Interestingly enough, Tesla ended up building its first Supercharger in the Philippines even before it delivered its first car in the country.

Tesla Philippines’ first Supercharger:

• Tesla Philippines’ first Supercharger is located at Uptown Mall, the same location where the flagship Tesla Philippines Experience Center is located.
• Uptown Mall is located in Bonifacio Global City (BGC), a central business district and one of Metro Manila’s most upscale areas. 
• Based on images shared by the official Tesla Charging account, Tesla Philippines’ first Supercharger is equipped with four V4 stalls.
• Estimates suggest that a Model 3 or Model Y will cost about PHP 1,140 (about $20) to fully charge in the Supercharger at Uptown Mall. That’s roughly equal to the price of 20 liters (5.28 gallons) of gasoline, or less than half a full tank of a popular seven-seater like the Mitsubishi Xpander, which is powered by a 1.5-liter engine.

Philippines' first Supercharger

Taguig, Philippines – Uptown Mall (4 stalls) https://t.co/hblLnds67T pic.twitter.com/NPpB2ZB06H

— Tesla Charging (@TeslaCharging) December 11, 2024

Tesla Philippines fast facts:

• Tesla Philippines only sells the Tesla Model 3 and Tesla Model Y.
• Both vehicles are imported from Gigafactory Shanghai.
• The Model 3 and Model Y are competitively priced—comparable in cost to mainstream vehicles like the Toyota Camry Hybrid and the Honda CR-V—at least if bought in cash. 
• If financed, the Model 3 and Model Y are offered with a steep 29% add-on rate for a 60-month loan.
• First deliveries for the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y are expected early 2025.

A very young EV market:

• Electric vehicles are still very new in the Philippines, so Tesla would have to battle a lot of misconceptions from domestic car owners.
• These include misconceptions about the power, range, and reliability of electric vehicles.
• That said, the Philippines is a small country, so the range of the Model 3 and Model Y is likely more than adequate to satisfy the needs of Filipino drivers.

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

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WSE approved a draft of the new contract, according to the association’s Chairman of assembly and mayor of Fredersdorf-Vogelsdorf, Thomas Krieger (CDU). Tesla Giga Berlin would need to approve the draft as well for the water supply contract to push through. Based on previous drafts of the contract, Tesla will lower its water supply volume and commit to new wastewater regulations. 

According to RBB 24, Tesla’s commitment to new wastewater regulations hints that Giga Berlin might discharge more polluted sanitary wastewater. The increase in polluted sanitary wastewater might come from Tesla Giga Berlin’s expansion, which is expected to increase the factory’s annual production capacity from 500,000 to 1 million units. 

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SpaceX launched Starlink Starshield in 2022 to support national security. 

“While Starlink is designed for consumer and commercial use, Starshield is designed for government use, with an initial focus on three areas: Earth Observation, Communications, and Hosted Payloads,” noted SpaceX at the time. 

Under the Pentagon’s new contract, Starlink’s 2,500 terminals already functioning in Ukraine will gain access to Startshield. An additional 500 Starlink terminals were sent to Ukraine, already connected to Starshield. The militarized version of Starlink reportedly offers a classified and encrypted signal, making it difficult to hack into or jam. 

“A total of 3,000 terminals are provided service via the two contracts…Both provide service into 2025,” the Space Systems Command’s Commercial  Satellite Office told Bloomberg.

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According to Reuters’ sources, Indian police sent a notice to Starlink seeking details about its maritime devices. The police appear to believe that Starlink’s maritime device helped smugglers export billions worth of meth. 

The authorities are asking Starlink to reveal the purchaser’s name and payment method. They also asked about registration details and where the devices were used when smugglers traveled in international waters from Myanmar to India. 

Starlink’s response to Indian authority’s inquiries has put it in a precarious position. SpaceX has not yet launched Starlink internet services in India. The Elon Musk-led company is still trying to secure approval from the Indian government. 

