch that is the best real-world AI team on earth and if anyone else has got a better one I’d like to see it demonstrated in a car.” 

"The full self-driving beta at this point very often can take you with zero interventions across the Bay Area from San Jose to Marin so through complex traffic it’s really quite sophisticated and I invite anyone to join the beta or look at the videos of those who are in the beta.  We’ve got like 100,000 people in the beta so it's not tiny.  We’ll be expanding the beta to about a million people or on that order by the end of the year."  

Tesla Chip Team

"We also built a chip team because there wasn’t the hardware that we could run the friggin AI on. We couldn’t just fill the trunk with a whole bunch of GPUs.  That would’ve been very expensive and take massive amounts of power and cooling just to do what Tesla designed full self-driving computer can do." 

“We started chip team from scratch and it was the best in the world and still is the best in the world several years later.”

Tesla Dojo Supercomputer

"We’re also designing a dojo supercomputer to be able to process all video that's coming in from billions of miles of data, because, just sort of like the way that its critical to compete with Google because they have so much data and they have all the people doing searches all the time and humanity is training it.  The same is true of Tesla.  You really need billions of miles and ultimately tens of billions of miles of training data combined with sort of a vast training computer and then optimize inference hardware in the car and state of the art AI in training, and specialized software across-the-board to be able to achieve a full self-driving solution."  

Tesla Insurance

"Insurance is quite significant.  The car insurance thing is a bigger deal than it may seem.  A lot of people are paying 30% to 40% as much as their lease payment for the car in car insurance.  The car insurance industry is incredibly inefficient because to put it this way, you’ve got so many middle entities from the insurance agent all the way to the final set of reinsures each taking a cut."  

“The car insurance thing is a bigger deal than it may seem.”

"It's all very statistical so that even if you are a very good driver, you could be like 20 years old and a great driver but it's all statistical so you either can’t get insurance or it's extremely expensive.  Tesla allows for real-time insurance based on how you actually drive the car.  If you drive the car in a safer way you actually have lower insurance.  So our insurance is based on how you actually drive not how historically people fit your demographic drive and you close the loop around your insurance rate by simply driving better and looking at your score and lowering your insurance in real-time and people do it.   It actually promotes safer driving."

A Brief Summary

Elon Musk highlighted why Tesla is unlike any other company involved in vehicle production.  He spoke about the importance of Tesla Sales, Service, and the Global Supercharging Network.  Tesla’s vertical integration model, as well as Tesla Software, Tesla Hardware, Chip Team, and Tesla AI are unprecedented.  Tesla’s Dojo Supercomputer work will serve to usher in an age of vehicle autonomy.  Tesla Insurance is also an integral part of why Tesla is so unique.  The insurance allows for younger (and also older) drivers a rate based on how they actually drive.  The All-In Summit was a good opportunity for people to hear Elon speak, and to consider being “all-in” for Tesla!

The All-In Summit was hosted by Chamath Palihapitiya, jason@calacanis.com, David Sacks, and David Friedberg. You can follow Jason Calacanis on Twitter and be one of his Besties!

Elon Musk talks at All-In Summit. [Photo credit: Juilian Hosp]

When I bought my Model 3 in 2019, I joined a community of many people who love Tesla. Every time I drive my Tesla around my hometown Austin, Texas, I’m reminded of the extraordinary effort that is put into making Tesla succeed. In January 2022, I started this blog to write positive things about Tesla and Elon Musk. I’m thankful to Johnna Crider for supporting and encouraging me to start this blog. 

You can read more about Tesla Insurance here and you can read about how Tesla owners feel about full self-driving here. Thank you!  

Gail Alfar, [Edited by Sarah Alfar] Exclusive to What’s Up Tesla – All Rights Reserved. May 21, 2022

One-Time
Monthly
Yearly

Make a one-time donation to support What’s Up Tesla

Make a monthly donation to support What’s Up Tesla

Make a yearly donation to support What’s Up Tesla

Choose an amount

¤5.00
¤15.00
¤100.00
¤5.00
¤15.00
¤100.00
¤5.00
¤15.00
¤100.00

Or enter a custom amount

¤

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

DonateDonate monthlyDonate yearly
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

