Hey, everybody, welcome back to the Elon Musk Podcast. This is a show where we discuss the critical crossroads that shape SpaceX, Tesla X, The Boring Company and Neurolink. I'm your host, Will Walden. So do you remember for the last decade Elon Musk saying the full self driving for Tesla cars was just around the corner? Well, with this new FSD version 13.2 roll out and this potential upgrade during the Trump presidency, should we finally take these claims seriously?
While Tesla initiated deployment of its newest Full Self, driving the FSD software version 13.2 to employees and select customers during the weekend, propelling the company's stock value higher. In Monday trading, the EV manufacturer shares rose 3.2% to $356.07, extending a remarkable 37% increase since the November 5th presidential election
results. Now, the latest FD upgrade promises substantial improvements in autonomous driving caabilities, with Tesla forecasting a sixfold reduction in required driver interventions per mile traveled. Now, early demonstrations of version 13.2 revealed enhanced functionalities, including the system's ability to navigate from parking spot to parking spot with minimal human
interaction. Now, Tesla's artificial Intelligence division announced the update through its social media account on X, stating new Brain who DIS. NOW investment firm Stifle, demonstrated confidence in Tesla's autonomous driving technology by substantially increasing its stock price target from $287.00 to $411.00. The adjustment primarily stems from analysts optimistic outlook regarding the company's robotaxi program, dubbed Cyber Cab, and continued advancement in self driving technology.
His assessment comes despite maintaining steady EBITDA projections for 2024 and 2025 and reducing expectations for 2026. Now, financial analysts at Roth MKM upgraded Tesla stock rating from Neutral to Buy, establishing a new price target of $380.00, significantly higher than their previous $80 a target. Now, the firm's analysts suggest that Elon Musk's public support for former President Trump and new President Trump has expanded Tesla's consumer base and strengthened confidence in
potential market growth. Now, Tesla CEO Elon Musk projected achievement of genuine autonomous driving capability by mid 2025, focusing initialing on Model 3 and on Model Y vehicles in California and Texas. Now, during Tesla's third quarter earnings call last year, Musk acknowledges sorry.
Earlier this year, Musk acknowledges tendency to provide optimistic timelines while also revealing potential hardware limitations in vehicles equipped with hardware 3 point O, promising free upgrades if necessary. Now, early user feedback from experience FSD testers indicate substantial improvements in the system's performance.
Veteran tester Dirty Tesla on X reported successful navigation through snow covered dirt roads with complete autonomy, while aid driver noted superior ride smoothness compared to professional ride sharing services. Now, the technical implementation of FSD version 13.2 demonstrates notable advancements in practical
functionality. Tesla Autopilot engineer emphasized the system's comprehensive park to park capabilities, allowing vehicles to complete entire journeys with minimal driver input beyond initial destination selection. Market analysts attribute Tesla's recent stock performance partially to expectations of a more favorable regulatory environment under the new Trump administration.
Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives suggested that Trump's presidency could expedite the implementation timeline for autonomous driving technology, potentially advancing goals originally set for 2026 or 2027. And the company's strategic positioning includes aggressive sales initiatives, particularly
in the US market. Tesla recently introduced year end discounts on Model Y vehicles as part of its effort to achieve record-breaking quarterly deliveries with analyst consensus projecting 498,000 vehicle deliveries in quarter four. Now there's another tester out there. FSD tester Chuck Cook documented improved performance in challenging scenarios, specifically noting enhanced navigation of unprotected left turns and natural appearing U-turn maneuvers.
These objectives or observations suggest meaningful progress in the system's ability to handle complex traffic situations. Now, the software updates impact extends beyond really basic driving capabilities. Whole Mars blog NX verify the system's comprehensive automation, reporting successful navigation without requiring steering wheel interaction throughout the journey at all. This achievement marks a notable step towards Tesla's goal of fully autonomous operations.
You know, Tesla stock maintains a leading position within the auto manufacturers industry group, holding an 88 composite rating in 95 relative strength rating. These metrics reflect strong market performance relative to industry peers and overall market conditions and the technological advancement represented by FSD. The new FSD addresses several previous limitations.
