New Delhi:

Tesla and SpaceX chief Elon Musk has advised against the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs), citing concerns about their potential vulnerabilities to hacking. His remarks come amidst growing debates over the security of EVMs worldwide, especially following allegations of irregularities in Puerto Rico’s recent primary elections.

“We should eliminate electronic voting machines. The risk of being hacked by humans or AI, while small, is still too high,” Musk posted on X.

We should eliminate electronic voting machines. The risk of being hacked by humans or AI, while small, is still too high. https://t.co/PHzJsoXpLh

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 15, 2024

The spotlight on EVM security has intensified due to recent controversies in Puerto Rico. The primary elections there were plagued by numerous irregularities linked to EVMs. However, a paper trail allowed election officials to identify and correct vote tallies.

Musk’s remark was in response to, Robert F Kennedy Jr, nephew of former US President John F Kennedy and an independent hopeful for the 2024 US Elections, who wrote, “Puerto Rico’s primary elections just experienced hundreds of voting irregularities related to electronic voting machines, according to the Associated Press. Luckily, there was a paper trail so the problem was identified and vote tallies corrected. What happens in jurisdictions where there is no paper trail?”

Kennedy Jr advocated for a return to paper ballots to prevent electronic interference in elections, ensuring that every vote is counted and elections remain secure.

While concerns over EVMs are gaining traction in the United States, the scenario in India presents a contrasting picture. India uses the third generation of EVMs, known as M3 EVMs, which are designed to be tamper-proof. These machines enter a ‘Safety Mode’ and become inoperable if any tampering attempts are detected.

A dedicated team of professors from three prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) has been instrumental in the latest upgrades of Indian EVMs. The Election Commission of India (ECI) is supported by an eminent Technical Expert Committee (TEC) on EVMs, ensuring that the devices are robust and secure.

READ | Top Experts From IIT Who Helped Design India’s Most Tamper-Proof EVMs

Professor Dinesh K Sharma, a specialist in microelectronics and solid-state electronics from IIT Bombay, told NDTV, “Indian EVMs are different from other EVMs in the world. The M3 EVMs have no connection to any other device, not even mains power supply.”

The Supreme Court this year addressed the issue of cross-verification of votes cast on EVMs through paper slips generated by Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines. A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta rejected petitions seeking 100 per cent cross-verification, maintaining the current practice of verifying five randomly selected EVMs per Assembly constituency.

READ | “Blindly Doubting System…”: Big Supreme Court Order On VVPAT Verification

However, the court issued two directives to the Election Commission. Firstly, after symbols are loaded into an EVM, the symbol loading unit must be sealed and secured in containers signed by the candidates and their representatives. Secondly, these sealed containers, along with the EVMs, should be kept in storerooms for at least 45 days after the declaration of results.

Tesla shareholders this week voted in favor of a huge compensation package for CEO Elon Musk indicating that the billionaire will continue to lead the electric vehicle-maker. 

Based on preliminary vote results, investors backed a plan of up to $56 billion for Musk, corporate secretary Brandon Ehrhart said at Tesla’s annual meeting in Austin, Texas on Thursday. The proposal was passed despite opposition from some large institutional investors and proxy firms.

A judge had nullified the package earlier this year, but the latest vote by Tesla’s shareholders overturned that decision.

In a video posted on Musk-owned X, the 52-year-old billionaire was seen dancing following the announcement of the pay package.

The short clip shows him entering a stage, visibly excited, pumping his fists in the air and performing a few jumps and a dance while the crowd cheered and chanted his name. 

“Elon Musk dance is [fire]. Tesla shareholders have spoken,” the user who shared the video on X wrote.

Elon Musk dance is ????. Tesla shareholders have spoken. pic.twitter.com/GiLWOtt8ZI

— Tesla Owners Silicon Valley (@teslaownersSV) June 13, 2024

A user commented on the post, “God bless him! He is such a good human! He deserved his money, he earned it!!!”

God bless him! He is such a good human! He deserved his money, he earned it!!!

— Beansmom4ever (@beansmom4ever) June 13, 2024

There were a few comments that connected Tesla’s new move with Twitter. 

Elon’s happy he got a bit of cash to keep paying for Twitter ????

— Adnan Belushi (@adnanbelushi) June 13, 2024

“Elon’s got the moves like Jagger. Tesla shareholders know he’s the real deal,” read a comment. 

