It has been a busy few weeks for American electric carmakers Tesla as they gear up for some big moves in the global market, Here’s a rundown of what’s going on with the brand and its enigmatic leader Elon Musk.
As you may already know, Tesla is the world’s most recognizable pure EV auto brand and the company has been built on innovation and a firm tech-forward outlook. Keeping up with that outlook is the announcement from founder and CEO Elon Musk regarding the next big feature updated we are likely to see in Tesla vehicles.
Tesla Cars to Get Video Conferencing
That’s right, Tesla is going after the likes of Zoom. The brand has video conferencing capabilities in the pipeline. This feature will use Tesla’s massive infotainment screens as a conduit. Where does the information come from? Why, none other than Musk himself. Responding to a query by Tesla Owners Silicon Valley on Twitter asking him if video conferencing would be a possibility in Tesla cars, Musk responded tweeting, “Yeah, definitely a future feature.” This isn’t a complete bolt from the blue because Tesla Model 3s already have occupant-facing cameras included as part of the infotainment system so technical feasibility is real. However, while it would be great to be able to use your car to talk to other people, this feature could prove to be a little more than a gimmick at least until fully autonomous cars (one of Tesla’s primary goals) becomes a reality.
If the feature does drop soon, it will have to only be available when the car is stationary. After all, it’s not like you can concentrate on driving and having a video conversation with someone at the same time. Let’s see how this pans out. The funny thing is, Tesla cars already stream Netflix on the same infotainment and even allow passengers to read lyrics off songs so that you can have an in-car singalong with the Caraoke feature. So video conferencing doesn’t seem that far-fetched an idea. For that, you have to refer to another tweet from Musk regarding Tesla-based entertainment that he put out just a couple of days before the aforementioned exchange:
Anyone think they can get a good multiplayer Minecraft working on Teslas? Or maybe create a game that interacts virtually with reality like Pokémon Go while driving safely? Like a complex version of Pac-man or Mario Kart?
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 3, 2020
As an ardent gamer, I can totally get behind this plan and if anyone can make it happen, it is Musk and his crew of mad scientists.
Elon Musk to Take the Cybertruck to Jay Leno’s Garage
If you are an auto buff, Jay Leno’s Garage is a series you’re likely to be familiar with. The massive TV show is due to run its sixth season, and the Cybertruck is set to be a part of it. For those of you who aren’t familiar, the Cybertruck is Tesla’s all-electric interpretation of the intrepid pick-up truck that has been an ever-present in the US automotive landscape. The vehicle hasn’t been launched yet, but the latest news suggests that the timeline for its production-ready unveil and subsequent launch has been brought forward. Its appearance on the popular car show’s season-six teaser is a clear indication that Tesla are nearing series production for the Cybertruck. The full-fledged episode (which also guest stars Musk) that will follow will give us a greater idea of the features and capabilities of this EV pickup.
Musk Feuds with California State, Initiates Legal Action and Threatens Withdrawal of Tesla Plant
Elon Musk is a polarizing figure in pop culture, some see him as a visionary, while others see him as an eccentric oddball. There’s no denying the brilliance and fortitude of the man who has helmed everything from a major online payments system in PayPal, to of course his SpaceX space program and transportation infrastructure brand The Boring Company among other things. However, naming his child X Æ A-12 (pronounced X-Ash-A-12 as per Musk during his appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast) has certainly raised eyebrows in recent days. That resulted in the State of California releasing a statement that as a citizen of the state, Musk would have to also offer up a more conventional name for his newborn son as “special characters” are not a valid option for legal reasons.
However, the latest exchange from Musk on Twitter indicates that both he and his companies may move out of the sunny state in the near future. With lockdown restrictions lifting, Musk announced plans to restart production in his Freemont, Alameda County-based HQ. However, these talks were immediately and unequivocally slammed by the health department as only essential businesses were allowed to reopen and Tesla’s manufacturing facility did not qualify under these parameters. This led to Musk snapping-back on Twitter. He announced that the company’s lawyers had initiated legal proceedings against the county, and he would move productions to Nevada or Texas at the first available opportunity.
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>Tesla is filing a lawsuit against Alameda County immediately. The unelected & ignorant “Interim Health Officer” of Alameda is acting contrary to the Governor, the President, our Constitutional freedoms & just plain common sense!</p>— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href=”https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1259159878427267072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>May 9, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>
Watch this space to see how this story pans out.
ALSO READ: Coronavirus: Ventilators Produced by Tesla From Car Parts | When Is Tesla Coming To India?
