Elon Musk says Apple, Tim Cook snubbed him when he tried to sell Tesla

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There have been rumours of a Tesla sale to Apple going around for years, but now we get something definitive from the automaker's CEO. Elon Musk replied to a tweet of Reuters' report about Apple's electric car plans, saying he tried to sell his company once to Apple. He said, "During the darkest days of Model 3 program, I reached out to Tim Cook to discuss the possibility of Apple acquiring Tesla (for 1/10 of our current value). He refused to take the meeting."

Musk also questioned the report's accuracy, where it claimed that Apple was working on a "breakthrough" battery that uses a "monocell" design. This battery can reportedly extend its range over other EVs. The report also mentioned Apple exploring the use an iron-phosphate chemistry, so the power cells' manufacturing will be cheaper.

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Tesla's Full Self-Driving beta update promises fewer human interventions

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The new update to Tesla's Full Self-Driving beta is making leaps when it comes to reducing human intervention. The company's CEO, Elon Musk, claims the feature reduces the need for intervention by about a third. He didn't share what improvements were made to make this possible, but Tesla owners can expect updates to Full-Self Driving every five to 10 days.

Musk concedes that the system won't be perfect, but he hoped that the likelihood of an issue or error occurring would dip "far lower" than what you'd expect from humans.

The improvements are essential to make it more enticing for users to use. Tesla still hopes that FSD will be widely accessible by the end of the year. 

Source: Engadget

Tesla's latest software update increases range of Model Y vehicles

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A new software update Tesla released has boosted the range of current Model Y vehicles. It joins almost all of Tesla's new cars that received the improvements earlier. Version 2020.40.7 improved the efficiency of the motors and climate control systems to get you a better range. 

Electrek reports that a Model Y Long Range owner got a better range of 320-325 miles (514-523km). This instance isn't the first time Tesla improved the range of its existing lineup. Last year, some Model 3 electric vehicles got an additional 15 miles (24km) through a software update, too.

Tesla quietly cancels its 'no questions asked' 7-day return policy

Source: Tesla

Tesla has always been a bit of an outlier in the automotive industry. It also strives to be a trendsetter. One of the more ballsy moves it pulled was offering a "no questions asked" seven-day return policy, which its CEO Elon Musk has been pushing to remind its customers that it's confident in its product. It was even written on the support page for the policy: "This return policy is intended to give you confidence in your purchase of a Tesla vehicle, and so is in addition to any other rights you may have under applicable law." Buyers could get a full refund if there's no damage to the vehicle and if it had less than 1,000 miles on the odometer. 

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