S.E. Robinson, Jr.

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

Added 2025-07-08 21:19:44 +0000 UTC

8th of July, 2025

"We are suffering slow strangulation by excess regulation..." - Elon Musk (@elonmusk)

■ TESLA $TSLA ($297.81, +1.32%):

- Giga New York in Buffalo. Home to Tesla's charger production line, Solar Roof manufacturing, and the Dojo Supercomputer. Pic by Nitesh Domal, Student at Thadomal Shahani Engineering College, during his tour of the facility yesterday. Per Nitesh, "This visit reinforced my belief in the transformational potential of sustainable tech and AI. The scale and pace at which Tesla is building the future is truly unmatched."

- In June according to the China Passenger Car Association, Tesla China sold 71,599 vehicles wholesale, a +59.3% increase MoM, and a +3.75% YoY. Q2 2025 retail total is 128,803 units, down -11.7% YoY. First-half 2025 domestic sales reached 263,410 vehicles, a decrease of -5.36% YoY.

- @Tesla_App_iOS noted that update 4.46.6 introduces a QR code-based authentication feature linked to xAI’s Grok. It has a string "Passing xAI uri to operating system:" This suggest integration for login via QR code scanning, potentially enabling an in-car Grok experience.

- The Houston Fire Marshal's Office is investigating a fire that destroyed two Tesla Model Ss at the Sales and Service Center on Westheimer Road. The fire was reported at 5 a.m. CT this past Sunday with firefighters from Station 60 responding. No injuries occurred, and arson investigators are handling the case. The idiots are still out there so keep an eye out and stay safe. Pics by Houston Fire Department Station 60 and Drive Tesla Canada (@DriveTeslaca).

- Tesla Turkey's new Mobile Pop-up Store. It is currently at the Bodrum Oasis Shopping Mall. Pic by Tesla's Erman Gökhan İpekli.

- On the website, Tesla is now shouting out that the $7,500 Federal Tax Credit is ending and what vehicles qualify. Take advantage while you can!

- Currently you can get 0% APR for 60/mo. on a Cybertruck (requires purchase of FSD).

- The new Tesla Experience Center at Central Westgate in Bangkok, Thailand. Per Tesla Customer Engagement Manager, Chattrawat Prasertsuk, "Proud to lead the launch of our first Tesla Experience Center on the west side of Bangkok — bringing world-class EV technology, AI innovation, and sustainable lifestyle closer to the Nonthaburi community."

FLYOVERS (flight links in sources section):

Giga Texas: Brad Sloan, 8th of July, '25.

■ SPACEX:

- This morning, launch 87 of Falcon 9 Starlink 10-28 took place from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. This was the 22nd 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 14 Starlink missions. The booster landed on drone ship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean. 28 Starlinks were deployed.

- The U.S. Air Force has suspended building the Starship landing pad for the Rocket Cargo Vanguard project on Johnston Atoll. This is due to environmental concerns from wildlife advocates and scientists about disrupting a seabird sanctuary. This is the project that will use Starship to deliver 100 tons of cargo globally in 90 minutes or less. The Air Force is seeking alternative sites for the program.

- @StarshipGazer showed us the six Next Gen V3 Starships currently under construction inside the Starfactory. Subscribe to Gazer and support his work.

- Globalstar announced they signed a launch services agreement with SpaceX to deploy nine second-generation replacement satellites, built by MDA and Rocket Lab. These satellites, authorized by the FCC under Globalstar’s HIBLEO-4 filing for a 15-year term, will operate alongside existing low Earth orbit satellites to ensure continuous global coverage for satellite and terrestrial communications services. This includes SPOT GPS messengers and IoT devices.

- Gazer also dropped a current view of the Ship Transport Stand at Pad 1 and what the modifications look like. "New pieces are being welded on that are thought to be RVac (Raptor Vacuum) braces for static firing."

