Author: john@provenroi.com
Elon Musk’s brain-computer interface startup, Neuralink, is reportedly preparing for a significant funding round. According to Bloomberg, Neuralink is looking to raise $500 million at an $8.5 billion pre-money valuation. Sources familiar with the matter have revealed that preliminary discussions with investors have begun, with the potential for Neuralink to be valued at $9 billion post-money. However, the terms of the funding round are still fluid, and Neuralink has not officially commented on the reports. Despite being one of Elon Musk’s smaller ventures, Neuralink has shown impressive growth, with PitchBook valuing the company at $3.5 billion in November 2023. Neuralink’s…
It’s no secret that Walmart has been quietly working on its own electric vehicle charging network. The company announced as much over a year ago. However, since then, it has been tight-lipped about how it would go about doing so—until now. I secured an exclusive interview with Adam Happel, Walmart’s General Manager of Retail EV Charging, as the company agreed to talk in detail about the Walmart EV charging network plans for the first time. After my 20-minute interview with Happel, it’s clear to me that Walmart plans to do what Walmart always does, and that’s offer its customers a…
Tesla has recently launched a supervised ride-hailing service for its employees in Austin, Texas, and the San Francisco Bay Area. This service aims to test and improve Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology and related systems. The company has reported that vehicles in the program have already completed over 1,500 trips and driven more than 15,000 miles, although it is currently only available to a select group of employees. This pilot program allows Tesla to test various components of its future robotaxi platform, such as the mobile app for booking rides, vehicle allocation, and support operations like remote assistance and dispatch,…
During Tesla’s Q1 2025 earnings call, there were hints dropped by executives about the highly anticipated “Model 2” and other next-generation EV designs that the company is working on. In the earnings call, Tesla briefly touched upon the possibility of introducing new models later this year. Lars Moravy, the company’s product development executive, shed some light on Tesla’s design process and the upcoming affordable models. He mentioned that despite facing some last-minute issues typical of any product launch, Tesla is still on track to release new models this year. While the ramp-up might be slightly slower than initially anticipated, there…
During the recent Q1 2025 earnings call, Tesla executives gave a sneak peek into the highly anticipated “Model 2” and other next-generation electric vehicle designs. The discussion revolved around the company’s plans for new models and their progress in development. Product development executive Lars Moravy shed some light on Tesla’s design process and the upcoming affordable models. He mentioned that despite facing some last-minute challenges, Tesla is on track to release new models this year. The production ramp-up might be slightly slower than initially anticipated, but there are no major obstacles preventing them from starting production within the expected timeline.…
Elon Musk’s announcement during Tesla’s first quarter earnings call that he would be stepping back from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been met with positivity from TSLA investors. Despite Tesla missing Q1 expectations, the company’s stock rose following Musk’s comments. During the earnings call, Musk acknowledged the backlash Tesla has faced due to his involvement with DOGE. He mentioned that the protests against Tesla seemed organized and possibly paid for, prompting him to reallocate his time towards Tesla. Musk stated that starting in May, he would be reducing his involvement with DOGE to focus more on Tesla, now…
The highly anticipated $340,000 Cadillac Celestiq flagship electric vehicle was set to make its debut by the end of 2024, but as of now, there is no clear timeline for its release. Interested buyers can join a waitlist in hopes of securing an early reservation, but pre-orders have not yet opened. Despite the delay, Cadillac recently allowed car enthusiast and television host Jay Leno the opportunity to test drive a pre-production model of the Celestiq, and his review was glowing. Leno, one of the first individuals outside of Cadillac to experience the Celestiq, had the chance to speak with Tony…
Stellantis and Factorial Energy have achieved a significant milestone in the world of electric vehicle technology by successfully validating automotive-grade semi-solid-state battery cells. This achievement marks a crucial step forward in the journey towards commercializing this groundbreaking technology. Factorial Energy, a Massachusetts-based battery startup, has been gaining attention in the industry after showcasing its solid-state battery technology in the Mercedes-Benz EQS for testing purposes. Now, with the collaboration of Stellantis, the company has taken a major leap forward in the development of semi-solid-state batteries. Solid-state batteries have long been hailed as the future of EV technology due to their potential…
Tesla’s Optimus Production Line: A Closer Look In a recent update letter, Tesla gave a peek into its Optimus pilot production line, showcasing the company’s progress in creating humanoid robots capable of useful work. The production line is located in Tesla’s Fremont factory, setting the stage for the company to kick off this innovative project. Tesla has ambitious plans to deploy Optimus bots across its factories by the end of the year. During Tesla’s first quarter earnings call, Elon Musk expressed confidence in the Optimus project, stating that the company is on track to have thousands of robots working in…
Cadillac is set to introduce a new performance variant of its Optiq electric crossover called the Optiq-V. This exciting model is expected to hit the market later this year with a host of upgrades that will make it more powerful and dynamic than the standard Optiq. The teaser photo released by Cadillac gives us a glimpse of the Optiq-V’s aggressive exterior makeover, which is reminiscent of the recently unveiled Lyriq-V. The Optiq-V is likely to be powered by a dual-motor setup borrowed from the Lyriq, delivering an impressive 515 horsepower and 450 pound-feet of torque. With this powertrain, the Optiq-V…