Elon Musk’s Billion Dollar Plan For His SpaceX City | HO

Elon Musk, the enigmatic billionaire behind Tesla, SpaceX, and a host of other futuristic ventures, has once again captured global attention with a project that seems straight out of a science fiction novel. On May 3, 2025, a small community near SpaceX’s launch site in Cameron County, Texas, voted overwhelmingly to incorporate as a new city named Starbase.

With a staggering 212 to 6 vote in favor, this 1.445-square-mile area along Texas Highway 4, adjacent to SpaceX’s launch and production facilities, now stands as a testament to Musk’s vision of blending corporate innovation with community building. But what does this mean for the future of SpaceX, the local residents, and the broader landscape of private industry’s role in governance? This investigative report delves into the intricacies of Musk’s billion-dollar plan for Starbase, alongside updates on Tesla’s mysterious Cyber Cab and the Tesla Semi’s production advancements.

Starbase: A 21st-Century Company Town

Starbase, home to just 283 residents—most of whom live in SpaceX-owned housing and work for the company—represents a modern iteration of the classic company town. The election to incorporate was facilitated by a Texas law allowing small communities to form via petition, with nearly all registered voters residing in SpaceX-provided accommodations. Unsurprisingly, the newly elected city officials are all SpaceX employees, including the first mayor, Bobby Pettin, SpaceX’s VP of Texas Test and Launch, who ran unopposed.

The city’s creation grants SpaceX unprecedented legal control over the area surrounding its Starship launch operations, including zoning decisions and land use. Starbase General Manager Katherine Lutters emphasized that the company already manages the region’s roads, utilities, schooling, and medical care, and incorporation will further enable community growth. Plans are underway to invest heavily in amenities, including a $22 million community center and a $13.5 million recreation facility to support the expanding workforce.

However, the strategic advantages of Starbase extend beyond community development. Under a recently passed Texas state law, cities hosting spaceports can approve beach and road closures for launches—a power previously held by Cameron County. SpaceX is now pushing to transfer these rights to Starbase officials, a move that could streamline operations but has sparked significant controversy.

Critics, including Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño Jr., argue that this shift does not serve the public interest. In a letter to Congress, Treviño highlighted widespread local opposition and emphasized the county’s previously positive working relationship with SpaceX. Concerns center on potential restrictions to public access at Boca Chica Beach and the environmental impact of SpaceX’s activities.

Historically, the area was known as Boca Chica Village, a beachside retirement spot developed in the 1960s. By 2014, when SpaceX arrived, only a handful of homes remained occupied, and the area lacked basic services like running water. SpaceX began aggressively acquiring properties in 2019, offering homeowners up to three times the assessed value. By 2020, most of Boca Chica Village had been vacated, with SpaceX converting the homes into employee lodging and expanding infrastructure.

Today, Starbase is a hub of innovation, anchored by Starfactory—a $100 million rocket factory designed to eventually produce a full-size Starship every day. Nearby, two launchpads and fuel storage facilities support regular testing of SpaceX’s rockets. To accommodate its growing workforce, SpaceX has invested in housing, a private school named Ad Astra, and a retail and dining complex called Rio West.

This complex, costing an estimated $8.9 million, will feature 11,000 square feet of retail space, a grocery store, shops, and a café. Additionally, a restaurant complex with a 3,500-square-foot indoor dining area, a 930-square-foot outdoor deck overlooking the Rio Grande River, and a 2,500-square-foot kitchen and office space is projected to cost over $6 million.

Starbase’s structure raises questions about the implications of a private corporation effectively running a local government. While SpaceX touts the benefits of community investment, the concentration of power in the hands of a single company echoes historical company towns, where corporate interests often superseded public needs.

Moreover, Musk’s vision for such communities isn’t limited to Starbase. Near Austin, the town of Snailbrook—home to Tesla and other Musk ventures—hosts the original Ad Astra Academy for preschool-aged children. Reportedly inspired by conversations with his ex-partner Grimes and Kanye West, Snailbrook represents Musk’s broader ambition to create a “Texas utopia.”

