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

“Earth’s gravity is strong enough to make reaching Mars extremely hard, but not impossible…” – Elon Musk (@elonmusk)

■ TESLA ($433.09, -4.45%):

– Tesla Model 3 and Model Y Standard!

The following pics were taken by Joe Tegtmeyer (@JoeTegtmeyer). He graciously forwarded them to me. As always subscribe to Joe and support his work. And tell Tesla to invite me to these events!

Price:

Model 3 Standard RWD: $36,990
Model Y Standard RWD: $39,990 Exterior

Paint Options:

Stealth Grey: Free, Pearl Multi-Coat White: $1,000, Diamond Black: $1,500.

Optional Upgrades:

Model 3: 19’’ Nova Wheels
Model Y: 19” Crossflow Wheels: $1,500
Full Self-Driving (FSD): $8,000 or $99/month
Tow Hitch (Model Y): $1,000

Specs:

Range: 321 miles (18” wheels); 303 miles (19” wheels) –
Battery: 69 kWh (one less module than Premium)
Acceleration: Model 3 Standard RWD: 0-60 mph in 5.8s, 286 hp. Model Y Standard RWD: 0-60 mph in 6.8s, 300 hp
Charging: Peak 225 kW (up to 165 miles in 15 minutes)
Suspension: Standard multilink
Hardware: HW4 (same FSD performance as other trims)

Interior

Seating: Vegan leather and textile seats
Seat Controls: 10-way driver, 4-way passenger, touchscreen-only (no physical buttons)
Second Row: Manual folding seats, manual air vents, no heated rear seats
Steering: Manual-adjust steering wheel

Console: Model 3: Standard console, uncovered cupholders. Model Y: Open concept center console (Cybertruck-inspired)
Audio: 7-speaker sound system (vs 15 in Premium)
Air Filtration: Particulate and odor filter (no HEPA)
Lighting: Footwell and door pocket lights (no multi-color ambient)
Display: 15.4” front touchscreen, no rear passenger screen
Trim: Textile door and dashboard trim

Exterior

Cameras: 8 cameras, including front bumper camera with washer
Wheels: 18” with low rolling resistance tires (full wheel covers, Cybertruck-inspired)
Lighting: LED headlights with auto adaptive high beams, one-piece taillights (no matrix LEDs)
Mirrors: Manual-folding
Roof: Model 3: Panoramic glass. Model Y: Glass exterior, fabric headliner interior for better insulation
Glass: Model 3: Acoustic front door glass, tempered rear. Model Y: Tempered glass (noise level similar to legacy Model Y).
Design (Model Y): Unique front and rear fascia, 5% more efficient than Premium RWD
Logo (Model 3): Black Tesla logo on hood and trunk (vs chrome)
Frunk (Model Y): Slightly smaller, includes heat pump, no drain
Cargo Capacity (Model Y): 75 cubic feet

– xAI, X, Tesla, and Disney announced an interactive AI experience for the TRON: ARES world premiere last night and man, I wish I could have been there! It was held at the historic Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles and attendees had their photo captured and interacted with an Grok-generated TRON model via an iPad. The star of the show, for me anyway, was Optimus. Custom painted in black and with red highlights indicating he is a program loyal to the Master Control Program (MCP) or CLU (old school TRON reference).

Optimus interacted with the stars of the movie and guests, including a Kung Fu showdown with Jared Leto. On hand were Greta Lee, Evan Peters, and of course, Jeff Bridges. Fans can access online experiences on X and ticket links ahead of the film’s release on October 10th. I got mine for the pre-release showing on Thursday!

Per Monique Pintarelli (@MoniquePintarel), Head of the Americas at X, “This partnership with Disney lets fans and stars experience the world of TRON like never before – turning the red carpet event into a collision between the real world and AI. By leveraging X’s unparalleled real-time engagement and xAI’s cutting-edge technology alongside Tesla’s Optimus robots, we’re creating shared, immersive experiences that redefine storytelling.”

Per Tom McKeever (@ThomasMac_IV), Creative Strategy Manager at X, “We convinced so many people that an AI art installation, and starting fights with Optimus at a Disney Premiere was a good idea, that we actually had to do it. Hell of a night with some awesome people at Disney, Tesla, and xAI.”

– Nightpeak Energy announced commercial operations of its 77 Megapack 2 XL, 150MW/300MWh, Bocanova Power BESS in Brazoria County, Texas, 24 miles south of Houston, under a long-term PPA with an unnamed investment-grade purchaser. Debt financing was arranged by Nord/LB and MUFG Bank via tax equity bridge loan, construction-to-term loan, and letters of credit, plus traditional tax equity; equity support up to $200 million from Energy Spectrum Capital’s Fund VIII and a major US lender’s letter of credit facility.