Last month, Starlink’s launch in India seemed imminent. It only had to overcome one last obstacle before launch: ensuring that Starlink complies with the Indian government’s security regulations.

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People familiar with the matter say that SpaceX is still discussing the possibility of selling insider shares with buyers and ironing out the details. However, its valuation of $350 billion is a significant increase from the $210 billion earlier this year. 

In June, SpaceX was estimated to be the most valuable aerospace company, with a valuation of $210 billion. Keep in mind that SpaceX is not publicly traded. Over the summer, Bloomberg reported that SpaceX planned to sell insider shares at $112 per share in a tender offer. 

A lot has changed since June. First, Elon Musk’s open support of President-elect Donald Trump has boosted his companies, including SpaceX. For example, Tesla shares are up about 40% since November 5. 

SpaceX was operating well before Trump’s win, but its most challenging and lucrative projects are still ahead. It is currently developing its Starship rocket to land on the moon and Mars. SpaceX also has its Starlink satellite internet service entering another phase. Starlink’s internet services have proven to be a game-changer. 

Now, Starlink will prove its mettle as a cellular provider. Last month, Starlink Direct-to-Cell received a US commercial license from the Federal Communication Commission.

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“Engineers are currently talking to Canadian North Cargo to load a 737 freighter jet with gateway terminals,” commented Daryl Cobden, KRG administration director. 

The government started its fiber-optic internet project in March 2020. As of this writing, it has three more connections to complete. The KRG will be providing Starlink dishes to those communities. However, some believe Starlink might compete with the government’s fiber-optic project. 

“The fiber is still the ultimate goal. Starlink has been a game changer, not just for Nunavik but for the world,” said Combden. 

The KRG is in the midst of expanding fiber-optic internet services across the region. According to the most recent cost estimate, the government has spent $158 million to link every Nunavik community with high-speed fiber optic internet.

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As could be seen in posts from Tesla owners who are reportedly receiving the FSD V13 update, the latest version of the advanced driver-assist system was released with software update version 2024.39.10. The actual Full Self-Driving build is listed as FSD (Supervised) V13.2.

Following are the release notes of FSD (Supervised) V13.

New brain who dis https://t.co/i8q8Wjfti6

— Tesla AI (@Tesla_AI) November 30, 2024

2024.39.10

FSD (Supervised) V13.2

FSD (Supervised) v13 upgrades every part of the end-to-end driving network.

Includes:

• 36 Hz, full-resolution AI4 video inputs
• Native AI4 inputs and neural network architectures
• 4.2x data scaling
• 5x training compute scaling (enabled by the Cortex cluster)
• Reduced photon-to-control latency by 2x
• Speed Profiles on both City Streets and Highways
• Start FSD (Supervised) from Park with the touch of a button
• Integrated unpark, reverse, and park capabilities
• Improved reward predictions for collision avoidance
• Improved camera cleaning
• Redesigned controller for smoother, more accurate tracking
• Dynamic routing around road closures, which displays them along an affected route when they are detected by the fleet

Upcoming Improvements:

• 3x model size scaling
• 3x model context length scaling
• Audio inputs for better handling of emergency vehicles
• Improved reward predictions for navigation
• Improvements to false braking and slower driving in parking lots
• Support for destination options including pulling over, parking in a spot, driveway, or garage
• Efficient representation of maps and navigation inputs
• Improved handling of camera occlusions

Considering that the Cybercab units that were operating in Tesla’s “We, Robot” event in October were running near-production AI software that is expected to ship in FSD V13, the expectations for the real-world performance of FSD (Supervised) V13.2 are pretty high. It would then be quite interesting to see just how well the newest FSD (Supervised) build handles real-world scenarios.

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“Got a new hand for Black Friday,” joked a new post from Tesla Optimus. 

Tesla Optimus’ latest X post shows off some nifty hand work—literally. Tesla’s humanoid robot is shown catching a tennis ball with its new hand. In May 2024, Elon Musk commented that Tesla was upgrading Optimus’ hands to have 22 degrees of freedom (DoF). For comparison, human hands have 27 DoF. 

