S.E. Robinson, Jr.

ELON CHRON: The Daily Chronicle of Elon Musk's Companies

Added 2025-08-18 20:40:00 +0000 UTC

18th of August, 2025

"The robots will evolve fast..." - Elon Musk (@elonmusk)

■ TESLA TSLA 1.75%↑ ($335.25, +1.42%):

- Tesla China is preparing to launch the new Model Y L. Vehicles are being shipped to showrooms for revealing events. Some of the features include front seats that have adjustable headrests, 3rd row arm rests and cup holders, the six-seat configuration has 2nd row 'Captain' chairs with powered armrests, four additional air vents on pillars. 2nd and 3rd row seats power-foldable, and a larger spoiler.

- Tesla is working to integrate "anytime" feedback in the Mobile App. Per Raj Jegannathan (@r_jegaa), "There are too many places where we can provide feedback across products and services (financial, service, insurance, etc), creating a unified feedback is mission critical to improve our offering E2E, so we took the web route as it is quick and simple to refine before we get it integrated into our Mobile App." Here is the link: ts.la/feedback

- Jade Liu, Tesla APAC Recruiting, and the Japan Recruiting Team, hosted a Ceremony Session to celebrate new graduates and interns transitioning from novices to skilled team members. They held a hybrid Tesla Japan-style referral promotion event, attracting talent nationwide to support Tesla’s expansion in the country.

- Tesla partner, Centex Auto Title, has facilitated Lubbock County, Texas, approved by unanimous vote to hire 10 new employees at a cost of approximately $1 million to process around 50,000 Tesla vehicle titles annually. This will generate an estimated $9.5 million in revenue through a 5% commission on $190 million in sales tax. This, following Travis County’s decision to limit title processing to local transactions only.

- Tesla's Rockford, Illinois, General Manger Sylia Yi and Team were at the Winnebago County Fair last week. Per Sylia, "Building community awareness is the key to success. Thank you to everyone who participated and to those who stopped by to learn more."

- The five-member panel of the Delaware Supreme Court in Dover has scheduled oral arguments for Elon and Tesla's $56 billion pay package appeal on October 15th. The appeal will also contest the $345 million legal fees award to attorneys representing the 3 share shareholder Richard Tornetta in the case titled In re Tesla Inc. Derivative Litig., Del., No. 534,2024.

- Tesla is joining the Formula Student Germany 2025 at Hockenheimring starting today through the 24th of August. Formula Student Germany is an international engineering competition that brings together top student talent to design, build, and race high-performance electric and combustion vehicles. It combines automotive innovation with business, teamwork, and real-world engineering challenges. The goal is to foster the next generation of engineers passionate about sustainable mobility and cutting-edge technology. Tesla's Early Careers Recruitment Team will be on hand to answer any questions, showcase the Model Y, and discuss internships and career paths.

- Léa Bedoch, Tesla France Sales Advisor & Customer Experience Coordinator, welcomed the Tesla Cybertruck on its first stop in France at the Paris Madeleine Store. The Cyberlocos, two adventurers aiming to complete a 100% electric world tour and secure a Guinness World Record, showcased Tesla’s innovative spirit during their visit, embodying the company’s mission to dare, innovate, and inspire.

- In Canada, customers can get FREE Lifetime Supercharging is they order a new Model 3 out of per-existing inventory.

- You will soon be able to add a referral code after a new car order is placed.

- At the Trill Group in New South Whales, truck loads of Powerwall 2s arriving as they push the final installs before the Powerwall 3 arrives on August 23rd.

- The Shallow Basket Energy project, a 140 MWac solar and 50 MW Megapack 2XL facility in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico. It was developed by National Renewable Solutions (NRS) and is owned by a BlackRock subsidiary fund. It began commercial operation on Jicarilla Apache Nation land, powering approximately 38,000 homes annually.

- Jason Hibono, Tesla's Training Manager, led the company's first kaizen event, uniting training teams from California, Nevada, and New York to identify inefficiencies, brainstorm solutions, and implement improvements based on live internal customer feedback. This was done in just four days and creates a culture of change and innovation with ongoing action items to complete.

