JUST RECORDED: Elon Musk Drops News About CyberCab, FSD and Optimus

Welcome, Elon, and thanks for taking the time. I I really understand that time is

time. I I really understand that time is precious. There's a ton of things to do

precious. There's a ton of things to do to build a world of amazing abundance and so many things. I can hardly imagine >> what's on your mind, SpaceX, Starling,

um AI, safe AI for the future, autopilot, so many things.

>> But what what is in your view still exciting about Tesla and why?

>> Well, I think Tesla is one of the most exciting companies in the world. You

know, it's uh perhaps the most exciting, but you know, this Tesla and SpaceX, let me say, are the two most exciting

companies. Um, so we're uh, you know,

companies. Um, so we're uh, you know, we're obviously uh expanding production.

Uh, we're making more cars. Uh, we're

going to, you know, we're going to roll out uh Tesla full self-driving, which is really uh an AIdriven car. So it's Tesla

AI software that uh that drives the car just by looking like a human does. Um so

Tesla has the most advanced real world AI and um hopefully it will be approved soon in Europe. Um we told by the

authorities that uh March 20th it'll be approved in the Netherlands was what I was told. Hopefully that date uh remains

was told. Hopefully that date uh remains the same. Um, but I think people in

the same. Um, but I think people in Europe are going to be pretty blown away by how good the Tesla uh car AI is in

being able to drive. Um, so uh and I think this year really it will be the case that you from a from a technical standpoint

you'll be able to fall asleep in a Tesla and wake up at your destination.

Um, so that's that's very exciting.

We've got the Optimus program which is uh going to be the the first uh humanoid robot. Um and I think you know sometimes

robot. Um and I think you know sometimes people say well what would that be used for? Well, who wouldn't want their own

for? Well, who wouldn't want their own personal C3PO R2-D2? But even better, you know, um, and you can think of like all the reasons like, you know, do you

want someone do do you need a robot to um, you know, take care of your kids or walk the dog or, you know, take care of elderly parents or something like that,

then Optimus can do those things. Um,

so, so that's very exciting. Um, and uh, yeah, you know, we we're going to be starting production of the Tesla Cyber Cab here at Giga Texas. Uh, we have

started production, I should say. Um,

but we'll go to scale production um, in April. Uh, or start volume production

April. Uh, or start volume production April and have significant production towards the end of the year. Um and uh

you know if things go well we would probably uh manufacture Cyber Cap in in Europe as well uh and also manufacture

Optimus uh in in Europe. So

um we've got the Tesla Semi coming out.

So the Tesla heavy truck um and uh that'll be going to Europe uh hopefully next year.

There's so many things happening. It's a

It's a long list.

>> It's a long list to make it an exciting company.

>> Yeah. Oh, and battery cell production.

>> Y >> um we're going to we're going to start making battery cells at Gigablin. We're

we have the Tesla lithium refinery that's started up in Texas and the Tesla uh nickel cathode refinery that's

started up in um here in Austin. Um it's

really this year is a tremendous uh number of things. We've got five five factories starting volume production this year. Five major production lines.

this year. Five major production lines.

We look forward to extending that to Europe as well.

>> And I guess looking a little bit back, Tesla hasn't done anything less but really transforming a whole industry. I

think without us taking that brave step or or Tesla taking that brave step to electrify mobility, the industry wouldn't be where it is today. What

would you want people to say about Tesla? Let's just say in 10 or 20 years

Tesla? Let's just say in 10 or 20 years from now, >> in 20 in 20 years, I'd say Tesla's got factories on the moon.

Uh actually, basically, I see a I I see a very prosperous future for Tesla. Um it's

difficult to predict anything in 20 years, but if you say like I think 5 years to 10 years, I could say Tesla has an extremely bright future.

And um and I I would say like hold on to your Tesla stock. You know it's going to be worth a lot. I think you know >> that's that's my that's my bet.

>> Very cool. Coming back to the present if you look I mean you're always very well informed. If you look to the European

informed. If you look to the European industry especially to the automotive sector or even the German industry and automotive sector um what do you what do you think about it? What do you believe

are the main reasons for their current state?

Well, I think there's not been enough innovation um in automation uh sorry in automotive innovation uh has been uh

relatively low. So the cars that are

relatively low. So the cars that are being produced are very much like the cars that were produced 5 years ago. Um

there's not they're not big differences.

