Dec
Eli Burton, the creator of The Adventures of Starman, gives us 2019’s Top 10 Tesla Moments. Tesla has had a pretty swell year in 2019.
From the Chinese Gigafactory rising from the mud pits of nothingness to the unveiling of my future truck, the Cybertruck, it’s been an epic year and a great ending to a decade of what seemed like uncertainty for a bit. Tesla had some struggles, especially in 2018, but those struggles became triumphs.
10. Software Version 10. On March 6, 2019, Tesla released this update that included Theather Mode which included Youtube, Hulu and Netflix as well as more games–you can only access these while parked which is great for those who are supercharging their cars on road trips. Eli says that this just signals a focus by Tesla on the in-car experience.
9. V3 Superchargers. V3 Superchargers have a charging rate of up to 200 KW and a peak of 1,000 miles per hour of charge. Typical charging time of V3 will drop to around 15 minutes. This is quicker than my phone charger. Also, there are a few whispers about the Lafayette Superchargers being built are going to be V3, but that hasn’t been confirmed.
8. Plaid Powertrain. The Plaid 3 motor powertrain should be coming to the Model S in mid-2020. A quarter-mile performance is expected to increase as well as track performance.
7. GIGA 3 Shanghai. This is a true story of an underdog. Many in the media said it would never happen, that this was just a Chinese mud field with nothing in it. Yesterday, the first Made-In-China Model 3 was delivered and there was a huge celebration. The Gigifactory in Shanghai is also the fastest factory ever built at its size.
6. Enhanced Summon. This improved the Summon capability to drive through and across the parking lot autonomously. It’s taken the world by storm and the media decried it as something to be afraid of, but in the end, it’s pretty simple and convenient. Tesla is taking the driving experience to an entire level–as in a completely new plane of existence.
5. Raven Powertrain. The Raven Powertrain increases the range and performance of the Models S and X Long Range. Drivers are allowed to travel farther than before and charge less frequently. In essence, they get more dollars out of every penny spent on charging–if they pay to charge. Many Tesla owners charge at home or work.
4. Model Y Unveil. Back in March Tesla unveiled the Model Y which looks as if the Model 3 and the Model X had a child that few up fast. It looks like a Model 3 with a hatchback. The highlight of the event, Eli says, was Elon bringing the history of all of Tesla’s cars. I actually liked that part and Elon’s little dance as well.
3. $35,000 Model 3. This was announced in Q1 2019 just after Elon said it may not happen. However, Elon wanted to keep that promise so it closed a few of its stores. I think that the reason why Elon was able to keep this promise is due to Tesla making progress in its battery development. I could be wrong.
2. Cybertruck Unveiling. Everyone was stunned with this beauty rolled out on to the stage. The moment I laid eyes on it, I fell in love. Unfortunately, I am one of the few people who reacted that way. Many members of the Tesla community were a bit freaked out then later fell in love. I mean, how can you not love this truck? It’s so cool. But I collect pyramids and other cool minerals so I definitely appreciate the creativity in this truck.
The unveiling was unique as well. There was a hologram of Grimes and the entire stage was really lasered up. Tesla stunned the world with this angular designed truck. Franz breaking the windows is also a moment that will be forever remembered fondly by the internet. Equally just as surprising as the design of the Cybertruck is the starting price at $39,900. Elon followed up the surprise with an all-electric ATV that can plug into the bed of the truck and charge.
1. 3Q Earnings. I really thought Eli was going to mention the stock price hitting $420 but Q3 Earnings definitely earns this spot because no one, except those of us who believe in Tesla, saw this coming. Many in the media often repeat what short-sellers say about Tesla and fully believe Tesla is a failure. Elon is often mocked in the media and Tesla is touted as a luxury fraud by the uninformed. So when those numbers hit, shockwaves made their way into the bank accounts of those shorting the stock. Wall Street fully expected Tesla to sustain losses and it didn’t. \Tesla believes it has grown to a point of being self-funding.