The elimination of steering wheel jitter and improved parking lot navigation, including automated Supercharger station positioning, shows that it's a refined control system and also enhanced environmental awareness. Market response to Tesla's latest FSD release occurs against the backdrop of intensifying competition in the
autonomous vehicle sector. The company's stock consolidation around 34 month highs suggests investors confidence and technical progress and marketing positioning for Tesla. And the integration of autonomous charging capabilities with FSD 13.2 represents a huge technical achievement. System's ability to navigate to and properly aligned with Supercharger stations addresses a crucial aspect of EV operation.
Current market projections anticipate continued growth in Tesla's delivery numbers, with expectations of two Point O 6,000,000 vehicles in 2024. This forecast brings upon the company's previously quarter rating record of 200 or 485,000 deliveries in quarter 4 of 2023 in. The development of autonomous driving technology from Tesla occurs within a very complex regulatory and political
landscape. The potential influence of the future administration policies on implementation of timelines adds another dimension to market considerations and development strategies. This new release of FSD combines technical advancement with market optimization, while political factors and regulatory considerations shape the company's autonomous driving future under the new administration. Now let's switch some gears here from Tesla all the way to this guy's with SpaceX and NASA.
And the future of NASA's most powerful rocket hangs in the balance following Donald Trump's recent electoral victory. The Space Launch System or the SLS, which is a cornerstone of our return to the moon, faces potential cancellation, according to space industry insiders. So Eric Berger recently posted on X. To be clear, we're far from anything being settled, but based on what I'm hearing, it seems at least 5050 that NASA's Space Launch System rocket will be cancelled.
If Eric Berger says it, you know, he has some inside information. He's been in this game for a very long time. And it cred some shed some credibility on this potential of cancellation of the SLS. So the SLS rocket, let's get into this a little bit. The SLS rocket serves as the primary launch vehicle for NASA's Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the moon for the first time since the Apollo era ended in 1972.
Now, this massive rocket has demonstrated its capabilities through successful testing, including the unmanned Artemis 1 mission in 2022. The complete Artemis 3 mission would mark humanity's return to the Lerner surface, and the current mission architecture for Artemis 3 involves a carefully choreographed sequence of events. 4 astronauts will launch aboard NASA's Orion spacecraft, which is carried by the SLS
rocket into lunar orbit. Now. Upon reaching lunar orbit, 2 crew members will transfer to Spacex's Starship vehicle, which will have launched separately to make the descent to the moon's surface, and after completing their lunar exploration, these astronauts will return to orbit in Starship, rejoin their colleagues in Orion, and make the journey back to Earth. Now, technical challenges have pushed the timeline for the first crude lunar landing to
autumn of 2026, considerably later than initially planned. Various factors contribute to these delays, including necessary redesigns of astronaut space suits, complications with Orion's heat shield and life support systems, and ongoing development issues with Starship Lunar Lander down at Boca Chica Star Base, Texas. Additionally, the upgraded mobile launch tower for the SLS has experienced both cost
overruns and scheduled delays. Now, NASA Space Corp program has announced plans to send its own astronauts to the lunar surface by 20-30, adding a competitive element to this timeline. Chinese space missions typically maintain conservative scheduling estimates, suggesting their projected timeline may be more reliable than American estimates. This development has created pressure on NASA to maintain a schedule and technological edge in space exploration.
Now Elon Musk's role in the incoming administration as a chief cost cutter tasked with finding up to $2 trillion in U.S. Federal budget reductions. As another layer of complexity to this situation, Musk's own space company, which is SpaceX, has achieved recent success with its Starship program, including an impressive demonstration where the vehicles massive booster stage was recovered
using robotic arms. The chopsticks at their Texas launch site at Starbase. Now let's get a little bit of finances. The aspects of the SLS program have drawn scrutiny from various quarters.
Each launch of the SLS carries an estimated price tag exceeding $2 billion, while billions more have already been invested in the raucous development in supporting infrastructure at Kennedy Space Center. These costs stand in stark contrast to Spacex's focus on reusable rocket technology, which promises significantly lower launch costs. We're not talking billions of dollars for an SLS, we're
talking millions of dollars now. The Starship vehicle presents an intriguing alternative to the SLS, though, as it could potentially serve both as a launch vehicle and the lunar Lander. However, this option comes with significant technical hurdles. Starship remains in its testing phase right now must they must still demonstrate critical capabilities such as in orbit refueling in uncrewed lunar landings before it could be considered for crude missions.
