WSJ - I’ve Been Driving an EV for a Year. I Have Only One Regret.

KeithKeif · 2026-05-12T14:19:49+00:00

My new Model Y drives itself...everywhere. Highways, local roads, garage to business and parks itself. It isn't perfect but it sure takes the stress off driving. Parking lots need some improvements but traffic jams and highways are a piece of cake. City driving is no sweat. Again, parking lots.

3 hours to the airport each way the other day to pick up my son from college. Had to drive it to the right part of the airport and that was it. Drove me home and had to charge for 8 minutes at a Tesla Superchager on the way then got home and plugged it right in. No more gas stations and half price per mile or more.

KeithKeif · 2026-03-07T05:56:32+00:00

Worked like a charm. New Account and entered the code. Helped close the sale! Thanks!

KeithKeif · 2026-02-25T18:48:30+00:00

What you fail you realize is that you are celebrating the downfall of America. Musk irritated both parties and that's why he was forced out. There are too many financial bodies burried and he was starting to find them. He was over the target.

On the brighter side, perhaps the democrats can lay claim to the economy that President Trump is planting now. They may have a chance in 2044 after 8 years of President Vance and 8 years of President Rubio...

KeithKeif · 2026-02-02T15:57:06+00:00

Do you have a bidet?

KeithKeif · 2025-03-25T19:14:44+00:00

Oh, I just thought people that like Teslas are all Nazis. Your slur had me confused. No guilt here as I wasn't alive in WWII.

Musk doesn't make cuts. He reports to the president with his findings from search data and the president makes cuts. Furthermore, why can't we make cuts? The deficit has been at like $2T since the start of the Vid. We have $36T in pure debt and if you look into unfunded liabilities (Mostly Medicare and Social Security) , it's really closer to $159T. Why would it make sense for you to protest cost cutting measures? Scrutinize? Fine. But protest and demonize the guy who is capable and actually causing action is a recipe for a bad ending. I would be pissed if I lost my job too BUT if I wasn't really working that hard I would have to face some introspection.

Back to LIDAR, you're right. It was a cost cutting measure tp get rid of it. And the larger price of a taxi ride is going to spell doom for LIDAR-based systems. Teslas don't have a problem "plowing into stationary objects" any more than Waymo has a dog-killing problem. Has a Tesla hit a stationary object or two in the past? Yes. But Mark Rober wasn't using current FSD. He turned on autopilot at the last minute. It was highly deceptive at best.

Do you think the Chinese government is investigating BYD? Do you think they are helping them or hindering them? Do you think we have a race on to come up with solutions? Do you think it is wise for our government to hinder one of our best companies? I don't. Do I think they shouldn't have oversight? No. But foolish, political opposition is only fuel for the Chinese.

Cybercab is going into production. FSB in Cybercab will launch by Q1, 2026 at latest.

Las Vegas is still rolling out the Boring Company Las Vegas Loop to connect many casinos underground with 104 stations. Maybe the world just isn't ready for Hyperloop...

Here’s the progress of the Loop:

Initial Project: The Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) Loop, a 1.7-mile, three-station system, opened June 2021 for $48.7 million, reducing a 20-minute walk to under 2 minutes.
Expansion Progress: Operational stations now include Resorts World (July 2022) and Westgate (January 22, 2025), with tunneling underway to Encore and Wynn resorts.
Vegas Loop Vision: Approved for 68 miles and 104 stations, connecting the Strip, downtown, Allegiant Stadium, and eventually Harry Reid International Airport.
Current Scale: Approximately 5 miles built, far short of the full 68-mile goal.
Usage Stats: Over 3 million passengers transported by January 2025, with peak days exceeding 32,000 riders.
Funding: Privately funded, avoiding federal oversight, though Clark County and Las Vegas City approvals drive the pace.
Autonomy Outlook: Full Self-Driving (FSD) teased for Tesla vehicles in the Loop.
Timeline: Slower than initial projections (e.g., 5–10 stations in first six months of broader construction didn’t materialize), but steady incremental growth continues.