Elon’s got the moves like Jagger. Tesla shareholders know he’s the real deal. ????

— Crypto Empire | AMA + Spaces (@Empire8x) June 13, 2024

Many social media users called it the “billion-dollar dance.”

That’s called the 56 billion dollar dance.

— Chris (@flyrogo) June 13, 2024

The compensation plan, originally approved by Tesla’s board and shareholders six years ago, aims to reward Elon Musk based on the company’s performance metrics. 

The board of the world’s largest electric vehicle maker had argued at the time that his leadership was necessary in achieving ambitious targets and that the package would maintain his dedication to Tesla.

Shareholders also approved Tesla’s relocation from Delaware to Texas, aligning with the company’s operational base. 

Despite the favourable shareholder vote, the legal battle over Elon Musk’s compensation is far from over. The package is still tied up in the Delaware Chancery Court and Supreme Court as Tesla seeks to overturn the initial rejection.

Legal experts believe the outcome will hinge on whether Tesla adequately informed shareholders about the details of the package.

A Tesla user found himself in a dangerous situation due to the vehicle’s full self-driving (FSD) mode. Craig Doty II, from Ohio, had to intervene because the car didn’t slow down while approaching a passing train. Mr Doty shared a post on Tesla Motors Club forum in which he said that his car has driven head-on into closed level crossings on two separate occasions. The post was picked up by several outlets, and users on platforms like X, where it shocked the users.

He claimed his vehicle was in Full Self-Driving (FSD) mode at the time and didn’t slow down despite the train crossing the road – but did not specify the make or model of the car.

“I have owned my Tesla for less than a year, and within the last six months, it has twice attempted to drive directly into a passing train while in FSD mode. The most recent incident occurred on May 8, 2024, and I have dash cam footage from that event,” Mr Doty said.

The video shared by Mr Doty shows him intervening while the FSD was on and suddenly turning the car right through the railway crossing sign and coming to a stop mere feet away from the train.

Cameras are good enough for FSD – Elon Musk.

Unless you don’t want to get hit by a train.

“I have owned my Tesla for less than a year, and within the last six months, it has twice attempted to drive directly into a passing train while in FSD mode. The most recent incident… pic.twitter.com/XAQccItBYw

— Artem Russakovskii (@ArtemR) May 19, 2024

“I am trying to obtain the telemetry data from these incidents. Additionally, I am looking for similar cases or incidents. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find a lawyer willing to take my case due to the lack of significant injuries-only backaches and a deep bruise on my right elbow, which didn’t require medical attention,” he said on the forum.

This is not the first time that Tesla owners have flagged issues with the company’s vehicles. As of April 2024, Tesla models Y, X, S and 3 Autopilot systems were involved in a total of 17 fatalities and 736 crashes since 2019, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Last month, a report in Engadget said that Tesla halted the deliveries of its Cybertruck over a problem with the accelerator. Several users had flagged several issues with the $100,000 vehicle, such as lack of visibility, off-roading difficulties, problems with the CCS adapter, lower range than expected and discolouration of the stainless steel body panels.

Tesla started delivering the new Cybertruck to buyers in November 2023.

New York:

Tesla plans hundreds of additional job cuts beyond a recent company-wide layoff as it cracks down on costs in a tough electric vehicle market, according to a US media report.

Elon Musk’s EV company, which moved earlier this month to cut more than 10 percent of its 140,000 employes, will disband two departments and lay off most of the employees from the groups, reported the Information late Monday.

The online technology publication quoted from a Musk email in which he vowed to be “absolutely hard core about headcount and cost reduction.”

Musk will seek to oust any executive “who retains more than three people who don’t obviously pass the excellent, necessary and trustworthy test … I have been super clear about this,” said Musk’s email, according to the Information.

The latest cuts mean Rebecca Tinucci, a senior director in EV charging, and Daniel Ho, head of new products, will leave the company.

Also departing will be most of the 500 workers in Tinucci’s Supercharger group, plus other staff reporting to Ho. Musk is also dissolving a public policy team, the report said.

Tesla last week reported a 55 percent drop in quarterly earnings to $1.1 billion, reflecting a decline in EV sales in a market with intensifying competition.

Despite the downcast results, Tesla shares were buoyed last week by Musk’s pledge to accelerate production of new, more affordable EVs and by Musk’s visit to China on Monday that resulted in a key security clearance from the Chinese government for Tesla technology.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

The Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from Elon Musk over a settlement with securities regulators that requires him to get approval in advance of some tweets that relate to Tesla.
| Photo Credit: Bloomberg

The Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from Elon Musk over a settlement with securities regulators that requires him to get approval in advance of some tweets that relate to Tesla, the electric vehicle company he leads.

