Tesla held its 2022 shareholders' meeting yesterday. At the event, Tesla discussed a variety of products and features including FSD Beta 10.13, the Cybertruck, Tesla Superchargers, and a new Tesla factory.
You can watch the entire event below (starts at the 2 minute mark), or read Dan Burkland's recap, which was originally posted on dburkland.com.
Part 1 - Formal Shareholder Items
• Martin - Intro
Robyn Denholm
• Global fleet of cars and vehicles to avoid 8.4M metric tons of green house gas emissions
• Avoided emissions that were equivalent to ICE vehicles driving 20B miles
• By 2030 Tesla plans to sell 20M vehicles / year
• In June 2022 Tesla achieved the highest vehicle production month in their history
• Tesla continues to make an impact w/ Solar & Energy Storage business
• Tesla sold 4 GWH of energy storage products in 2021, enough to power 3M homes
• Solar demand has increased 4x
• Goal is for all factories to be carbon neutral
• Tesla already uses less water per vehicle than any other automaker
• Attempting to achieve a 2M vehicle / year run rate by end of 2022
• Tesla just recently produced their 3 millionth vehicle
• Looking back 10 years ago, Tesla only made 2500 Roadsters and maybe a couple hundred Model S (August
2012)
• “Cleanest exponentials” -Elon Musk
• $TSLA shareholders have approved the 3-for-1 stock split
Tesla
• Important to note the increase in strong free cash flow is occurring before autonomy
FSD Beta 10.13
• “This year I swear” (FSD being released to public)
• “Made some significant architectural improvements with FSD Beta 10.13 release, might qualify for
10.69” -Elon Musk
• “It's gotta earn that” -Elon Musk
• “We are going to solve Chuck's turn” -Elon Musk
• “Roughly 90% success rate w/ Chuck's turn”
• “Might be next week” -Elon Musk
• “It's working well for me” -Elon Musk
• FSD will save lives by driving an order of magnitudes safer than people
• Tesla has the highest operating margin in the entire industry
Tesla
• Every time a competitor advertises for EVs Tesla notices an increase in sales
• Model Y is tracking to be highest vehicle by revenue by end of 2022 and highest by unit by end of
2023
Gigafactories
• Tesla will soon be ready to announce another factory location by end of 2022
• Tesla plans to eventually have 10-12 Giga Factories
• Each factory will have the capacity to produce 1.5-2M vehicles per year
• Fremont factory is highest output car factory in North America
• Elon thinks it's going to be a friendly competition between Berlin, Fremont, and Texas (Shanghai
hard to beat)
• Tesla has produced more energy than it consumes (includes vehicle charging)
Tesla
• Tesla battery recycling is already happening at a rate of 50 packs per week in Nevada
• Continues to scale
• Not that many batteries to recycle since their longevity has been really good so far (more
of a longterm play)
Master Plan: Part 3
• Will be focused on scaling
• “What are all the things needed to achieve a fully sustainable global economy”
• Cathode materials
• Aluminum, Etc.
• Goal is to reiterate this is absolutely doable and that we want it to be done as fast as
possible
Tesla
Vehicle Structure
• Lighter
• Stiffer
• Better NVH
• Better in pretty much every way when compared to stamped underbody construction
Manufacturing
• Model Y requires only 30% of robots needed to produce vehicles as required by the Model 3
• Improved layout of factory where it is now a signal monolithic factory
Tesla
• Eventually all cars will be self driving but it will be hard to replicate Tesla's
manufacturing capabilities
Working at Tesla
• Employees are free to switch between SpaceX & Tesla
• Factory safety has dramatically improved, Elon believes they now have the safest factories
in the business
• Tesla has encouraged employees to submit suggestions on improving factory safety with a goal
of 3 suggestions per employee (They have since met that goal and safety has increased as a
result)
• 3M job applicants over last year
Supercharger Network
• 99.96% uptime
• Continue to deploy V3 Superchargers, V4 set to be deployed next year
• Elon mentioned that more good news regarding the Supercharger network is coming
Safety
• Tesla has a very detailed feedback loop when it comes to vehicle crashes
• Auto seat belt tensioning is an example of how Tesla continues to improve safety via OTA
updates
• Activated via Autopilot AI when a crash is 99.99%+ sure to happen
FSD Beta
Tesla
• Tracking to well over 100M miles by end of 2022
• Wide spread release by end of 2022, will be available to anybody who requests it
AI Day: Part 2
• September 30th, 2022
• Elon believes Optimus will turn the notion of what an economy is on its head
Next Decade
• 10 years ago they had less than 3000 cars, now its more than 3M
• Elon thinks vehicle production should be able to exceed over 100M 10 years from now
Questions
Plans for Cash
• Tesla has used a small amount of its available cash for acquisitions and that will continue
to be the case unless the right opportunity arrises (automation, software, manufacturing,
etc.)
