Tesla sales leap over 400% in Germany as Model 3’s European push continues


Tesla increased its market share last month in Germany’s auto market from .03% to .19%, according to the latest data from the Association of International Motor Vehicle Manufacturers comparing German auto registrations between April 2018 and April 2019. A total of 575 Teslas were registered in April 2019, representing a 442% increase over registrations in April 2018. Tesla’s increase in the German market from month to month also represented the highest growth out of all automotive brands in the country.

Tesla’s total number of cars registered in April 2019 represents a higher percentage of the total vehicles sold in Germany for the month by Alfa Romeo and Lexus, which commanded a market share of 0.12% and 0.11%, respectively. Given the current trends, Tesla’s market share in Germany will likely continue to grow as the all-electric car manufacturer continues its sales push into the European market. This suggests that Tesla’s blend of practicality, performance, and tech-driven luxury has enabled the company to carve out its own niche in a market associated with luxury automobiles.

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The backdrop of impending emissions regulations set to take force in Europe looks to be making a significant show in the German car market as the number of alternative power vehicles registered in the country continues to increase. Electric vehicles showed a 50% growth over the past year, while hybrid car registrations increased by 5.4%. Diesel-fueled vehicle registrations remained stagnant in a year-to-year comparison between 2018 and 2019, while gasoline-powered vehicle registrations dropped 5.1% for the same time period.

Tesla’s efforts aimed at increasing sales in the German market showed hints earlier this year, when the combined sales of the Model S, Model 3, and Model X began approaching those of another German-born luxury brand: Porsche. In March, Porsche had 2,723 new vehicle registrations in the country, while Tesla posted 2,367. The gap has widened again in April, with Porsche’s registrations totaling 3,093 against Tesla’s 575; however, momentum still remains with Tesla. Porsche’s April 2019 sales represented 0.62% growth compared to April 2018 vs. Tesla’s 442% for the same period. Porsche’s cumulative sales for 2019 are also down about 25% in Germany.

Germany may see Tesla’s market share jump into native brand territory in the future if Gigafactory Europe is eventually built within its borders. In a series of tweets last summer, CEO Elon Musk revealed that the country was being seriously considered for the facility. “Germany is a leading choice for Europe. Perhaps on the German-French border makes sense, near the Benelux countries,” he tweeted. A Gigafactory in Europe stands to be a lucrative investment for Tesla in its efforts to saturate the region with its competitively priced Model 3 and possibly its coming Model Y.

Tesla sales leap over 400% in Germany as Model 3’s European push continues


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SpaceX hits new Falcon 9 reusability milestone, retracts all four landing legs


SpaceX appears to have selected Falcon 9 B1056 to become the first booster to have all four landing legs retracted and stowed. While relatively minor in the scope full Falcon 9 booster reuse, in-situ leg retraction could save SpaceX days of recovery and preflight work, a big help for truly rapid reusability.

A handful of prior retraction attempts have been made on Block 5 boosters but unknown issues prevented the process from taking hold. With some modifications to the legs and their deployment/retraction mechanisms, SpaceX seems to have solved those issues and is ready to graduate to a new level of rapid and easy rocket reusability. Teslarati photographer Tom Cross was on site in Port Canaveral, Florida when SpaceX began its first operational leg retractions and was able to capture photos and videos of the process.

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Falcon 9 doesn’t even lift

The crux of the need for a relatively complex crane-and-jig method of leg retraction rests on SpaceX’s landing leg design. Put simply, after rapidly deploying with a combination of gravity and hydraulics, Falcon 9 landing legs have no built-in way to return to their stowed state. Each of the four legs are quite large, weighing around 600 kg (1300 lb) and stretching about 10m (33 ft) from hinge to tip. They use an intricate telescoping carbon fiber deployment mechanism to give the legs enough strength to stand up to the forces of Falcon 9 booster landings.

Combined, the legs’ size and telescoping mechanism makes the addition of an onboard retraction mechanism impractical. All the needed hardware would struggle to find a good place for installation and would quite literally be dead weight during launches and landings, stealing from Falcon 9/Heavy payload capacity and generally serving no purpose until a booster has been lifted off the ground with a giant crane.

SpaceX’s custom Falcon landing leg retractor doubles as a crane jig used to lift the entire booster when needed. (Tom Cross)

As a result, SpaceX engineers instead decided to separate leg retraction hardware from the rocket itself and designed a custom crane jig. Pictured above, the jig attaches to Falcon 9’s interstage and allows the crane operator to lift the entire booster as needed. It also features four independent motors and pulleys that are meant to attach to a specific port on the outside of each booster landing leg. The jig then lifts the landing legs up, nominally retracting the telescoping deployment mechanism, at which point latches should be able to safely secure the legs to the booster’s body.