- Today, SpaceX began Continuous Flight Auger (CFA) piles for the foundation of the Giga Bay. Screenshot from @LabPadre's livefeed.

- It looks like SoFi is partnering with Cashmere, Fundrise, and Liberty Street Advisors to offer new private market funds on its Alternative Investments platform so members can invest in private companies like SpaceX, OpenAI, and Epic Games with minimum investments starting at $10.

- Two Falcon 9 second stages were delivered to Cape Canaveral yesterday recently! Pic by @NASASpaceflight's Julia Bergeron (@julia_bergeron).

- According to Bloomberg... SpaceX is planning to raise capital by selling new shares to insiders with a target of a $400 billion valuation, up from $350 billion in December 2024. They plan to conduct a tender offer for employees to sell shares to select investors. Discussions are ongoing and terms are subject to change.

Starbase City Commission Meeting:

Wednesday, 16th of July, at 7:00 p.m. CT, at 39046 LBJ Blvd, Unit 02, Brownsville, TX 78521.

Countdown to 180 (84 - Falcon 9, 0 - Falcon Heavy, and 3 - Starship):

Launch 88! July, TBD. Falcon 9 Project Kuiper #1. First of a three launches contract for Amazon's Kuiper low Earth orbit satellite internet constellation.
Launch 89! July, TBD. NASA SpaceX Falcon 9 Crew-11 will launch from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Booster B1094 will return to site and land at Landing Zone 1 (LZ-1) located at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

■ THE BORING COMPANY:

- Michel (@Mic_VegasSphere) dropped by the Vegas LOOP Firefly station where more boring equipment has arrived. "Work here is moving rapidly."

- The Southern Nevada SHRM Young Professionals will host an "HR Behind the Scenes: Vegas Loop Tour" on Thursday, the 7th of August, from 6 to 8 p.m. It will start and end at RedTail in Resorts World. The event includes a happy hour, a tour of The Boring Company’s Vegas Loop, and networking with HR professionals for $10 per ticket. Spots are limited. Registration link is in the sources section.

■ NEURALINK:

- Neurosurgeon Michael T. Lawton (@mtlawton), President & CEO Barrow Neurological, and part of Neuralink's PRIME Study, posted a thank you to actress Sharon Stone for supporting the work of BarrowNeuro and Neuralink. Sharon made a post to her 4.1 million followers of Instagram to support Dr. Lawton and the study.

- Ryan Tanaka(@RyanTanaka3) has posted a new Neura Pod (@NeuraPod) update. Link is in the sources section.

■ STARLINK:

- Kerr County, Texas, Sheriff’s deputies are now fully operational with seamless communication for flood rescue teams thanks to Starlink. Deputy Reusser not only connected their phones for Wi-Fi calling, he was able to integrate their Motorola radios. Sheriff Leitha’s leadership, combined with critical support from Elon, SpaceX, and Gunther Eagleman (@GuntherEagleman) has ensured deputies have reliable connectivity wherever they go, enhancing rescue efforts and needed support.

- The severe flooding in Central Texas has also prompted T-Mobile to collaborate with emergency agencies by deploying vital connectivity solutions. T-Mobile’s Starlink Direct-to-Cell, T-Satellite, is active for free to all customers enabling text-to-911 and emergency alerts plus supporting responders. T-Mobile is in Kerrville offering 24/7 free Wi-Fi and device charging, with additional support at City West Church in Ingram. A SatCOLT is stationed at the Unified Command Center, search-and-rescue drone assists field teams, and Community Support trucks with supplies are all on hand and connected.

- Today, Textron Aviation announced that the Cessna Citation Caravan now supports Starlink connectivity, following the FAA’s issuance of AeroMech’s Supplemental Type Certificate (STC).