• Spending CapEx and R&D money as fast as they can without wasting it
• Share buyback may be in the cards as long as there isn't another force majeure event
Factories
• 12 factories seems to be the perfect number with a maximum production rate of 2M vehicles
per factory
Cybertruck
• Specs and pricing will be different (a lot has changed since 2019)
• Inflation and various issues are to blame
• Production equipment & tooling will begin getting installed in Giga Texas, volume
production still targeted by mid-2023
US & China Tension
• Elon hopes for peace and respect between the US & China
Supercharger Locations
• Permits are extremely hard to obtain in some areas (ex. Malibu)
• Tesla continues to prioritize new Supercharger locations by busiest locations
• Elon mentioned there will be an online poll where people can vote where they want new
Supercharger locations built
• Trying to do more fun things when it comes to Supercharger locations (ex. Futuristic Diner
in Hollywood)
4680 Output
• Tesla is making a decent number of 4680 cells each week and Elon projects that they'll be in
high volume production by end of 2022
• 4680 production does not yet impact vehicle output however it will in 2023
Master Plan
• New master plan not yet ready, plan to finish it by end of August 2022
Supply Chain
• Most of commodities that go into Tesla vehicles are trending down (cost) over next 6 months
which suggests that we are past peak inflation
• Elon thinks we will have a relatively mild recession for 18 months (just a guess) and that
inflation should drop rapidly
Autonomy
• AI is going to increase utility of passenger vehicles by 4-5x
• Vehicles will still cost the same to produce so gross margins are expected to rapidly
increase
• Elon still believes folks will have the option to own a car, rent it out when they aren't
using it, or simply rent somebody else's vehicle (ex. Uber)
• “Optimus will bring the future to now”
Media
• Elon annoyed that most analysts don't drive Teslas which prevents them from having a good
understanding of the Tesla customer experience
Succession
• Elon believes in strong product roadmap that will lead to success for quite some time
• Elon intends to stay with Tesla as long as he is useful, plans to continue to closely focus
on factory & product design
• Tesla would continue to do well even if he was kidnapped by aliens (or returned to his own
planet haha)
• The only publicly traded securities Elon owns are $TSLA and $TWTR
• Believes he has a good sense of where to point the engineering team at $TWTR to make it
radically better
• Thinks Twitter would accelerate his original vision of x.com by 3-5 years and be something that is very useful to
the world
Tunnels
• Elon wanted to clarify he is pro-train
• Elon believes tunnels could solve virtually any traffic problems around the world and allow
above ground road space to be reclaimed for parks
Dojo & Tesla Communicating w/ Each Other
• Goal #1 is to be really good at video training
• Approaching at being the 3rd most powerful super computer in the world (geared for AI
training)
• Fundamentally focused on NN training which has never been done before
• Some merit with Teslas communicating with each other but not needed for FSD (traffic,
accidents, pot holes, etc.)
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Tesla’s Model Y has held the title of the world’s best-selling vehicle—across all categories—for the past three years. And it takes an absolute masterstroke of engineering and design to make an even better, more popular vehicle.
In a newly released video (posted below), Tesla highlights some of the key upgrades and refinements made to the Model Y. While a previous deep dive explored the engineering details [insert link here], this latest video offers a broader look at the improvements. Let’s take a closer look.