- Tesla introduced a Wheel and Tire Protection subscription plan in the U.S. for unforeseen incidents. It covers unlimited repairs for damage caused by typical road hazards and wheel or tire replacement. There is a $25 deductible per replacement. Here are the monthly subscriptions:

Model 3 = $12, Model 3 Performance = $16
Model Y = $16, Model Y Performance = $20
Model S = $20, Model S Plaid = $25
Model X = $20, Model X Plaid = $25
Cybertruck = $20

- Arve (@captainarve), “I haven’t seen Tesla ships in Trondheim in a long time, but today Seine Highway was here offloading a mix of 3’s and Y’s. It’s a very good sign that this happens so «early» in the quarter, so it looks like demand is still strong in Norway.”

- Tesla has increased all Model S and X trims in the U.S. by $10k. They now come with a Luxe Package that includes FSD Supervised, 4 years of Premium Service, free Lifetime Supercharging and Premium Connectivity.

FLYOVERS (flight links in sources section):

Giga Texas: Joe Tegtmeyer (@JoeTegtmeyer), 18th of August, '25. “Beautiful sunrise, many more production line deliveries including huge crated items for the battery pack part of the factory, along with the E side 2M thru 3M floors. Electrical switchyard concrete vault progress, disconnects delivered, & more.”

Giga Nevada Semi Pilot Facility: Zanegler (@HinrichsZane), 16th of August, '25. “21 Tesla Semi's & a Mystery Decided to check-in with the Telsa semi pilot production line. Many have never seen these EV semi's in real-life but once the high-volume line comes online, they will be ubiquitous. We spot a mystery blue-wrapped large object.”

Giga Nevada Semi Factory: Zanegler, 16th of August, '25. “The Beat Goes On Giga Semi as it was on Saturday August 16, 2025 Finally caught some production equipment being unloaded and brought inside. All A/C units have been installed with the help of the Manitowoc crane. 1080p version here.”

■ SPACEX:

- After a Raptor swap, Starship 37 returned to Pad 1's OLM and performed at Spin Prime. This was all that SpaceX needed, as Ship was removed and brought back to production. The retro-fitted transport stand was removed from the OLM. Drilling piles for the Air Separation Unit has started. Yesterday, Super Heavy Booster 16 has the Flight Termination System (FTS) installed as SpaceX sets the stage is being set for Flight 10. Pics by Richard P Gallagher (@rpg571), NSF (@NASASpaceflight), and Starship Gazer (@StarshipGazer).

- The Gen 3 test tank TT-17 underwent cyro-testing at Massey's on the 15th of August. Great sign for both TT-17 and Massey's after the S36 incident. Awesome pic by @StarshipGazer.

- On Monday, August 11th, launch 100 of Falcon 9 Project Kuiper KF-02 took place from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. This was the first flight for Falcon 9 first stage booster B1091. The booster landed on drone ship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean. This is the second of three SpaceX launches for Amazon's Kuiper low Earth orbit satellite internet constellation. 24 satellites were deployed.

- Late Wednesday, August 13th, launch 101 of Falcon 9 Starlink 17-4 took place from Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. This was the fifth flight for first stage booster B1093. It previously launched four Starlink missions. The booster landed on drone ship Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific Ocean. 24 Starlinks were deployed.

- Thursday morning, August 14th, launch 102 of Falcon 9 Starlink 10-20 took place from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. This was the 10th flight for first stage booster B1085. It previously launched Crew-9, RRT-1, Firefly Blue Ghost Mission 1, Fram2, SXM-10, MTG-S1, and three Starlink missions. The booster landed on drone ship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic Ocean. 28 Starlinks were deployed.

- Today, launch 103 of Falcon 9 Starlink 17-5 took place from Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. This was the ninth flight for first stage booster B1088. It previously launched NROL-126, Transporter-12, SPHEREx, NROL-57 and four Starlink missions. The booster landed on drone ship Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific Ocean. 24 Starlinks were deployed. This was Falcon 9's 100th mission of the year!

