Tesla unveils new Dojo supercomputer so powerful it tripped the power grid
Tesla has unveiled its latest version of its Dojo supercomputer and it’s apparently so powerful that it tripped the power grid in Palo Alto.
Dojo is Tesla’s own custom supercomputer platform built from the ground up for AI machine learning and more specifically for video training using the video data coming from its fleet of vehicles.
The automaker already has a large NVIDIA GPU-based supercomputer that is one of the most powerful in the world, but the new Dojo custom-built computer is using chips and an entire infrastructure designed by Tesla.
The custom-built supercomputer is expected to elevate Tesla’s capacity to train neural nets using video data, which is critical to its computer vision technology powering its self-driving effort.
Last year, at Tesla’s AI Day, the company unveiled its Dojo supercomputer, but the company was still ramping up its effort at the time. It only had its first chip and training tiles, and it was still working on building a full Dojo cabinet and cluster or “Exapod.”
Now Tesla has unveiled the progress made with the Dojo program over the last year during its AI Day 2022 last night.
The company confirmed that it managed to go from a chip and tile to now a system tray and a full cabinet.
Tesla claims it can replace 6 GPU boxes with a single Dojo tile, which the company claims costs less than one GPU box. There are 6 of those tiles per tray.
Tesla says that a single tray is the equivalent of “3 to 4 fully-loaded supercomputer racks”.
The company is integrating its host interface directly on the system tray to create a big full host assembly:
Tesla can fit two of these system trays with host assembly into a single Dojo cabinet.
Here’s what the Dojo cabinet looks like closed and opened:
That’s pretty much where Tesla is right now as the automaker is still developing and testing the infrastructure needed to put a few cabinets together to create the first “Dojo Exapod”.
Bill Chang, Tesla’s Principal System Engineer for Dojo, said during
“We knew that we had to reexamine every aspect of the data center infrastructure in order to support our unprecedented cooling and power density.”
They had to develop their own high-powered cooling and power system to power the Dojo cabinets.
Chang said that Tesla tripped their local electric grid’s substation when testing the infrastructure earlier this year:
“Earlier this year, we started load testing our power and cooling infrastructure and we were able to push it over 2 MW before we tripped our substation and got a call from the city.”
Here’s how the Tesla Dojo Exapod looks like opened and closed:
Tesla released the main specs of a Dojo Exapod: 1.1 EFLOP, 1.3 TB SRAM, and 13 TB high-bandwidth DRAM.
The company used the event to try to recruit more talent, but it also shared that it is on schedule to have its full first cluster or Exapod, in Q1 2023.
It is currently planning to have 7 Dojo Exapods in Palo Alto.
Why does Tesla need to Dojo supercomputer?
It’s a fair question. Why is an automaker developing the world’s most powerful supercomputer? Well, Tesla would tell you that it’s not just an automaker, but a technology company developing products to accelerate the transition to a sustainable economy.
Musk said it makes sense to offer a Dojo as a service, perhaps to take on his buddy Jeff Bezos’s Amazon AWS and calling it a “service that you can use that’s available online where you can train your models way faster and for less money.”
But more specifically, Tesla needs Dojo to auto-label train videos from its fleet and train its neural nets to build its self-driving system.
Tesla realized that its approach to developing a self-driving system using neural nets training on millions of videos coming from its customer fleet requires a lot of computing power. and it decided to develop its own supercomputer to deliver that power.
That’s the short-term goal, but Tesla will have plenty of use for the supercomputer going forward as it has big ambitions to develop other artificial intelligence programs.
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The Mockingbird Solar Center, Ørsted’s largest solar project globally, is now online, next to protected prairie donated by the renewable energy giant.
This massive 468-megawatt (MW) solar farm is set to power 80,000 homes and businesses, providing a major boost to the Texas grid.
But the launch of Mockingbird Solar isn’t just about clean energy – it’s also about restoring precious ecosystems. Ørsted has donated 953 acres of the Smiley-Woodfin Native Prairie Grassland, which sits next to the solar center, to The Nature Conservancy. The donated land is now the Smiley Meadow Preserve, a protected area for tallgrass prairie that’s home to more than 400 species of grasses and wildflowers.