This has been significantly more difficult than expected, judging from a number of retraction attempts over the past six or so months. Falcon 9 Block 5 debuted in May 2018 – in fact, almost exactly one year ago – and SpaceX has since built 11 boosters that have supported 15 launches. SpaceX has thus taken ~12 months to get to a point where Falcon 9’s landing legs can be safely retracted, perhaps owing more to the fact that said legs are of minimal monetary value relative to the rest of a recovered booster. Improving leg retractibility is a bit of a luxury in that sense, as retracting legs offers little value proposition in terms of significantly lowering the cost of launch or reuse.

SpaceX technicians monitor Falcon 9 B1056 a second landing leg begins retraction. (Tom Cross)
A few hours later, SpaceX completed retraction of all four landing legs, a first for Falcon 9. (Tom Cross)

What leg retraction does do, however, is shave a significant amount of time off of the process of booster recovery and post-recovery processing. Instead of the normal process of totally dismantling and removing the legs piece by piece, stowing Falcon 9’s legs saves not only the time it takes to remove them but also the time it then takes to reinstall said legs for the next launch. At a minimum, this could save 12-24 hours of dedicated work, up to as much as several days according to CEO Elon Musk. Taken to the extreme, it’s likely that SpaceX’s ultimate goal is to lift a booster off the drone ship, retract its landing legs mid-air (or close), flip the booster horizontal, and lower it onto a transporter in one fluid movement.

If SpaceX can arrive at something approximating that in the near future, the company will be well on its way accomplish Musk’s goal of launching the same Falcon 9 booster twice in ~24 hours. Even further down the road, if or when SpaceX manages to optimize the reusability of its Falcon 9 boosters to the extent that almost zero refurbishment or in-depth inspection is needed between launches, minimizing the amount of human effort that goes into something as basic as preparing landing legs may actually have a significant impact on launch costs. For the time being, we get to enjoy the new and unusual spectacle of a giant reusable booster carefully stowing its landing legs for another launch attempt.

Check out Teslarati’s newsletters for prompt updates, on-the-ground perspectives, and unique glimpses of SpaceX’s rocket launch and recovery processes

SpaceX hits new Falcon 9 reusability milestone, retracts all four landing legs


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Tesla Gigafactory 3 is what happens when Elon Musk’s vision is taken seriously


To say that the buildout of Tesla’s Gigafactory 3 in China is fast is a gross understatement. Within a few months, Tesla’s 864,885-square meter lot in Shanghai’s Lingang Industrial Area has been transformed from a large, muddy field into a site where a massive electric car factory is taking shape. Every update of Gigafactory 3 shows the facility making visible progress. This week alone, footage from the site revealed that workers have practically completed the roof of Tesla’s general assembly building, and walls are already being set built.

Back in March, Shanghai official Chen Mingbo stated that the initial buildout of the factory should be completed by May. Considering the speed of the facility’s construction, this insane timeframe seems to be on track. If this target is accomplished, Tesla could start Model 3 trial production as early as September. That’s significantly ahead of Elon Musk’s own estimates, which pointed to initial production starting near the end of 2019. Reports from China also indicate that Gigafactory 3 could set a record for fastest factory buildout in the country.

The original timeline for Gigafactory 3 was actually far more conservative, with Tesla noting that it expected vehicle manufacturing to start roughly two years after construction begins. The timeframe, which was classic Elon Musk in the way that it is optimistic and ambitious, faced relentless skepticism in the United States. Consumer Edge Research senior auto analyst James Albertine, in a segment of Bloomberg Markets, flat-out stated that Tesla’s targets for Gigafactory 3’s construction were simply “not feasible.”

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The reaction to Gigafactory 3’s initial timetable is quite reflective of the amount of skepticism and criticism thrown at Tesla and Elon Musk on a rather consistent basis. In the United States, Musk pretty much faces opposition at every turn. It is not uncommon to see reports about Tesla having a negative slant. People betting on Tesla’s failure such as short-sellers consistently accuse Musk of being a fraud as well, while mocking him on social media platforms such as Twitter for his alleged shortcomings. One particularly passionate short-seller actually received a restraining order after allegedly trespassing, harassing, and causing harm to Tesla employees.

