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Waits for renewals have increased from 11 weeks to 13 weeks. US passport renewal services are facing increased wait times this month as travelers gear up for Summer vacations. Processing times for routine passport renewals are now up to 13 weeks, with expedited services also increased to 7-9 weeks, according to the State Department website. Expedited passport renewal services are reserved for travelers whose departure dates are within less than 11 weeks away from the time of application and cost an additional $60. The agency has been slowly rolling out an online passport renewal option since August, with the latest application window closing earlier this month.

Persons: Waits, ” Antony Blinken, haven't, it's Organizations: State Department, Street, Passport Information

☆ 10 Things in Tech: Digital nomad regrets, a longevity researcher’s morning routine, and sun activity
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Diamond Naga Siu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

In case you missed it: This is the last week of 10 Things in Tech. The EV company only has six gigafactories across the world: Fremont, California; Sparks, Nevada; Berlin; Shanghai; Austin, Texas; and Buffalo, New York. Each location is outfitted with solar panels, and Musk claims 100 gigafactories could supply the world with all of its energy. My colleague Graham Rapier takes us into the world of Tesla's gigafactories and breaks down what their futures could look like. In a world of remote work, they're trying to pay people the least amount of money to get work done (think freelancers and contractors).

Persons: I'm, Siu, let's, Elon Musk, Graham Rapier, gigafactories, Tyler Le, Allbirds, M0.0nshot, Gigi Chow, Elon Musk's, Walter Isaacson, it's, David Sinclair, Lewis Joly, cardiologists, Eid Mubarak, Diamond Naga Siu, Alistair Barr, Hallam Bullock Organizations: it's, EV, Employers, Paris Air, Storm Shadow, Interactive Entertainment, Tencent Locations: Tech, Fremont , California, Sparks , Nevada, Berlin, Shanghai, Austin , Texas, Buffalo , New York, Silicon, San Francisco, Croatia, Dubrovnik, Harvard, Le Bourget, Paris, France, Ukraine, New York, Florida, Barcelona, Spain, San Diego, Silicon Valley, London

☆ Tesla is the most American car brand
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Graham Rapier | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Last year, Tesla only claimed the two top spots. Tesla may not have ads featuring American icons like the Wild West, bald eagle, or stars-and-stripes galore, but it's still the most American car brand, at least based on its manufacturing. The survey takes five primary factors into account: final assembly location, origin of parts, origin of engines, origin of transmissions, and manufacturing workforce. To qualify for a $7,500 tax credit, new EVs and their batteries must be mostly assembled in the US — something that's benefitting Tesla greatly so far. Tesla is set to receive billions in other credits, too, thanks to its early investment in manufacturing stateside as other automakers race to catch up.

Persons: Cars.com, Tesla, it's Organizations: GM, Chevrolet, Morning, Elon, Ford Locations: cars.com's

☆ How much is a Tesla Model 3? Cost history, price drops, and fluctuations
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Graham Rapier | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The price of Tesla's Model 3 often fluctuates. Tesla price ranges are constantly changing for the carmaker's electric vehicle fleet. Tesla Model 3, the cheapest Tesla model, is currently listed for $40,240 on Tesla's website. The introduction of the credit comes after Tesla lowered the price of the entry-level Model 3 by $1,000 in April. The limiting factor is their ability to pay for a Tesla," Tesla CEO Elon Musk said at Tesla's investor day in March 2023.

Persons: It's, Tesla, Elon Musk, Musk, Amy Organizations: Morning, Tesla

☆ Teslas are cheaper than ever — and that's creating a headache for the entire auto industry
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Nora Naughton | Graham Rapier | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

You can now get a Tesla Model Y for cheaper than the average car. Tesla's price war is spilling over out of the electric vehicle market as Elon Musk's car company continues to slash prices. Add on the $7,500 EV tax credit, and you can now purchase a Model Y for around $42,500. To make things even worse for competitors, all Model 3 and Model Y vehicles now qualify for the full tax credit, too. As a strategy for boosting demand, Tesla's price cuts appeared to be working in the first quarter, reporting a 36% increase in deliveries during that period.

