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

“Demographics are destiny…” – Elon Musk (@elonmusk)

■ TESLA ($329.36, -1.35%):

– Tesla released Master Plan Part IV yesterday. Elon gave a slight hint the other day he was working on it, but then it suddenly just dropped. It focuses on sustainable abundance by integrating AI into physical products. They aim to unify its hardware and software capabilities to create a safer, cleaner, and more prosperous world. The plan emphasizes infinite growth through innovation, solving tangible problems with technologies like autonomy and Optimus, and ensuring accessibility to drive societal progress. By leveraging AI, Tesla wants to eliminate scarcity, enhance human prosperity, and redefine labor, mobility, and energy at scale. Here are the highlights:

Sustainable Abundance: Tesla aims to deliver a world of unconstrained sustainability by integrating AI into physical products, focusing on electric vehicles, energy solutions, and humanoid robots.
Infinite Growth: Emphasizes that growth in one area does not require decline in another, with innovation in technology, like semiconductors and the internet, expanding opportunities for all.
Overcoming Constraints: Tesla’s history of innovating battery technology demonstrates how persistent innovation can overcome technological and resource constraints.
Tangible Solutions: Technologies like solar energy, large-scale battery storage, autonomous vehicles, and the Optimus robot address real-world problems, improving affordability, safety, and efficiency.
Autonomy for All: Autonomous technology is developed to enhance the human condition, prioritizing safety and quality of life across all applications.
Accessibility Drives Progress: Affordable, scalable, and technologically advanced products democratize opportunities, enabling individuals to maximize their potential and time.
Long-Term Vision: Building on past successes like the Roadster, Model S, and Model 3, Tesla is poised for a revolutionary leap, redefining labor, mobility, and energy for a sustainable future.

Per Elon, “Will add more specifics.”

– In the newest episode of Jay Leno’s Garage (@LenosGarage), Jay interviews Tesla’s Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen (@woodhaus2) and Lead Engineer Lars Moravy (@larsmoravy) about the latest Model S Plaid. Highlights included:

Carbon ceramic brakes with a continuous carbon matrix for superior cold stopping power.
“Super minimal version two” thermal system with a cast aluminum manifold boosting the long-range model’s real-world range to 410 miles. Per Lars, “It has an improved thermal conductivity of the manifold which is now cast aluminum. It used to be forged aluminum. And that allows us to have a more efficient cooling and heating of the entire powertrain system, and therefore improving our overall real world range.”
Aerodynamic wheels with optional caps for enhanced efficiency.
1020 horsepower, a 0-60 mph time under 2 seconds, a 200 mph top speed, a 9.20-second quarter-mile.

– Tesla China VP Grace Tao Lin met with employees at a Shandong, China, Tesla store, as the first batch of Model YL deliveries have officially began nationwide in China!

– App update 4.48.5 adds support for the Model Y L and the refreshed Model Y Performance, the feedback survey tool, and code hints at ride-summoning features for Robotaxi using Bluetooth and location services. But the most interesting addition is “Tesla Challenges,” a gamified system with API endpoints like CHALLENGES_GET_INFO for earning rewards through tasks like Supercharging or FSD use.

– MarcoRP (@MarcoRPi1) has done it again! He found that Tesla has officially filed pre-permits for their first “public” Megacharger station in San Antonio, Texas! It will have 8 Semi stalls at a Flying J Travel Center. It will be off of Interstate 10 at N Foster Rd. Sweet! As soon as me Joe started talking about, Jason Esquivel (@drvrjay) hauled butt over to the site and got some pics. There is some construction going on, so Tesla may have already started the ground work.

– Giga Berlin has launched production of the Model Y Performance! On top of that, Giga Berlin received the European Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) certificate, recognizing its commitment to environmental sustainability. The state government praised Tesla as a “beacon” for its efforts and dedication to further environmental goals.

– After testing 200 vehicles, Edmunds says new Model Y is the best. Per Edmunds (@edmunds), “The new Tesla Model Y is the best car we’ve driven in 2025.”

– The Queensland Energy Club hosted a lunch event at The Star Entertainment Group in Brisbane, featuring keynote speaker Josef Tadich, Regional Director Energy APAC at Tesla Energy. Josef discussed the role of battery energy storage in Queensland, how utility-scale and behind-the-meter solutions can balance into resilient energy system, and outlined necessary policy and market signals to drive private investment in storage.

