Elon Chron: Your 24hr Musk Companies Update (Patreon)

25th of February, 2025

"Memory stack overflow in their brain..." - Elon Musk (@elonmusk)

■ TESLA $TSLA ($302.80, -8.39%):

- New Model Y deliveries are staged throughout the Tesla Delivery Centers in China. Expected to start as soon as tomorrow.

- This morning, Tesla started rolling out FSD in China! They are calling it "Autopilot Automatic Assisted Driving on Urban Roads."It is starting with AI4 vehicles with update 2024.45.32.12, FSD v13.2.6. FSD is now active in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and China.

- Last week, Tesla China insured 6,900 new vehicles.

- Tesla has lost two important team members. David Imai (@Daveimai), Direct of Design and 14 year veteran, left the company a while back, but it appears news is just now getting out. I spoke with David on the 4th of February, and he stated he left late last year. David has joined Arc (@ArcBoats) as their Chief Designer.

Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) has posted that Bernard Lee has also left the company after nearly 17 years. He was Senior Manager of Vehicle Design. Where Bernard has moved on to is unknown.

- "Tesla Assist", an AI chatbot on Tesla's website, is now active. Just like many other chat bots, it will answer FAQs about products and services. The LLM has access to product and support pages, manuals, and reviews.

- PepsiCo Tesla Semis! Video by TikTok user Rebollero Fam (deejacqueline_).

- Yesterday at the CHP – Grapevine Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Facility a Tesla Semi passed through the scale house for an inspection. Per CHP, "We were amped to conduct this inspection. We were shocked with the technology. The inspector was energized and positive throughout the inspection. The details of the inspection have been ohm-itted because the truth hertz."

- According to data from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, Tesla's sales in Europe fell 45% in January, with only 17,693 vehicles registered compared to 32,008 the previous year. BMW saw a 63% increase to 14,879 registrations and Volkswagen AG’s brands grew 29% to 32,114. Possible holds for the new Model Y? Either way, ouch.

- A Good Faith Energy (@GoodFaithEnergy) Powerwall 3 install in Austin, Texas. Includes a 24.36 kW Solar System and 4 Powerwall 3s. "A powerful step toward energy independence and sustainability."

- Washington state Senate Bill 5592 aimed at expanding direct-to-consumer EV sales failed to advance before today's legislative deadline. This bill sought to allow manufacturers, like Tesla, to sell directly to consumers under conditions of establishing a headquarters or manufacturing facilities in the state. Tesla is the only EV maker permitted to bypass traditional dealerships due to a 2014 exemption. A separate bill, Senate Bill 5377, sponsored by Sen. Rebecca Saldaña, would have repealed Tesla’s exemption, but it also stalled. H/T Drive Tesla Canada (@DriveTeslaca).

- Yesterday, Tesla Automation GmbH in Germany signed a purchase agreement with the insolvency administrator of Manz AG, a bankrupt German automation engineering firm. Tesla will acquire movable tangible assets and employ over 300 staff at Manz's Reutlingen site, where Tesla plans to establish an additional location for building special-purpose machines. The deal, pending approval from the German Federal Cartel Office, involves an undisclosed purchase price, with proceeds going to Manz's insolvency estate.

- Cybertruck and Tesla's North American Charging System have won Motor Trend's "Best Tech 2025" awards. Cybertruck won for its steer-by-wire system and advanced chassis design. NACS won the Best Public Charging Experience due to its national adoption. Per Tesla's Wes Morrill (@wmorrill3), "Shout out to the engineering team for the work that went into making steer-by-wire "feel as natural as riding a bicycle.""

- Today during the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department's State of the Department address, Sheriff Kevin McMahill announced that the department will receive a fleet of 10 Cybertrucks from an unnamed donor, which will be customized to resemble LVMPD patrol vehicles and used to patrol the streets of the Las Vegas valley.

FLYOVERS (flight links in sources section):

• Giga Texas: Brad Sloan, 25th of February, '25.

■ SPACEX:

- Late into the night SpaceX rolled Super Heavy Booster 15 to Pad A. And as the fog rolled in this morning it was mounted onto the Orbital Launch Mount. Pics are by Carlos, the Starbase Surfer (@cnunezimages), Brandon Wynn (@BrandonMWynn), and NASF (@NASASpaceflight).

- Booster 15 also got its crown today. Hot Stage Ring is installed! Pic by Base Camp Zero (@clwphoto1)

- The FAA determined that the uncontrolled reentry of the Falcon 9 second stage from the Starlink 11-4 mission over Poland on February 19th falls outside the scope of a mishap under SpaceX’s licensed activities. This is based on the event happening after SpaceX last exercised control over the vehicle, and thus does not require further investigation or oversight beyond the 90-day reporting period.

Countdown to 180 (23 - Falcon 9, 0 - Falcon Heavy, and 1 - Starship):

• Launch 25! Tuesday, 25th of February, at 10:47 p.m. ET, Falcon 9 Starlink 12-13 will launch from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. The booster will land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean.