You know, I've said for a long time really that the automotive industry, I said this for 20 plus years, needs to go towards electrification.

Um, and this would be true even without environmental concerns. So, it's just an

environmental concerns. So, it's just an electric vehicle is a fundamentally better architecture than a gasoline combustion vehicle. Uh, it's a it is it

combustion vehicle. Uh, it's a it is it is much simpler, it is more efficient, uh, it's quieter, there's no pollution within cities. So really all uh ground

within cities. So really all uh ground transport should be electric and I think all ships and eventually all planes should be electric. Um but the

automotive industry has strongly resisted electrification.

Um they've dragged their feet um and they had to be pushed pushed there by government and then whenever they've had any opportunity to reduce uh the production of electric vehicles they've

done so. So this is just uh

done so. So this is just uh this not a good strategic it's like doesn't it doesn't make sense. Um and

and also making vehicles autonomous is critical. Um like I think it was like 10

critical. Um like I think it was like 10 years ago I said that you know in the future any vehicle that is not electric and autonomous like if you're

riding a vehicle you have to drive yourself that is gasoline powered it's going to be like riding a horse and using a flip phone which is to say that

there's still some people somewhere that ride horses but not zero horses. It's

just un rare and um some people somewhere are still using flip bones but there's not many you know it's going to be a niche thing.

So the future does not contain combustion vehicles and there will be very few vehicles that are not autonomous. The future is autonomous

autonomous. The future is autonomous electric vehicles.

>> Sure. And so if the automotive industry does not move in that direction, they will be left out.

>> So it doesn't really sound like we should or could even be learning much from the legacy automakers. Um I I guess it really sounds like we should be focusing on us and what we believe the

future looks like, right?

>> Yes. I mean there's you can always learn learn something from some competitor but the strategically they're just headed in

the direction of the dinosaurs. So

they're not headed for a good place. You

know the dinosaurs are not around anymore. Uh so they really we certainly

anymore. Uh so they really we certainly are going to we're going in a very different path. Like you said electric

different path. Like you said electric autonomous is the obvious to me it's been blindingly obvious for you know 20 years plus. So

years plus. So um but you know you can't sometimes with what I found with uh competitors is in

in the automotive industry it's not that uh they're going to steal our ideas. You

know you you can't cram a good idea down their throat. Okay? Like if you say like

their throat. Okay? Like if you say like you must hate this good idea. Like

they're not going to steal our ideas.

They won't even we can't even force feed them our good ideas. That's that's been my experience.

So, uh we need to do what's logical, what's sensible, and uh and and and you know, at Tesla, we're essentially creating the future. And it's a good future.

>> We are building a future. They just

build cars.

>> Yeah. It's a good future. future with

electric vehicles that don't emit poison gas literally that quiet um efficient uh and um

and and and like I said autonomous the car instead of having to be stuck in traffic driving through you know busy roads and you know sometimes also people

sometimes they you know they may fall asleep or they may have a medical emergency and uh And then if you're if you're driving yourself and you're on um

the autobon going super fast and you have like a you know an a seizure or heart attack or something then you could die. Um and uh but if you the car is

die. Um and uh but if you the car is autonomous it can take you to a hospital. In fact this is actually

hospital. In fact this is actually happened many times with Tesla cars >> right really cool. So if we if we look at

really cool. So if we if we look at Gigabin specifically um but 6 years ago nearly we broke ground four years ago we started production. I have a ton of

started production. I have a ton of memories. I know you have memories about

memories. I know you have memories about it as well.

>> Um what are like the greatest memories?

What do you tell people when I ask you about Gigab Balloon and the people of Gigab Berlin?

>> Well I mean first of all I'd like to say thank you very much to everyone that's helped build Gigabolin. Um, you know, thank you, Andre, and thank thank you to the whole team. Um, because we've gotten

an amazing factory built in a very short period of time. Um, and gotten to high volume production with good quality and

and and good cost control. Um, so I'm very proud of the uh of Gigab Berlin and all the people in it.

>> Thank you.

>> Yeah, it's it's just um it's cool. Um I

I like the art too, you know, the art and that people have some fun, you know.

So um you know like coming to work should be you should look forward to it, you know. Um so you're coming to work with

know. Um so you're coming to work with people that you enjoy working with.