- Here is a quick breakdown of the executive order President Trump signed on August 13th. It streamlines regulations for the commercial space industry, reduces environmental reviews and licensing delays, will accelerate Starship development for NASA’s Artemis program, and foster competition. All of this will benefit SpaceX directly. Highlights include:

Policy Focus: Create a competitive launch marketplace by expediting licenses and permits for U.S.-based operators.
Reforming Launch/Reentry Barriers (Sec. 3): Secretary of Transportation to eliminate/expedite NEPA environmental reviews; reevaluate/rescind 14 CFR Part 450 regs on flight safety, waivers, and reentry reliability; report actions within 120 days.
Spaceport Infrastructure Reforms (Sec. 4): Secretary of Commerce to evaluate state compliance under Coastal Zone Management Act within 180 days; agencies to align reviews via MOU; expedite permits and create NEPA categorical exclusions; consider Endangered Species exemptions for national security.
Novel Space Activities (Sec. 5): Develop authorization process for emerging activities not covered by existing regs to ensure U.S. competitiveness.
Regulatory Leadership (Sec. 6): Establish new positions like Chief Commercial Space Officer in FAA; elevate Office of Commercial Space Transportation to report directly to FAA Administrator.

- This weekend inside the Starfactory, Starship 39's (Flight 12) nosecone was stacked with the payload bay section. Pics by Ceaser (@CeaserG33) for NSF (@NASASpaceflight).

- The California Coastal Commission rejected SpaceX's proposal to increase Falcon launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base by up to 100/yr. this time citing environmental concerns and SpaceX's status as a private company. This is the same group that rejected an October proposal for an increase of 50/yr. and literally stated it was because of Elon's political activities and personal views. Not sure how much credibility this people have now, but as I have said before, launches at Vandenberg are federal activities. The U.S. Space Force is a Federal Military entity and is exempt from any and all state regulations. They can launch as much and at any time they want. SpaceX has sued the CCC alleging political bias.

- The Mars Bar by Shane Hale, Starlink Global Operations Lead at SpaceX. "I am incredibly grateful to be part of such a driven organization devoted to one mission: Mars. Expanding high-speed, low-latency Internet access to the entire world along the way is pretty cool too. Being surrounded by so many dedicated, talented, and hard-working teammates has made this one of the most rewarding years of my life. Here's to many more! Get uncomfortable. Pack up the moving truck. Tackle the biggest problems. Be wrong. Question the requirement. You might find that the sky was just the starting line."

- On August 15, the FAA gave approval for Flight 10 and SpaceX soon published their findings on Flight 9 and Starship 36. Here is a shorten and precise breakdown of both:

For Flight 9, Super Heavy Booster 14 successfully performed a full ascent burn and stage separation. The booster executed a deterministic flip and boostback burn. It failed during its landing burn due to structural failure in the fuel transfer tube, caused by a high 17-degree angle of attack, leading to propellant mixing and exploding at ~1 km altitude. Starship 35 completed its ascent but suffered a methane leak from a failed fuel tank pressurization diffuser. This caused attitude loss and vehicle disintegration at ~59 km during reentry over the Indian Ocean. SpaceX implemented a redesigned diffuser and lowered booster descent angles for future flights.
Starship 36 exploded pre static fire test due to a composite overwrapped pressure vessel (COPV) failure in the payload bay. causing structural collapse and propellant ignition. No injuries occurred, and hazards remained within the safety zone. SpaceX addressed this by reducing COPV operating pressure, enhancing inspections, and adding protective covers. Lessons from both events are informing the next Starship generation, with two flights remaining to refine reusability and reliability.