Dec
It is the night before Christmas and it is 2 AM. The only one stirring is Tesla’s Starman (Eli Burton) as he sits in his Tesla opening the gift that Santa Musk has given. Eli aka Starman from My Tesla Adventure gives us a preview of Tesla’s Full Self Driving technology and also a first look at Tesla’s latest software version 2019.40.50.1 Update.Eli shows is several new and exciting things that came with this Christmas Eve update.
Tesla’s New Full Self Driving Preview detects stop signs and intersection lights🚦video 🎥 by @EliBurton_ pic.twitter.com/DV4TWfEMXB
— World of Engineering (@engineers_feed) December 24, 2019
Updates
Driver Profiles.
New settings have been added in this update that will include navigation settings such as volume levels for navigation voice guidance as well as traffic display settings. Eli also points out how important Driver Profiles are for those who may share their car or have more than one Tesla. With this feature, Tesla makes sure that your car is exactly to your comfort levels from climate control to sound.
Save Dashcam Clips On Honk.
This would actually help Tesla owners in traffic to record proof of accidents that would help them in court. It would also remind us that sometimes honking is unnecessary and to be nicer to people on the road.
Adaptive Suspension Damping. Adaptive Suspension Damping now has three tailored modes:
- Comfort provides a gentler ride and a more relaxed driving experience.
- Auto replaces Standard to be more responsive to dynamic driving.
- Sport continues to provide a firmer, more controlled ride that increases driver engagement and connection to the road.
TRAX v0.1.
You can make your own music inside a Tesla! Just like with the Tesla sketchpad for drawing, you can make an “audio masterpiece” with TRAX. Eli pulls up the app and loads it onto the screen and is a bit excited at the fact that you can actually mix music. There is also a keyboard and Eli breaks out a two-second jam session with Beethoven.
Voice Keyboard.
With this feature, you can dictate text into your car as I do with Google Text to Speech. Now people will blame Tesla for their typos. This feature is accessible by the microphone icon on the keyboard (like on the phone).
Games.
- Backgammon. You can play against your passenger or against your Tesla. This actually made me think of the TV show, Person of Interest where Harold played chess against The Machine, an AI that he created.
- Stardew Valley. The theme of this game is that you have inherited your grandfather’s old farm plot and now you must learn to live off the land.
Tesla Theater.
Tesla Theather now lets you watch Twitch streams in the app.
Camp Mode.
Tesla enables your car to maintain airflow, temperature, interior lighting and play music. You can also power your devices. This is the mode just for Eli because he loves camping in his Tesla. He explains why this update is vital. “It’s always been a little frustrating for me that when I want to power something from the car I have to leave the door open to trick the Tesla into leaving the power on.” Eli can’t wait to try out this new Camp Mode.
Phone Improvements.
Your Tesla can now read your texts to you and you can send text messages by saying them out loud to the speakers in your Tesla and it will send them. Eli sends himself a test message in the video and it’s pretty funny to see Tesla helping him talk to himself.
Voice Commands.
You can say things like, “Show me the rear camera” and it will show you the rear camera. These commands have been rebuild to understand natural language. Tesla focused on commands that would minimize having to touch the screen so you can keep your eyes on the road. Reread that if you’re shorting Tesla. You can now tell your car to take you home, or to your favorite restaurant without having to touch the screen. This may seem simple, but it’s a huge advancement in technology that helps contribute to safer driving. This is why Tesla is a tech company, not a car company.
Preview of Full Self Driving
Tesla’s new update lets the car recognize traffic cones, stop signs and stop lines, trash cans, and stoplights and their colors, if you try to run a stop sign under autopilot the car emergency brakes and forces you to take over after pic.twitter.com/2GYuPEaXPV
— Ayman 📸 (@wholesnack) December 25, 2019
This preview shows us the Driving Visualization Improvements that show more new objects such as stoplights, stop signs and select road markings that haven’t yet been seen in previous versions of AutoPilot. However, this is a preview meaning that you are seeing improvements in the software but it’s still not yet FSD. So remember to stop at the stop signs and red lights.