*By Michael Teich*
Tesla's Model 3 Performance vehicle is bad news for the company's haters, said Wall Street Journal auto columnist Dan Neil.
"Tesla runs their company in a different way, and it drives people crazy. But you can't argue with the results," Neil told Cheddar in an interview Friday.
Earlier this year, CEO Elon Musk announced the high-performance Model 3 Performance vehicle on Twitter. According to Musk, the dual-motor, all-wheel drive car "will beat anything in its class on the track." Neil was the first person to test drive it, and he was thoroughly impressed.
"This thing is magnificent, a little rainbow-farting space ship," he said in his review. "They have a schedule of innovation ahead of them."
Sans additions, the base price of the Tesla Model 3 Performance is $64,000, but it may sell for $78,000 with certain upgrades. The car is advertised with a 0 to 60 mph acceleration time of 3.5 seconds.
Whether reviews of the souped-up version will make up for recent struggles at Tesla remains to be seen. Many Wall Street analysts have grown skeptical of the company's capacity to meet expectations for even the regular version of the Model 3, which is supposed to cost as little as $35,000, though that configuration isn't available yet. And CEO Elon Musk's latest [blunders](https://money.cnn.com/2018/07/17/technology/elon-musk-twitter-investors/index.html) on Twitter aren't helping. Even if Tesla overcomes the hurdles of production, investment bank Needham says consumers are losing patience: the analyst estimates that about one in every four Model 3 orders is canceled, about twice the rate of late year's reports.
For the full segment, [click here.](https://cheddar.com/videos/behind-the-wheel-of-the-tesla-model-3-performance-vehicle)
Payment processor Paypal will roll out a Venmo option for Amazon customers beginning in 2022 as the payment app continues to grow the number of merchants it works with.
Facebook officially announced that it is shutting down its facial recognition software which identifies users in photos and videos. The decision comes during growing societal concerns over the use of the technology. Cathy Hackl, Tech futurist and CEO of the Futures Intelligence Group joined Cheddar's Opening Bell.
Virgin Orbit is introducing air-launch services to the Eastern Hemisphere for the first time in history. Sir Richard Branson's space launch company has signed an agreement with ANA Holdings, the owners of Japan's largest airline, to procure 20 flights of its LauncherOne rocket from an airport in Japan, a big boost for the aerospace industry in Asia. Dan Hart, CEO of Virgin Orbit, joined Cheddar to discuss the new partnership, the future of air launch, and how small satellites can help monitor climate change impacts.
Virgin Galactic is reporting an increase in demand for commercial space flights after seeing a boost in ticket sales, raising the price for a seat on a shuttle to $450,000. The company said they now have 700 customers.
Walmart has joined forces with robotruck start-up Gatik to deploy driverless grocery delivery. We spoke to the CEO and co-founder of Gatik to discuss how the technology works and how autonomous vehicles will help ease supply chain issues.
At least 7 million customers have been impacted by a data breach on the investing app Robinhood. The specific information that was leaked varied by each customer, but Robinhood stated that hackers did not access social security numbers or banking information.
Doug Astrop, managing partner at Exponential Investment Partners, joined Cheddar to discuss Peloton's precipitous price drop, and whether the company can recover as the at-home workout trend tapers off. "They've lowered the prices on their equipment to try to attract a bigger audience because ultimately they're sort of headed to this Apple ecosystem model where they can monetize a loyal customer base," he said. Astrop noted that he believes there is a reality where the in-person gym experience and Peloton's at-home programs can co-exist.
Jill and Carlo discuss the scenes of joy at American airports as borders reopen, another tool in the Covid toolbox, the latest in the Astroworld crowd crush tragedy and more.