With the drama surrounding Tesla, it is no wonder that Elon Musk wanted to take the company private last year. When Musk pitched the idea to investors, he argued that it would be a lot easier for Tesla to pursue its goals if it could operate without the short-term pressures of Wall St and the constant barrage of noise from critics that stand to receive financial gain if the electric car maker were to fall. The take-private attempt ultimately fell through after Elon Musk backed out of a ~$30 billion deal from investors that included Volkswagen AG. In the Q1 2019 earnings call, the CEO noted that a non-public Tesla will not be happening anytime soon. “Unfortunately, that ship had sailed,” Musk said.

It could be said that the nearly unbelievable pace of Gigafactory 3’s construction is what happens when Elon Musk’s ambitious vision is embraced without noise or unnecessary drama. There were no controversies among China’s workforce when Elon Musk noted that he expects electric car production to begin by the end of the year. Instead, the company’s construction partner took the CEO’s ambitious timeframe seriously and did what was necessary to build Gigafactory 3 as quickly as possible, including adopting 24/7 work. Going a step further, the country even pursued a target completion date that exceeds Elon Musk’s already ambitious timeframe. Today, Model 3 trial production is expected to start as early as September.

If there is a lesson that can be learned from Gigafactory 3, it is that visionaries such as Elon Musk could accomplish great things if their targets are supported and taken seriously. This is something that China seems to be all too willing to give Elon Musk, as could be seen when he met with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in Beijing last January. During his meeting with Li, Musk acted like his usual self, throwing out grand ideas about Gigafactory 3 and mentioning his vision of creating a facility that acts almost like a “living being.” Li proved quite open to Musk’s ideas, even offering the CEO a ‘Chinese Green Card’ so he could openly pursue his plans in the country.

Demonstrating this point, here’s the Gigafactory 3 site in early March.

And here’s a flyby of Gigafactory 3 on May 7, 2019, roughly two months later.

Tesla Gigafactory 3 is what happens when Elon Musk’s vision is taken seriously


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In the last six or so months, a range of small Chinese rocket startups have begun to make serious progress in the nascent commercial industry, including several inaugural orbital launch attempts, extensive propulsion testing, and more. Rising above the fray are a handful of uniquely notable companies: Landspace, Linkspace, OneSpace, and iSpace (creative, I know).

While the names leave something lacking, several companies have truly impressive ambitions and can already point to major tech development programs as evidence for their follow-through. Linkspace is arguably the most interesting company with respect to what they are doing today, while Landspace has the ambition and expertise to build and launch some truly capable rockets in the near-term.

OneSpace & iSpace

  • OneSpace recently made its first attempt at orbital launch after completing an OS-M1 rocket, nominally capable of placing 200 kg (450 lb) in a 300 km (190 mi) low Earth orbit (LEO). The March 2019 attempt failed 45 seconds into launch, likely caused by an improperly-installed gyroscope that guided the rocket in the wrong direction.
    • This failure is by no means a bad thing. Reaching orbit on one’s first try is extraordinarily rare, particularly for private companies with no prior experience developing launch vehicles. SpaceX’s first three Falcon 1 launches failed before success was found on Flight 4. Rocket Lab’s Electron launch debut was forced to abort before reaching orbit due to faulty third-party communications equipment.
    • OneSpace has several additional suborbital OS-X launches and may be able to attempt one additional OS-M1 orbital launch before the end of 2019.
    • Down the road, the company wants to enhance its payload capabilities by adding additional solid rocket strap-on boosters to OS-M1 (designated M2 and M4). OS-M4 would be able to launch as much as 750 kg (1650 lb) into LEO.
  • iSpace is in a similar boat. Its Hyperbola-1 rocket relies on three solid stages and a liquid fourth stage and is designed to place 300 kg (660 lb) into LEO. iSpace has plans to attempt the company’s first orbital launch as early as June 2019.
    • Having already raised more than $100M in investment, iSpace also has strong backing for the development of its next-gen Hyperbola-2 rocket. The methalox-based vehicle will have a reusable booster capable of vertical landings and should be able to launch almost 2 tons to LEO. The rocket’s first launch is expected to occur no earlier than late 2020.

Linkspace

  • In April 2019, Linkspace began flight-testing a sort of miniature version of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 Grasshopper testbed. Known as NewLine Baby, the small suborbital prototype is designed to improve the company’s technical familiarity with vertically landing orbital-class rocket boosters after missions. Thus far, hop testing has been a great success.
    • Baby weighs 1.5 t (1100 lb), is 8.1m (27 ft) tall, and is powered by five liquid methane and oxygen (methalox) rocket engines.
  • The company hopes to transfer the knowledge gained into NewLine-1, a partially reusable orbital-class rocket designed to place 200 kg in LEO. Linkspace could attempt their first orbital launch as early as 2021.
    • The two-stage rocket’s booster would separate a few minutes into launch and attempt a vertical landing on a pad or boat, the same approach SpaceX has used with unprecedented success.
    • The similarities with SpaceX’s Falcon 9 are honestly not the worst thing. SpaceX has no patent on vertically landing rockets and has never attempted to corner the industry. Copying a successful new paradigm is certainly better than doing nothing.
      • (For the record, Blue Origin did the exact opposite and attempted to patent vertically landing rockets at sea in 2014, before the company had conducted a single serious launch and at the same time as SpaceX was already planning barge recoveries of Falcon 9 boosters.)
    • One could even say that Linkspace and several other Chinese companies are actually doing better than industry heavyweights like ULA and Arianespace by simply embracing the new paradigm, as opposed to denial, pearl-clutching, and half-measure responses.