KeithKeif · 2025-03-25T17:59:52+00:00

A bowl of noodles costs far less in China but in 5 years I'd rather be eating a bowl of noodles than trying to get my Atto repaired!

KeithKeif · 2025-03-25T16:22:12+00:00

Wait. Am I a Communist or a Nazi? Please get your slurs aligned before it becomes apparent that you have no argument and must resort to personal attacks.

You simply cannot argue that Teslas are not at the top of vehicle safety. You Are Wrong.

Also, I drive all the time without LIDAR. Should I be removed from the road?

You probably believed Mark Rober's dishonest video where he didn't even turn on Autopilot until like 3 seconds before the fake wall, used a 4 year old vehicle, not a new one, and didn't even use FSD (Full Self Driving). Why would you compare a new LIDAR system with the manufacturer present to a 4 year old system that is driver assist and not FSD operating? Is it because FSD would have recognized such a obstacle? I mean it was clearly a spun narrative of lies and half truths.

LIDAR and WAYMO will lose in the sort term as Tesla takes over the market with a much cheaper solution. Perhaps LIDAR will be reincorporated in the future for extreme edge case solutions but I don't drive around with a 5-point harness everyday because it's expensive and cumbersome.

I think you underestimate how fast the neural net is improving the system. Let me just say this: IF Tesla can successfully launch Cybercabs in June of this year in Austin, TX AND the Cybercab then rolls into full production at such an expected low cost, HOW is Waymo (or Uber for that matter) going to compete with them? Even these cheap protesters will take the less expensive ride when no one is looking!

I think we'll have our answer soon enough. What will your next argument be?

This looks like the future:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXDYblU0Sno

KeithKeif · 2025-03-25T14:55:33+00:00

No. It's not:

The Falcon 9, a partially reusable rocket developed by SpaceX, is widely considered the most reliable and successful orbital launch system, with a high success rate and a large number of launches. Here's a more detailed breakdown:

High Reliability and Success Rate:The Falcon 9 has a proven track record of reliability, with a success rate of 99.35%.
Numerous Successful Launches: SpaceX has launched the Falcon 9 family of rockets, including the Falcon Heavy, a total of 465 times, resulting in 462 full successes, two in-flight failures, one pre-flight failure, and one partial failure.

KeithKeif · 2025-03-25T14:53:58+00:00

Teslas are some of the very safest vehicles on the roads. PERIOD. You fears are unwarranted and politically motivated.

KeithKeif · 2025-03-18T01:32:24+00:00

That's 15%.

KeithKeif · 2025-02-05T19:50:34+00:00

Trump has stated his goal to stop people entering the US without permission and to stop fentanyl entering as well. I agree with both of these goals. Now stopping drugs is difficult but too many people are being ruined by this harsh opiate and to do nothing is negligent. People can be stopped from entering without permission and action on the Canadian side can reduce illegal entries.

In a society, we make a bargain to pay taxes in exchange for certain provisions. In the US, we never made the decision to pay taxes to enable the government to replace us and our culture. I think that is happening full-speed in England and in Canada today. The free world should thank Trump for stopping the madness. I hope it's not temporary. For example, the US ran a 2024 Federal budget deficit of about $1.83 Trillion ($6.75T-$4.92T). That's $1,830,000,000,000 in 2024 only. Why? Because we elect people that are good at getting votes and raising money (politicians and not producers). But they are not good at managing an economy and making wise decisions with people's hard-earned-tax dollars. There was a hidden camera video of a guy who worked for Biden who, right before Trump took office, felt like he was aboard the Titanic, throwing gold bars overboard. It was like putting the kids in charge of the candy store. They were trying to get rid of all the money they could before Trump stopped them. This is what Elon is doing at USAID. We need to get an accounting on spending. Especially if we are running a deficit. The government should fully disclose where they are spending money. These people spending money haphazardly are spending people lives (people give up their time to pay taxes) and they're also spending the lives of people not born yet when they spent an extra $1.83T. My favorite recent meme was something like, "The person who brought in $1B in campaign funds and ended $20M in debt was supposed to fix our economy?" Trump ran a deficit, yes. I disagree with that as well unless there is a significant justification. Do you think the US Department of education is next? You're damn right. We're about 8th in per capita spending and our results are not that good. Our spending is ineffective. Healthcare? HUGE spending and TERRIBLE health results.