You're doing useful things. You're

making things, you know. Um

so I have a lot of respect for makers.

like you actually make something. You

build something useful. Build something

useful that you know that that people enjoy that um like I I'm a big fan of makers and you

know there's there's a lot of people who I don't know they they're like they don't make things. I don't know they just um >> hang around.

>> Yeah. They don't make things or they don't provide useful services.

Whereas I like I think I'm I I have huge respect for people who make things and provide useful services. Um and um it's an honest day's work, you know. So

>> thank you.

>> Yeah.

>> I mean I I don't know if you do have but if you have a vision for Ga Berlin, what what would it be and what do you think would have to happen for it to become true?

Yeah, I think um ideally we would significantly expand production uh at Gigabalin. So we would

uh we'd also do high volume production of battery cells. Uh probably also the

the cathode, the anode, lithium. Um so

there's become vertically integrated. um

and you know produce things like the Cyber Cab or Optimus and and other products that

Tesla will develop. So I think the the exciting f vision for the future of Gigabolin is massively expanding it to do many more projects.

>> Very cool. Do you have any advice for the team at Gigabalin to basically you know work towards that vision?

>> Well, things certainly get harder if there are sort of outside organizations that are pushing Tesla in the wrong direction. If there outside

direction. If there outside organizations that are pushing Tesla in the wrong direction and well then it's difficult to say that then we would

expand if if we have to you know outside organization that's u making things very difficult. I mean I'm just the truth.

difficult. I mean I'm just the truth.

Yeah, >> it is the truth.

>> I mean, we're not going to shut down the factory, but we're not going to expand it either, realistically.

>> So, as I said, I have a bunch of I have a bunch of questions, so I just turn my tablet around and then um yeah, feel free to comment on them.

>> Sure.

>> Hi, Elen. Which is your favorite factory?

Maybe 4.

>> Um well, you know, a favorite factory is like saying what's your favorite child, you know.

>> Um >> it's not a fair question. No, it's a it's a question.

>> I I'm I you know, the thing is that I I love factories, honestly. It's it's

you know, I think a lot of people these days, you know, don't don't love factories or they haven't even been to a factory, you know. Um but whereas I've

walked the line in, you know, every factory and um I'm a big fan of factories. I I love factories.

factories. I I love factories.

>> This is a great place to be. Yeah, it's

like you make things that have good utility. People like love the product.

utility. People like love the product.

Making a product building a product people love uh is that's great.

>> Makes you a profit. Totally.

>> So, um Gablin is is is an awesome factory. Um

yeah.

So, the vibe in there is is cool. Like

you walk walk around, you know, it's it's it's it's very clean. And it's like it's quite beautiful inside and outside

and um it's like people seem seem quite happy and uh we're making cars and uh

soon battery cells. Um

you know hopefully many more things.

Yeah.

>> Many things to be proud of.

>> Yeah. Yeah.

>> That's a great factory.

>> It is.

>> Yeah.

>> All right.

>> I think it's one of the coolest factories in the world. Really?

Honestly. Hey Elon, which is the next product we will be building here in Giga Berlin?

>> Well, I I think there's a lot of exciting possibilities for the what the next product is that will be built in Giga Berlin. Uh the you know, we've

Giga Berlin. Uh the you know, we've started uh now spilling up production of the battery cell. Uh and uh we're going

to be uh expanding production of the uh Model Y uh especially once we as we get approval for um supervised full self-driving. Then from a product from

self-driving. Then from a product from next major product standpoint, I think most likely is the Tesla Cyber Cow. Um

but then there's also possibilities of uh Tesla Optimus and the Tesla Semiheavy Truck. Um

Truck. Um so like Tesla has a lot of products coming out so there's a lot of potential. I I think uh if things go are

potential. I I think uh if things go are looking good I think we would expand Gigabolin to whatever the the most uh that that we could you know >> gigantic manufacturing site.

>> Yeah.

>> We have a lot of space. Well, um,

assuming that the, you know, authorities are supportive and the people are supportive, then, uh, we would, uh, expand to probably make it the biggest factory complex in Europe.

>> Very cool. That's a cool future.

>> Yeah.

>> All right. Then we have Aril. He's got a interesting question.

>> Hi, Elon. So, when do you realistically think we can have Optimus in the Gigafactories so we don't have to worry about ergonomics and stuff?

>> Well, we have to be a little careful about that one. And I don't want people to worry about their job, you know.

>> No.