Landspace

  • Finally, there is Landspace. Perhaps the most exciting company of the bunch, Landspace is developing a fairly large methalox launch vehicle named ZhuQue-2 (ZQ-2). Powered by several fairly large TQ-12 liquid rocket engines, ZQ-2 is designed to launch up to 4t (8800 lb) to an orbit of 200 km (120 mi) and would produce up to 2650 kN (600,000 lbf) of thrust at liftoff, about a third of SpaceX’s Falcon 9.
    • The two-stage ZQ-2 is not currently being designed for reusability, but an upgraded three-stage variant (ZQ-2A) would feature a much larger payload fairing and improve payload performance to 200 km by 50%, from 4t to 6t.
  • Landspace will attempt ZQ-2’s inaugural launch as early as 2020. Critically, the company is just completed the first full-scale prototype of the TQ-12 engine meant to power the rocket and could begin static fire tests just a month or two from now.
    • Tianque-12 (TQ-12) is a fairly unique engine. Powered by liquid methane and oxygen (methalox), TQ-12 uses a gas-generator propulsion cycle and is designed to produce up to 80t (175,000 lbf) of thrust. In a sense, TQ-12 is basically a slightly less powerful methalox variant of SpaceX’s Merlin 1D engine.
    • The fact that Landspace is already in a position to begin static fire tests of the engine powering its next-gen rocket bodes very well for the company’s future plans. At a minimum, it likely means that Landspace is much closer to offering multi-ton commercial launch services compared to its competitors.
  • Aside from its next-gen ambitions, Landspace has also developed a much smaller three-stage rocket known as ZQ-1. Capable of launching up to 300 kg into LEO, ZQ-1 nearly reached orbit on its October 2018 launch debut, failing midway through its third-stage burn.
  • For now, the Chinese launch startup scene is downright frenetic. The title of “first private Chinese company to reach orbit” has yet to be awarded, and more than half a dozen groups are practically racing to secure it.

Mission Updates:

  • SpaceX’s CRS-17 Cargo Dragon spacecraft successfully rendezvoused and berthed with the ISS on May 6th.
  • Potentially less than two weeks after the Falcon 9’s May 4th CRS-17 launch, SpaceX’s first dedicated Starlink mission is scheduled to occur as early as May 13th, although delays of a few days are likely.
  • SpaceX’s second West Coast launch of 2019 – carrying Canada’s Radarsat Constellation – finally has an official launch date – June 11th. The mission will reuse Falcon 9 B1051.
  • Falcon Heavy’s third launch remains tentatively scheduled no earlier than June 22nd.

Photo of the Week

Falcon 9 B1056 returned to dry ground less than 24 hours after launching CRS-17 and landing aboard drone ship Of Course I Still Love You (OCISLY). (Tom Cross)

 


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Tesla’s warning on battery mineral shortage addressed in new mining-reform legislation


Tesla is concerned about a global shortage of minerals required for production of electric vehicle batteries, with the electric car maker recently warning major industry players and US government representatives of an upcoming mineral supply challenge due to underinvestment in mining sources, according to a report published by Reuters. Representatives in the US government who are both aware and focused on the shortage issue have introduced legislation in the Senate to address delays rooted in the federal approval process. The bill, titled the “American Mineral Security Act”, was presented at the same closed-door conference where Tesla expressed its concerns last week.

“Our bill takes steps that are long overdue to reverse our damaging foreign dependence and position ourselves to compete in growth industries like electric vehicles and energy storage,” Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), the main sponsor of the bill, said in a statement about the legislation. Senators Joe Manchin (D-W. Virginia), Martha McSally (R-Arizona), and Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) are co-sponsors.

The bill specifically requires that a list of critical minerals be compiled at least every three years along with a resource assessment of those minerals nationwide. This data is then used to target and implement reforms in the federal regulatory process aimed at reducing government-driven delays in the mining approval process.

