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Could Tesla’s ride sharing service make car ownership obsolete?

Published

9 years ago

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Everything from Elon’s Master Plan Part 2 is still resounding in my brain. I could go on about every single point. But for now, I just want to talk about the car sharing part.

I think it is safe to guess that there are a lot of people out there with similar thoughts. To me, a vehicle is a profound investment, done so exclusively for my family’s personal transportation. I keep my car clean. I get annoyed even when familiar and approved passengers have the audacity to push radio buttons or alter climate settings. I keep my kid’s car seats in there. Those are my sunglasses in there. For god’s sake, my sunglasses should not be victimized by some greasy stranger. My car is and should be calibrated to me, only me. It’s mine. I bought it. Me me me.

The idea of sharing my significant investment terrifies me, even if profit is involved. What kind of world is being proposed where I lose that sense of personal space and security of the vehicle for which I had set out and purchased? I get the concept. From a distance, I even like the concept. I could see myself as a respectful borrower of someone else’s car. It is just difficult to fathom the opposite arrangement. I understand that it will be completely optional. Still, I find it to be a strange concept. Tesla is not alone on this general idea. Google, ride sharing, and driving service companies have all suggested that they would like to replace privately owned vehicles with ones that are just a paid sharing service enhanced by autonomy.

“What kind of world is being proposed where I lose that sense of personal space and security of the vehicle for which I had set out and purchased?”

We should probably take a big step back and examine the bigger picture. I know I have likely jumped to some erroneous conclusions. Elon is very talented at teasing us and leaving out all detail. I would like to postulate that maybe Tesla’s version of car sharing won’t be as anonymous as I am fearing. Maybe we will get to select levels of availability for our cars. There may be a way to list pre-approved users of my vehicle that I know and can trust to not do weird things while sitting in it, unsupervised. Kind of like a social network of care sharing. Heck, you need a two-way mutual agreement on Facebook and LinkedIn to establish a connection. Can we expect the same idea with personal car sharing?

For example maybe my retired and aging parents could ditch their own cars and subscribe to using mine when it’s available. My elderly widow neighbor doesn’t need to be driving her own Buick anymore, she can use mine to get around. Then, when MY car comes to ME when needed, it should recognize me and adjust the seats and climate and radio to my preferences (as they already do). Maybe it can even lock up the glove box for everyone but me, keeping my sunglasses unmolested.

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Ok, now I’m slowly warming up to the idea.

I know there are good and reputable people left in the world, but maybe they just need to pass my own background check prior to sitting in my Tesla. At the very least, I would expect there to be some sort of user rating system, where they can be refused service and fined for improper use. There may even be a built-in passenger facing camera that monitors other users in addition to my own driving attentiveness. My instincts say I should trust that Elon has the details worked out and that it won’t be the terrifying anonymous arrangements I’m fearing.

Sincerely,

Shawn Brandt

(Submitted via email to the Teslarati Network. Interested in sharing your thoughts to the greater Tesla community? Email it to us at info@teslarati.com)

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I have a passion for all that is clean, green, responsible and logical. Because of this, I am a big Tesla enthusiast and future owner.

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Lifestyle

Elon Musk seemingly confirms Cybertruck gift to 13-year-old cancer fighter

Diagnosed in 2018 with a rare form of brain and spine cancer with no cure, the teen has undergone 13 surgeries by the time he was 12.

Published

3 hours ago

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March 6, 2025

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Credit: Tesla

Elon Musk has seemingly confirmed that he will be sending a Tesla Cybertruck to 13-year-old Devarjaye “DJ” Daniel, a 13-year-old Houston boy fighting brain cancer. The teen was recognized as an honorary Secret Service member by U.S. President Donald Trump during his address to Congress on Tuesday. 

A Chance Meeting

The Tesla CEO’s Cybertruck pledge was mentioned during DJ’s short interview with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins. When Collins asked the 13-year-old what he told the Tesla CEO, DJ answered that he asked for a Cybertruck.

“I said, ‘can you do me a big favor, when you get back to Houston can you send us a Cybertruck down there?’” the cancer fighter stated.

Daniel noted that Musk responded positively to his request, which was highlighted by Collins in a post on X. Musk responded to the post with a heart emoji, suggesting that he really will be sending a Cybertruck to the 13-year-old cancer fighter.