Unique Design of the Model Y
The refreshed Model Y is all about individuality. While every Tesla model stands out in its own way, some are more similar than others. For example, the Model S and Model X share a similar front fascia design but still feel distinct. The previous Model 3 and Model Y, however, were often difficult to differentiate, even for seasoned Tesla owners.
That’s no longer the case. With the refreshed Model 3 and Model Y, the differences are clear enough to make each vehicle instantly recognizable. You’ll easily spot them on the road and distinguish them from their predecessors.
Design
The lightbar is the first thing you’ll notice about the design overhaul. Tesla aimed to give the vehicle a wider, more grounded appearance while also creating more space on the front fascia. This newfound space not only improves the vehicle’s look but also leads to some efficiency gains—more on that later.
The rear lightbar is equally striking. It’s a reflective, full-body design, marking a first in the automotive industry. The light is reflected onto a custom applique, which directs it downward, creating a puddle of red light behind the car. As Franz, Tesla’s Head of Design puts it, it gives the impression of an afterburner.
The reflective rear lightbar.
Not a Tesla App
Ride Comfort
Tesla has been focused on improving ride comfort, and the refreshed Model Y is a testament to that effort. While the original Model Y had more of a sports car-like handling, which was less ideal for family use, the new suspension design focuses on comfort by reducing impact harshness, all while maintaining Tesla’s signature steering feel and precise handling.
This is paired with in-house designed tires, developed alongside the tire manufacturer, resulting in the most efficient EV tires Tesla has ever used. With lower rolling resistance, improved handling, and reduced road noise, these tires contribute to a smoother, quieter ride.
The addition of acoustic glass across every glass surface in the vehicle, combined with upgraded sealing materials throughout the cabin and body, has led to a 20% reduction in overall vehicle noise. This is a substantial improvement for an already quiet EV.
The new silver-infused acoustic glass also reflects heat much more effectively than the older glass, reducing the strain on the vehicle’s climate system. This allows the fan to run at a lower speed, further reducing cabin noise and improving energy efficiency. Tesla has truly pulled out all the stops to make the refreshed Model Y one of the most comfortable and refined passenger vehicles on the road.
Efficiency and EPA Range
When it comes to efficiency, Tesla has meticulously reevaluated every component and design choice of the original Model Y, all while maintaining the same size and form factor that has made it a favorite for millions worldwide. The result? A 10% improvement in efficiency over the previous Model Y, which translates to more range.
The EPA recently announced the official range for the vehicle of 327 miles, beating Tesla’s estimate of 320 miles. This is an increase of 16 miles over the outgoing AWD Model Y, which had an EPA estimated range of 311 miles.
The front ducts have been widened thanks to changes in the front fascia, allowing for improved airflow over the tires and front brakes. Meanwhile, the new thermoplastic spoiler has been redesigned at the rear to be more aerodynamically efficient, contributing to the overall 10% efficiency boost. These updates improve performance and range.
Utility
The Model Y has become the ubiquitous Sports Utility Vehicle, capable of handling just about anything. In addition to improving its performance and efficiency, Tesla has also improved its practicality. The trunk opening has been enlarged, making it easier to load and unload items.
One standout feature is the power-folding rear seats. With just the push of a button, you can effortlessly fold them down or raise them back up. Additionally, the front seats automatically slide forward to create more space when you need to bring the rear seats down.
Tesla also gave the frunk a thoughtful upgrade. It now includes a new drain plug, and the bottom liner is fully waterproof—an improvement over the previous water-resistant version. This means you can fill the frunk with ice or use Tesla’s upcoming frunk cooler without worry. There’s even talk of more accessories on the horizon, and we can’t wait to see what Tesla has in store for this versatile space.
Safety
Safety has always been a top priority in Tesla’s vehicle design, and the Model Y has consistently earned 5-star crash safety ratings worldwide. It’s expected that the refreshed Model Y will continue this trend, maintaining Tesla's reputation for top-tier safety.