Starbase City Commission Meeting:

Regular Meeting: 20th of August, at 7:00 p.m. CT. Located at 39046 LBJ Blvd, Unit 2, Brownsville, TX 78521

Countdown to 180 (100 - Falcon 9, 0 - Falcon Heavy, and 3 - Starship):

Launch 104! Thursday, 21st of August, 11:40 p.m. ET, Falcon 9 OTV-8 (X-37B) (USSF-36) will launch from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Booster landing location is unknown. This is the eighth flight of the X-37B program. The X-37B is a dynamic and responsive spacecraft responsible for conducting a range of tests and experiments. The OTV-8 mission in Low Earth Orbit includes operational demonstrations and experiments of next-generation technologies, including laser communications and the highest performing strategic grade quantum inertial sensor ever tested in space. Mission partners include the Air Force Research Lab and the Defense Innovation Unit.
Launch 105! Friday, 22nd of August, at 8:44 a.m. PT, Falcon 9 Starlink 17-6 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 106! Sunday, 24th of August, at 2:45 a.m. ET, Falcon 9 Dragon CRS-2 SpX-33 will launch from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. This will be the third flight for Cargo Dragon C211. It previously flew the CRS-26 and CRS-29 missions. The booster will return to site and land at Landing Zone 2 (LZ-2) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. This is the 33rd commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station operated by SpaceX. The flight will be conducted under the second Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract with NASA.
Launch 107! Sunday, August 24th, at 6:30 p.m. CT, Starship Flight 10 will launch from the Orbital Launch Mount at Pad 1 in Starbase, Texas. Super Heavy Booster 16 will do a controlled splashdown in the Gulf of America. Starship 37 will test an in-space Raptor engine relight, validate the heat shield for re-entry, test the payload bay door and simulate payload deployment with faux Starlink satellites. S37 will then attempt a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean, off the northwest coast of Australia.
Launch 108! Wednesday, 27th of August, at 1:49 a.m. ET, Falcon 9 Starlink 10-11 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 109! Saturday, 30th of August, at 7:05 p.m. PT, Falcon 9 Starlink 17-7 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.

■ THE BORING COMPANY:

- Last week, The Boring Company began the Music City LOOP in Nashville with a new pit at Parking Lot 16 near the State Capitol. This will serve as the launch site for Prufrock 6. We will soon see the following arrive:

Three grout mixing and storage vats to stabilize tunnel walls and ensure structural integrity.
A spoil removal area for excavated dirt.
Conveyors to remove spoils from the tunnel.
A staging area for tunnel wall segments.
The Prufrock control center, typically converted shipping containers.
Ventilation system, gas/smoke detectors, fire suppression, and sump pumps.
Prufrock TBM, electric-powered, autonomously installing wall segments.
Autonomous Liner Truck, an electric, Tesla-powered vehicle that transports tunnel wall segments to Prufrock.

- Drone pilot T. Seth Ford (@Drone615net) is going to document The Boring Company’s dig in Nashville. This is his first flyover.

- Tennessee Governor Bill Lee (@GovBillLee) announced that the state will provide free right-of-way for The Boring Company to build the Music City Loop. Per Bill, "The state will give right of way for them at no cost to the Boring Company because of the enormous investment they’re making on the state’s behalf. It’s incredibly important that we do it right,” Lee said. “But it’s also an incredible opportunity for our state to have a modern, state-of-the-art transit system that will move millions of people in our city and particularly in our state, entirely at no cost to the taxpayers."

■ NEURALINK:

- Neuralink's 5th participant, RJ Tanner.

- The Barrow Neurological Institute (@BarrowNeuro) is ranked No. 1 by Doximity for its neurosurgery residency program for the second consecutive year. With 11 dedicated operating rooms and over 6,370 annual surgeries, Barrow's environment fosters technical excellence and innovation, exemplified by its residents' involvement in Neuralink’s groundbreaking work. Notably, Dr. Michael T. Lawton (@mtlawton), President and CEO, has overseen the program’s culture of mentorship and technical precision, while Dr. Francisco Ponce, Residency Program Coordinator, has guided residents in achieving surgical excellence, directly supporting Neuralink’s minimally invasive implantation techniques.

■ STARLINK:

- Starlink is now available in Kazakhstan.

- SpaceX introduced a $5/mo. Standby Mode for Starlink subscriptions that are on pause. Paused accounts must activate Standby Mode by September 12th or the service line will be canceled.