FLYOVERS (flight links in sources section):

Giga Texas: Joe Tegtmeyer (@JoeTegtmeyer), 1st of September, ’25. Joe attended an invite-only Open House and Pro Team Demo Day at Giga Texas, where he captured images the Tesla Semi, Cybertrucks for commercial use, the full SEXY vehicle lineup, Cybercab, an original Roadster, and much more!

Lathrop Megafactory: MetGod, 30th of August, ’25. Speaking of energy storage… 342 Megapacks spotted at the Lathrop.

■ SPACEX:

– Friday evening, launch 111 of Falcon 9 Starlink 17-7 took place from Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. This was the 15th flight for first stage booster B1082. It previously launched USSF-62, OneWeb Launch 20, NROL-145, and 11 Starlink missions. The booster landed on drone ship Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific Ocean. 24 Starlinks were deployed.

– Sunday morning, launch 112 of Falcon 9 Starlink 10-14 took place from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. This was the 23rd flight for first stage booster B1077. It previously launched Crew-5, GPS III Space Vehicle 06, Inmarsat I6-F2, CRS-28, Intelsat G-37, NG-20, TD7, and 15 Starlink missions. The booster landed on drone ship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic Ocean. 28 Starlinks were deployed.

– Latest images from SpaceX’s Rio West employee area. Pics by Trent Patteson, Area Manager at Standard Drywall.

– The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to assess the potential environmental effects of issuing or modifying a commercial launch vehicle operator license for SpaceX’s Starship-Super Heavy operations at Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) in Florida in now in the status of “In Progress”. The process, which began to address SpaceX’s revised proposal, involves multiple agencies, including the Department of the Interior and the Department of Commerce, and is expected to conclude by December 5th, 2025.

– According to NSF (@NASASpaceflight), SpaceX conducted 55 Raptor engine tests, including relight tests on August 11 and 27, with the highest observed Raptor 3 serial number being 35. A new large-scale test rig, spotted by Gary Blair’s flyover, is speculated to be for Starship’s Human Landing System (HLS), resembling earlier Starship infrastructure. The facility is also testing redesigned header tanks for Block 2 Starships and Block 3 boosters, conducting failure tests on Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessels, and preparing Raptor 3 engines for the V3 Starship’s first launch with Booster 18 and Ship 39. Oh, and there is Raptor Graveyard… Follow and subscribe to NSF and support their work. Link in the SOURCES SECTION.

– Launch King Falcon 9 Booster B1067 coming to port after launch and landing No.30. He is next to his younger sibling B1095. Pics by Benjamin Bair, Lead Engineer for GMPS and HALR, Fluid Analyst, and Photographer for Artemis at KSCCOMET.

Starbase City Commission Meeting (Located at 39046 LBJ Blvd, Unit 2, Brownsville, TX 78521):

City Commission Regular Meeting, September 17, 2025 7:00 PM
City Commission Regular Meeting, October 15, 2025 7:00 PM
City Commission Regular Meeting, November 19, 2025 7:00 PM
City Commission Regular Meeting, December 17, 2025 7:00 PM

Countdown to 180 (108 – Falcon 9, 0 – Falcon Heavy, and 4 – Starship):

Launch 113! Tuesday, 2nd of September, at 8:21 p.m. PT, Falcon 9 Starlink 17-8 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 114! Wednesday, 3rd of September, at 7:06 a.m. ET, Falcon 9 Starlink 10-22 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 115! Thursday, 4th of September, at 7:18 a.m. ET, Falcon 9 Starlink 10-57 will launch from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. The booster will land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean.
Launch 116! Saturday, 6th of September, at 8:42 a.m. PT, Falcon 9 Starlink 17-9 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.

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■ THE BORING COMPANY:

– The white striping in the first pic is by Terminal Drive when exiting the terminal at Nashville International Airport. This is the place circled for the entry and exit of the Music City LOOP at BNA International. The second pic is activity at TBC’s site downtown on August 26. Pics by Adam Sichko, senior reporter at the Nashville Business Journal.

■ NEURALINK: N/A…

■ STARLINK:

– The U.S. State Department approved two foreign military sales to Ukraine totaling $329.1 million, including $150 million for extending Starlink satellite communication services with SpaceX as the principal contractor. This will support around 150,000 terminals for battlefield and civilian connectivity.

