Tesla has changed its application for Giga Texas to include an additional 522,720 feet (12 acres) of space. Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed on Twitter that the additional land will be used for an “ecological paradise” located next to the main factory. However, Musk insisted that Tesla needs to “first get the factory financially on its feet” before the green space can be built.
The designated area will be from the south end of Giga Texas to the Colorado River and will feature a boardwalk and a number of amenities. Musk also confirmed that the entire space will be open to the public.
Giga Texas itself encompasses over 250 acres with more than 10,000,000 square feet of factory floor. The facility opened last April and is currently capable of producing around 250,000 vehicles per year. When at full operating capacity, Tesla estimates Giga Texas will make over 500,000 cars a year.
Tesla currently has six manufacturing plants globally, five of which are large enough to be deemed “Gigafactories”. This year the automaker expects to produce 1.4 million vehicles, a 50% increase from the 930,422 EVs Tesla made in 2021. Tesla’s next Gigafactory could be in Canada. Canada’s industry and innovation minister recently confirmed negotiations with Tesla had taken place, with the automaker reportedly looking at several sites in Ontario and Quebec.
SpaceX is providing Starlink high-speed internet to schools in the Amazon region. Recently, Brazil’s Minister of Communications Fabio Faria tweeted an update about SpaceX and Starlink service in local schools.
Faria shared a photo of students connecting with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk through Starlink’s internet system.
Musk replied to Minister Faria’s tweet, noting the critical role education plays in people’s lives and the significance of internet connection in education.
“Education is the path out of poverty and Internet access enables education,” noted Elon Musk.
SpaceX is also currently talking with officials in the Republic of Zambia about Starlink services in the country. The Special Assistant to the Republic of Zambia’s president noted that Starlink services would escalate the country’s position in the digital economy.
Education is the path out of poverty and Internet access enables education
According to Norad, education helps combat the underlying structures of poverty and reduce it. Studies have noted that acquired basic skills, like reading, writing, and arithmetic, positively affect the incomes of marginalized populations. A UNESCO paper showed that education helps people escape chronic poverty and prevent poverty between generations.
“We’re looking forward to providing connectivity to the least-served people of Brazil,” said Musk. “With better connectivity, we can help ensure the preservation of the Amazon.
The Teslarati team would appreciate hearing from you. If you have any tips, contact me at maria@teslarati.com or via Twitter @Writer_01001101.
SpaceX Starlink brings high-speed internet to Amazon schools
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The most important thing is, however ,that the Tesla CCS Combo 1 Adapter does not work with all Tesla cars, but only with newer Tesla Model 3/Model Y and the refreshed Model S/Model X.
“The CCS Combo 1 Adapter is compatible with most newer Tesla vehicles, while some vehicles may require a retrofit to ensure functionality with third-party CCS stations. We recommend checking that your vehicle is on the latest available software prior to signing in to your Tesla Account to verify vehicle compatibility.”
Tesla says that it “will be adding retrofit eligibility for Model S and Model X vehicles and older Model 3 and Model Y vehicles currently designated as requiring a retrofit.” The retrofit is expected to be available in early 2023.
At $250, the compact Tesla CCS Combo 1 Adapter appears to be an interesting option that significantly expands DC fast charging options for Teslas in North America.
The location is key, as shown in a video here, which means that an adapter might be very useful, despite the fact that the Tesla Supercharging network is considered as one of the best.
Enabling Tesla cars to charge at third-party CCS1 charging stations is one step. Another one will be enabling the non-Tesla cars to charge at Tesla Supercharging stations, but that’s still ahead of us.
SpaceX is talking with Zambia officials, offering Starlink’s internet services to the country.
Recently, Jito Kayumba—the Special Assistant to the Republic of Zambia—tweeted about SpaceX and the country’s officials meeting about Starlink services.
“Our President’s engagement with the team from SpaceX and their Starlink initiative will escalate Zambia’s position in the digital economy and enable universal access to internet and other technologies. Grateful for this initiative from visionary entrepreneur Elon Musk,” tweeted Kayumba.
Elon Musk responded to Kayumba’s tweet, expressing his excitement for SpaceX’s Starlink service’s availability to the people of Zambia.
Looking forward to providing Starlink service to the people of Zambia!
According to DataReportal, Zambia had 5.47 million internet users as of January 2022. The number of internet users in the country increased by 5.4% between 2021 and 2022. At the beginning of the year, 71.5% of the population remained offline.
