Tesla to Mars #51 – Books, BYD, Boring Co & the FSD v14 Countdown
Description
No guest this week—just Demian, Florian & Kees kicking off a “new season,” trading gifts (including an 80s throwback tee) and building a shared reading list to sharpen mental models before a very big Q4 for Tesla. 📚⚙️
In this episode
📚 Reading & Mental Models
Why a common “base library” matters (from Stellar Economy to Exponential Organizations), plus Buffett/Munger-style mental models, first-principles thinking, and how Elon processes questions before answering.
🚗 EV Reality Check
Berkshire fully exiting BYD, cash-flow red flags across legacy/Chinese EVs, and why the next few quarters could be a bloodbath for non-Tesla programs.
🤖 FSD Momentum
Analysts finally “get it,” FSD take-rate jumps, and the crew’s expectation that v14 (already with employee testers) flips the switch for Robotaxi pilots in more U.S. states.
🏭 The Machine That Builds the Machine
From Unboxed manufacturing to a possible global Energy ramp—why the next 6–18 months could stack multiple S-curves at once.
🕳️ Boring Company Deep Dive
PRUFROCK tech, tunnels as 3D transit, beating “the snail,” and how red-tape (not engineering) is the real bottleneck.
🚀 SpaceX & Q4 Outlook
SpaceX’s dominance in launches/payload, plus what to watch for at the early-November shareholder meeting: Optimus updates, Roadster halo effects, Model Y tweaks—and timing around FSD v14.
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