Aerial images of the Tesla Gigafactory as of August 28, 2018. [Credit: Joshua Mcdonald]
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As a major consumer of minerals required for the production of electric vehicle (EV) batteries and other vehicle parts, Tesla will need stable access to mined resources like copper, nickel, and lithium in the long term. The expansion of the EV market will continue to increase demand for these resources. Other tech players such as Amazon and Alphabet also need the same resources for the production of their digital assistants and home connectivity devices.

Tesla’s global supply manager for battery metals, Sarah Maryssael, spoke with representatives present at the industry conference about Tesla’s concerns regarding the company’s mineral needs. Maryssael noted that a “huge potential” existed for mining partnerships in Australia and the US to help with the supply issue, possibly citing a preliminary deal between the two countries for a joint effort towards research and development in the area.

The global demand for copper, in particular, is expected to increase from the current 38,000 tons per day to 1.5 million tons by 2030, and this estimate has driven major copper production companies to expand its mining activities in the US and Indonesia. Electric cars use twice as much copper as gas-powered cars, making the EV industry particularly sensitive to its market availability.

Tesla’s needs from the mineral industry go well beyond copper. The company’s Nevada-based Gigafactory 1 facility is expected to hit 255 GWh annual production of batteries once complete. At that rate, the current global supply of lithium will need to increase nearly three times over to meet the demand. Unlike copper, though, investments in lithium production are ongoing, and Tesla’s ramping need for the mineral is driving significant expansion in part of the mineral market.

Tesla’s warning on battery mineral shortage addressed in new mining-reform legislation


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Tesla rebel mechanic of ‘Rich Rebuilds’ to sit down with Joe Rogan in JRE podcast


Tesla-refurbishing hobby mechanic Rich Benoit of the Rich Rebuilds YouTube channel will be interviewed April 30th on the Joe Rogan Experience (JRE) podcast at 12 pm PDT. The guest studio chair once sat in by Tesla CEO Elon Musk during his notorious cannabis puff will now be filled by a man who works hard to educate Tesla owners on how to repair their own cars, often against the all-electric auto maker’s resistance.

After beginning a journey to salvage a flooded Tesla Model S in 2016 and chronicling the effort on his YouTube channel, Rich hit frequent roadblocks while trying to obtain parts and servicing information from the all-electric auto manufacturer. Tesla refused to sell him replacement parts for the vehicle, citing safety concerns, but Rich’s determination eventually pulled through. The rescued Model S, nicknamed ‘Dolores’, is now complete and regularly used for his personal travels.

I was able to catch up with Rich via phone while he was on his way to the JRE location, and of course, one of my first questions was whether he would repeat Musk’s ‘stunt’ whether it be in tribute or in irony. “I’m bringing edibles,” he answered jokingly. “I’ll pop brownies based on how quickly the conversation goes downhill…After fifteen minutes, I’ll start with like three.” I should warn that Rich uses a lot of sarcasm in his humor.

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We then discussed what kind of conversation he was expecting on the show (he has no idea) and whether he was given any advance outline of the topics that might come up (none whatsoever). “Actually, I’m not even sure this whole thing is happening,” he admitted. “I haven’t really heard anything else from [JRE] since booking it, so hopefully I’m not gonna show up and they don’t know who I am or why I’m there.”

He was laughing, but his nerves were still wrapped up in the whole situation. On one hand, Joe Rogan has a very large audience reach that can introduce all sorts of communities to Rich’s projects and mission. On the other hand, he doesn’t even have solid confirmation that the interview will take place as scheduled.

“I emailed the guy about it, and he said they’re ‘probably’ good for it. Like, probably? I’m already in California! I at least better get a picture with Joe,” he mused. Rich is from Salem, Massachusetts.

The first salvage Tesla Model S that Rich Benoit of Rich Rebuilds repaired and restored to driving condition. | Image: Rich Benoit/Instagram

This led to my other introductory question. How did he connect with Rogan? I was particularly interested in the behind-the-scenes booking process. Turns out, there wasn’t much to it. The show was scheduled via email – Joe Rogan’s booking manager contacted him and they set a date and time for Rich to appear. After confirming, Rich mentioned the booking on his YouTube channel, but it was kind of buried in between a status update on his latest refurbishing project and an honesty check for used Model 3 sellers.”Well, Joe Rogan, that show is forever,” Rich told me when I asked why he didn’t give the show appearance its own video or do more to promote it. In his view, anyone who didn’t catch the live stream of The Joe Rogan Experience could watch it later on YouTube, and he’d link and refer to it in future videos.

