Always exciting when South Africans make it big. I bet those guys who bullied Elon Musk many years ago at Pretoria Boys High see things very differently now ... This week we focus on the story of a man who wanted to change the world and who is doing it in a big way ...
Elon Reeve Musk (born June 28, 1971) is a South African-born Canadian-American business magnate, investor, engineer and inventor.
He is the founder, amongst others, CEO and CTO of SpaceX; co-founder, CEO and product architect of Tesla Motors; co-founder and chairman of SolarCity. As of June 2016, he has an estimated net worth of US$12.7 billion, making him the 83rd wealthiest person in the world.
Musk has stated that the goals of SolarCity, Tesla Motors, and SpaceX revolve around his vision to change the world and humanity. His goals include reducing global warming through sustainable energy production and consumption, and reducing the "risk of human extinction" by "making life multiplanetary" by setting up a human colony on Mars. (Source: Wikipedia)
Elon Musk's first master plan that he wrote 10 years ago is now in the final stages of completion. He says it wasn't all that complicated and basically consisted of:
- Create a low volume car, which would necessarily be expensive
- Use that money to develop a medium volume car at a lower price
- Use that money to create an affordable, high volume carAnd...
- Provide solar power. No kidding, this has literally been on our website for 10 years.
So, in short, Master Plan, Part Deux is:
Create stunning solar roofs with seamlessly integrated battery storage
Expand the electric vehicle product line to address all major segments
Develop a self-driving capability that is 10X safer than manual via massive fleet learning
Enable your car to make money for you when you aren't using
(Elon Musk, read more here)
Earlier this month, SpaceX lost a Falcon 9 rocket (and a Facebook satellite) on the launch pad in Cape Canaveral. Naturally, Elon Musk is not taking the explosion lightly, and the outspoken CEO has already turned to Twitter to help his company find the cause of the explosion.
Over a couple tweets Musk noted that the company was "still working" on the investigation which was "turning out to be the most difficult and complex failure we have ever had in 14 years." The biggest mystery, apparently, is how the explosion occurred during a routine filling operation, when there was "no apparent heat source."
Tesla's plan to upgrade the controversial Autopilot feature on its electric cars drew positive reviews Monday from some analysts, who say the changes will be better for safety and for the company’s future.
The improvements, following the fatal crash of a driver using Autopilot this spring, were unveiled Sunday by Tesla Motors Inc. Chief Executive Elon Musk. The new Autopilot will rely primarily on radar — and not just cameras — to help the car “see” better and avoid collisions. Read here
New developments in Solar Energy
A new venture spearheaded by Elon Musk will create house roofs made entirely of solar panels, in a sweeping expansion of Tesla’s clean energy ambitions.
Tesla has finalized a $2.6bn deal to buy solar power company SolarCity to produce solar “shingles” – photovoltaic material that would be fashioned into the shape of a house roof.
“I think this is really a fundamental part of achieving differentiated product strategy, where you have a beautiful roof,” Musk said. “It’s not a thing on the roof. It is the roof.” (Read more here)
This week we talk to Hans Koedood, entrepreneur and world traveller, on the iStart2 Show. Hans shares his views on Tesla and his belief in the greatness of South Africans. Don't miss what he has to say!
Keitu Gwangwa & Pierre du Toit host the iStart2 Show on Thursdays at
17h30. Radio Today broadcasts on 1485 MW (AM) in greater Johannesburg
and countrywide on #DStv audio channel 869.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.