ELON CHRON: Your 24hr Musk Companies Update (Patreon)

17th of April, 2025

"“Blank Slate” aka tabula rasa..." - Elon Musk (@elonmusk)

■ TESLA $TSLA ($241.38, -0.070%):

- "Quiet please. The machines are learning..." by Tesla AI (@Tesla_AI). I'm thinking this is at Giga New York; the Mojo Dojo Compute Hall. If you know for sure, let us know.

- New Cybertruck inventory discounts have increased in the U.S.

• 2024 Non-Foundation Series are discounted by up to $10,550.

• 2024 Foundation Series are discounted by up to $10,000.

Not only do you get the discount, you also get free Supercharging for Life. There are no discounts on 2025 year models, but you do qualify for the $7,500 Federal Tax Credit.

- When robots meet... Optimus is greeting Cybercab in the latest render posted today. Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto... Indeed.

- Adaptive Headlights are now rolling out to vehicles with the necessary hardware in the US & Canada. Adaptive headlights have small LED pixels that turn on and off individually to optimize driver visibility & prevent glare for other road users.

- A Bergen, Norway, taxi service has already added the new Model Y to its fleet. Pic by William / Roaming Norway (@RoamingNorway).

- Tesla has added a Tow Mode update that includes a checklist highlighting settings in green or red for proper towing configuration, with a low-voltage battery readout to avoid power issues. The Tire Service menu now has a dropdown to log tire maintenance—rotations, replacements, or seasonal swaps—recording dates and mileage in Maintenance History.

- Jam Azad, Tesla Supervisor in Doha, presented at the Qatar Foundation Teaching and Learning Forum. He presented Tesla’s mission and how Tesla in Qatar aligns with the country’s vision to drive real change toward a more sustainable future. "For years, Tesla has been at the forefront of innovation, accelerating the transition to sustainable energy through electric mobility, renewable energy, and energy storage solutions. Our mission is clear: reduce carbon emissions and create a cleaner, healthier planet for future generations. The Middle East is at a turning point. With 2030 sustainability goals leading the way, the region is embracing cleaner energy, reducing reliance on fossil fuels, and expanding sustainable transportation. Tesla is proud to be part of this transformation, bringing cutting-edge technology and solutions to support this vision. Excited for what’s ahead! Let’s keep driving change together."

- Tesla Cybercab Lead Engineer, Eric (@EricETesla), posted this pic of Cybercab on display. The sign says "CES On the Hill." The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) held a Tech Week in early April on Capital Hill. It gave members of Congress and key Hill staff the opportunity to experience new technologies. Optimus was there, but I was not aware that a Cybercab was as well. So old, yet awesome, pic.

FLYOVERS (flight links in sources section):

• Fremont Factory: MetGod, 17th of April, '25. End of Line is full and the outbound lot is busy. Lots of casting staged. Starlink Gateway installation continues.

• Giga Berlin: Tobias Lindh (@tobilindh), 16th of April, '25. Production is up. The permanent warehouse is now under construction. Graffiti art is progressing nicely. Following Tobi here on X and YouTube.

■ SPACEX:

- Gorgeous shot of the SpaceX HQ at Starbase. Pic by Carlos, the Starbase Surfer (@cnunezimages). Subscribe to Carlos.

- Elon has shot down the story that SpaceX, partnered with Palantir and Anduril, to bid for President Trump's "Golden Dome" missile defense shield. Per Elon, "SpaceX has not tried to bid for any contract in this regard. Our strong preference would be to stay focused on taking humanity to Mars. If the President asks us to help in this regard, we will do so, but I hope that other companies (not SpaceX) can do this."

- Falcon 9 Booster B1067 back at Port Canaveral fresh off ist record breaking 27th launch and landing. Pics by Richard P Gallagher (@rpg571) and Scott Schilke (@SchilkeScott).

- Falcon 9 Booster B1083 heading to Hangar X at Kennedy Space Center. Pic by Julia Bergeron (@julia_bergeron).

- A closeup pic of the Flame Trench at Pad B, Starbase. Pic by RGV Aerial Photography (@RGVaerialphotos). We should soon get some images of the Flame Trench under construction at the Launch Complex 39-A (LC-39A) at Kennedy Space Center.