>> Um, so I mean the the honest answer for AI and robotics is long-term working will be

optional. Like long-term,

optional. Like long-term, you know, which is 10 years from now or less, work will be optional. Like if you want

to work, you can like um kind of like if you grow vegetables, you can grow vegetables in your garden or you can get them from the store.

It's optional to grow vegetables in your garden.

>> Yeah.

>> But some people still like to do it. Um

you know, it's extra work to grow your own vegetables, but it's, you know, people enjoy the process. Uh that's

going to be how work is in the future.

It'll be like you can work if you want to. Very cold.

to. Very cold.

>> Yeah.

>> How can we make sure that the adoption of new technologies like Optimus reach countries in the third world?

>> I think it's an interesting question generally.

>> Well, I think for optimists we we first have to succeed in making a useful robot.

>> Um, so the this is a hard thing to solve. Nobody has solved making a truly

solve. Nobody has solved making a truly useful humanoid robot. Um and then you you have to make useful and you have to scale production and it's an entirely

new uh supply chain. You know the for Optimus we've had to design the whole robot from physics first principles. So

that we you know we're designing the every motor every gearbox or not gearbox every gear. Um

every gear. Um um really and the the the hands are extremely difficult to

design. To have a properly dextrous uh

design. To have a properly dextrous uh robot hand is very very difficult. Um

one of the hardest things to engineer.

So it's it's we actually first need to have at least one that is useful and then we can scale production. Um and it at first the tasks will be pretty simple

that optimist is and they will gradually get more sophisticated. I think

eventually uh optimist could do medical work like it could do uh be a doctor be like a like do surgery um and there's long-term potential for

everyone in the world to have access to incredible medical care uh like better medical care than anyone receives today

from humans. Um, so I think long-term

from humans. Um, so I think long-term luck Optimus as a as a surgeon um would be incredibly good, super super

competent and um and and everyone in the world would get better medical care than anyone currently in the world gets.

>> Yeah.

>> Hey, what advice would you give young people for life?

>> What advice would I give young people for life?

Well, I would say one thing is to be um to on the side of of optimism. Uh to

be optimistic about the future. Uh I

think it's better to be it's better to on the side of being optimistic and wrong than pessimistic and right. Your

quality of life will be much better. Um

so um so I would urge people to be excited about the future. I'm excited

about the future. like I'm I'm confident the future will not be boring. Let me

put it that way. It's going to be very interesting. And uh and I think it's

interesting. And uh and I think it's like most likely to be great. Um you

know, in terms of like general advice, I mean, I guess I advise people to like learn as much as possible. Um read a lot

of books. Uh try a lot of things. Um

of books. Uh try a lot of things. Um

and um I guess you know I mean I guess enjoy life just enjoy life but like working is also part of enjoying life you know.

>> Totally.

>> Uh so >> find a job that you can actually enjoy.

>> Yeah. I think if if people derive satisfaction from building things then like Tesla is an awesome place to be cuz we build things and we make useful products and that's I think that's a

great thing. What is the most inspiring

great thing. What is the most inspiring moment in your life?

>> You know, I guess uh when my kids were born, that would be uh the most inspiring moment. Um

inspiring moment. Um you know, in terms of uh work stuff, I guess it's when we had the first production roadster at Tesla. That was

really, you know, it was like hard to believe like we actually made a car that passed all of the regulatory requirements and you could actually go on the road with it legally.

>> Yeah.

>> Cuz when we started out, we didn't even know how to make a car. Um and um you know, on the rocket side, the first time getting to orbit was was a huge

relief.

um reusing, you know, getting the rocket to come back and land was very cool. Um

cool. Um the self-driving stuff I think is pretty amazing.

>> That is amazing.

>> Yeah. I think the first time somebody experiences self-driving where they're just sitting there and the car takes them all the way from their home to their work and parks.

>> Yeah, >> it's mind-blowing.

>> It is. I'm I'm using it when I'm in the US all the time and it is >> a lot better than people can actually imagine. I think

imagine. I think >> it's like magic.

>> It is.

>> Yeah.

>> Well, cool. Then I thank you so much for your time. Really good um having you

your time. Really good um having you here.

>> Um and yeah, hopefully we see you soon in Berlin again and show you around we have done since you visited us last time.

>> Yeah. And and once again to you know the people of Giga Berlin Dashon for a Dashan.

>> Thank you Elon. Thanks for your time.

>> Cool.

That was fun.