Teen’s Cancer Battle Inspires

Diagnosed in 2018 with a rare form of brain and spine cancer with no cure, Daniel has undergone 13 surgeries by the time he was 12. During his speech, Trump highlighted the 13-year-old’s long battle with his disease. 

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“Joining us in the gallery tonight is a young man who truly loves our police. The doctors gave him five months at most to live. That was more than six years ago. Since that time, DJ and his dad have been on a quest to make his dream come true,” Trump stated.

Daniels officially received an honorary badge from U.S. Secret Service Director Sean Curran, to much applause during the event.

Surprisingly Partisan

While Daniels’ story has been inspiring, Trump’s focus on the 13-year-old cancer fighter has received its own fair share of criticism. MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace, while referencing Daniels’ love for law enforcement, noted that she is hoping the 13-year-old never has to defend the U.S. capitol against Trump supporters. “If he does, I hope he isn’t one of the six who loses his life to suicide,” Wallace stated.

Anti-Musk and Trump accounts on X have also thrown jokes at the cancer fighter’s honorary badge, with some dubbing the 13-year-old as a “DEI hire” that should be looked into by DOGE.

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Tesla owner highlights underrated benefit of FSD Supervised

Published

1 month ago

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January 31, 2025

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Credit: Tesla

Elon Musk has been pretty open about the idea of FSD being the difference maker for Tesla’s future.

If Tesla succeeds in achieving FSD, it could become the world’s most valuable company. If it doesn’t, then the company would not be able to reach its optimum potential.

FSD Supervised’s safety benefits:

  • But even if FSD is still not perfect today, FSD Supervised is already making a difference on the roads today.
  • This was highlighted in Tesla’s Q4 2024 Vehicle Safety Report.
  • As per Tesla, it recorded one crash for every 5.94 million miles driven in which drivers were using Autopilot technology.
  • For comparison, the most recent data available from the NHTSA and FHWA (from 2023) showed that there was one automobile crash every 702,000 miles in the United States. 

FSD user’s tale:

  • As per an FSD user’s post on social media platform X, FSD Supervised was able to help him drive a relative to a medical facility safely even if he was exhausted.
  • During the trip, the driver only had to monitor FSD Supervised’s performance to make sure the Tesla operated safely.
  • In a vehicle without FSD, such a trip with an exhausted driver would have been quite dangerous. 
  • “This morning, Tesla FSD proved to be an absolute godsend. I had to take my brother-in-law to the hospital in Sugar Land, TX, which is 40 miles away, at the ungodly hour of 4 AM. Both of us were exhausted, and he was understandably anxious about the surgery.
  • “The convenience of sending the hospital’s address directly from my iPhone to my Tesla while still inside my house, then just a single button press once inside, and 40 miles later we were precisely in front of the hospital’s admissions area.This experience really underscores just how transformative this technology can be for society,” Tesla owner JC Christopher noted in his post.

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

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Tesla Optimus “stars” in incredible fanmade action short film

Published

2 months ago

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January 14, 2025

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Credit: @SoKrispyMedia/YouTube

There are few things that prove an enthusiast’s love towards a company more than a dedicated short film. This was highlighted recently when YouTube’s SoKrispyMedia posted a 10-minute action movie starring Optimus, Tesla’s humanoid robot, as well as several of the company’s most iconic products. 

The video: 

  • Shot like a Hollywood action flick, the video featured a rather humorous plot involving a group of thieves that mistakenly targeted a Tesla Model 3 driver. 
  • The Model 3 driver then ended up speaking to Tesla for assistance, and some high-octane and high-speed hijinks ensued.
  • While the short film featured several Tesla products like the Model 3, Superchargers, and the Cybertruck, it is Optimus that truly stole the show.
  • Optimus served several roles in the short film, from an assistant in a Tesla office to a “robocop” enforcer that helped out the Model 3 driver.

Cool inside jokes: 

  • The best Tesla videos are those that show an in-depth knowledge of the company, and SoKrispyMedia definitely had it. 
  • From the opening scenes alone, the video immediately poked fun at TSLA traders, the large number of gray Tesla owners, and the fact that many still do not understand Superchargers.
  • The video even poked fun at Tesla’s software updates, as well as how some Tesla drivers use Autopilot or other features without reading the fine print in the company’s release notes.
  • The video ended with a tour de force of references to Elon Musk products, from the Tesla Cybertruck to the Boring Company Not-a-Flamethrower, which was released back in 2018.

Check out SoKrispyMedia’s Tesla action short film in the video below.

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

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