– Tesla announced FSD Supervised V14.1 is now rolling out! I hope it drops for me before my drive to Starbase this Saturday. Would be a great 7 hour test. Highlights include:

Arrival Options: You can now select where FSD Supervised should park at the end of your trip; parking lot, on the street, driveway, parking garage, or curbside
Driver Profile Sloth: Lower speeds and more conservative lane changes compared to Chill.
You should also notice overall improvements in smoothness & confidence.

Per Elon, “Many more Tesla self-driving V14 improvements still to come, but wide rollout of V14.1 has begun. 14.2 rolls out in a few weeks and then 14.3 a few weeks later, depending on safety testing. There is so much change that we are carefully confirming each one.”

– Zanegler (@HinrichsZane) is back in the air after nearly a month off (killing us Zane). Here are some of the latest images from Giga Nevada’s Semi Factory.

– Tesla Europe will have FREE Tesla FSD transfer until the end of the year.

– At Giga Berlin, the new Model Y Standard will begin delivery before end of the year, price around 40k.

– Ricky Ip, Tesla’s Regional Recruiting Manager at for APAC, and Team were at the mycareerfair at Sunway Pyramid Convention Centre in Malaysia. “Amazing crowd and thank you for the opportunity to share about Tesla’s mission and career opportunities!”

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■ SPACEX:

– Hwy 4 road closure is on tomorrow, the 8th of October from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Production to Pad! Flight 11 vehicles are ready to move!

– Early in the morning, launch 130 of Falcon 9 Starlink 10-59 took place from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. This was the eighth flight for first stage booster B1090. It previously launched CRS-33, O3b mPOWER-E, Crew-10, Bandwagon-3, O3b mPOWER-D, and two Starlink missions. The booster landed on drone ship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean. 28 Starlinks were deployed.

– The SpaceX Cyber-Fleet! Yesterday evening Tesla delivered two truck loads of Cybertrucks to Starbase, with more to come. Josh West (@JoshWest247) spotted a lot more at the Starlink Terminal Factory in Bastrop, Texas. Can’t wait to see these bad boys this weekend. Pics from Starbase are by Carlos (@cnunezimages), NSF’s Ceaser G (@CeaserG33), and Travis Sorensen (@HardcoreElectr1).

Per Wes Morrill (@wmorrill3), Cybertruck Lead Engineer, “Love to see the ICE support fleets from Tesla and SpaceX get replaced with Cybertruck. When we were engineering it, this was always part of the dream. Never imagined how hard the fleet photos at Starbase would go. Looking forward to more of this.”

– SpaceX’s Roberts Road Giga Bay at Kennedy Space Center Florida is now clearly visible over the tree line. H/T Niall-Ian Anderson (@INiallAnderson). Video by NSF’s (@NASASpaceflight) live feed.

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

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 (126 – Falcon 9, 0 – Falcon Heavy, and 4 – Starship):

Launch 131! Tuesday, 7th of October, at 6:00 p.m. PT, Falcon 9 Starlink 11-17 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 132! Thursday, 9th of October, 9:34 p.m. ET, Falcon 9 Project Kuiper (KF-03) 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. This is the third of three launches contract for Amazon’s Kuiper low Earth orbit satellite internet constellation.
Launch 133! Sunday, 12th of October, at 4:11 a.m. ET, Falcon 9 Starlink 10-52 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 134! Monday, 13th of October, at 6:15 p.m. CT, Starship Test Flight 11 will launch from Orbital Launch Pad 1 at Starbase, Texas. Vehicles are Starship 38 and Super Heavy Booster 15-2. This will second flight for Super Heavy Booster 15-2 and it will make a planned splashdown in the Gulf of America. Starship 38 will splashdown in the Indian Ocean. Live X link

here
Launch 135! Tuesday, 14th of October, at 4:11 p.m. PT, Falcon 9 SDA Tranche 1 Transport Layer C 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 136! Wednesday, 15th of October, at 12:21 p.m. ET, Falcon 9 Starlink 10-17 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 137! Friday, 17th of October, at 11:09 a.m. PT, Falcon 9 Starlink 11-19 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 138! Monday, 20th of October, at 4:00 a.m. PT, Falcon 9 Starlink 11-5 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 ??? Wednesday, 22nd of October, at ??? ET, Falcon 9 SpainSat NG II 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. This is the second of two new-generation satellites built by Airbus to provide secure communications to the Spanish government, its allies, and various international organizations.

