Elon Musk’s ‘Teslaquila’ may still be coming, after undergoing a few tweaks

Randell Suba

By

Posted on December 30, 2019

Tesla CEO Elon Musk brought back to life the idea of a distilled, pure agave liquor aptly called Teslaquila, an obvious portmanteau of the Tesla electric car brand and the popular Mexican drink. And while interacting with his social media followers, Musk also seemed to have revived one of his older, fun projects — the Boring Candy.

Musk was active on Twitter over the weekend, tweeting about updates on SpaceX’s Starship build and posting fun photos about image recognition tests. Eventually, one of his followers, a Tesla Model 3 owner-enthusiast, asked for an update about Teslaquila, a liquor that Musk has mentioned multiple times in the past. Quite surprisingly, Musk actually had an update ready.

“Slight tweak to the glass needed & then it should be good to go,” Musk tweeted Sunday night.

For those unfamiliar, the idea of the Teslaquila first surfaced as an April Fools’ Day Joke in 2017 when Musk tweeted a photo that showed himself propped against a Model 3, passed out, and supposedly surrounded by Teslaquila bottles. From the said online joke, Tesla actually filed a patent based on intent to use and even posted a mock-up bottle design that the brand would use.

The idea for Teslaquila proved polarizing. Other high-end car brands offer merchandise — Ferrari sells luxury handbags and BMW offers performance golf balls, for example — so a Tesla-inspired drink seems to be in the bag. Unfortunately, there was strong opposition from Mexico, where the alcoholic beverage is traditionally produced. The word “Tequila” is protected just like how Scotch whiskey is to Scotland or how feta cheese can only be Greek.

The idea of Teslaquila was quite close to fruition but it wasn’t meant to be as the US trademark application was rejected because of possible confusion with an already registered name, Tesla Spirit. Then again, if Elon Musk’s recent update is any indication, then maybe an actual Teslaquila is coming soon anyway.

Apart from Teslaquila updates, there was also a brief mention of Boring Bricks and Boring Candy, products that Musk have referred to in the past. Musk has mentioned before how the Boring Company can make affordable bricks for low-cost housing, and some samples have been produced and showcased by the tunneling startup. As for the Boring Candy, the idea came about as a playful dig at Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett, who popularized the idea of business “moats,” or key advantages that businesses have to maintain a competitive edge.

Musk then took a dig at See’s Candies, one of Buffett’s businesses which uses “moats” in the confectionery industry. The SpaceX and Tesla CEO stated that he would build a moat himself, one that is made out of candy — Boring Candy.

The SpaceX and Tesla CEO has always said that it is fun to crowdsource ideas. One Twitter user was seemingly quick to come up with a tagline for the Boring Candy — Edible Shorts. Of course, the tagline is in reference to how short sellers have choked (pun intended) on losses amounting to more than $2 billion as TSLA recently hit record highs amid news of developments in China and positive developments on Gigafactory 4, which is expected to rise in Brandenburg just east of Berlin.

Elon Musk’s ‘Teslaquila’ may still be coming, after undergoing a few tweaks

<!–

View Comments

–>

Source

Tesla delivers first China-Made Model 3 in celebration event at Shanghai Gigafactory

Simon Alvarez

By

Posted on December 29, 2019

Less than a year since Tesla CEO Elon Musk participated in Gigafactory 3’s groundbreaking ceremony, the first batch of Made-in-China Model 3 were delivered to their owners. The event is a milestone for Tesla, as it showed that the company is capable of meeting Elon Musk’s own ambitious targets, and perhaps even exceeding them. 

The delivery event was held in Gigafactory 3 on Monday, December 30, 2019. Members of the local media were present in the event, joining Gigafactory 3’s employees in the handover ceremony. On a rather humorous note, Gigafactory 3’s delivery ceremony did not start a bit late like Tesla’s events in the United States. Instead, the hour-long ceremony started on time at 10 a.m., almost to a tee. 

(Credit: Tesla China/Twitter)

(Credit: Tesla China/Twitter)

(Credit: Tesla China/Twitter)

(Credit: Tesla China/Twitter)

Granted, only 15 employees from Gigafactory 3 took delivery of the Made-in-China Model 3 today. Still, a single look at the massive complex’s holding lots shows that mass deliveries could begin very soon. Just outside the location of the first deliveries, hundreds upon hundreds of MIC Model 3 are parked, and a good number of them continue to be loaded onto transport trucks, heading to Tesla delivery centers across China. 

