Elon Musk's Empire Is Creaking Under the Strain of Elon Musk
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Yahoo
12 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Tesla's Affordable EV Is So Much Less Than "Just A Model Y"
Tesla's Affordable EV Is So Much Less Than "Just A Model Y" originally appeared on Autoblog. Chinese Leak Reveals Significant Changes Back in February, Tesla began promising new Model Y variants, and since then, the Model Y L has been revealed as a bigger six-seater for China. There have also been rumors of a more luxurious long-wheelbase variant with captain's chairs after a white-hat hacker found evidence of such a thing in Model Y firmware. As for the long-awaited cheaper Model Y, that was delayed in April, and thanks to a video from China, it seems that the automaker has been working quietly in the background. Don't worry if you don't speak Mandarin - Not A Tesla App reports what to expect. Several Changes Inside And Out At the front of the car, the front fascia and headlight assembly have been revised, with the lightbar apparently disappearing and the headlight on either side thereof moving upward, much like the pre-Juniper Model Y. The remarkably strong glass roof that has appeared on every Tesla to date is gone, and at the back, the reflectors in the tailgate are just that - no fancy five-foot lightbar like the current Model Y. Still, a front-facing camera indicates it'll have access to the same semi-autonomous driving features as other Teslas, so it won't be completely decontented. Inside, the multimedia experience will be slightly diminished; there is no rear infotainment display, and the A-pillars have lost their speakers. Also missing are coat hooks and a rear parcel shelf, while the center console has been updated to move phone chargers below the central touchscreen, where there is now a gap between the dash and center console. Finally, the seat bolsters glimpsed beneath the seat covers appear to have been finished in a textile rather than synthetic leather, as is the case with Mexico's Model 3 (the same material is likely for the headliner). Although unconfirmed at this stage, we can expect features like heated and ventilated seats and a heated steering wheel to disappear, too. "Just A Model Y," But It Could Help Turn Tesla's Fortunes Around View the 3 images of this gallery on the original article Tesla recently released its Q2 earnings report for 2025, and the news was not good, with a sharp decline in profits and no promise of improvements from CEO Elon Musk, who said to expect a "few rough quarters." Still, although Musk says it's nothing special - "It's just a Model Y" - Tesla said volume production of "a more affordable model" would occur in the second half of the year, and that should help boost sales at least somewhat. This sighting confirms the car will be as cheap as possible, but whether it will cost much less than $40,000 remains to be seen. Without the $7,500 Federal Tax credit that expires at the end of September, the current cheapest Model Y (Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive) starts at $44,990, so Tesla may resort to further incentives in an effort to stave off ever-increasing rival competition amid weak growth in EV Affordable EV Is So Much Less Than "Just A Model Y" first appeared on Autoblog on Jul 29, 2025 This story was originally reported by Autoblog on Jul 29, 2025, where it first appeared.
Gizmodo
44 minutes ago
- Gizmodo
Elon Musk Keeps Suggesting War Is a Good Thing for Society
Elon Musk is both the wealthiest person in the world and a major contractor for the U.S. military as the head of SpaceX. When the billionaire talks about war and its potential consequences, we need to listen, whether we like it or not. But if you've been paying attention to what Musk has been saying about the positive aspects of war in recent months, you're probably hearing things that make you nervous. 'Throughout history, any civilization that experiences extended periods of prosperity with no serious threat of invasion has low birth rates after a few generations,' Musk wrote on X Monday. 'One can debate the cause, but not the correlation. The Romans lamented this constantly.' It's no secret that Musk is obsessed with the Roman Empire. But he seems to really be fixated on the supposed causes of its fall, using those claims to rationalize his own right-wing worldview in 2025. Musk believes the world is in danger of collapsing because people aren't having enough kids. Well, to be more precise, he's worried wealthy people from Western countries aren't having enough kids. Musk also seems to suggest that peace is bad for a country's growth with his tweet on Monday. He was more explicit about his idea that war might be good a couple of months ago. Musk gave an interview to Bloomberg News back in May, appearing remotely via video link for the Qatar Economic Forum in Doha. 'When you have an extended period of prosperity with no existential war, there's no cleansing function for unnecessary laws and regulations,' Musk said. 'When you have an extended period of prosperity with no existential war, there's no cleansing function for unnecessary laws and regulations.' Not exactly something you want to hear from one of the most powerful men in the country who also happens to be a defense contractor. [image or embed] — Matt Novak (@ May 20, 2025 at 2:14 PMThe interview was one of the most unhinged that Musk gave during his time as the head of DOGE, the so-called Department of Government Efficiency. The billionaire called the woman who was interviewing him an NPC or non-playable character, and threatened anyone who was coming after him with prison time. Things have changed, obviously, as Musk had a falling out with President Trump and is no longer officially part of the U.S. federal government. He theoretically can't go knock on the door at DOJ and tell Pam Bondi to start arresting people anymore. But that doesn't mean he lost all his influence, as the billionaire still holds tremendous power as a defense contractor. And that's what makes his outlook on war so frightening. If Musk thinks that war can be good or have a 'cleansing function,' it certainly incentivizes people like him to push for more violence around the world. And the SpaceX CEO's motives are typically pretty transparent. The Washington Post conducted an analysis that concluded Musk's companies have gotten at least $38 billion in contracts, loans, subsidies, and tax credits from the U.S. government over the past two decades. When the U.S. military and intelligence agencies launch more satellites, Musk's companies benefit. And his personal wealth owes a lot to government handouts. Not a single dollar was stripped from Musk's companies during his great ransacking of the federal government with DOGE, according to the news outlet NOTUS. But Tesla did lose out on an electric vehicle tax credit with the 'Big Beautiful Bill,' the issue that seemed to really divide Musk and Trump. Musk insisted he didn't care about the tax credit, but Trump repeatedly said it was the reason Musk was upset with him. Musk and Trump have an uneasy relationship, especially after the Tesla CEO accused Trump of being in the Epstein files. But Musk still can influence policy, as was demonstrated when Trump threatened to cut off funding to his companies, but reporting from the Wall Street Journal noted SpaceX was just too vital to discard. And as long as Musk is considered crucial to the functioning of the U.S. military, we should probably pay attention to the things he says about war. Especially when he's making claims that it's good for any given society.
UPI
an hour ago
- UPI
SpaceX scrubs static fire test of Falcon 9 due to issue
SpaceX auto aborted the Crew 11 static fire test of Falcon 9 due to an error on Monday. Photo by Joe Marino/UPI | License Photo July 29 (UPI) -- SpaceX scrubbed a static fire test for a Falcon 9 rocket that will carry the Crew-11 team to the International Space Station due to an error. SpaceX said in a statement that it was now targeting a window on Tuesday for the test after saying the scrub was due to an issue with the transporter erector cradle arm position indication at Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. "Today's test auto-aborted at T-57 seconds due to an error with the transporter erector's cradle arm position indication. The arm functioned properly and teams are reviewing data. Falcon 9 and Dragon remain healthy on the pad ahead of this week's NASA Crew-11 launch to the [ISS]," SpaceX said. After the planned burn was set to begin,it was seen returning to pre-static fire. The static fire operation is when clamps are holding the rocket in place to release ahead of engine ignition as it plans on launch day. Booster serial number B1094 is being used on Crew-11's Mission on the Falcon 9. The rocket will be flying for its third time, following the events of Axiom Mission 4. Crew-11 will dock with the International Space Station, but the length of the mission is unknown until about a month after docking.