Countdown to 180 (43 - Falcon 9, 0 - Falcon Heavy, and 2 - Starship):

• Launch 46! Saturday, 19th of April, 3:41 a.m. PT, Falcon 9 NROL-145 will launch from Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. The booster will land on drone ship Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific Ocean. This is a batch of Starshield satellites for a reconnaissance satellite constellation built by SpaceX and Northrop Grumman for the National Reconnaissance Office to provide imaging and other reconnaissance capabilities.

• Launch 47! Monday, 21st of April, at 4:15 a.m. ET, Falcon 9 Dragon CRS-2 SpX-32 will launch from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. The booster will return to site and land at Landing Zone 1 (LZ-1) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. This will be the 32nd commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station. The flight will be conducted under the second Commercial Resupply Services contract with NASA.

• Launch 48! Thursday, 24th of April, at 3:22 p.m. PT, Falcon 9 Starlink 11-9 will launch from Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. The booster will land on drone ship Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific Ocean.

• Launch 49! Thursday, 24th of April, at 9:32 p.m. ET, Falcon 9 Starlink 6-74 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.

■ THE BORING COMPANY:

- Manufacturing Engineer Kai Xin attended The Boring Company's Los Angeles engineers event. Per Kai, "I was blown away by their cutting-edge technology- their tunnel-boring machine, operated by just 4 people, simultaneously digs and builds tunnels with incredible precision.

Even more exciting? They're working on fully autonomous machines that could operate without any operators in the near future!

The innovation at The Boring Company is truly inspiring, and I'm eager to see how their vision transforms transportation in the coming years. A huge thanks to the team for an engaging event—proud to connect with fellow engineers passionate about pushing boundaries!"

I am working on getting more details. I never saw an announcement for this event. I do know TBC has been hiring for Autonomous vehicles for both transportation and Boring Machines.

■ NEURALINK: N/A...

■ STARLINK:

- Starlink's Direct to Cell service via One NZ has been enabled be for the areas impacted by Cyclone Tam. Basic SMS messaging is open to One NZ customers located north of Hamilton and Tauranga plus Rotorua.

- Indonesian Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin conducted a Starlink trial at Sungai Raya Dalam Health Center, West Kalimantan, to address limited internet coverage. "We realize that the limited internet coverage in Indonesia is an obstacle to the implementation of the health system. Satellite-based internet, namely Starlink, is present as a practical solution to connect all regions of Indonesia."

- Starlink applied for a license from the Uganda Communications Commission to operate in Uganda, aiming to provide high-speed satellite internet. The service could enhance connectivity in remote areas, competing with local providers like MTN and Airtel. Regulatory approval is pending, with potential launch by late 2025.

- Recent FCC filings show SpaceX is preparing to launch a new Starlink Wi-Fi router, model UTR-251. It is designed for indoor use with a single Ethernet port, there were two ports on the Gen 3 model. It will be manufactured in Vietnam and supports Wi-Fi 6 and the UNII-4 5.9GHz band for improved wireless mesh backhaul, operates at 9V/1.6A (14.4W), and may be intended for a new, smaller Starlink Mini dish or a refreshed flat high-performance dish for enterprise buyers. Today, SpaceX received FCC clearance to sell the new Router in the US. Of note, the Gen 3 router has been recently discounted by 40%, suggesting a potential replacement.

- Nebula Global Services installed Starlink Maritime on two commercial vessels in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, replacing outdated VSAT systems. The solution involved rapid deployment, dual high-performance terminals, seamless network integration, and crew training. Within 48 hours, both vessels had reliable, high-speed internet, improving crew welfare, operational efficiency, and cost savings. The system has since supported uninterrupted connectivity across multiple voyages.

- On the 11th of April, the Philippines Pay IT Forward initiative, led by DICT, DepEd, iACADEMY, and Republic Asia, provided three remote schools in with Starlink, 100 students with tablets, and teachers with free digital upskilling. The project aims to close the digital gap, empower students and educators, and foster a collaborative digital future for Filipinos.

