Musk Reads: Tesla market share continues to surge
Entry-level Tesla Model Y is canceled and Autopilot ads are banned in Germany. What's happening with Giga Berlin?
Entry-level Tesla Model Y is canceled and Autopilot ads are banned in Germany. What’s happening with Giga Berlin? It’s Musk Reads: Tesla Edition #186.
A version of this article appeared in the “Musk Reads” newsletter. Sign up for free here.
Musk quote of the week
“Gigafactory is the product even more than the car”
- Read more about Musk’s plans for the Gigafactory.
Tesla
Tesla’s market share, both in China and globally, has been increasing. In a note shared this week, investment solutions firm ARK Invest found that Tesla’s battery electric vehicle market share in China reached 21 percent in the first half of 2020, up from just six percent in 2019 and two percent in 2018. Globally, Tesla’s share jumped from 23 percent in 2019 to 26 percent for this year until May. The firm concluded that previous fears Tesla couldn’t sell lower-end cars in China appear to have been misplaced, as the Shanghai factory started delivering vehicles in January.
Cheaper electric cars could face a major hurdle after Musk revealed that a standard range Model Y won’t be launching. Musk claimed the car wouldn’t offer a range above 250 miles, a figure that would be “unacceptably low.” The move highlights one of the big issues with launching a cheaper electric vehicle, as the firm would have to offer an acceptable level of range for buyers. Musk previously suggested in 2018 that a $25,000 Tesla could launch in three to four years. Read more.
What’s next for Tesla: Tesla is expected to host its planned Battery Day soon. Comments from Musk this week suggested the event could take place on September 15 alongside the shareholder meeting. Visitors should receive a tour of the cell production system. The event is expected to be one of the most important in the firm’s history. Read more.
In other Musk news…
A German court has banned a Tesla ad over what it describes as misleading statements relating to Autopilot. Reuters reported that Tesla would no longer be allowed to refer to “full potential for autonomous driving” and “Autopilot inclusive,” as this would mislead consumers to believe the car was fully autonomous and legal to operate in this mode in Germany. Musk claimed earlier this month that Tesla was close to full autonomy.
What does Musk think about A.I.? At the Shanghai-based World Artificial Intelligence Conference this month, the CEO shared his opinions on how the universe could be simulated and what that could mean for other A.I. systems. During the same speech, Musk declared that the team was close to feature complete autonomy this year, and that the Shanghai factory would automate more over time. Read more.
Musk Reads mailroom
Clay Barclay writes:
Need to know how much AC power the Cybertruck will deliver! At least 10kw! And it must deliver the power while driving! There are 100’s of apps that it can do and sell lots of new sales for the truck with those specs!
It’s still unclear how many watts the Cybertruck can deliver, but Tesla may have some tough competition on this front. Electrek highlighted in December 2019 a Ford F–350 fitted out with 240-volt plugs and offering up to 15 kilowatts of power. Bollinger Motors is also developing an all-electric truck with 10 110-volt plugs, but wattage is unclear. Tesla is aiming to impress, but can it stun with the power?
Nikolaus Nowak writes:
After a lot of media coverage not too long ago, silence has fallen and I haven’t heard a word about Tesla’s plans and the next Gigafactory to be opened in Brandenburg, Germany. Has anything changed? Is the project still moving forward? Impacted by Covid–19 or other issues?Looking forward to hearing / reading from you!
Yes, the project is still progressing! New videos spotted by Teslarati show how reinforced concrete beams have made their way over, and walls are being set up. The factory has faced criticism, particularly due to how it’s being built on a tree farm. Tesla has pledged to plant three times as many trees as it’s cutting down. This week, Musk shared a concept render of the finished factory.
Got any comments or queries? Don’t forget to send them over to muskreads@inverse.com.
Video of the week
Cybertruck gets 3D printed by YouTuber Sean Callaghan. Read more.
Got a photo or video you’d like to see featured? Send it over to muskreads@inverse.com!
The ultra-fine print
This has been Musk Reads: Tesla Edition #186, the weekly rundown of essential reading about futurist and entrepreneur Elon Musk. I’m Mike Brown, an innovation journalist for Inverse.
- Email me directly at mike.brown@inverse.com and follow me on Twitter @mikearildbrown.
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- Got any comments or queries? Don’t forget to send them over to muskreads@inverse.com.
A version of this article appeared in the “Musk Reads” newsletter. Sign up for free here.
