Elon Musk candidly weighed in his views on numerous aspects of his life around Tesla, Twitter, and other businesses in an interview with Financial Times. The interview lasted for more than an hour and covered many things personal to Musk.
The subtle interview did last only about 80 minutes but is enough to make multiple headlines for months to come. Musk did say that this interview is not the right platform to make company announcements, but from lifting the ban on Trump to denying working on scooter design ever, there is a bit for everything.
The interview was a part of the Future of the Car Summit, but cars stayed out of the conversations, mostly. JB Straubel also shared some questions with Musk in the interview. Musk is planning to buy Twitter, and the remark on the status of Trump’s account was also part of the interview.
Highlights Of The Interview
Elon Musk bravely called out on the biggest transitions and shifts in his life professionally. He candidly rejoices in his current status with the company’s growth and venturing into newer fields.
Following are a few of the top highlights of the interview event:
- A casual lunch with JB Straubel turned the world upside down for both as the idea of an electric vehicle, Tesla was born.
- Elon Musk said he will stay the heart and soul of the company as long as he is useful to the business.
- Musk denied possibilities or assumptions of the Twitter deal affecting the political relationship with China.
- On the question to bring more factories and expanding into Indonesia, Musk brushed off saying the interview might not be the right platform for any announcements.
- Elon Musk clarified the Twitter deal is not going to interfere with the aims of respective holding companies. SpaceX would keep working in the field of extending life on other planets.
- Elon Musk does not agree to put a permanent ban on Twitter accounts and says it should be carefully earmarked for extreme situations only.
- Tesla would keep working towards a more sustainable future with the transition to renewable energy.
- SpaceX is also on the verge to venture into successful multi-planet expansion and providing internet coverage to everyone.
- Musk mentioned about admiring the work Volkswagen is doing in the field of electric vehicles.
- Tesla might stop taking new orders as they ramp up the production to meet current EV orders.
- Tesla would remain an open-source platform.
- Musk gave a hint about signing mining factories for long-term access to raw materials in the future.
- Tesla would not work on micro-vehicles like scooters.
Why Tesla Might Stop Taking Orders?
Musk said that there might be so much lag in meeting the current overwhelming numbers of orders that Tesla might stop taking orders at a certain point. Tesla aspires to reach the 20-million mark by 2030. However, this is not something Musk is promising but do say he is optimistic about it.
Elon Musk On The Future Of Tesla
The interview highlights the views of Elon Musk on the present and future of his holding companies. The multitude of business Tesla is involved in is exponential and require constant growth.
Musk takes full pride in the amount of work Tesla and production models bring to the table. However, lacking in production is a worry for him too. Chiming in to upgrade the existing Tesla tech is going to be significant concerning the new EV launches by other automotive makers.
Musk speaks a lot about the autonomous drive system applications in electric vehicles. He mentioned, “Self-driving is one of those things where there are a lot of false dawns.” He further goes on that he might be wrong with this idea but weighs in to upgrade it to a safe level.
“Obviously, I could be wrong, but I think we are actually quite close to achieving self-driving at a safety level that is better than human, and my best guess is that we will get there this year,” Musk said.
What To Expect Next?
Musk never shies away from opening up about what goes around in his mind, and the recent interview is an example of his witty nature. Tesla has become a powerful global company in the last two decades.
Twitter purchase and never-ending demand for Tesla EVs are keeping Musk busier. However, the interview sheds light on all aspects he takes a keen interest in. Musk has repeatedly shared his views on these crucial subjects, but a few of the statements like Tesla to stop taking orders in the future and praising Volkswagen for its work in EVs are new.
Comment and share your views with us to make more sense of his deal. Only time would decipher whether Elon Musk and his great mind are headed in the right direction. Weigh in your thoughts!