■ X:

- Per Elon, "Am trying out the new 𝕏 algorithm powered by Grok 4 Mini. It’s definitely better. Will require ~20k GPUs to roll out to all users and there is higher latency, but the juice is worth the squeeze."

- Last week, X kicked off the NFL football season with an event at the New York City offices for their biggest NFL partners. The team presented on how NFL fans will have elevated experiences, premium content, real-time conversation, and more this year. The event featured the Vince Lombardi Trophy. X team members who presented includes Monique Pintarelli (@MoniquePintarel), Angela Zepeda (@angelamzepeda), Rosemarie Esposito (@RosemarieE), Beau Jones (@joebones23) John Nitti (@jnitti), and more.

- X's Cat Murray hosted the "X Grape Escape", a client event at Balfour Winery, in England. The event featured vineyard views and a mix of outdoor and indoor activities. The Balfour Winery was voted England's best vineyard to visit in 2019 and is ideal for wine enthusiast with tastings and tours of its award-winning selection. Wine and dine them, Cat!

■ xAI:

- You will soon be able to share projects and collaborate with users by invites via user emails. H/T Nima Owji (@nima_owji).

- On August 13th, xAI cofounder Igor Babuschkin (@ibab) announced his departure from xAI to launch Babuschkin Ventures. Igor notes a recent dinner he had with Max Tegmark (@tegmark), founder of the Future of Life Institute. "He showed me a photo of his young sons, and asked me "how can we build AI safely to ensure that our children can flourish?"" Igor plans to use Babuschkin Ventures to fund AI safety research and startups advancing beneficial, agentic AI systems to unlock the universe's mysteries while ensuring humanity flourishes.

- You can now call Ani or Valentine and talk to them in real-time. Numbers are: Ani: +1 (325) 225-5264 and Valentine: +1 (607) 225-5825.

- On Thursday, September 11th, xAI + Vercel will co-host a Hackathon in San Francisco. It is a 3-hour event featuring two tracks: Vibe Builder Prize (UI-friendly, fun) and Interface Paradigm Prize (innovative AI interaction). Teams of up to 4 will be judged on innovation, functionality, and use of xAI and v0, with a schedule including check-in at 5:00 PM, demos at 5:30 PM, finalist presentations at 8:30 PM, and winners announced at 9:30 PM. Attendees must RSVP HERE.

■ DOGE:

UPDATED:

Estimated Savings: $205 Billion

Amount Saved Per Taxpayer: $1,273.29

- DOGE has refute Politico's claim that its cost-saving methodology, based on contract ceiling values, is faulty. The Federal Procurement Data System (FPDS) data shows 97.64% of 5.3 million awards in FY22, 97.84% of 5.4 million in FY23, and 98.12% of 5.4 million in FY24 were spent to their ceilings, proving ceilings are typically maxed out and thus a valid measure of real savings when lowered or canceled. DOGE reviews entries with agency partners for accuracy.

- DOGE posted that agencies have terminated 123 contacts with a ceiling value of $5.3 billion and savings of $4.2 billion. This includes:

$875k DOI contract for a “technical advisor, Lagos Nigeria”.
$1.5M Dept. of Treasury contract for “Word Processing and Document Formatting Services Examination Training” for the IRS, SBSE and HCO.
$785k State Dept. consulting contract for “staffing”.

■ ELON NEWS: N/A...

■ THANK YOU:

Thanks for reading, everyone!

For August, I am giving away Optimus, the Tesla Bot Action Figure ($45), to one of you guys.

If you are looking for some cool Musk Company Merch, you can also support the content by checking out the new shop! If you order anything let me know what you think, good or bad. serobinsonjr.shop

REFERRALS:

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SOFI (ARK Venture Fund): $25 worth of stock. SOFI is the only outlet the public can invest in Cathie Wood's ARK Venture Fund ($ARKVX). This ARK fund includes SpaceX, xAI, Tesla, X, and a ton of other major AI, Tech, and Bio companies. Of note, investing in the fund requires an initial $500. https://www.sofi.com/invite/invest?gcp=ecf25d1c-7bc9-4ee0-a407-a51849297288&isAliasGcp=false
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