Musk names a Twitter CEO, allowing him to devote more time to Tesla
Elon Musk's foray into Twitter leadership has been a topic of considerable debate among Tesla's shareholders. Many have expressed concerns about the possible dilution of his focus from Tesla, the electric vehicle behemoth he has built from the ground up. With Linda Yaccarino's appointment, Musk is set to devote more time to Tesla, allaying shareholders' concerns.
Musk's Reinforced Commitment to Tesla Sparks Investor Enthusiasm
Investors have welcomed the commitment to rechannel his efforts towards Tesla. Despite Musk's extraordinary ability to manage multiple ventures, the recent downturn in Tesla's stock price had sparked calls for him to focus more on the automaker. This latest move has led to a fresh wave of optimism among investors who believe Musk's undivided attention could rejuvenate Tesla's fortunes.
Enhanced Control over Tesla's Hiring Process: Musk's New Directive
In parallel to this development, Musk has enacted a new hiring policy at Tesla. As per the new directive, all potential hires, including contractors, require his personal approval. This extends Musk's control over the operations of Tesla and, according to him, ensures that every addition to the team aligns with the company's vision and objectives.
While some see this as a potential slowdown in Tesla's hiring rate, others view it as a strategic move that could sharpen the company's focus on quality over quantity. As Musk settles back into the driver's seat at Tesla, the world will watch with bated breath to see how these developments impact the automaker's trajectory.
The recent events reaffirm Musk's determination to guide Tesla through the turbulent waters of the automotive industry. As the new era at Tesla unfolds, stakeholders can expect renewed vigor and innovative strategies to bolster the company's standing in the global EV market.
Musk's Tweet Approval Legal Battle Continues Amidst New Developments
As Musk navigates these recent changes, he also continues to face legal issues related to his Twitter activity. Musk's 2018 settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) over his controversial tweets, which required all of his posts to be approved by a Tesla attorney, is still a matter of contention.
The agreement followed a turbulent period in which Musk's tweet about taking Tesla private at $420 per share led to a significant surge in the company's share price, despite funding not being secured. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan recently upheld the requirement for Musk's tweets to be approved first by a Tesla attorney, dismissing his claims that the decree violates his First Amendment rights.
The ongoing legal battle adds another layer of complexity to Musk's leadership dynamics. While his recent decisions signal a refocusing of his energies on Tesla, his Twitter-related legal challenges underline the intertwined nature of his roles across the technology and automotive sectors.
This heightened scrutiny of his leadership comes at a pivotal moment for Tesla as it navigates a competitive EV landscape and strives to maintain its position as a global industry leader.
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After launching puddle lights that spell out ‘Tesla’ in China several months ago, Tesla has finally added the add-on Projection Puddle Lights to the North American store. Before launching them worldwide, Tesla appears to have been using China as a testing ground for its accessories. This is an interesting move, and it's not the first product we’ve seen soft launch in China before a North American and European launch. Tesla did the same with the Caraoke Mic it launched in the U.S. back in July.
Puddle Lights
This pair of puddle lights costs $65 USD or $90 CAD at the Tesla Store right now and is available for the Model Y, as well as all versions of the Model 3. This includes the 2024 Model 3 Highland Refresh, as well as older Model 3s built before 2024. Currently, these are not available for the Model X and Model S.
The lights themselves present a high-definition Tesla wordmark – text only, no logo – of Tesla onto the ground whenever the driver and front passenger doors are opened. While these would technically be compatible with the rear two doors as well, Tesla doesn’t state this.
Third-party options that include the rear two doors often mention that they suffer from reduced brightness as the wiring harness in the rear door doesn’t bring as much power to the rear door puddle lights.
Installation is done by the customer, and isn’t covered by Tesla – but they do offer a page on their DIY service manual on how to get them installed. Installation is straightforward, but you'll need a blunt plastic tool to remove them from the door and to detach the power adapter from the original puddle lights.
We recently discussed a bunch of features that the Tesla Android App is missing in comparison to the Tesla iOS App, but we didn’t look at the other side.
If you’ve got an NFC-capable Android phone and a Tesla, you actually have a feature that’s not available on iPhones. You can tap your phone on Tesla’s NFC card reader to unlock or lock your car, just like you can with your keycard. Tap to Unlock is enabled by default on Android and cannot be turned off on NFC-capable phones unless you disable NFC in your system settings.
Tap to Unlock
Android provides Tesla with access to the API necessary for Tap to Unlock to function over Near-Field Communications (NFC). This means that the Tesla app can serve as a backup keycard if, for some reason, your Phone-as-a-Key (PAAK) doesn’t immediately unlock the car upon waking it.
You’ll need to be a bit precise with this, as most phones have a small NFC location near the center on the back of the phone. You’ll also want to place it slightly under the B-pillar camera, where the car’s NFC reader is.
When you’re successful, the car will honk twice and unlock. Of note, this will not load your pre-set profiles as if you’re unlocking using your phone key, as the car treats this as a unique key. You will not be able to set up Tap to Unlock to load a particular profile – it seems to load a “default” profile every time. This also means that if you’ve got your mirrors set to unfold or your seats to move back, this will also not happen.
However, once you hop in, you can select your profile and everything will adjust to you. Your phone will continue to work as a phone key to keep you authenticated so that you can start your car.
Unlock Car Even If Phone Battery is Drained
This feature serves as a convenient way to get your car open and unlocked if your phone won’t power on or if the car doesn’t recognize your phone key, which can sometimes happen. On newer Android phones, NFC remains on even if your phone battery has run out since NFC uses so little power.
If you disable Bluetooth on your phone or your phone battery is on empty, your phone key won’t work, so you’ll need to authenticate again inside the vehicle to start the car. You can place your phone on either the Wireless Charger (for newer vehicles) or in the NFC slot between the cup holders and the center armrest to authenticate.
Other NFC Devices
For those more adventurous, you can also use other NFC-capable devices as Tesla keycards. Personally, the author uses an NFC-capable ring, as well as a third-party app on an Android Watch as backups. They serve solely as backups in the case of a lost phone rather than my primary keys.
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