The justices on Monday did not comment in leaving in place lower-court rulings against Musk, who complained that the requirement amounts to “prior restraint” on his speech in violation of the First Amendment.

The case stems from tweets Musk posted in 2018 in which he claimed he had secured funding to take Tesla private. The tweets caused the company’s share price to jump and led to a temporary halt in trading.

The settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission included a requirement that his tweets be approved first by a Tesla attorney. It also called for Musk and Tesla to pay civil fines over the tweets in which Musk said he had “funding secured” to take Tesla private at $420 per share.

The funding wasn’t secured, and Tesla remains public.

The SEC’s initial enforcement action against Musk alleged that his tweets about going private violated anti-fraud provisions of securities laws. The agency began investigating whether Musk violated the settlement in 2021 when he did not get approval before asking followers on Twitter, now X, if he should sell 10% of his Tesla stock.

Tech billionaire Tesla CEO Elon Musk boarded a plane departing Beijing on Monday, an AFP journalist said, after a whistlestop visit that saw his firm win a key data security clearance from Chinese authorities.

Musk arrived in Beijing on Sunday for his second trip in less than a year to China, meeting with top officials including Premier Li Qiang, as he worked to boost his company’s fortunes in the world’s biggest electric car market.

On the same day, Tesla’s locally produced models listed among the EVs that meet China’s data security requirements, clearing a key regulatory hurdle.

The magnate boarded his private jet at Beijing Capital Airport just before 1:00 pm (0500 GMT), with Chinese state-backed flight tracking app Utrip saying the plane was bound for Anchorage, Alaska.

The US electric car giant also appeared to inch closer to government approval to use its assisted driving technology in China by teaming up with tech titan Baidu for maps and navigation features, Bloomberg reported.

Despite intensifying competition from domestic firms such as BYD, Teslas remain among the best selling electric vehicles in China, but it is trying to boost sales with features such as “Full Self Driving” (FSD), which need to be compliant with strict data and privacy laws.

The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers said it had been testing vehicles since November 2023 with a national computer security regulator on how they collect and process data, including personal information and recordings of faces outside the car.

“Among them, 76 models of six companies (BYD, Li Auto, Lotus, Hozon Auto, Tesla, and NIO) meet the four compliance requirements of automotive data security,” CAAM said in a statement.

Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y, produced at its gigantic factory in Shanghai, were on the list.

The company’s advanced assisted driving features do not make its cars fully autonomous, and Tesla says its Autopilot and FSD capabilities are meant to be used under driver supervision.

It sells FSD for $8,000 in the United States, or for a monthly $99 subscription.

Tesla did not immediately respond to AFP queries about FSD in China and the reported partnership with Baidu.

Earlier this month, in response to a question on his social media platform X, Musk said FSD availability in China “may be possible very soon”.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Tesla chief Elon Musk this morning said he has postponed his planned trip to India due to “very heavy Tesla obligations”, a day before his two-day visit would have begun. Musk, who owns Tesla and SpaceX, was to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday and announce investment plans in India.

The world’s richest man confirmed he has delayed his trip, but said he looks forward to visiting India later this year.

“Unfortunately, very heavy Tesla obligations require that the visit to India be delayed, but I do very much look forward to visiting later this year,” he said on X, formerly Twitter.

Days after Tesla Inc.’s largest-ever round of layoffs and hours before its quarterly earnings, Elon Musk will fly to India to squeeze in a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It’s not an idle period for PM Modi either, who’s criss-crossing states for election rallies days after voting kicked off in the world’s biggest election where he’s seeking a third term.

The tight timing of their meeting early next week underscores the high stakes for both men. For Musk, the prize is India’s permission for SpaceX’s Starlink Inc. to operate in what will be by far its biggest market, given China’s resistance to the American company.

For PM Modi, the appearance of Tesla cars in the streets of Delhi and Mumbai – and a potential investment in manufacturing by the carmaker – will cast him as a leader who’s brought marquee foreign investment to India, modernized its cities into global metropolises, and created jobs.

“It’s symbolic of the growing foreign investor interest in India,” said Sonal Varma, chief economist for India and Asia ex-Japan at Nomura Holdings Inc. This is “not just due to supply chain diversification from China for export purposes, but also to take advantage of India’s burgeoning domestic demand.”