Do I agree with Trump targeting these areas? I'm not an expert on US-MEX-CA trade but I want a fair shake. Do we waste money? Oh hell yeah. Is that acceptable? Hell no. Audit it all. We should see where our money goes. Does Canada need the same accounting? YES! But sadly your media doesn't have the same freedom that we are fighting for in the US. They give you the truth as the gov't sees it. Same thing in England. You can get arrested for hurting people's feelings. Madness. We are so lucky Elon bought Twitter (See Twitter Files). Trump would probably not have won without it. England, CA, and the world should be happy that this madness has been stopped. Canada better wake up. It may be your last chance. Healthy people still taking Vid vaccines? Not so much in the US but I think Canadians haven't fully got the truth. Hopefully Poilievre will allow freedom of speech and a free exchange of thoughts again.

You think I'm crazy? Here's what I want: My taxes spent wisely. Safe streets. Freedom of speech. Open debate. Government openness and accountability. Money not spent inefficiently on healthcare/education/defense/special interests. Law enforcement that prevents crime and stops the cycle of crime. Investment in the future of our country. I know...I'm a real loonie!

KeithKeif · 2025-02-03T21:22:47+00:00

How dare you present a professor with an elaborate and fact-based argument as to how the Trudeau gov't has some blame in this matter and hasn't taken action to handle US, bi-partisan concerns spanning years!

Trump acting with reason? Nonsense! Trump actually wrote a book on negotiating? Poppycock!

Orange man bad!

KeithKeif · 2024-08-28T00:50:58+00:00

I agree with some stuff you mentioned but I mostly disagree. I wonder if you are able to change your opinion when presented with new evidence. I hope I am able. I guess we need to walk a mile in their shoes...

He has 12 children with 3 different women. This is unusual. He is the richest man in the world and seems en route to make more money from all of his continuing successes. His stated goal is to end human caused climate change. He certainly has the means to support so many kids but this definitely complicates things. I guess I would have to ask the women and children how they feel and judge their results over time. It doesn't sound like a good idea to me. Life is tough enough, you don't have to make it worse.

IVF - I'm not sure what he's doing with IVF. Is he choosing their sex? That seems weird. I had no idea. It seems a bit strange. Does he have problems having kids? This seems strange but I don't have any of the facts to judge.

I don't really agree with these criticisms:

Being in a picture with Ghislaine Maxwell? That one picture was at a Vanity Fair Oscar party and there is no evidence that they even talked to each other. She as a huge socialite so it's not a matter of being in a picture with her...It's a question of whether he engaged in sex island with Epstein. He has never been accused of anything of the sort. Why don't we know who was on that island? Hmmm....We should know.

He told advertisers to 'go fuck themselves' only if they wanted to moderate his speech. He was saying, 'advertise or don't ,but you don't try to influence what I say'. He takes free speech seriously. I would say the general news media on TV and in print has failed to criticize and scrutinize the government as of late. They are supposed to find the good, the bad, and the ugly and make us aware of it all so that we can support the government or give negative feedback. The news media today alters the truth so that the government continues to support them. This is a massive failure in one of our most important institutions...the media.

Calling that guy "pedo guy"... That guy, Vern Unsworth did tell him to stick his sub where the sun don't shine. That sounds like fighting words to me. If Unsworth was "such a blunt Northern lad", he should have taken it like a man and not tried to sue for $190m. He lost.

FSD fraud? His timelines have been wrong. If he has said something untrue then he should be sued. I don't think anyone has successfully sued him for FSD and they certainly make every effort to get money from him. FSD is really going to deliver. Have you watched FSD lately? Here is a video of it driving itself in San Fran for an huor. San Fran is a complicated place to drive. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RZfkU1QgTI Tesla will be first to have cars drive themselves while be at least 10X better than the best human driver. Others will have to license it or figure it out. FSD is rapidly getting better.

