Tesla is facing a challenging period marked by declining sales and profits, a recall of its electric truck, investigations into self-driving claims, and lawsuits related to car accidents. Half of Tesla's struggles can be attributed to broader industry issues such as decreased interest in electric cars and the need to appeal to a wider consumer base. The other half of the challenges are specific to Tesla, including company-specific issues and the need to tackle consumer concerns about affordability and charging infrastructure.
On Wednesday, President Biden signed a bill into law that would force the sale of TikTok or ban the app outright. We explain how this came together, when just a few weeks ago it seemed unlikely to happen, and what legal challenges the law will face next. Then we check on Tesla’s very bad year and what’s next for the company after this week’s awful quarterly earnings report. Finally, to boldly support tech where tech has never been supported before: Engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab try to fix a chip malfunction from 15 billion miles away.
Guests:
- Andrew Hawkins, Transportation Editor at The Verge
- Todd Barber, Propulsion Engineer at Jet Propulsion Lab
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