This suggests that Tesla China is likely only waiting for the first quarter before it pulls the trigger to start mass deliveries of the MIC Model 3 to local customers. This bodes well for Tesla’s fourth-quarter numbers overall, as it hints that the company may already be within reach of its 2019 delivery and production goals. After all, if Tesla were still significantly short from meeting its 2019 production forecast, the company would have delivered far more than 15 Made-in-China Model 3 today. 

With Gigafactory 3 now officially starting customer deliveries, there is little that can get in the way of the electric car maker from saturating the local EV market. China has been very supportive of Tesla since the agreement to build Gigafactory 3 was signed, and this has extended to the Made-in-China Model 3, which has received incentives from the government. The vehicle has also been exempted from a purchase tax, allowing would-be customers to acquire the MIC Model 3 at a lower price. 

In true Tesla fashion, the delivery event in Gigafactory 3 ended with photos and some celebration. Yet, at the end of the ceremony, Gigafactory 3 workers who were still on shift filed back to the massive electric car production facility to continue working. That’s very characteristic of Tesla, as the company, particularly in the United States, never really sleeps. Based on the recently-held event in Shanghai, it appears that Gigafactory 3 and its workers fit perfectly with Tesla’s high-demand, high-reward environment.

On a lighthearted note, the delivery event in Gigafactory 3 included a rather pleasant, heartwarming surprise. As the vehicles were being delivered, one of the new Model 3 owners decided to propose to his fiance. The frunk of the couple’s blue Model 3 was even filled with flowers. Based on the couple’s reactions, it appears that the Model 3 may have done its part as wingman very well.

Here’s a video of the Tesla-inspired wedding proposal in the video below.

[embedded content]

Tesla delivers first China-Made Model 3 in celebration event at Shanghai Gigafactory

<!–

View Comments

–>

Source

Tesla Cybertruck takes centerstage in Travis Scott’s rap video

Joey Klender

By

Posted on December 28, 2019

A few of Elon Musk’s most notable creations, including the newly released Cybertruck, “Cyberquad” ATV, and Boring Co. “Not-a-Flamethrower” managed to make it into a new music video from noted rapper Travis Scott.

Tesla’s recently unveiled Cybertruck and its matching ATV were included in Scott’s video, which has gained over 1.1 million views in less than 24 hours. Scott’s most recent project didn’t just include Tesla’s latest creations, either, as the track also included a group named “JACKBOYS,” featuring a number of notable names in the entertainment industry.

The song in the video is titled “GANG GANG” and features artists like Sheck Wes, Don Toliver, and Luxury Tax. Despite all of these names, the stars of the show were arguably the all-electric Tesla Cybertruck and Cyberquad. Scott, recognized by his alias “Huncho Jack” in the video, can be seen riding around in the ATV in various scenes. The Cybertruck and Cyberquad’s scenes in the music video seemed to have been shot at Tesla’s Design Center in Hawthorne, CA as well.

Known for his relationship with pop-culture figure Kylie Jenner, Travis Scott’s 2018 album “Astroworld” won the 2019 BET Hip Hop’s Best Album of the Year award and received nominations for the 2019 Grammy Awards “Best Rap Album” and the 2019 Billboard Music Awards Top Album. The album was streamed 349.43 million times in its first week, making it the fifth-largest streaming album in one week.

Scott’s most recent album has catapulted his success into extraordinary levels. It is unknown how the artist gained access to the Cybertruck or the elusive ATV, but it is likely his increased popularity has gained credibility with some of the world’s most influential figures. This includes Tesla CEO Elon Musk. In fact, Musk was spotted with some of the biggest names in celebrity culture at the annual Kardashian Christmas Party in late December. Musk was seen with girlfriend Grimes, along with Kim Kardashian-West and husband Kanye West and Travis Scott.

From Left to Right: Kanye West, Elon Musk, Travis Scott, and Quavo at the Kardashian Family Christmas Party. (Credit: Instagram/@Complex)

The Cybertruck has three different variants and starts at $39,900 for its Single-Motor trim, $49,900 for the Dual-Motor, and $69,900 for the Tri-Motor. The truck has become one of the most talked-about vehicles of the year, especially following recognition from names like Min-Liang Tan of the Razer gaming hardware company and UFC Superstar Conor McGregor. The truck’s interesting and unique build continues to defy stereotypes, becoming one of the most popular topics of the year as a result.

You can watch the GANG GANG music video from JACKBOYS that features the Cybertruck, ATV, and the Not-a-Flamethrower below.

[embedded content]

Tesla Cybertruck takes centerstage in Travis Scott’s rap video

<!–

View Comments

–>

Source