I’d also seen that an article about Rich on the front page of The Boston Globe was shared by Joe Rogan on Twitter and met with a positive response. “A lot of my followers and subscribers are also fans of [Rogan], so when he posted that article, they started asking him to have me on,” Rich explained. He was obviously excited to have the opportunity.

“ITS HAPPENINNNNGGGGGG big shout out to all my fans that bullied Joe Rogan into having me on his show. April 30th LIVE from CA! You guys remember the infamous Elon Musk interview? Well this will be the generic store brand version,” he shared on his Instagram shortly after confirming the booking.

Rich Benoit of Rich Rebuilds to appear on The Joe Rogan Experience April 30, 2019. | Image: Rich Benoit/Instagram

Several of the Rich Rebuilds videos document his struggles with Tesla during his repair attempts, now expanded to other vehicles besides Dolores, but Rich’s mission isn’t just about the fight. He says it’s about helping Tesla owners learn more about their cars and to help fill gaps in service that have yet to be filled by the company.

Rich originally began his infamous Tesla Model S salvage project from his home in Salem, but he’s since teamed up with ex-Tesla mechanic and EV Tuning owner Chris Salvo to found the Electrified Garage in Seabrook, New Hampshire. The Rich Rebuilds channel generated significant interest from the Tesla community, and much of it took the form of requests for assistance with vehicle repairs.

“I was never thinking of opening my own shop…But I’d been denied so many times by Tesla that I really started thinking there’s got to be a bigger picture here, another player who can help others and get parts as well. Now there’s a place where people can go for third-party EV repair,” he explained to CNBC in a feature interview.

The Joe Rogan Experience streams its episodes live via the show’s YouTube channel, so be sure to tune in April 30th at 12 pm PDT to hear more about Rich’s Tesla repair journey.

In the meantime, you can watch the videos below for more about Rich’s Tesla salvage projects:

Tesla rebel mechanic of ‘Rich Rebuilds’ to sit down with Joe Rogan in JRE podcast


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SpaceX wants to unleash Starhopper but longer Raptor test fires come first


According to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, the next round of Starhopper activity will focus on removing the spacecraft prototype’s tethers and performing far more substantial hop tests.

Longer tests demand that SpaceX begins expanding the known performance envelope of its full-scale Raptor engine. Towards that end, longer-duration tests would need to be done at the company’s McGregor, TX development facilities to reduce risk, tests that Musk confirmed are already well underway. A recent Raptor static fire reportedly lasted no less than 40 seconds, more than enough time for a single-engine Starhopper to significantly expand both the maximum altitude and velocity of future hop tests. In support of the upcoming Starhopper test campaign, significant construction work is also ongoing at SpaceX’s Boca Chica test and development facilities.

Starhopper awaits its return to hop testing, April 24th. (NASASpaceflight – bocachicagal)
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Unleashing the Hopper

During the months of March and April, SpaceX’s South Texas team effectively completed Starhopper and put the prototype through its first real tests. The process began with tank proof tests in which Starhopper’s tanks were filled with liquid nitrogen – relatively neutral and unreactive – to safely identify and repair any leaks, while also subjecting the vehicle to cryogenic temperatures. The proof testing also put the newly installed ground systems (GSE) and vehicle-pad connection hardware through their paces before moving to Starhopper’s nominal liquid oxygen and liquid methane propellant.

Following at least half a dozen or so wet dress rehearsals (WDRs) that saw Starhopper loaded with LOx and methane, SpaceX technicians analyzed the health of the prototype and soon began live tests with a Raptor engine installed. Designed to produce no less than 2000 kN (450,000 lbf, 205 mT) of thrust at full throttle, Raptor offers more than twice the max thrust of the latest variant of the Merlin 1D engine that powers Falcon 9 and Heavy (941 kN or 212,000 lbf). In other words, a single Raptor should be more than enough to lift Starhopper off the ground 150+ tons of propellant aboard.

In the above tweets, Musk indicates that Starhopper’s next step will be untethered hop tests powered by one Raptor engine. This is further supported by confirmation that Raptor completed its longest static fire test yet on April 27th.

After several unsuccessful test attempts, Starhopper completed two static fires (<10s combined) and hopped – tethered – a handful of feet off the ground on April 3rd and 5th, three weeks after Raptor was first installed. Days later, the lone Raptor engine was removed from Starhopper and shipped back to SpaceX’s Hawthorne, CA factory or McGregor, TX testing facilities for post-test analysis and inspection. In short, SpaceX used Starhopper as a sort of ad hoc test stand for the second serial Raptor (SN02) produced, completing two major acceptance tests simultaneously.