The trip is likely to yield breakthroughs on both matters. 

Starlink has already received assurances from the government that it will be able to start operating in the country as soon as the third quarter of this year, according to people familiar with the matter who did not want to be identified as the information is not public yet.

This will end a years-long impasse with the Modi administration and help Starlink close in on two homegrown rivals that secured India licenses for satellite-based internet services last year.

India’s Ministry of Communications didn’t respond to an email seeking comment. Starlink did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A sizable investment by Tesla, on the other hand, will allow Musk to tap India’s booming electric vehicle market and counter slowing demand for EVs elsewhere – a positive spin for the carmaker when Musk speaks on the crucial earnings call Tuesday. Tesla watchers, however, will want to see action on the ground after witnessing delays in previously announced projects such as the massive Mexico plant.

Tesla has been trying to break into India for years but high import taxes were a deterrent, something Musk has pointed out repeatedly. India last month lowered import taxes on EVs from foreign carmakers that pledge to invest at least 41.5 billion rupees ($497 million) and start EV production from a local factory within three years.

Frosty China

While Starlink’s services are available in the US, much of Europe and Asian countries such as Japan, Malaysia and the Philippines, India and China haven’t approved it.

Despite Tesla being a big investor in China and Musk meeting top officials in Beijing and Shanghai during a visit last May and June, the Chinese government has called the SpaceX service an arm of the Pentagon.

That’s why winning over India – the only other giant market with a billion-plus population – is especially important for SpaceX.

Starlink operations would also mark a further deepening of the security partnership between India and the US, according to Alex Capri, a research fellow for the Singapore-based Hinrich Foundation. The two countries, along with Japan and Australia, are cooperating in the Quad, a Washington DC-led effort to counter China’s influence.

The US and India “are stepping up surveillance in the Indo-Pacific,” he said. “Starlink definitely has a role in that.”

Checkered Past

The firm, however, has had a checkered past with the Modi government.

In 2021, it suffered a setback when the Indian government asked Starlink to stop selling subscriptions to the public before it had even applied for a license. The administration also asked it to refund the subscription fees collected from customers.

Since then, Musk’s space business in India has been in limbo, stymied in part by a requirement that providers of telecom services have some local ownership. Musk has resisted similar rules in countries such as South Africa and Taiwan.

The first signs of a thaw came when Modi’s government introduced last year a bill that proposed to eliminate auctions for allocating spectrum to companies that offer satellite internet services. It was a favorable outcome for Starlink and OneWeb, which told the country’s telecom regulator they are against bidding for satellite airwaves.

Satellite broadband services are “also aligned to India’s digital focus” and could enable better delivery of government programs, Nomura’s Varma said.

Easing Rules

India in February eased foreign direct investment rules for the space sector allowing companies to invest in manufacturers of satellites and rockets without requiring government approvals.

Starlink will still need to resolve issues related to security approvals, spectrum allocation and pricing plans before it starts operating in India. Once it does, Mukesh Ambani-controlled Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd. and Sunil Mittal-backed OneWeb will have trouble competing, according to Gareth Owen, a UK-based associate director at Counterpoint Research. OneWeb is a subsidiary of Eutelsat Communications SACA.

The SpaceX unit has more than 5,600 active satellites in low-Earth orbit, with plans to launch tens of thousands more, as it aims to rival telecom providers that use larger and higher orbit satellites that hover over one location.

“Starlink has a major advantage,” Owen said. “It has the largest constellation of LEO satellites deployed in orbit, covering most of the regions, and offering connectivity services across the globe.”

New Delhi:

Elon Musk is expected to visit India to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi next week and announce an investment of $2 billion – $3 billion in setting up a Tesla manufacturing unit in the country.

Over the past few years, Tesla has expressed interest in entering the Indian market, hindered mainly by steep import duties. However, with the recent announcement of reduced import tariffs for Electric Vehicles (EVs) priced above $35,000, provided the manufacturer gives a guarantee of investment of Rs 4,150 crore and sets up the manufacturing plant within three years with 25% localisation and subsequently achieves 50% localisation within five years, it is now presumed that Tesla will finally make its much-awaited India entry. 

Speculation is rife about Tesla’s plans for India. For starters, the $35,000 mark means Tesla can start importing all of its vehicles – its cheapest product in the US market is the Model 3, with a starting price of over $40,000. Tesla currently has a portfolio of four products.