The debut of Optimus’ new hands comes right after Neuralink announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new feasibility trial called the CONVOY study. The new trial allows Neuralink to test its Brain-to-Computer-interface (BCI) N1 Implant with assistive robotic arms. 

Got a new hand for Black Friday pic.twitter.com/x3gQrsbYAQ

— Tesla Optimus (@Tesla_Optimus) November 28, 2024

During a Neuralink update in July, Musk mentioned that Optimus limbs could theoretically be used in tandem with Neuralink’s N1 implant. Neuralink mentioned that it will enable cross-enrollment of participants between the CONVOY and PRIME studies. Through the PRIME Study, Neuralink has successfully implanted N1 Implants in two patients, enabling them to control electronic devices with their minds.

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SpaceX offers two high-speed internet plans with the Starlink mini dish, starting at $50 a month. The Roam 50GB plan for the Starlink mini is best for low-usage, infrequent, individual travelers. SpaceX also offers frequent travelers a Roam Unlimited plan for $165 a month. 

In June 2024, the Starlink mini dish launched to a few loyal customers. The Starlink mini dish kit debuted at $599, surprising people who waited for it because Elon Musk had teased that it would be affordable. Before the Starlink Mini Dish launched, Musk commented that it would be half the price of the Standard Dish Kit. 

In an email to loyal customers in June, SpaceX offered early access to Starlink mini and provided details about its price targets for the dish. 

“Our goal is to reduce the price of Starlink, especially for those around the world where connectivity has been unaffordable or completely unavailable. But in regions with high usage, where Starlink Mini places additional demand on the satellite network, we are offering a limited number of Starlink Mini Kits to start for $599,” explained SpaceX in its email. 

Starlink Mini is still relatively expensive outside the United States. For example, in the Philippines, the Mini dish starts at Php 33,500, around $570. Meanwhile in Germany, the Starlink Mini costs €399.  

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On October 9, 2024, environmental group Save RGV submitted a request for a temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction against SpaceX. Save RGV argued that the water deluge system SpaceX uses during launches at Starbase near Boca Chica Beach was releasing untreated wastewater during launches. 

However, the water deluge system is designed to reduce the effects of Starship rocket engine blasts during liftoff or static fire engine testing. The Federal Judge concluded that SpaceX cannot launch its rockets without its deluge water system.

“At the beginning of the Starship-Super Heavy Launch System’s development, it became evident that a deluge water system was necessary to protect the launch site and surrounding areas during launches.

“A deluge water system sprays large quantities of potable water at the base of the spacecraft during launch to prevent fires and reduce dispersal of dust and debris,” Judge Olvera wrote in his order.

The group also alleged SpaceX was operating its water deluge system without proper permits, hence the request for a temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction. Judge Olvera concluded that SpaceX’s committed a “good faith mistake.” He ruled that the aerospace company must obtain the proper permit for its deluge water system. 

The Federal Judge based his decision on evidence showing that SpaceX had paid a significant penalty for its mistake and had already applied for a proper permit. The Texas Commission on Environment Quality (TCEQ) reviewed SpaceX’s permit application and concluded that its water deluge system did not cause adverse environmental risks. As a result, TCEQ permitted SpaceX to use its water deluge system while its permit was pending approval. 

Besides the TCEQ, SpaceX’s permit has also been reviewed by other government agencies, including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFW). The FAA concluded that SpaceX’s water deluge system has no significant impact on the environment or resources. Meanwhile, the USFW found that the water deluge system would reduce the risk of harm to species during SpaceX launches. 

In his decision, Judge Olvera also mentioned that halting SpaceX launches would harm the company and the public more. 

“Being unable to launch would create various consequences for not only Defendant but also the public at large. It would significantly delay and possibly destroy Defendant’s contracts with NASA to further the Artemis Program and Human Landing System Program—worth billions of dollars,” the Federal Judge said.

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