Musk says that Tesla may be able to run a version of Grōk natively
Not a Tesla App
Elon Musk's new venture, xAI, revealed its first-ever product last week. Musk has hinted at possibly incorporating a more compact iteration of this AI tool into Tesla's suite of vehicle technologies.
The day after the announcement, a well-known Tesla advocate, Chuck Cook (via Teslarati), noticed that Musk showed interest in a social media update positing that Grōk, xAI's AI model, might soon operate directly within Tesla's computing environment. Responding to the discussion by Cook, Musk suggested that Tesla could potentially host the world's most robust inference computation provided it can support Grōk's framework.
Musk posted: Provided our vehicle AI computer can run the model, Tesla will probably have the most usable inference compute on Earth.
Even in a robotaxi future, the cars will only be used for ~1/3 of hours/week, leaving 2/3 for distributed inference, like SETI.
Getting to Know Grōk
The precise roles that Grōk will fill in Tesla's ecosystem are still somewhat ambiguous. However, some conjecture points to its potential use as an upgrade to the vehicle's existing voice commands. The social media snippet acknowledged by Musk indicated the SuperPrompt aspect of Grōk could be designed to handle up to 25,000 characters and would initially pull live content from a designated X platform.
Plans are also in motion at xAI to create an application programming interface (API) for Grōk, with expectations set for the model to possess both auditory and visual recognition abilities.
More Grōk Changes Coming
These updates follow Musk's previous statement offering Grōk to X service's Premium Plus subscribers, with packages starting at $16 monthly. This strategic move occurred shortly after Musk introduced xAI, signaling the firm's entrance into the software domain, with Grōk being its initial launch.
On Friday, Musk reassured that the early beta phase would not hinder Premium Plus subscribers from getting their hands on the software. By Saturday, xAI, with Musk at the helm, had officially rolled out Grōk to its Premium Plus clientele, with comprehensive details listed on the company's web portal.
Additionally, the xAI website's career section actively posts job openings across four categories: AI engineering and research, data engineering and web operations, full-stack web development, and systems infrastructure.
In August, xAI used its social platform to reach out to creative talents, educators, and content curators to advance its AI models. This call to action was primarily aimed at individuals with a knack for writing and deep knowledge in specific areas, inviting them to engage with the company directly.
Provided our vehicle AI computer is able to run the model, Tesla will probably have the most amount of true usable inference compute on Earth.
Even in a robotaxi future, the cars will only be used for ~1/3 of hours/week, leaving 2/3 for distributed inference, like SETI.
It has been a long wait for FSD for European customers, many of whom paid for the feature years ago on now legacy hardware. While the FSD transfer program has come and gone multiple times, there’s something to be said about having it available in North America, where it can be used, and in Europe or other countries, where it still just remains the same as Enhanced Autopilot (differences between Autopilot, EAP, and FSD).
FSD Transfer is a nice goodwill gesture from Tesla that in theory doesn’t cost them anything. Instead, it keeps customers, especially those who have been waiting for years, loyal and happy. It also incentivizes them to upgrade to a newer Tesla with HW4, where FSD will hopefully be achieved.
In a reply to a post on X, Elon agreed with the suggestion that offering FSD transfers in Europe would be a fair solution for those who have already purchased FSD but can’t use its capabilities.
FSD Transfer directly addresses a growing concern for many long-term European Tesla owners. Thousands of customers purchased the full package, often many years ago, with the expectation that FSD would eventually be capable and approved for use. However, the reality is that FSD, even as an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS), continues to be pushed back in Europe.
Without the transfer program, it's a difficult choice: either throw away your original investment in FSD and pay for the package a second time (FSD price history), or subscribe to it in the future.
Offering FSD transfers is a good way for Tesla to meet them halfway. It's a difficult situation, and one that’s being hindered by processes beyond the control of both the customer and Tesla. However, a transfer helps both parties. Tesla sells another vehicle, and the customer gets to keep FSD.
When Will it Be Available?
Based on how FSD transfers have worked in the past following Elon’s announcements, this feature is likely to become available for a limited time period in the coming days or weeks. If it happens, we should expect an announcement from Tesla Europe on X and emails being sent out to Tesla customers.
Once the program is in place, all you need to do is complete your vehicle purchase and then inform your Tesla sales advisor that you’d like to transfer FSD. You don’t even have to sell or trade in your old Tesla; FSD will simply be removed from it as a feature.
Hopefully, Tesla enables FSD Transfers for everyone, regardless of region. It should be an ongoing offer until at least FSD is approved in the given country or region.
The introductory price for Tesla’s Robotaxi Network has finally been updated. In a post on X, Elon Musk confirmed that the new fare would be rolling out to complement the new Robotaxi geofence expansion.
This change marks the first adjustment to Tesla’s fares since the initial $4.20 launch price 23 days ago. While the price increase may seem significant in terms of percentages, when compared to other options in the ride-hailing area, it is still drastically cheaper.
But the price is now a princely $6.90, as foretold in the prophecy 😂
Robotaxi currently operates on a simple, flat-rate model. The new $6.90 fare gets you a ride to anywhere within the recently expanded geofence.
So far, this is the opposite approach compared to other services, such as Waymo or traditional ride-sharing options like Uber and Lyft. All these services use dynamic pricing based on distance, time of day, and demand. A comparable trip on any one of these services could cost anywhere from $30 to $65, and potentially even higher during peak hours.
That doesn’t even include the tip fees for human drivers either - another win for Robotaxi (can you tip a Robotaxi?).
Even with the adjustment, the flat $6.90 fare remains less than half the price of a typical competing ride, making Robotaxi the most affordable point-to-point transportation option in Austin, aside from mass transit, for now.
A “Maturing” Service
The price change, moving from one meme-worthy number to another, is a sign that Robotaxi is finally graduating from its initial pilot phase. Following the first major expansion of the service area, this adjustment is a logical next step towards finding a more sustainable flat price.
While the new fare is a 65% increase over the old fare, the key takeaway is that it is still far cheaper than other options, and still just as meme-worthy. Tesla is aiming to have its early access riders complete as many rides as possible during these early months, and this pricing is still very reflective of that.