One-Time
Monthly
Yearly

Make a one-time donation to support What’s Up Tesla

Make a monthly donation to support What’s Up Tesla

Make a yearly donation to support What’s Up Tesla

Choose an amount

¤5.00
¤15.00
¤100.00
¤5.00
¤15.00
¤100.00
¤5.00
¤15.00
¤100.00

Or enter a custom amount

¤

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

DonateDonate monthlyDonate yearly

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

One-Time
Monthly
Yearly

Make a one-time donation to support What’s Up Tesla

Make a monthly donation to support What’s Up Tesla

Make a yearly donation to support What’s Up Tesla

Choose an amount

¤5.00
¤15.00
¤100.00
¤5.00
¤15.00
¤100.00
¤5.00
¤15.00
¤100.00

Or enter a custom amount

¤

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

DonateDonate monthlyDonate yearly

Cyber Rodeo Anthology Part #1: Casting and Seats [multi-part series]

Gail Alfar7 Comments

Welcome back to my blog and to Part #1 of Cyber Rodeo Anthology.

Cyber Rodeo took place on April 7, 2022, at Tesla Gigafactory Texas. The rodeo showcased all aspects of how Tesla is mass-producing electric vehicles in order to accelerate the transition to sustainable energy. Using color, lights, music, and the help of Tesla’s expert employees, different aspects of the gigafactory were presented in a truly unique way.

Cyber Rodeo marked the opening of Giga Texas, and thus it is a very important historical event. For that reason, I am creating a multi-part series of articles and will publish them over the coming weeks.

Tesla provided this map for the event, as you can see, there are a lot of areas to be covered between Entry 1 and Entry 3. The yellow pathway that held the exhibits was probably about 1/3 a mile long.

Map of Cyber Rodeo exhibits [courtesy: Tesla]

Casting Exhibit: Manufacturing is Beautiful

The rodeo gave the gigapresses the royal treatment. They are gigantic and produce what could be Tesla’s most innovative manufacturing feat ever. They create front and rear castings simultaneously for Model Y at the rate of 0.13 seconds per casting or 130 milliseconds. In fact, they created so many castings that they were used throughout the gigafactory for other purposes, as I’ll share later.

Gigafactory Texas Casting photo by @Brandonee916, April 7, 2022

The above exhibit is an example of a Model Y rear casting. What once took over 70 parts laboriously put together, Tesla has condensed into just one part.

Gigafactory Texas Casting photo by G. Alfar, April 7, 2022

The two largest parts of an Austin-made Model Y, the front and rear casting are produced by injecting 700° C molten aluminum into a high-pressure die-cast mold that is clamped shut with 6,100 tons of force. It is filled with liquid metal in just 130 milliseconds, producing a durable shape and giving each car body its strength. This process has left Tesla with 168 fewer parts to assemble and a much more efficient casting process for the car.

During a casting, giant heat release conduits and valves are used to make sure pressure is perfect and heat is released in a precisely measured way. When inspecting the vertices that the aluminum is fed into, employees wear protective space-like suits to ensure safety from the radiant heat of the molten metal used for the castings.

Gigafactory Texas casting machine, photo by G. Alfar at Gigafactory Texas, April 7, 2022

At the rodeo, hundreds of additional castings were available to be used as decorations in the main entrance of the Gigafactory and throughout the building because of the speed and efficiency of this machine and Tesla’s overall manufacturing process. An employee explained that using front and rear castings in this way was a natural choice because there were so many extra ones, they needed a good place to put them!

Tesla Gigafactory main entrance Cyber Rodeo, credit: Elon Musk

Seats Exhibit: Fully Assembled at Gigafactory Texas

At Tesla, the first and second-row seats are fully assembled right at the gigafactory.

Model Y Seats assembly exhibit sign and photo by G. Alfar at Gigafactory Texas, April 7, 2022

The Tesla Model Y seat exhibit was presented in three parts. Part One shows the pretensioner, two side shields, seat buckle, suspension, sandwich, wire harness, happy basset, and ocs. Part Two reveals the Model Y seat back cover, trim, headrest, back frame, lumbar support, seat cushion, and seat frame. Part Three reveals the Tesla “T” in an incredible display of fully assembled seats.

Model Y Seats assembly exhibit photo by G. Alfar at Gigafactory Texas, April 7, 2022

A Symphony of Seats

Model Y Seat exhibit photo by G. Alfar at Gigafactory Texas, April 7, 2022

After Model Y seats are assembled and inspected, they come together as part of the structural battery as seen here. Future parts of Cyber Rodeo Anthology will go into more detail on this miracle of manufacturing.

This article is Part #1 of a multi-part series titled Cyber Rodeo Anthology. Part #2 can be found here.

My thoughts

I chose to start “Cyber Rodeo Anthology” because the opening of Giga Texas marks a major shift in mass vehicle production capabilities. I want to spend time with you to understand how this “Machine that Makes the machine” works, and it will take multiple articles to do so.