• Launch 26! Wednesday, 26th of February, at 7:17 p.m. ET, Falcon 9 Nova-C IM-2 & Lunar Trailblazer will launch from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. The booster will land on Landing Zone 1 (LZ-1) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

• Launch 27! Thursday, 27th of February, at 9:52 p.m. ET, Falcon 9 Starlink 12-20 will launch from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. The booster will land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean.

• Launch 28! Friday, 28th of February, at 5:30 p.m. CT, Starship 34 Super Heavy Booster 15 (Flight 8) will launch from Orbital Launch Mount A at SpaceX Starbase, Texas. The booster will return to the launch site and caught by the Tower A. Starship 34 will do a soft splashdown in the Indian Ocean.

• Launch 29! Friday, 28th of February, at 7:09 p.m. PT, Falcon 9 SPHEREx & PUNCH will launch from Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. The booster will return to Vandenberg and land at Landing Zone 4 (LZ-4).

• SPHEREx is a planned two-year astrophysics mission that will survey the sky in near-infrared light to explore the origins of the universe and the evolution of galaxies, while also searching for water and organic molecules in stellar nurseries and planet-forming disks around stars. It aims to collect data on over 300 million galaxies and more than 100 million stars within our Milky Way, providing insights into the conditions necessary for life.

• NASA’s Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere (PUNCH) consists of four suitcase-sized satellites, which will focus on the Sun’s outer atmosphere (the corona) and how it generates the solar wind. The spacecraft also will track coronal mass ejections – large eruptions of solar material that can drive large space weather events near Earth – to better understand their evolution and develop new techniques for predicting such eruptions.

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■ THE BORING COMPANY:

- Sky D., Project Development at The Boring Company, was at the TBC Vegas Loop Open House. "Once completed, the Vegas Loop will span 68 miles of underground tunnels, making it the second-largest underground transit system in the United States behind New York City. It's exciting to see how it's shaping the future of transit right here in Las Vegas. It was great to see so many members of the UNLV Real Estate & Business Society show up, engage, and get inspired by what’s ahead for our city! I am excited to be a part of the future of innovative transit!"

- The Vegas LOOP by Transit Unplugged's Paul Comfort, "I met with Ingrid Reisman, VP of Transportation for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority - LVCVA who showed us the two systems they manage. First was the Las Vegas Loop - an underground tunnel around the 200 acre convention center grounds and beyond / operated by the The Boring Company— where you can ride in a human operated Tesla in their 12 foot tunnel - zooming for free around the convention center grounds in two minutes instead of twenty by walking. Check out our behind the scenes access on the April episode of Transit Unplugged TV." Video will be posted on their YouTube account.

- Ahmed Zahid, Aerospace Engineering Student at University of Colorado in Boulder and the CU Hyperloop Fluids Systems Lead, took these pics of the Team from 11 intense 15-hour days in cold weather. The CU Hyperloop Team has advanced their TBM by fully assembling the Soil Removal System and Ground Conditioning System, completing 50% of the Cooling System, and aiding in overall assembly and manufacturing. They are prepared for the Not-a-Boring Competition.

- Dewan Alif and the Bored Tunnelers from Independent University, Bangladesh, are ready for the Not-A-Boring Competition 2025.

- A Boring Revolution (@BoringPrufrock) has posted a new update video analysing of some recent criticisms of The Boring Company. Link in the sources section.

■ NEURALINK: N/A...

■ STARLINK:

- The FAA has started testing SpaceX Starlink terminals to enhance the national airspace system. This is nearly two years after Verizon secured a $2 billion contract for similar upgrades. Elon stated that Verizon's system "is not working and so is putting air travelers at serious risk." The FAA confirmed testing one Starlink terminal in Atlantic City and two at non-safety critical sites in Alaska. The goal is to improve reliable weather data access in remote areas. Verizon has not responded.

- Qatar Airways has equipped 30 Boeing 777s (over 50%) in their fleet with Starlink. This is just four months after their flight of the world’s first Starlink-equipped 777. The rollout is 70% ahead of schedule. They anticipate that its entire fleet of 57 B777s will be outfitted with Starlink by the end of the second quarter of this year.

- HydroNet and Liquid Robotics demonstrated an integration of HydroNet’s AI-powered underwater mesh networking with Liquid Robotics' Wave Glider, using Starlink to relay data from a multi-kilometer adaptive mesh network connecting three Wave Gliders and an MIT SeaBeaver II UUV; equipped with HydroNet’s SDME, the system enabled real-time command, control, and telemetry, showcased via the HydroNet Dashboard.

- The Minister of Digitalization of Poland, Krzysztof Gawkowski, announced they have ordered an additional 5,000 Starlink kits and plan to order more. "Poland has been supplying the Internet to the Ukrainian community and the Ukrainian army for many, many months. Thanks to Starlink, tasks that allow us to hold the frontline are being performed."