We can expect these to come to Indian shores soon to compete in the premium and luxury EV space. Tesla products are expected to have a price advantage over existing luxury and premium EV players. In the luxury space, players like Mercedes and BMW have already made some investments and it is yet to be seen if they are eligible to avail the import duty benefits in the new scheme.

The Mercedes EV range in India starts at around Rs 80 lakh, while BMW’s cheapest EV iX1 costs around Rs 67 lakh. Pricewise, Tesla vehicles can even compete with products like the Hyundai IONIQ 5, priced at around Rs 46 lakh, and EV 6, which sells for about Rs 61 lakh. 

Tesla is expected to import products to India from Germany – the manufacturing of the right-hand drive version of Model Y has already begun at the Berlin Gigafactory. 

The real story would be Tesla’s entry into the mass market segment. It has announced Project Redwood, a small mass-market EV proposed to be launched in 2025, and expected to be priced at $25,000 or around Rs 20 lakh. This will drive straight into the territory of domestic EV players like Tata, Mahindra, and even Maruti Suzuki, all of whom have plans to launch EVs at various price points, including the Rs 20-25 lakh segment.

In FY24, the EV market share continued to be in the low single digits (at 2%) but saw a rapid growth of 91% over FY23. 

India is aiming to achieve 30% EV sales by 2030.

The EV segment in the country is led by Tata Motors with an over 70% market share. One of Tata’s most popular products is the Nexon EV, priced between Rs 14.5 lakh and Rs 19.9 lakh. Maruti’s hugely anticipated entry into the EV segment – the EVX – is also expected to be priced at around Rs 20 lakh – Rs 22 lakh.

On the other hand, it will augur well for Tesla to get access to the Indian market which can be not just a market for its low-cost compact hatch Redwood, but also a manufacturing hub for markets like ASEAN and Lat Am regions. India exported over 6 lakh cars in FY24.

Though there have been media reports of Tesla shunning the small EV project, the company has not confirmed these reports. Elon Musk took to X, formerly Twitter, to rebut the media outlet that reported it.

Tesla Plants

Tesla has plants in the US, Germany, and China. India will be the fourth country to have a Tesla manufacturing facility.

Factories In US

Fremont, CA Factory, US
Gigafactory Nevada, US
Gigafactory New York, US
Gigafactory Texas, US

Facilities Outside US

Gigafactory Shanghai, China
Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg, Germany

Elon Musk is coming to India when big global markets like the US have seen a slowdown in EV sales, forcing Tesla to downsize by 10%.

Tesla is also facing stiff competition from Chinese manufacturers, which with their low-cost manufacturing, offer EVs at much economical price points. 

In 2023, BYD, the Chinese EV and HEV manufacturer, sold over 60% more units than Tesla. 

The India entry will not only give Tesla access to the third-largest automobile market but also help it diversify its location and give it a manufacturing cost advantage.

File.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

U.S. electric carmaker Tesla is looking at potential showroom locations in New Delhi and Mumbai ahead of plans to begin sales in India later this year, two people familiar with the discussions said.

Tesla, which saw its global vehicle deliveries decline in the first quarter for the first time in nearly four years, is stepping up efforts to expand into new markets.

It wants to begin with a showroom of 3,000 to 5,000 square feet (280-465 square metres) as well as a service hub in each city, said one of the people familiar with the plans.

The automaker has begun production of right-hand drive cars at its plant in Germany for export to India, separate sources have said.

India last month cut electric vehicle import taxes to 15% from as much as 100% for automakers that invest at least $500 million and set up a factory.

Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk is expected to make an investment announcement and meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a two-day visit to India from Sunday. Mr. Musk and Mr. Modi last met in New York in June.

Tesla executives started looking at locations last month and have held talks with several real estate developers as they look at potential high street and mall sites, one of the sources said. The person added that the company is keen to begin construction soon so that the showrooms can open in 2024.

The sources declined to be identified as discussions were confidential. Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Tesla is grappling with slower growth for electric vehicles in both its main markets of the United States and China. Reuters reported this month that Tesla has cancelled a long-promised inexpensive car that investors have been counting on to drive mass market growth.

Demand for electric cars in India – the world’s third-largest auto market – is expected to rapidly climb. EVs made up just 2% of India’s total car sales in 2023, but the government has said it wants 30% of all new car sales to be electric from 2030.