A handful of concise tweets published by Musk in the last few days of April implicitly confirmed that the next steps for Starhopper involved untethered flights off its South Texas pad, once again powered by a single Raptor engine. As both the prospective altitudes and flight times rise for future Starhopper tests, so do the risks posed to SpaceX’s adjacent facilities and the prototype itself. To minimize those risks and progress the Raptor program as a whole, SpaceX has been extensively testing the third serial Raptor (SN03) at its McGregor facilities. Instead of a rushed test regime similar to the one that almost completely destroyed Raptor SN01 less than two weeks after testing began, SN03 is participating in a more cautious and systematic series of tests.

Technicians work inside Starhopper’s LOx tank on April 22nd. (NASASpaceflight – bocachicagal)
While almost impossible to visualize the changes from a flat perspective, several dozen trucks of dirt and concrete were delivered to Starhopper’s pad last week. (NASASpaceflight – bocachicagal)

Confirmed by Elon Musk, this included significantly increasing the length of Raptor SN03’s latest static fires, culminating in an April 27th test that lasted ~40 seconds. Above all else, long test fires are necessary to demonstrate that Raptor can reliably operate for dozens of seconds at a time, given that any failure leading to a loss of thrust could cause Starhopper – basically a controlled explosive device – to fall out of the sky. The famous Musk/SpaceX ethos of moving fast and breaking things does not preclude a pragmatic attitude towards the destruction of facilities and prototypes that could take months and millions of dollars to rebuild.

The ETA of future hop tests is unclear. For the time being, it appears that SpaceX’s South Texas facilities will be caught up in construction work for at least another week. Whether or not Raptor SN03 is next in line for installation on Starhopper, SpaceX will likely put it through several more long-duration static fires before moving ahead with untethered hop tests. All things considered, the rough Starship prototype is unlikely to restart powered testing for another two or so weeks. Stay tuned!

Check out Teslarati’s newsletters for prompt updates, on-the-ground perspectives, and unique glimpses of SpaceX’s rocket launch and recovery processes

SpaceX wants to unleash Starhopper but longer Raptor test fires come first


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Tesla shows off Model S & X’s high-efficiency drive units, adaptive suspension UI


Tesla recently shared some images of the Model S and Model X’s new high-efficiency drive units, which help the vehicles gain more range compared to their previous iterations. Apart from this, the electric car maker revealed the UI for the flagship vehicles’ adaptive suspension feature, which was also included in the Model S and X refresh.

Tesla made headlines last week when the company announced updates for its flagship sedan and SUV. The electric car maker introduced an industry-leading 370 miles of range for the Model S Long Range, which is unprecedented for a vehicle equipped with a 100 kWh battery pack. The Model S and Model X’s new energy-efficient drive units leverage optimized permanent magnet motors, improved cooling, bearings, and a new gear design. Together, these improvements allow the Model S and X’s drive units to achieve greater than 93% efficiency.

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Apart from sharing images of the Model S and X’s new energy-efficient drive units, Tesla also shared a picture featuring the UI of the vehicles’ Adaptive Suspension Damping capability. Tesla described the upgraded suspension as follows: “The system constantly adapts by sensing the road and adjusting for driver behavior, automatically softening for more pronounced road inputs and firming for aggressive driving,” Tesla wrote.

The Model S and X’s adaptive suspension is an improvement over the current smart air suspension feature present in previous versions of the vehicle. Adaptive suspension ultimately improves ride quality, giving an ultra-cushioned feel when driving on the highway or when cruising on Autopilot. Tesla is yet to release the specifics of the Model S and X’s new suspension feature, though based on the electric car maker’s recently-shared image, it appears that Adaptive Suspension Damping will have two modes: Standard and Sport.

Tesla’s announcement for the flagship sedan and SUV’s Adaptive Suspension Damping states that the feature will utilize software to make suspension adjustments based on calculations of road conditions. Such capabilities were mentioned by Elon Musk during Tesla’s Autonomy Day, during a segment discussing how Tesla’s FSD computer determines which driving actions to take. “The network is predicting paths it can’t even see with incredibly high accuracy. If [the FSD computer] had never seen [a] road before, it would still have made [accurate] predictions provided it was a road in the United States,” he said.

Apart from adaptive suspension and more efficient drive units, Tesla was also able to improve the flow of energy out of the battery and back in through regenerative braking, helping the vehicles get more power and torque, which results in better 0-60 mph times. Tesla also introduced On-Route Battery Warmup features for the Model S and Model X, allowing the flagship sedan and SUV to get faster charging times.