Tallgrass prairies are some of the rarest ecosystems in the US, with less than 1% of Texas’ original tallgrass prairies still in existence. Tallgrass prairie does a lot of heavy lifting for the environment, including storing carbon, preventing floods, and providing crucial habitats for pollinators.
“Native prairies are the rarest landscapes left in Texas – so much so that many people have never seen one,” said David Bezanson, land protection strategy program director for The Nature Conservancy in Texas. He added that preserving Smiley Meadow will not only conserve one of the best prairie remnants left but also help restore other prairie habitats and boost regional biodiversity.
The Mockingbird Solar Center, a half-billion-dollar project, is part of Ørsted’s $20 billion push to expand renewable energy production across the US. Beyond generating electricity, it will inject $75 million into local property taxes, benefiting schools and other public services. The project also created over 550 construction jobs and will continue to be supported by operations staff moving forward.
Ørsted worked with US companies, including First Solar, for solar panels and partnered with local businesses like Drake Construction and Pfifer Farms for construction materials. It also gave more than $50,000 to local volunteer fire departments in Roxton and Brookston.
With Mockingbird Solar now up and running, Ørsted has more than 6 gigawatts of onshore wind, solar, and battery storage projects either in operation or being built across the US.
Read more: Ørsted got a huge Tesla battery storage system for the world’s single-largest offshore wind farm
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Jeep’s first global luxury electric SUV will arrive at US dealerships any day. Despite its $72,000 price tag, lease prices for the 2024 Jeep Wagoneer S EV start at just $599 per month.
2024 Jeep Wagoneer S EV lease prices
After unveiling its first global electric SUV, Jeep’s CEO said the Wagoneer S “marks a new chapter” in its storied history.
Jeep claims the Wagoneer S packs “exhilarating performance.” With 600 hp and 617 lb-ft of torque, the big-body SUV can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.4 seconds. Its 100 kWh battery pack also gives it a driving range of over 300 miles.
The electric SUV is unmistakably still a Jeep, but it did get several upgrades to distinguish it as an EV. The grille is now enclosed without the need to cool a massive engine, giving it a sporty, more modern look.
Jeep revamped its design with a new illuminated seven-slot grille with ambient cast lightning. It also fine-tuned its profile, adding flush door handles, a rear wing, and integrated fins for better airflow.
The first Jeep Wagoneer S Launch Edition models get exclusive dark accent design elements like 20″ Gloss Black Wheels.
Inside, the electric SUV is loaded with the latest tech and connectivity, including a best-in-class 45″ of usable screen space. The setup includes a 12.3″ center screen and an exclusive 10.25″ interactive front passenger screen.
Jeep already announced that the 2024 Wagoneer S EV will start at $71,995, but now the company has revealed lease prices for the first time.
According to Jeep, the 2024 Jeep Wagoneer S Launch Edition can be leased for $599 per month for 36 months (10,000 miles per year). The deal includes $4,999 due at signing and a $7,500 EV incentive. However, you may want to act fast, as Jeep’s offer is only good until December 2, 2024.
| Jeep Wagoneer S vs Tesla Model Y | Starting Price | Range | Lease Price |
| Jeep Wagoneer S Launch Edition | $71,995 | +300 miles | $599/mo |
| Tesla Model Y RWD | $44,990 | 320 miles | $299/mo |
| Tesla Model Y AWD | $47,990 | 308 miles | $399/mo |
| Tesla Model Y AWD Performance | $51,490 | 279 miles | $599/mo |
In comparison, Tesla Model Y RWD lease prices start at $299 for 36 months with $2,999 down (10,000 miles). The Performance AWD model starts at $599 per month. In an end-of-year promo, Tesla also offers 3 months of free Supercharging and Full Self-Driving.
Ready to drive off in your new electric SUV? We can help you get started. You can use our links below to view offers on the Jeep Wagoneer S and Tesla Model Y at a dealer near you.
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