Now, the Falcon Heavy, which is another SpaceX vehicle, has been suggested as a possible launch platform for Orion. This alternative would require substantial modifications to both the rocket and the launch procedures, potentially introducing new delays and technical challenges to the Artemis program. But it wouldn't cost billions of dollars to get this thing ready. These changes could impact both positions of America and the Chinese Space Race.
Now. The Artemis program's goals extend beyond simple lunar landings, though. The program envisions establishing a permanent lunar base where astronauts can conduct Advanced Research and development technologies necessary for future space
exploration. The base would serve as a proving ground for technologies and procedures needed for eventual missions to Mars. Now, the Trump administration has shown interest in prioritizing Mars exploration over lunar missions, aligning with Musk's stated goal of establishing a human presence on the Red Planet by 2028. The shift in focus could significantly impact the future of the SLS and the broader Artemis program.
The convergence of Trump's and Musk's Mars ambitions raises questions about the long term direction of American space policy. The original Artemis program, established during President Trump's first administration in 2017, laid out a comprehensive plan for substantial lunar exploration. The plan included not only landing missions, but also the development of supporting infrastructure and technologies necessary for long term lunar
presence. The current uncertainty surrounding the SLS puts this broader vision at risk, and NASA's assertion that the SLS is, quote, the only rocket that can send Orion astronauts and cargo directly to the moon in a single launch shows the rocket's unique capabilities. The space agency has invested considerable resources in developing this specialized vehicle designed specifically
for deep space missions. Cancelling the program could necessitate significant redesigns of mission architecture and supporting systems. Now, the technical requirements for lunar missions demand specific rocket designs and extensive planning for crew safety and mission success. Landing sites, particularly in the unexplored lunar South Pole region, present unique challenges that the current mission architecture was designed specifically to address.
Any alternative launch system could need to meet these same stringent requirements, including the Falcon Heavy and Starship. That the economic implications of cancelling SLS program extend behind the billions of dollars already invested in it. The program supports thousands of jobs across multiple States and maintains crucial aerospace engineering capabilities within the United States.
These factors could influence potential political support for any proposed changes to the program, but NASA's willingness to collaborate with commercial space companies demonstrates the agency's adaptability and recognition of private sector capabilities. However, the complexity of deep space missions suggests that a hybrid approach combining government and also commercial capabilities might prove more effective than completely privatizing lunar exploration
efforts now. The decision about the SL s s future carries implications for American leadership in space exploration, international cooperation, and the development of new space technologies. The incoming administration must weigh various factors, including technical capabilities, economic considerations, and geopolitical implications, before making any final decisions about the program's future.
And the potential cancellation of the SLS is at a critical juncture right now in American space exploration. It's proven, it's already been around the moon and back, and the Starship hasn't quite made it to orbit yet. It's an emerging commercial alternative to the SLS, but it's not quite there yet. There's also national security interests and international competition in space to think about. SpaceX has only launched a few Starship rockets by this time and they haven't done a in orbit
refueling. They haven't gone to complete orbit yet. They haven't launched a satellite from this thing. It is not crew rated like the Orion, and also it can't get to the moon in one shot. It has to stay in orbit to refuel a bunch of times, about a dozen to 20 times somewhere in that region before it actually
goes to the moon. So astronauts would have to launch on probably a Falcon Heavy or even a Falcon 9 to get to the Starship, and then the crew would transfer from that capsule to the Starship and then fly all the way to the moon. And they would completely dismantle the Orion program at this point 'cause they wouldn't really need it other than getting back to Earth. And it would completely destroy
that program. And thousands of people would lose their jobs or be restructured into NASA's web fabric of of people that work there. So it's a very complex thing to think about. If they go forward with canceling the SLS, it'll be probably another six years before Starship is actually ready to fly this whole mission and they have to reconfigure Falcon Heavy. It's going to be a big deal. Hey, thank you so much for listening today. I really do appreciate your support.
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