Persons: Tesla, Price, Edmunds, Martin French, They've, Musk, We've Organizations: Tesla, Elon, Ford, GM, EV

☆ Tesla's charging deals with GM and Ford have charging rivals scrambling to keep up
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Graham Rapier | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Tesla is slowly opening many of its charging stations to vehicles of other automakers. Ford and GM recently said their cars will be able to use Tesla Superchargers. It looks like Tesla's Superchargers are going to win out after all. Tesla's NACS will now compete with two other main charging port types: CCS and CHAdeMO, which companies like Tritium and EVgo also offer. Tesla only recently switched to the name "North American Charging Standard" recently, a move that appears to have paid off.

Persons: Tesla, Ford, Jaan Juurikas, Tesla's NACS, Dan Ives Organizations: Ford, GM, Morning, General Motors, American, Tesla, EV, Hyundai, Kia, Volkswagen, Wedbush Securities Locations: Australian

☆ A Chinese startup says its electric-car battery can charge in 6 minutes — even in extreme cold
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Graham Rapier | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Cold weather is an enemy to electric cars, and one company says it has found a fix. That's a massive potential breakthrough, given the wear-and-tear temperature differences can have on batteries and their charging times. Cold weather can slow charging and drain battery range — meaning drivers have to charge up more often, and it takes longer to get to a full charge. The practice could help solve battery degradation by moving slow charging outside of the vehicle and letting a driver replace it with a fresh battery within minutes. "The Phoenix battery not only addresses the long charging time for EVs, but other pain points.

Persons: that's, Huang Xiangdong Organizations: Technology, Bloomberg, EV, Phoenix Locations: . Greater Bay, China

☆ Tesla adds General Motors to growing list of companies that will use its Superchargers
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Graham Rapier | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

GM cars will be able to use Tesla's Supercharger network. Lack of charging access is one of the biggest hurdles to EV adoption right now. General Motors vehicles will soon be able to charge at a large swath of Tesla's vast Supercharger network starting in 2024, the two companies announced Thursday. Tesla has also opened parts of its European charging network to other cars. Tesla has more than 20,700 Supercharger plugs in North America, according to the Department of Energy, making it easily the largest charging network.

Persons: Tesla, Mary Barra, Elon Musk Organizations: Ford, General Motors, American, Elon, Department of Energy, GM Locations: United States, North America

☆ Tesla drivers are using bioweapon defense mode to escape wildfire smoke — here's how it works
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Graham Rapier | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Three Tesla Models come with "bioweapon defense mode." Using HEPA air filters and positive pressure, Tesla says you could ride out a military attack in one. Tesla owners posted videos of the mode in use amid thick wildfire smoke this week. Tesla added intense air filtration to three of its models years ago and drivers are once again finding them useful for unhealthy air sweeping across North America. Tesla's bioweapon mode acts as an air pressure buffer on top of the usual HEPA filtration, similar to the positive ventilation used in surgical facilities to keep any pollutants out.

Persons: Tesla, they'd, Tesla's Organizations: Benz Locations: North America

☆ A Wall Street analyst was haggled at a car dealership — and it left him wishing he had bought a Tesla
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Graham Rapier | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

One Wall Street analyst recounted his recent efforts to buy a new truck that almost left him paying thousands above sticker price. Longtime Tesla bull Adam Jonas went car shopping recently and discovered firsthand what many Tesla fans have long adored about the automaker: Buying a Tesla is a lot easier than shopping at a traditional car dealership. The Morgan Stanley analyst said he got the typical dealership treatment when he went to an unnamed brand's sales lot. It's an experience nearly every car buyer has experienced, especially in an age where incentives and discounts are scant. It's a smooth process that is creating an increasingly visible discrepancy between the legacy car buying experience and the Tesla experience."

Persons: Tesla, Adam Jonas, Morgan Stanley, — Jonas, Jonas, Jonas pining, They're, Ford, Jim Farley Organizations: Tesla, Prime, eventual, Ford, Elon

☆ Ford's F-150 Lighting loses a quarter of its range when hauling at max capacity — highlighting one of the biggest drawbacks of electric trucks
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Graham Rapier | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The truck's range fell about 25% when loaded to its maximum cargo rating. AAA tested the F-150 Lightning's towing capacity and found a significant impact on the electric pickup's range when it was fully loaded. AAA said the truck's range fell from 278 miles to 210 miles, a 24.5% difference, when hauling sandbags weighing 1,400 pounds — which is close to the truck's maximum towing capacity. Importantly, Ford's "intelligent range" feature can update range predictions using onboard sensors and driver-supplied trailer details. "The truck towing 3,500 pounds can't even go 100 miles," he said of the test.