- Sean Taylor, SpaceX Starlink Partnerships Director, shared that he experienced Starlink on a United Airlines flight that surpassed his "modest" Comcast home internet. "For several decades it has been accepted in the satellite industry that internet in a plane moving 400+ MPH could never compare to cellular or home internet speeds. For airlines utilizing Starlink these days are now gone. Congrats to the United Airlines and Starlink Aviation teams for such an amazing customer experience improvement. Can’t wait for it to become standard on all flights."

■ X:

- On July 3, 2025, India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, under Section 69A of the IT Act, ordered X to block 2,355 accounts, including Reuters and Reuters World, within one hour without justification. They threatened criminal liability for non-compliance. After public outcry, the government requested X to unblock both accounts. X is exploring legal options, but faces restrictions under Indian law. X is urging affected users to seek court remedies.

■ xAI:

- Elon and the xAI Team will livestream the release of Grok 4 this Wednesday at 8 p.m. PT.

- Today, Memphis Mayor Paul Young proposed an ordinance to allocate 25% of property tax revenue from both xAI sites in Boxtown and Southaven, approximately $12 million, to fund infrastructure improvements like pothole and street repairs, home repairs, social services, youth programs, and sidewalks within five miles of these facilities. The ordinance aims to support overlooked Memphis neighborhoods. It was presented to the City Council and requires three readings to take effect. An online portal for project requests and a resident survey will launch soon to guide fund allocation. Of note, xAI has never requested any tax incentives.

- The Greater Memphis Chamber showed its support for xAI’s data centers, stating they set a new standard for environmentally sensitive operations. Bobby White, the Chamber’s chief government affairs officer, highlighted the project’s low-emission turbines, permitted by the Shelby County Health Department, and xAI’s $80 million investment in a wastewater recycling facility that will save 4.75 billion gallons of water annually, with a $700 monthly water bill. The project complies with EPA, TVA, and MLGW regulations, requiring no public incentives or zoning changes. The Chamber views the project as a historic, innovative development for Memphis and Tennessee that will bring economic benefits.

■ DOGE:

Estimated Savings: $190 Billion

Amount Saved Per Taxpayer: $1,180.12

- DOGE gave us an update on unused websites. In the last few weeks, 69 sites have been deleted. This includes:

26 deleted sites from NASA for a total savings of $500k/yr.
8 deleted sites from the National Science Foundation for a total savings of $868k/yr.
5 deleted sites from the Department of the Interior for a total savings of $4.1M/year.

■ ELON NEWS:

- Last night, Elon cleared Pit 100, and retook the No.1 rank hardcore position. "Sacrificed health for damage, so chance of dying is higher. Forgot to trigger Grizzly Rage a few times, so almost died. Always be raging!"

■ WAYS TO SUPPORT:

If you enjoy the ELON CHRON, please support by subscribing for only $4/month. That's less than .18¢/update! When you subscribe you also become instantly eligible for the random subscriber giveaway.

For July, I am giving away Tesla's official Year of the Snake Backpack ($50)! Like always, one random subscriber's name will be drawn at the end of the month. Subscribe here!

Check out the new shop! Click Here!

REFERRALS:

Tesla: 3 free months of FSD or $400 Off Solar Panel Installation. ts.la/stephen746292
Starlink: Free Month for either Residential or Roam service! https://www.starlink.com/residential?referral=RC-3527509-65487-76
T-Mobile (Starlink Direct-to-Cell): $50 credit 45 days after you activate. Direct-to-Cell has dropped from $20 to $10 per month! https://share.t-mobile.com/stephenr-3419
SOFI (ARK Venture Fund): $25 worth of stock. SOFI is the only outlet the public can invest in Cathie Wood's ARK Venture Fund ($ARKVX). This ARK fund includes SpaceX, xAI, Tesla, X, and a ton of other major AI, Tech, and Bio companies. Of note, investing in the fund requires an initial $500. https://www.sofi.com/invite/invest?gcp=ecf25d1c-7bc9-4ee0-a407-a51849297288&isAliasGcp=false
Robinhood: Get a Free stock. https://join.robinhood.com/stepher-fcc938