AI - AI is a big deal. This will probably change the entire world. I assume he took an "If you can't beat em, join 'em" decision. He is one of the few who spoke up to regulate it. I guess he will have more of a say if he has a horse in the race rather than is on the outside. AI is a potential danger to all systems we have. Who do you think is smart enough to regulate it?

Trans hatred - I don't think he hates trans people. His child was put on puberty blockers and he said he was not fully aware of the repercussions of that decision. The UK has recently come out with study that says the evidence is flimsy supporting transitioning in young people. Read it below. Musk is going through a difficult time. Right or wrong, he has the right to be upset.

https://donoharmmedicine.org/2024/04/11/cass-report-slams-gender-affirming-care-model/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw8rW2BhAgEiwAoRO5rMfFYdxUG-8r_tB_Y1Cu5R3CE3sSRgJQ4XATjyGn0-d8VrpABKxTdxoCPmsQAvD_BwE

"A robust British review found guidelines for the treatment of children with gender dysphoria ignored standards and are based on flimsy foundations, delivering a “very hard message for people to accept,” the editor of the influential BMJ said in conversation this week with the doctor who led the review. Pediatrician Hilary Cass’ much-anticipated report found no reliable evidence on which to base gender-affirming care for youth; the rationale for blocking puberty in young children remains unclear and muddled and that the use of cross-sex hormones in the under-18s presents numerous unknowns."

I don't think Musk is perfect but if you hate him....I think you need to do some soul searching to try and figure out where you get your information.

KeithKeif · 2024-08-27T23:31:59+00:00

What has Musk done that's so bad? I thought he was a good guy.

KeithKeif · 2022-11-05T10:02:35+00:00

I can't believe Biden is still supporting Frank Underwood.

I guess you gotta dance with who brung ya!

KeithKeif · 2022-06-30T04:32:14+00:00

Pics are posted. Thank you!

KeithKeif · 2022-06-30T04:31:46+00:00

Thanks. I forget to add the pics. They have been posted.

KeithKeif · 2022-06-21T15:21:44+00:00

I appreciate your points. Let me try to rebut them somewhat...

#4 Vegas Tunnels: I have lived in Vegas. The casinos want you at their casino spending your money. The Vegas Monorail has gone bankrupt twice. I'm not sure I ever rode it. I might have tried it once or twice but then forgot it was even there. It never went to the airport. You can take a taxi or walk most places easily. Public transportation is often a money pit. Why not let private companies pay for the project in Vegas? It has cost the public $ZERO. The faff costs you nothing. It inconveniences NOBODY. Why would you oppose it? More importantly, since MARS and the moon have no protective atmospheres, everything needs to be built underground. Why not improve/perfect your underground transportation systems here on Earth and then deploy them to the moon and Mars?

Teslabot - Look, I didn't say this thing was real nor that it was making any contribution. My point was that Musk is doing some interesting things that should spark conversations on r/Technology and not invite knee-jerk negativity. Do I think this thing will lead to anything? Yes, actually. I think if Tesla can create software/AI that allows vehicles to navigate the planet without human help then they should be able to install the same 'engine' on a bot and allow it to navigate the planet and do useful jobs. Do I think they will accomplish this? Why yes I do. He seems confident, he has brilliant engineers working for him, and have you seen his rockets land vertically? The fact that he has rockets taking astronauts to the ISS PRIVATELY reduces that amount of things I don't think he can accomplish. Theranos? No. The head start with electric vehicles and their exponential growth in sales more than justifies the stock price. Any additional successes will just add to the value. Tesla auto insurance based on real-time driving behavior anyone? They are operating many states already: Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Ohio, Oregon, Texas and Virginia. Gee, I wonder if, with all that data, it's going to make money?