I decided to start with my favorite parts of Giga Texas: Seats and Casting.

I agree with Elon Musk that chairs are underappreciated. The seats in the Tesla are incredibly comfortable!

Front & rear simultaneous casting begins here in Texas with Model Y. This difficult process had to be created to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles.

I know you join me in having a deep respect for Elon Musk because he is doing phenomenal work to make our world a better place. Hope you enjoyed this first part!

Read the rest of this three-part series here:

Photo of Ladybird Lake in Austin by Trac Vu on Unsplash

Gail Alfar [edited by Sarah Alfar], Exclusive to What’s Up Tesla – April 16, 2022 –  All Rights Reserved

One-Time
Monthly
Yearly

Make a one-time donation to support What’s Up Tesla

Make a monthly donation to support What’s Up Tesla

Make a yearly donation to support What’s Up Tesla

Choose an amount

¤5.00
¤15.00
¤100.00
¤5.00
¤15.00
¤100.00
¤5.00
¤15.00
¤100.00

Or enter a custom amount

¤

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

DonateDonate monthlyDonate yearly

Is a Tesla Worth it? Does Tesla Insurance and Maintenance Cost Less?

Gail Alfar10 Comments
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:

TESLACOMBUSTION
insurance costs much less in some statesinsurance based on your age, costs are high
avoid the gas pumpsubject to high gas prices
no maintenancescheduled 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.

Red Tesla Model 3 by Vlad Tchompalov on Unsplash

Main header photo of Black Tesla Model 3 by Zack @BLKMDL3 [used with permission].

Love this article? You may also enjoy…

Have questions about Buying a Tesla? From fires to how to drive one, here are the answers this article is full of information about charging, costs, and even how to drive a Tesla.

Frunk Stories from Tesla Owners shares practical & fun things folks have done with their frunks!

Gail Alfar, Edited by Sarah Alfar. Exclusive to What’s Up Tesla – All Rights Reserved. March 19, 2022

One-Time
Monthly
Yearly

Make a one-time donation to support What’s Up Tesla

Make a monthly donation to support What’s Up Tesla

Make a yearly donation to support What’s Up Tesla

Choose an amount

¤5.00
¤15.00
¤100.00
¤5.00
¤15.00
¤100.00
¤5.00
¤15.00
¤100.00

Or enter a custom amount

¤

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

DonateDonate monthlyDonate yearly

Breaking New Ground on the Racetrack: Plaid Model S at COTA

Gail Alfar6 Comments
Tesla Model S Plaid (credit: Tesla)

(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.

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.

Tesla Summer Travel Trip shares ideas that will help you plan your next trip
Frunk Stories From Tesla Owners shares how Tesla owners are an amazing group of people and very inventive regarding ways to use the frunk!
4 Families from the Southern USA tell what they love most about their Tesla is a great read if you are on the fence about if you should get a Tesla or if you know someone who is trying to decide if they should get one.

Downtown Austin by Chris Sharmin

Gail Alfar, Exclusive to What’s Up Tesla, February 18, 2022 – All Rights Reserved.

One-Time
Monthly
Yearly

Make a one-time donation to support What’s Up Tesla

Make a monthly donation to support What’s Up Tesla

Make a yearly donation to support What’s Up Tesla

Choose an amount

¤5.00
¤15.00
¤100.00
¤5.00
¤15.00
¤100.00
¤5.00
¤15.00
¤100.00

Or enter a custom amount

¤

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

DonateDonate monthlyDonate yearly

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

One-Time
Monthly
Yearly

Make a one-time donation to support What’s Up Tesla

Make a monthly donation to support What’s Up Tesla

Make a yearly donation to support What’s Up Tesla

Choose an amount

¤5.00
¤15.00
¤100.00
¤5.00
¤15.00
¤100.00
¤5.00
¤15.00
¤100.00

Or enter a custom amount

¤

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

DonateDonate monthlyDonate yearly

Tesla Q4 2021 Earnings Call and the Long Road Ahead

Gail Alfar18 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.

One-Time
Monthly
Yearly

Make a one-time donation to support What’s Up Tesla

Make a monthly donation to support What’s Up Tesla

Make a yearly donation to support What’s Up Tesla

Choose an amount

¤5.00
¤15.00
¤100.00
¤5.00
¤15.00
¤100.00
¤5.00
¤15.00
¤100.00

Or enter a custom amount

¤

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

DonateDonate monthlyDonate yearly