Tesla offers to have a third-party audit of its battery suppliers
Tesla
In a bold and unequivocal commitment to ethical practices, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, recently pledged that the company would initiate an independent audit of its battery material suppliers. This resolution has been determined irrespective of the shareholders' rejection of the proposal during a recent meeting. Underlining the gravity of his commitment, Musk declared on Twitter, "And I will review the audit personally. If you drive a Tesla, you should be able to believe in it to your core.”
In an unprecedented gesture of transparency, Musk proposed placing a webcam in the mines, urging the public to report any instance of child labor. This innovative approach shows the company's dedication to ethical mining practices and their efforts to open the entire process to public scrutiny.
Tesla’s decision to conduct this audit is rooted in the company's ongoing commitment to eradicating unethical labor practices from its supply chain, especially those related to cobalt mining. Cobalt, an integral component in many batteries, has been linked to exploitative labor practices in the past, leading to a storm of controversy within the electric vehicle industry.
Contrasting Cobalt Usage: Tesla's Minimal Dependence versus Smartphone Industry's Heavy Reliance
Unlike other companies, Tesla has made considerable strides in limiting cobalt usage in its batteries by utilizing iron-based and nickel-based alternatives, thereby significantly reducing its reliance on this controversial mineral. However, Musk points out that the consumer electronics industry, particularly smartphones, continues to depend heavily on cobalt.
In a pointed remark during the shareholders’ meeting, Musk highlighted that while Tesla uses a nominal amount of cobalt, smartphones utilize it completely. This information is critical for those interested in the ethical sourcing of materials, as it shifts some of the focus towards other sectors that have not taken similar measures to reduce cobalt dependency.
Since 2019, Tesla has been a part of the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT), an initiative that mandates its members to implement measures against prohibited labor forms. This affiliation and active collaboration with the Responsible Business Alliance underscores Tesla’s commitment to ethical labor practices and transparent sourcing.
Tesla's Hands-On Approach: Visit to Cobalt Mines in the DRC
In a hands-on display of this commitment, a Tesla team visited cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) last year. During this trip, they interacted with local stakeholders and NGOs, highlighting their active role in addressing health, safety, and child labor issues in the industry.
By proceeding with the third-party audit despite the shareholders' disapproval, Tesla has showcased its unwavering stand on ethical sourcing and transparency. This groundbreaking decision not only reinforces Tesla's integrity but also sets a remarkable example for the entire industry.
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Tesla recently showed off Giga Small Haus, an interesting new display project hosted at Giga Berlin. The small new house is located just outside the main entrance of Tesla’s Giga Berlin factory, with a Quicksilver Model Y parked inside.
Giga Small Haus is powered only by solar and Powerwall 3 - disconnected from the local grid and from Giga Berlin itself. It serves as a live demonstration of Tesla Solar and Tesla’s Powerwall battery backup.
Giga Small Haus
The centerpiece of the display is a Model Y in Quicksilver - a beautiful pick for a beautifully lit house. However, that’s not the real focus here - it's the Powerwall and Gateway on the wall.
The Powerwall is the focus of Giga Small Haus, and there’s a display with some additional information on the wall. Part of the display also includes a screen that displays the current output of the Powerwall itself versus the consumption of Giga Small Haus, as well as the input from solar.
The interior exhibit of Giga Small Haus
Not a Tesla App
The text on the exhibit is divided into several sections. Here’s a translated and edited version of what we can see from Tesla’s images. Some additional text is obscured. If someone visits Giga Small Haus, let us know.
Powerwall
Powerwall is a home battery system that stores energy from solar panels, the electrical grid, or during off-peak hours and powers your home during the day or during a power outage.
With Powerwall, you can use self-generated solar energy during the day and night, thus avoiding high electricity costs. You can also store excess energy produced during sunny periods for use during times of low production or power outages.
Key Features
Energy Storage: Powerwall stores excess energy from solar panels or the grid for later use or during power outages.
Backup Power: In the event of a power outage, Powerwall automatically switches to battery power to ensure continuous power supply.
Integration: Powerwall can be seamlessly integrated with existing solar systems and other power sources.
Scalability: Multiple Powerwalls can be installed to meet higher energy storage needs.
Smart Energy Management: Powerwall works with Tesla's software to optimize energy consumption and reduce costs.
How Powerwall Works
Storage: During the day, when solar panels produce more energy than needed, the excess is stored in Powerwall.
Usage: At night or during times of low solar production, the stored energy is used to power the home, reducing reliance on the grid.
Backup: During a power outage, Powerwall automatically provides power to critical circuits, ensuring continuous operation of essential appliances.
Benefits
Cost Savings: By storing and using solar energy, you can reduce your electricity bills.
Reliability: Provides backup power during outages, ensuring your home remains powered.
Sustainability: Promotes the use of renewable energy by storing excess solar production for later use.
Overall, Giga Small Haus is an interesting real-life demo of what Powerwall and Solar can accomplish. It would be neat if Tesla built more of these displays - perhaps near major Delivery and Service Centers and at Giga Texas, Fremont, Giga Shanghai, and other facilities. Many Tesla owners have yet to learn about and experience some of Tesla’s Energy products.
Tesla has added the Acceleration Boost option to the Tesla store for owners of the 2024 Model 3 Long Range - specifically owners in Australia and China. Acceleration Boost is an upgrade that provides a significant performance boost, drastically narrowing the performance gap between the Long Range and Performance versions of the same model.
This upgrade will likely become available in Europe, Canada, and the United States in the next few days as Tesla updates its shops globally.
Acceleration Boost
This new Acceleration Boost is retailing for $3,000 AUD, or approximately $2,000 USD. That’s the same price for current owners of older Model 3 or Model Y Long Range vehicles, which all have the option to purchase Acceleration Boost through the shop.
The boost provides improved 0-100km/h (0-60mph) performance, bumping the 2024 Model 3 LR from 4.4s to 3.8s. The 2024 Performance version comes in at a blazing fast 2.9 seconds, so while it isn’t equivalent to just buying a performance variant in the first place, it is still a noticeable and significant upgrade.
Performance variants also come with a different front fascia vent for cooling, performance drive units, sport seats, adaptive suspension, 20-inch wheels, and Track Mode V3. That’s a significant number of additional features in the $10,000 USD price difference between the Long Range and Performance versions.
Should You Buy It?
If you’ve purchased a Long Range model and are itching to go just that little bit faster at every red light, this is the upgrade for you. It previously came with the cost of slightly reducing vehicle range, but the Tesla store doesn’t make a note of reduced range this time around. The 2023 Model 3 and Model Y Long Range models had an efficiency loss of about 5% due to the additional always-available acceleration and cooling.
You could drive in Chill mode to mostly negate that efficiency loss, but what’s the fun in driving in Chill when you just got Acceleration Boost? Anyhow, the shop listing for the 2024 variant doesn’t include this detail, so it's possible Tesla may have worked some more engineering magic.
Overall, if you’ve got the $3,000 AUD burning a hole in your pocket, some Tesla referral credits sitting around, or just want to go faster, it's definitely an upgrade many users find valuable.