- SpaceX is now offering the free Starlink kit promotion across most of Canada, excluding Quebec, parts of Newfoundland, and Labrador, for customers who commit to a one-year contract at $120/month for unlimited high-speed internet. The standard kit is normally around $499. Customers must pay for shipping and taxes. Any cancellation or changes within the contract period will incur a $499 fee. You must activate the dish within 30 days.

■ X:

- The X Shop is really hyping up the next merch drop.

- X has rolled out a new Spaces tab in Analytics. You can now see a list of all your spaces, as well as individual space analytics.

- Today X Safety's account posted about their commitment to authenticity, using technology and human oversight to combat impersonation, spam, and platform manipulation. "We believe that authenticity is the foundation of trust, and we’re committed to maintaining the integrity of our platform by promoting authentic engagement and minimizing the influence of fake, deceptive, or coordinated inauthentic activity." Link to Authenticity update in the sources section.

- X Safety's Roy Draa (@RoyD1775) met with with leaders at Austin Community College yesterday. where they discussed recruiting and professional development curricula. "ACC is doing incredible work preparing students for success and this campus is amazing." X is/was at ACC’s Highland Campus, Bldg 1000, to meet with candidates and explore career opportunities.

- X Business (@XBusiness) will host Small Business Week starting the 4th of May and they your success story. Leave a reply in the post (link in sources section) about your results with X Ads and they may feature your story during the week.

■ xAI:

- Yesterday, Grok Memory was activated. This feature allows you to see which past conversations Grok is relying on to give a response. To delete memories, tap the book icon beneath the message (coming soon to Android). The feature is now available on web and the iOS and Android apps. It is coming soon to X. Grok’s memory is in beta and you can toggle the feature in your Data Controls settings. This feature is excluded in the EU and UK due to governmental regulations on personal data.

Per Elon, "We will make an “Incognito Mode” where no data is stored locally or server-side. Maybe call it “Blank Slate” aka tabula rasa."

- Today xAI activated Workspaces on Grok. Organize files and conversations and give it its own custom instructions. You can track anything; vacation planning, learning materials, work streams, and custom personalities. You can also chat Instantly with existing work streams or personalities focused on specific files and instructions. Continue where you left off without having to reset context. Some really awesome things could be done with this if it was integrated into X Articles.

■ DOGE:

Estimated Savings: $155 Billion

Amount Saved Per Taxpayer: $962.73

■ ELON NEWS:

- In an interview yesterday, Russian President Vladmir Putin stated the following about Elon and compared him to the legacy of Sergei Korolev, Russian space hero and the engineer behind Yuri Gagarin's historic 1961 spaceflight. "Such people rarely appear in the human population, and charged with certain ideas. Even though they may seem incredible to me today, after a time such ideas are often realized. As far as private business and Elon Musk is concerned... he is undoubtedly an outstanding person. This must be recognized, and I think it is recognized all over the world. He is an active and talented businessman and he is succeeding a lot, including with the support of the American state." For what it is worth, he is correct.

■ SUBSCRIBERS:

For April, I am giving away the new official Tesla Business Backpack ($90)! This backpack is a Tesla China exclusive and not sold outside of the APAC region. Like always, one random subscriber's name will be drawn at the end of the month. Good luck!

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Have a great day!

■ SOURCES:

FLYOVERS:

• Fremont Factory: MetGod https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqkVJw3CIdE

• Giga Berlin: Tobias Lindh https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCqGOUXU-k8

Tesla:

• https://www.notateslaapp.com/news/2635/tesla-adds-improvements-to-tow-mode-and-tire-service

SpaceX:

• https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/musks-spacex-is-frontrunner-build-trumps-golden-dome-missile-shield-2025-04-17/

Starlink:

• https://www.pcmag.com/news/spacex-is-prepping-a-new-starlink-router

X:

• https://help.x.com/en/rules-and-policies/authenticity

• X Ads Story: https://x.com/XBusiness/status/1912897036535402815

Elon News:

• Elon Quote: https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1912826908716257554

• https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/putin-elon-musk-praise-visionary-sergei-korolev-b2734855.html