– Starlink Enterprise Account Manager, Jaime Anderson, visited Majahuitas and Yelapa of Mexico and noticed how they stayed connected. Per Jaime, “Vacation Rule: Unplug. Reality: Posting from beaches only accessible by boat. Starlink kept our group online, but more importantly, it’s helping the guides and communities here stay connected for business and everyday life. Cool reminder of how tech can quietly make a big difference.”

– On August 31st, Lebanon’s Minister of Telecommunications Charles Hage advanced a Starlink license deal, bypassing regulatory oversight.

– Gen 3 High Performance Flat Panel Kit. Pic by Rick Bakker of Station Satcom.

– The Ohio Department of Development selected Starlink to provide high-speed internet to approximately 31,000 underserved homes and businesses across 66 counties. It will be funded by a $42 million grant from the Ohio Residential Broadband Expansion Grant Program. It is expected to address connectivity gaps in rural and underserved areas by late 2025.

– At the latest ExxonMobil-sponsored pre-conference session, Integrity Engineering Supervisor, Vera Veloso, highlighted ExxonMobil is enhancing its Angolan operations through Starlink and drone-based technologies. They will invest approximately $1 billion annually in such advancements. By utilizing aerial drones, 3D sonar imaging, and plans to integrate AI-driven robotics, autonomous drones, AI-driven digital twins, and Starlink for remote operations, the company improves safety, reduces inspection times, and enhances data quality across ExxonMobil’s projects in Angola.

– SpaceX is offering one month of free service until September 30th to select inactive customers in Australia, Europe, Canada, and the US who canceled their satellite internet subscription.

■ X:

– Set your reminder! Tomorrow, Elon with the X Business (@XBusiness), and X Ads teams will give a live update and AMA on advertising. You can reply in the OG post with your questions by no later than 5 p.m. on September 2nd and they will answer the top ones during the session. X Ads Update + AMA with Elon

– X has over 1 billion downloads on Android, and roughly 1.5 billion on iPhone.

– X is defending user privacy and free speech by resisting German authorities’ demands for personal data in cases of alleged online “thoughtcrimes.” X directs them to US authorities under a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty to verify compliance obligations, notably protecting anonymous users like those warning of government raids for posting “everything for Germany” after a 14-year-old’s home was raided. Despite geo-blocking content in Germany, X safeguarded user identities. In response, Göttingen prosecutors launched an obstruction of justice probe against three X employees, including two Americans, for referring requests to US authorities. X has challenged these demands in court, securing some victories affirming no legal duty to provide data under flawed regulations, and continues to protect free speech and user rights across Europe.

– Per X’s Joêlle Yazbeck (@YazbeckJoelle), “Get ready to Own the Moment! Join the 𝕏 team for insider tips on amplifying your Saudi National Day celebrations through epic connections, brand inspirations, and standout activations! Register now and level up your campaign game.”

■ xAI:

– Latest view of xAI’s NatGas construction site in Southaven, Mississippi.

– A University of Memphis study, published on August 29th, found that the gas turbines at xAI’s Colossus 1 do not significantly contribute to air pollution in the surrounding neighborhoods. This is based on air quality tests showing pollutant levels within federal safety standards.

– X Freeze (@amXFreeze) posted that Grok Kids Mode is active. It is tailored and designed for a safe environment to help children learn quickly while having fun. Their is an added feature of a PIN lock to ensure the app remains kid-friendly until the code is re-entered.

– xAI and OpenAI appear to be competing for Cursor’s coding datasets, generated by Anysphere’s AI-powered code editor. They want it to enhance their AI models for software development… MacroHard. OpenAI previously attempted to acquire Anysphere but pivoted to a $3 billion deal for Windsurf, while xAI has integrated its Grok model into Cursor, offering a free “Sonic” coding model. Cursor is valued at $9.9 billion and has rejected acquisition offers to remain independent. Its datasets, capturing real-time coding behaviors, are critical for training advanced AI.

– Per Elon, “Grok Code just hit #1 on the OpenRouter leaderboard, beating Claude Sonnet.”

■ DOGE:

Estimated Savings: $205 Billion

Amount Saved Per Taxpayer: $1,273.29

– DOGE posted that agencies terminated 50 contracts with a ceiling value of $2.9 billion and savings of $762 million. This includes:

$2.4M DoD contract for “transgender health medical evaluation unit services.”
$128.5k DoD contract for “LGBTQ magazine advertising campaign.”
$48.7M USAID contract for “the Belarus Regional Initiative to provide transition activities in Belarus and other countries in Europe.”

■ ELON NEWS: N/A…

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