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■ THE BORING COMPANY:

– This morning, Danielle Casey, President and CEO of the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance (LVGEA), and her team toured TBC’s Vegas Loop. “Scheduled for completion in 2030, this transformative project represents a significant investment in the future of Southern Nevada’s infrastructure and economic growth.”

■ NEURALINK:

– Nick Wray (@Telepath_8), Neuralink participant No.8, spent Tuesday-Thursday using Neuralink’s Convoy to operate the Assistive Robotic Arm (ARA) via his BCI for three 8-hour sessions, achieving firsts like putting on his hat, microwaving and feeding himself chicken nuggets, opening his fridge, removing/replacing jar lids, and slowly driving his wheelchair indoors. He set records of 39 cylinders moved across a table in 5 minutes and 5 pegs flipped in a 5-minute dexterity test (stroke patient standard), plus a trick shot video forthcoming Wednesday. Supported by Neuralink and Buoniconti Fund, he also advanced his BCI-created crypto coin project.

Per Neuralink’s Seth Tigchelaar, MD/PhD (@sstigchelaar), “Amazing, Nick! Can’t wait to arm wrestle.”

■ STARLINK:

– The FCC plans to overhaul its satellite licensing process to expedite approvals for systems like Starlink. The new “Default to Yes” framework aims to replace the current “Default to No” system, streamlining applications and setting clear timelines. The FCC also intends to increase satellite spectrum use in upper microwave bands and exempt satellites from environmental reviews, despite concerns from astronomers and environmental groups about light pollution and atmospheric impacts. Proposals are set for a vote at the next FCC meeting, though operations are paused due to a government shutdown.

■ 𝕏:

– X has rebranded Verified Organizations into Premium Business for businesses. Features include:

Gold checkmark
Affiliates for expanded presence
Real-time insights via Radar for monitoring brand conversations and sentiment
Job promotion tools to reach influential talent
Priority access to unique handles through an exclusive marketplace
VIP support
SuperGrok access
Impersonation defense.

Subscriptions include Basic at $200/month for essentials and Full Access at $1,000/month for growth tools, highest support, and early feature access. There is custom Enterprise for advanced tools and dedicated teams. Governments and multilateral organizations access Premium Organizations with a grey checkmark at $1,000/month.

– Old DMs on X have been integrated into the new XChat tab. They remain unencrypted, allowing users to view past conversations. To continue, you are required a new encrypted XChat setup to continue messaging. Upon entering such a chat, a popup appears indicating the unencrypted status and offering an option to invite the friend to enable XChat for secure, end-to-end encrypted communication. H/T Iorel (@Iorel_03).

– X is implementing draft synchronization for posts between Web and mobile apps, addressing long-standing user requests for cross-device access. The feature is now live on X Lite and syncing between web and iOS. Who knows when Android will get it. This prevents loss of unfinished threads or posts started on one platform. H/T Aaron (@aaronp613).

– The X Global Government Affairs (@GlobalAffairs) is urging Germany to lead the opposition against the EU CSAM regulation to prevent mass surveillance. The Danish Presidency is advocating for client-side scanning that would require platforms to scan encrypted private messages, undermining end-to-end encryption and threatening privacy and national security. Germany’s Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) has historically opposed weakening encryption standards, citing risks to consumer protection and state security.

■ xAI:

– xAI has appointed former Morgan Stanley banker Anthony Armstrong (@a2xai) as CFO to oversee finances for both xAI and X. Armstrong replaces Mike Liberatore (@mlib16) , who departed in July, and succeeds Mahmoud Reza Banki exiting as X’s CFO. The move supports xAI’s expansion in AI competition, with Armstrong working at xAI for weeks prior to formal appointment. He also advised Elon on the 2022 Twitter acquisition as global head of tech M&A.

– Per Elon, “Grok will make a movie that is at least watchable before the end of next year and really good movies in 2027.”

– xAI’s Ethan He (@EthanHe_42), “Excited to share my first project at xAI. Imagine v0.9 is a massive upgrade within just few weeks. No goal is too ambitious for a small team of hardcore engineers. Our model is improving at light speed. Stay tuned for what’s next!”

■ ELON NEWS:

– “MACROHARD”

Thanks for reading! As always, if you have any questions, feedback, or would like point out an error in the reporting, please do so in the comments.

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