Tesla shows off Model S & X’s high-efficiency drive units, adaptive suspension UI


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Tesla is offering 5,000 free Supercharger miles in new Referral Program update


Tesla has updated its Referral Program to include 5,000 miles of free Supercharging on new purchases of a Model S, Model X and Model 3 made with a referral code. The update came as a notification in the ‘Loot Box’ section of the Tesla app to existing owners.  The latest incentive represents a five-fold increase from the original offer of 1,000 miles of free Supercharging and available for a limited time.

You and anyone using your referral code to buy a Tesla will receive 5,000 free Supercharger miles! On May 28, this will revert back to 1,000 miles.

Each referral now also gives you five changes to win a Founders Series Model Y or Roadster supercar! Tesla owners who already have free Supercharging get ten chances to win,” Tesla said.

The Supercharging incentive is available to new purchases, including leases, made before May 28th.

Tesla has boosted Referral Program miles and contest entries temporarily for owners and new buyers.
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Tesla’s popular Referral Program was revamped in March after success of the previous incentive program became cost prohibitive, largely as a result of giving away approximately 160 Founder Series Roadsters, each carrying a price tag of $250k. After ending the program this year on February 2, Tesla rebooted the Referral Program with a new structure that provided exclusive rewards while still maintaining cost efficiency. The new program now offers prize winners a monthly and quarterly chance to win a vehicle instead of giving one away.

“Each referral also gives you a chance to win a Founder’s Series Model Y monthly and a Founder’s series Roadster supercar quarterly, both signed by Elon Musk and Franz von Holzhausen,” Tesla noted in the new Referral Program announcement.

Tesla created the new Referral Program in response to feedback from customers who’d enjoyed the benefits of the original while also acknowledging a win-win for the company and its buyers in terms of referrals.

“We’ve heard from our customers that the Referral Program was one of their favorite reasons to tell their friends about Tesla, so today, we’re introducing an all-new Referral Program to give customers another way to share what they love about their cars,” Tesla stated in their new program announcement.

Tesla is offering 5,000 free Supercharger miles in new Referral Program update


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Tesla Pickup render brings Elon Musk’s cyberpunk ‘Blade Runner’ truck to life


A concept artist has showcased a cool and creative take on Tesla’s pickup truck, which is expected to be revealed sometime later this year. Bold and unapologetically futuristic, the Tesla Truck render is a pretty good representation of Elon Musk’s upcoming “cyberpunk” vehicle.

When Elon Musk discussed Tesla’s upcoming pickup truck to veteran tech journalist Kara Swisher last November, he noted that the vehicle will be so futuristic, it won’t look out of place in the iconic sci-fi Blade Runner franchise. Musk even mentioned that if the vehicle does not sell well because it’s too cyberpunk, then the electric car maker will release a more “conventional” truck.

An artist’s render of the Tesla Pickup Truck. (Credit: Emre Husman)
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Concept artist Emre Husmen’s take on the Tesla Pickup Truck definitely qualifies as one of the more futuristic takes on the upcoming vehicle. The artist’s design features generous ground clearance and an incredibly aggressive stance. Futuristic headlights and taillights also provide accents to the vehicle’s Model X-inspired front fascia. Similar to Rivian’s acclaimed R1T pickup, Husman’s take on the Tesla Truck features a double cab design and a rather short bed.

The design of Tesla’s Pickup Truck is still pretty much under wraps. During the unveiling of the Tesla Semi, Elon Musk mentioned that the vehicle could be derived from the all-electric long-hauler. Musk even showed a couple of artist’s renditions of the Semi-based pickup truck that have proven to be quite polarizing. Tesla provided another teaser of the vehicle during the Model Y event as well, but it only featured a cryptic, angular image that incited numerous interpretations from the electric car community.

An artist’s render of the Tesla Pickup Truck. (Credit: Emre Husman)

Regardless of its final design, the Tesla Truck will likely provide ample competition for the juggernauts of the pickup market like the Ford F-150 and the Dodge RAM. This is partly due to the vehicle’s specs, which include dual motors and a pretty insane towing capacity of 300,000 pounds. The vehicle is also expected to be large enough to seat six people, and include practical features such as a 240-volt connection for heavy-duty tools and an air compressor to run other equipment.

The pickup truck market could very well be the next big frontier for electric vehicles, especially in the United States. Kicking off the segment is the critically acclaimed Rivian R1T, which was unveiled to much enthusiasm late last year and expected to be released in 2020. Auto veteran Ford has also announced that it will be developing an electric version of its best-selling F-150 truck, which, if successful, could end up converting a significant number of traditional pickup truck drivers to electric transportation.

An artist’s render of the Tesla Pickup Truck. (Credit: Emre Husman)

Tesla Pickup render brings Elon Musk’s cyberpunk ‘Blade Runner’ truck to life


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