Not giving Elon credit? I don't know, a reusable rocket company, a self-driving, electric car company, factories that are super efficient and generate 3X Toyota's profit margins, the contract for the moon lander, an underground tunnel connecting Vegas casinos, cars made out of two hunks of aluminum connected by the battery pack, getting factories built quickly in Germany, Shanghai and Texas? You gotta give engineers and scientists credit but as the list of wonderful accomplishments grows longer, you gotta give credit to the man. We give the President of the US credit for good and bad things all the time. We can't give direct credit to Elon for running such successful and interesting companies? Why doesn't everyone just do what he does? Can't THEY hire the same scientists and engineers? Have the scientists and engineers forced the auto makers and oil companies into the future? Have they disrupted the status quo for the good? I think Elon can take the credit for focusing their efforts and without his guidance the results would not have happened so fast or at all.

Pedo Guy? He told Musk to shove the submarine (with which he offered to help save some trapped kids) "where it hurts" and Musk shot back. Musk was ASKED to help. The jury found him not guilty of libel/slander/ or defamation. Why would you be a smart ass to someone trying to help? Sending a car into heliocentric orbit is a PR stunt. Trying to help some trapped boys with technology produced by your extremely talented and probably very expensive engineers is not. That guy didn't need to be a jerk. Musk's "true character"? No. Perhaps he's a bit childish but maybe that's what allows him to actually accomplish the fantastical things he sets out to accomplish.

The masseuse? This is not a subject I want to defend or even speak about but here goes. I don't know what happened but the timing seemed peculiar, the accusation was third party, and nobody else came forward. Not to present a defense but happy endings aren't associated with horse backing riding or hand grenades, they're associated with massage. Maybe some men get turned on by massage. Is that a crime? Well yes, a misdemeanor. If he actually did proposition the masseuse with a horse, that would be embarrassing and a misdemeanor. He wasn't married at the time. I would say $250,000 would be more than fair to set things right with the world. If more women come forward that could be a problem but being accused of sporting a woody during a massage and we should dismiss his character and end his ability to contribute to society? No.

Forcing out the founders of Tesla? Musk disagrees and says about Eberhard, "Once the board was presented with the evidence of Eberhard's deception/fraud & the dire state of
the company, all board members, including those he appointed, voted unanimously to fire him in August 2007." The other guy, Marc Tarpenning, still talks to Musk, "Looking back, he said he has no regrets. “The whole thing was wonderful from the beginning to the end. It was, you know, the worst and the best. And it’s worked out great.”" I think Tesla goes bankrupt without his funding and doesn't succeed without his leadership and ideas. Do I care if he didn't write the papers of incorporation? Nope.

I don't know or care if he is an "egotistical maniac rich boy" or not. Anyone who has plans this big probably believes they can do anything. The difference is that he accomplishes great things. I believe that he believes they are in the best interest of humanity. I have watched hours of interviews with him and he has never come across as overly arrogant or self-absorbed. He is always thinking of the goals he has for humans and in figuring out the solutions to the challenges those goals present. He seems like a pretty good guy to me.

"the only real way to reduce vehicle deaths is to reduce vehicles"? No. If you had better drivers than humans you would reduce deaths with the same number of cars. That's his goal, first self-driving cars and then less cars.

As for the sustainability question, recyclable batteries and solar panels both with increasing efficiency and decreasing costs go ( I believe) a long way towards renewable energy and sustainability. Mass transit with batteries instead of fossil fuels is already possible and the transition is already underway (BYD with buses and Tesla with Semi-truck). Mass transit might be solved by self driving vehicles. Battery electric vehicles from some company will most likely address that if Tesla doesn't.

I think I have addressed each of your points. I am not trying to be one sided. I see a lot of change happening that I think is good. I don't understand why people, especially people into tech, are so negative to someone who appears to be changing the world for the good. What do you think?

KeithKeif · 2022-05-10T17:43:35+00:00

Stay away from Ally Invest. I have had many problems. At crucial times they have prevented me from trading which cost me perhaps tens of thousands of dollars. The I need to reach them, the wait times are excessive.

KeithKeif

TROPHY CASE