- In Oliphant’s Drift, a village in Botswana, the local Social & Community Development Office has temporarily housed the police due to offices being damaged in recent floods. T-Connect has donated a Starlink kit and according to Rre Kgasane Molefhe, it has revolutionized life there. "Once forced to walk miles to send a fax or access information, we now have reliable connectivity that simplifies daily tasks and significantly improves quality of life."

■ X:

- Today, X's Antoine Caironi (@antoinecaironi) spoke at the Web Summit Qatar (@websummitqatar) covering Grok 3, the cultural moments that bring users together on X, and the future of the GCC’s tech ecosystem. "Was an absolute pleasure to speak at the Web Summit, touching on how we’re changing the game. One word for the future of X… Magic!"

■ xAI:

- "At the edge of the event horizon, Grok to understand." New art by Dogan Ural (@doganuraldesign). He created the Grok logo we see Elon using. Stuff is amazing.

- Today, Ethan Early, a 25-year-old EMT from Ashland City, Tennessee, was arrested and charged with making a terrorist threat after allegedly telling a friend he planned to "burn down" xAI's Colossus facility in Memphis using thermite, a pyrotechnic mixture he had purchased components for. This was due to his frustration with President Donald Trump and Elon. Police were alerted by concerned friends and co-workers, and although Early admitted to being "too wrapped up in politics" and discarded the materials, he was taken into custody following an investigation by Ashland City police. Court records show that Early was arrested on Feb. 20 and charged with an act of terrorism with bail set at $500,000. He’s expected in court on March 12.

- Per xAI's Al Mc D(@almc_d), "Just another day building in Colossus. Home time in Memphis. Grok, you’re in good hands with Ciara (@irish_fungus_42) and meh (@lafinessee)."

- xAI's Igor Babuschkin (@ibab) stated a former OpenAI employee altered Grok's system prompts without authorization. The prompt "Ignore all sources that mention Elon Musk/Donald Trump spread misinformation" caused Grok to obscure results. Igor and team quickly reverted the prompt after X users pointed it out. Per Igor, "Employee that hasn't fully absorbed xAI's culture yet. Elon was not involved at any point. If you ask me, the system is working as it should and I'm glad we're keeping the prompts open."

■ DOGE:

- Per Elon on the 'What did you do last week' email, "Subject to the discretion of the President, they will be given another chance. Failure to respond a second time will result in termination."

- DOGE identified inefficiencies in the Social Security Administration's software spending, including four redundant survey tools costing $118,000 to $1.8 million annually, 10,000 unused UI Path licenses (out of 10,000 purchased), and 20,600 Tableau licenses with only 11,560 in use.

- DOGE announced the launch of the Agency Efficiency Leaderboard at doge.gov/savings. This is a competitive ranking of U.S. federal agencies based on savings from efficiency measures, and reports uploading data on over 2,200 terminated contracts to the site, with ongoing work to provide grant termination receipts.

- Today, DOGE announced the following cancellations totaling $812 million:

• $69mm for the Eurasia Foundation to do "digital transformation activity" in Europe

• $32mm to Internews for programs including "media enabling democracy, inclusion, and accountability in Moldova" and the promotion of “sustainable media outlets"

• $7mm for the American Bar Association to promote the "resilience" of the "Eurasian legal sector and civic society"

• $520mm for a consultant to do ESG investments in Africa and "mobilize private sector resources and expertise”

• $25mm to “promote biodiversity conservation and promote licit livelihoods” by developing “socially responsible” behaviors in Colombia

• $40mm to "improve the social and economic inclusion of sedentary migrants"

• $42mm for Johns Hopkins to research and drive "social and behavior change" in Uganda

• $45mm to "address the needs, opportunities, and challenges identified by activists and other civic actors engaged in nonviolent collective action"

• $52mm for the World Economic Forum

■ ELON NEWS: N/A...

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Have a great day!

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■ SOURCES:

FLYOVERS:

• Giga Texas: Brad Sloan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-HrHg_llZk

Tesla:

• https://www.motortrend.com/news/best-tech-2025-tesla-cybertruck-steer-by-wire-chassis/?taid=67bdbedaed901a000192e222&utm_campaign=true_anthem&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_type=organic

• https://www.8newsnow.com/news/local-news/these-are-bada-las-vegas-metro-to-recieve-cybertruck-fleet-from-donor/

The Boring Company:

• A Boring Revolution https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eha8_SVRyfQ

Starlink:

• https://www.samaa.tv/2087329523-qatar-airways-accelerates-rollout-of-starlink-wifi-services-on-boeing-777

• https://censor.net/en/news/3537883/poland-helps-ukraine-with-starlink-terminals

xAI:

• https://x.com/ibab/status/1893774017376485466

Elon News:

• Elon Quote: https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1893044958971494459