Additionally, the new front bumper camera offers valuable assistance for parking in tight spaces or when navigating off-road. While there’s no official word yet on whether these bumper cameras will be integrated into Full Self-Driving (FSD) or Smart Summon for the refreshed Model Y or Cybertruck, it’s definitely something to watch for in future updates.
Interior
Front and rear infotainment
Not a Tesla App
Inside the refreshed Model Y, Tesla has fine-tuned every detail to create a more premium feel. This includes the addition of ambient lighting, similar to the refreshed Model 3 and Cybertruck, as well as new materials throughout the cabin to elevate the overall aesthetic.
The redesigned heated and ventilated seats take comfort and support to the next level, which is a significant improvement for those who use the Model Y as their daily commuter. A comfortable seat can make all the difference on long drives.
In the rear, the updated infotainment system can now pair with two Bluetooth headsets specifically for the back screen. This means passengers in the rear can enjoy audio independently of the front, so if your kids want to watch cartoons, you can continue enjoying music or the news without any interruptions.
Tesla also developed new acoustically transparent materials, which are used to conceal some of the 16 speakers and the newly positioned microphones. Placing the microphones closer to the driver and front passenger’s heads improves clarity for voice recognition and phone calls.
Be sure to check out the full video below to see the meticulous design work and thoughtful improvements that went into the refreshed Model Y—it’s definitely worth a watch.
Tesla has officially launched FSD in Mexico. This is the third expansion of FSD since it was first launched in the United States.
The news was shared by Tesla Owners Mexico on X, followed by confirmation from Tesla AI with a simple but exciting message: "¡Hola México!"
FSD features are geo-fenced, meaning that if a vehicle equipped with FSD crosses into a country where the software isn’t supported, it will automatically revert back to Autopilot. This expansion has likely lifted the restriction, meaning the U.S. Tesla owners should now be able to drive into Mexico and continue using FSD without interruption.
FSD Global Expansion Timeline
Tesla has set some lofty goals for itself, announcing in their FSD roadmap that it expects FSD to be ready to roll out internationally in Q1 and expand to right-hand drive markets in Q2. While it’s not clear whether Tesla still expects to meet these targets, this is the latest information that was shared in September 2024:
Q1 2025: FSD is expected to launch in Europe and China, pending regulatory approval.
Q2 2025: FSD rollout for right-hand drive (RHD) markets, with a flexible timeline based on approval processes.
Tesla has faced regulatory hurdles, particularly in China, where FSD testing was recently put on hold. One major hurdle is China’s strict data regulations, which require all training data to be collected and stored within the country. This means Tesla cannot rely on its existing U.S.-based data centers and must build local infrastructure to comply with government policies that prevent vehicle data from leaving China.
Additionally, since FSD relies heavily on fleet data, Tesla won’t be able to leverage its vast global dataset. Instead, the company will need to retrain its AI models using data exclusively gathered from vehicles operating within China. These constraints add complexity to Tesla’s FSD rollout, potentially delaying its expansion in the region.
After initially launching FSD Beta in the U.S. to a small group of influencers, Tesla expanded access to more users through its Safety Score program in late 2021. At first, only those with a perfect score of 100 were eligible, but as FSD improved and Tesla grew more confident in its performance, the requirement was gradually lowered.
In March 2022, Tesla took its first step beyond the U.S. by introducing FSD in Canada with the release of v10.11.1. Since then, Tesla has expanded FSD to Puerto Rico, and now, the launch in Mexico marks another major expansion of the software.
This news will likely raise excitement among users outside of North America who have been waiting for FSD for years. With regulatory hurdles in China presenting unique challenges, Tesla may shift its focus to expanding FSD in Europe and Oceania first.
Meanwhile, Tesla also focuses on launching its Robotaxi network, set to debut in Austin, Texas, in June. The upcoming Cybercabs in Austin could be running early builds of FSD v14 or a specialized version designed for Unsupervised FSD.
Like so many other things happening at Tesla right now, it’s an exciting time as Tesla prepares Unsupervised FSD for the Cybercab, continues the expansion of FSD, and works out all the details of its robotaxi network, such as the cleaning hubs and wirelessly charging capabilities.