Tesla Champions Ethical Sourcing: Initiates Unprecedented Audit of Battery Supply Chain

Tesla offers to have a third-party audit of its battery suppliers

Tesla

In a bold and unequivocal commitment to ethical practices, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, recently pledged that the company would initiate an independent audit of its battery material suppliers. This resolution has been determined irrespective of the shareholders' rejection of the proposal during a recent meeting. Underlining the gravity of his commitment, Musk declared on Twitter, "And I will review the audit personally. If you drive a Tesla, you should be able to believe in it to your core.”

In an unprecedented gesture of transparency, Musk proposed placing a webcam in the mines, urging the public to report any instance of child labor. This innovative approach shows the company's dedication to ethical mining practices and their efforts to open the entire process to public scrutiny.

Tesla’s decision to conduct this audit is rooted in the company's ongoing commitment to eradicating unethical labor practices from its supply chain, especially those related to cobalt mining. Cobalt, an integral component in many batteries, has been linked to exploitative labor practices in the past, leading to a storm of controversy within the electric vehicle industry.

Contrasting Cobalt Usage: Tesla's Minimal Dependence versus Smartphone Industry's Heavy Reliance

Unlike other companies, Tesla has made considerable strides in limiting cobalt usage in its batteries by utilizing iron-based and nickel-based alternatives, thereby significantly reducing its reliance on this controversial mineral. However, Musk points out that the consumer electronics industry, particularly smartphones, continues to depend heavily on cobalt.

In a pointed remark during the shareholders’ meeting, Musk highlighted that while Tesla uses a nominal amount of cobalt, smartphones utilize it completely. This information is critical for those interested in the ethical sourcing of materials, as it shifts some of the focus towards other sectors that have not taken similar measures to reduce cobalt dependency.

Since 2019, Tesla has been a part of the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT), an initiative that mandates its members to implement measures against prohibited labor forms. This affiliation and active collaboration with the Responsible Business Alliance underscores Tesla’s commitment to ethical labor practices and transparent sourcing.

Tesla's Hands-On Approach: Visit to Cobalt Mines in the DRC

In a hands-on display of this commitment, a Tesla team visited cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) last year. During this trip, they interacted with local stakeholders and NGOs, highlighting their active role in addressing health, safety, and child labor issues in the industry.

By proceeding with the third-party audit despite the shareholders' disapproval, Tesla has showcased its unwavering stand on ethical sourcing and transparency. This groundbreaking decision not only reinforces Tesla's integrity but also sets a remarkable example for the entire industry.

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Tesla Increases Price of Model S; Starts Offering Free Lifetime Supercharging

Not a Tesla App

For the first time in quite a while, Tesla has increased the price of one of its vehicle offerings. The Model S Long Range and the Model S Plaid have both received a hefty price increase. However, not all is bad - as Tesla also added a new benefit for buyers.

Price Increase

The price increase for the Model S is $5,000 - currently only in the United States. This price increase will likely impact other markets, including Canada, in the coming days.

The Model S Long Range now starts at $79,990, while the Model S Plaid now starts at $94,990. The Model S and Model X now have the same starting price. Interestingly, that’s also the same pricing point for the Cybertruck AWD and Cyberbeast Trimotor non-Foundation Series. 

The vehicle configuration does not appear to have changed, so the new pricing is simply an increase rather than the addition or removal of features. Tesla previously cut the price of the Model S and Model X by 15% in 2023, so this could simply be an adjustment to ensure that the vehicle pricing stays in line with inflation and other factors.

Free Lifetime Supercharging

For those on the fence about ordering a Model S, Tesla has brought back Free Lifetime Supercharging when you order a new Model S on or after December 13, 2024. As always, Free Lifetime Supercharging is restricted to the buyer’s Tesla account and to that specific vehicle. It cannot be transferred to another vehicle or another owner after ownership transfer. It’s worth noting, that it also doesn’t exclude the owner from receiving Supercharger idle fees or congestion fees. There is currently no end date for this promotion.

There are currently no changes to the Model X, neither a price increase nor the addition of Lifetime Superchargering. However, when Tesla makes changes to one of their premium vehicles, it usually affects the other one as well. So be on the lookout for potential changes to the Model X offering in the coming days.

We’ve seen Tesla value Lifetime Supercharging at $5,000, so this falls in line with the price increase we’re seeing. It’s possible that Tesla will begin to bring back Lifetime Supercharging as a perk for buying into their more premium Model S and Model X cars, or this could be another temporary promotion to get buyers who are on the fence to go ahead and make their purchase while this promotion lasts.

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Tesla’s Optimus Robot Learns to Walk Without Vision [VIDEO]

Optimus Falls - but catches itself!

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Tesla recently showed off a demo of Optimus, its humanoid robot, walking around in moderately challenging terrain—not on a flat surface but on dirt and slopes. These things can be difficult for a humanoid robot, especially during the training cycle.

Daily walks help clear your mind pic.twitter.com/dUsW58trS6

— Tesla Optimus (@Tesla_Optimus) December 9, 2024

A Look Behind the Curtain

Most interestingly, Milan Kovac, VP of Engineering for Optimus, clarified what it takes to get Optimus to this stage. Let’s break down what he said.

Optimus is Blind

Optimus is getting seriously good at walking now - it can keep its balance over uneven ground - even while walking blind. Tesla is currently using just the sensors, all powered by a neural net running on the embedded computer. 

Essentially, Tesla is building Optimus from the ground up, relying on as much additional data as possible while it trains vision. This is similar to how they train FSD on vehicles, using LiDAR rigs to validate the vision system’s accuracy. While Optimus doesn’t have LiDAR, it relies on all those other sensors on board, many of which will likely become simplified as vision takes over as the primary sensor.

Today, Optimus is walking blind, but it’s able to react almost instantly to changes in the terrain underneath it, even if it falls or slips. 

What’s Next?

Next up, Tesla AI will be adding vision to Optimus - helping complete the neural net. Remember, Optimus runs on the same overall AI stack as FSD - in fact, Optimus uses an FSD computer and an offshoot of the FSD stack for vision-based tasks.

Milan mentions they’re planning on adding vision to help the robot plan ahead and improve its walking gait. While the zombie shuffle is iconic and a little bit amusing, getting humanoid robots to walk like humans is actually difficult.

There’s plenty more, too - including better responsiveness to velocity and direction commands and learning to fall and stand back up. Falling while protecting yourself to minimize damage is something natural to humans - but not exactly natural to something like a robot. Training it to do so is essential in keeping the robot, the environment around it, and the people it is interacting with safe.

We’re excited to see what’s coming with Optimus next because it is already getting started in some fashion in Tesla’s factories.

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