Cyber Cab: Unveiling Tesla’s Future

While Starbase captures headlines for its audacious scope, Tesla, another of Musk’s flagship companies, continues to push boundaries with its autonomous vehicle projects. Drone pilot and Tesla tracker Joe Tetmier recently observed a growing stockpile of unusual castings outside Giga Texas. Known for meticulously documenting factory developments, Tetmier’s flyovers revealed racks of components—approximately 75 units as of Monday—labeled “RTTX,” likely shorthand for “Robo Taxi Texas.” These parts do not match anything from the Model Y or Cybertruck lines, suggesting they are key to the Cyber Cab, Tesla’s much-anticipated driverless robo-taxi.

Industry analyst Luca Greco confirmed the significance of the “RTX” markings, noting that the castings are one-piece units, unlike the two-part designs used in other Tesla vehicles. This could indicate a simpler, lightweight structural approach optimized for high-speed assembly.

Greco’s analysis also highlighted markings like “ascast,” indicating untrimmed parts, and “W68 RSF,” possibly denoting a rear subframe component. Structural elements like the inner wheel arch appear to use thinner stamped sections instead of thick aluminum castings, reducing material usage, part count, and weight. Tesla can reportedly stack 10 of these smaller, flatter castings per rack—double the capacity for Model Y parts.

These developments align with Tesla’s “unbox” production strategy, introduced in 2023, which builds vehicle sections in parallel using large castings before joining them at the end. Musk has claimed this process will be so fast—potentially assembling a Cyber Cab in under five seconds—that it will revolutionize manufacturing.

With weight and space optimization as priorities, the Cyber Cab is designed for ride-hailing, where energy efficiency directly impacts range and cost. Tesla’s VP of Vehicle Engineering, Lars Moravy, confirmed that prototypes will begin testing this summer, with full-scale production targeted for 2026, potentially reaching 2 million units annually if demand holds.

Tesla Semi: Charging Ahead

Meanwhile, Tesla’s Semi program is accelerating with significant updates unveiled at the 2025 Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo in Las Vegas by program lead Dan Priestley. Tesla is constructing a 1.7-million-square-foot manufacturing plant at Gigafactory Nevada, dedicated to producing 50,000 Semis per year. With the exterior complete, internal systems and equipment are now being installed, with initial trucks expected to roll out later this year and production ramping through 2026. Over 1,000 workers have been hired for the facility, and early units will join Tesla’s own fleet before customer deliveries.

Two versions of the updated Semi will be offered: a 300-mile standard model and a 500-mile long-range variant. A new high-efficiency battery, designed for heavy-duty applications, offers a 7% efficiency improvement and reduced vehicle weight, with all cells now sourced domestically to avoid tariffs and supply chain disruptions.

A standout feature is a 25-kilowatt electric power takeoff port at the rear, enabling the Semi to power refrigerated trailers and auxiliary equipment without separate diesel generators. Additionally, a megawatt charging system (MCS) will deliver up to 1.2 megawatts of power, providing 400 miles of range in just 30 minutes. Tesla plans a nationwide Semi charging network with 46 public mega-charger sites and over 300 stalls by 2027.

The Semi fleet has already logged 7.9 million miles in testing, with 26 trucks surpassing 100,000 miles each. PepsiCo, Tesla’s first customer, operates 21 trucks in Sacramento, mostly within a 100-mile radius, supported by four 750-kilowatt on-site chargers. Initial estimates suggest operating costs could be less than half those of diesel semis, with one Redditor calculating a 450-mile trip at $125 in electricity versus $335 in diesel fuel.

The Bigger Picture

Elon Musk’s vision for Starbase, combined with Tesla’s advancements in autonomous vehicles and clean transportation, paints a picture of a future where corporate innovation intersects with societal transformation. Starbase, with its billion-dollar investments and corporate governance model, raises critical questions about the balance between private power and public interest. Meanwhile, projects like the Cyber Cab and Tesla Semi demonstrate Musk’s commitment to solving pressing global challenges like urban mobility and sustainable logistics.

As Starbase evolves and Tesla’s projects come to fruition, the world watches a billionaire reshaping not just industries but entire communities. Will Starbase become a model for future company towns, or will it face pushback over environmental and access concerns? And how will Tesla’s innovations redefine transportation?

The answers remain uncertain, but one thing is clear: Elon Musk’s ambitions know no bounds. What do you think about Starbase and Musk’s broader plans? Are we witnessing the dawn of a new era, or are there risks we’re yet to fully understand? Share your thoughts as this story unfolds.