Zambia’s media mobile internet connection speed through cellular networks was 12.08 Mbps, up by 3.94 Mbps compared to late 2021. The country’s median fixed internet connection speed was 4.65 Mbps, down by 2.14 Mbps versus late last year. With such internet speeds, Starlink’s high-speed connection will definitely be appreciated in Zambia.
Prosperity Through the Internet
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many schools shifted from face-to-face classes to online learning platforms for distance learning. In 2020, the Save the Children of Zambia organization reported that only 0.8% of children from poor households had access to the internet to attend online classes.
Online classes were introduced across schools in Zambia in 2012-2013. When the pandemic hit, the country still lacked the necessary infrastructure to support distance learning.
As all schools reopen in #Zambia, access to remote learning platforms will need to be increased to support children catch up after 6 months of schools being closed. #Zedtwitter ask your MP to ensure they allocate adequate resources to remote learning as they debate budget. pic.twitter.com/Tu8rUxRxRi
Internet Society believes expanding internet access throughout Zambia would make education more affordable along with other benefits. It argues that access to the internet would give the people of Zambia access to health and shopping services, increase their productivity, and bring about technological development.
Starlink is now available on all seven continents, even Antarctica—aka “The Ice.” SpaceX recently installed a Starlink terminal at the McMurdo Station on the south tip of Ross Island in Antarctica.
The Teslarati team would appreciate hearing from you. If you have any tips, contact me at maria@teslarati.com or via Twitter @Writer_01001101.
SpaceX Starlink team meets with Zambia officials for satellite internet services
If you see more electric vehicles across the southern United States, it’s not just you. According to the annual Transportation Electrification in the Southeast report, EV market share in the region doubled from last year with Tesla and Hyundai leading the way. And, perhaps more important, the industry’s growth is bringing new jobs to the region.
The Southeast (Florida, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee) has grown to become a significant auto manufacturing hub. Several prominent automakers, including Mercedes-Benz, Ford, and BMW, call the Southeast home for some of their operations.
Automakers are transitioning from the motor city to the sun belt because of the regions benefits. It’s closer to the coast, making it easier to export; it offers vast space; and it tends to be less costly.
EV startups and legacy automakers are both investing heavily in the region. In fact, the Southeast has garnered almost $33 billion in planned investments and expects eventually to house one third of the nation’s EV manufacturing jobs.
To illustrate, here are the top five EV manufacturing investments coming to the region ranked by number of jobs created:
Hyundai signed an agreement in May 2022 to invest $6.54 billion in a new EV and battery manufacturing plant in Georgia, creating around 8,100 jobs.
Rivian announced in December 2021 that it would build a $5 billion EV plant outside Atlanta, Georgia, establishing around 7,500 new positions.
VinFast revealed plans for a $2 billion EV manufacturing plant in North Carolina, creating 7,000 jobs.
Ford and SK Innovation created around 6,000 new jobs with its $5.6 billion Blue Oval City mega campus, where the next generation of electric F-series trucks and batteries will be built.
SK Innovation spent $2.61 billion in 2020 to build its second US factory, creating 2,600 additional jobs.
These investments are bringing significant money into the area as electric vehicle sales continue picking up across the Southeast.
Hyundai IONIQ 5 Source: Hyundai
Tesla holds its lead over Southeast EV market share
In the second quarter, the Southeast’s EV market share doubled from 2.5% in July 2021 to 5% in July 2022, according to the report. Florida led the region with a 6% EV market share, while Georgia and North Carolina trailed at 5%. Coming in last was Alabama at 2.1% (even though it believes it will be an EV hub).
Tesla held on to its commanding lead with 57% of total EV sales in the Southeast. In second place is Hyundai, after seeing sales surge from the Ioniq 5 and Kia’s EV6. Volkswagen, BMW, General Motors, and Ford also saw growth in the area.
Fueling the growth in EV sales is higher availability (Georgia leads this trend with 57 EV models available), new incentives, and improved access to charging.
Electrek’s Take
Although the Southeast trails the rest of the nation (7% EV market share), reaching the 5% threshold is a critical milestone. According to a Bloomberg study that evaluates nations’ electric vehicle sales, reaching a 5% EV market share can signal the start of mass adoption.
Will mass EV adoption happen in the Southeast? So far, policy-wise, many Southeast states are lagging with some of the highest registration fees for electric vehicles and lowest levels of funding per capita for electric transportation.
With so much investment and opportunity coming into the region, though, electric vehicles offer considerable potential for the Southeast. I expect EV adoption to continue accelerating from here as more models become available and new incentives continue to roll out.