Persons: Greg Brannon, Tyler Hoover Organizations: AAA, EPA, AAA's Automotive Engineering, Ford

☆ Why Tesla cars get totaled so easily
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Graham Rapier | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Tesla's cars are tremendously complex, with a multitude of sensors and custom body parts. Insurers are increasingly declaring Tesla cars totaled in an accident instead of paying for a fix. To make matters even more complicated, Tesla's new "structural" battery packs — those that are integrated with the car's body — have "zero repairability," according to manufacturing expert Sandy Munro. Tesla is acutely aware of the high insurance costs of its vehicles, with CEO Elon Musk in January saying they were "unreasonably high." Tesla has also been working to offer its own insurance products in some states, including California, with premium prices based on driving data from cars' onboard sensors.

Persons: Kelley, Sandy Munro, Munro, who's, Tesla, Elon Musk, you've Organizations: Reuters Locations: California

☆ Tesla is set to reap billions from Biden's economic package before Ford gets a single cent
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( Graham Rapier | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Tesla and other automakers are set to cash in on economic incentives signed into law in 2022. Tesla, with several factories already operating stateside, is on track to get the most tax breaks, one estimate found. Tesla's years of scaling up its manufacturing presence in the United States are set to pay dividends as incentives from President Joe Biden's package of economic laws go into effect. Tesla, with several automotive and battery factories already in use stateside, had a massive headstart on many other automakers. A $3,750 tax benefit for a car manufactured in the United States, and another $3,750 if its batteries meet similar requirements.

Persons: Tesla, Joe Biden's Organizations: Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, Bloomberg, Tesla, Panasonic, Center Locations: United States, EVs

☆ Man accused of trying to stab attendant with a broken metal spoon on a United flight leaned over and asked another passenger about the emergency exit door before attack: feds
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | Azmi Haroun | Graham Rapier | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A man was arrested and charged after officials say he tried to stab a flight attendant on a United flight. Francisco Severo Torres told authorities he made a weapon out of a broken metal spoon. Passengers and flight crew were eventually able to tackle and restrain Torres. A flight attendant investigated and found the handle had been moved toward the unlocked position, prosecutors said. Investigators later determined that the metal object Torres used to attack the flight attendant was a metal spoon that had the bowl broken off, according to prosecutors.

☆ Meet Byron Trott, the billionaire businessman behind Michael Dell's new investment and advisory firm
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Graham Rapier | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Michael Dell's family office is merging with merchant bank BDT to form a new investment and advisory firm. Back in 2008, when he was still working at Goldman Sachs, Trott was publicly praised by Warren Buffett, whose distaste for M&A bankers — and Goldman Sachs — is notorious on Wall Street. "Byron is the rare investment banker who puts himself in his client's shoes," Buffett said in a letter to investors. The combination, the companies said on Thursday, "will create the preeminent advisory and investment firm serving the distinct needs of family- and founder-led business owners and strategic, long-term investors." Here's how Trott, a Midwest native, went from a small-town football player to an investment banker advising billionaires:

☆ 9 countries where you can easily buy citizenship and how to do it
▼ + stars: | 2020-10-01 | by ( Taylor Borden | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A number of countries in the Caribbean and Europe offer "Citizenship by Investment" programs, where the elite can invest in a country in exchange for citizenship. Among that ranking are a handful countries with "Citizenship by Investment" programs. Visa-free access to other countries was previously one of the main reasons for securing dual citizenship, but the coronavirus pandemic has rendered that reasoning "useless," according to Lesperance. That doesn't mean dual citizenship isn't worth it for "fire-escape plan" purposes. We've rounded up nine countries with "Citizenship by Investment" programs below, along with the minimum cost, the expected timeframe for the process, and how powerful the passport is.

☆ Here's what the limos of 8 world leaders look like
▼ + stars: | 2019-06-12 | by ( Mark Matousek | Graham Rapier | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Many world leaders travel in luxury vehicles. US President Joe Biden, for example, rides in a $1.5 million Cadillac nicknamed "the Beast." NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. AdvertisementMany world leaders travel in style, using armored luxury vehicles to get around. These are eight of the limousines used by world leaders:

Persons: Joe Biden, —, Charles III, Bentley, Queen Elizabeth II, England Organizations: Service

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