News

Tesla takes an unusual approach in its quest to "solve autonomy," as CEO Elon Musk says, relying more heavily on camera systems than lidar and radar sensors to help guide semi-autonomous driving in its vehicles. Indeed, Tesla began removing ultrasonic sensors in 2022. It's something that many have been critical of, but the electric vehicle manufacturer is determined to make its deceptively named Full Self Driving (Supervised) system work with as little reliance on anything but cameras as possibl

A Lineup in Flux Tesla has been quietly adjusting its lineup, focusing on core models and axing its more expensive offerings. Supporting that idea is a recent report that Tesla is set to introduce a cheaper SUV in its lineup. This latest move feels familiar. After focusing on premium models, software features, and big promises about autonomy, Tesla seems to be returning to what it announced last year: building a more accessible, lower-priced EV. It’s not a new idea, and it’s not a surprise eithe

Technology for Safety If there's one thing that motorists these days prioritize, it's safety. With more drivers on the road, the risk of any mishaps or accidents increases. Automakers are taking advantage of this safety push by pouring a lot of R&D into developing multiple new-age features. Tesla prides itself on being a forward-thinking disruptor, and ever since, safety has been top of mind for them. Pioneers in many technologies, like autonomous driving, one of the newer, often-overlooked

Tesla's Cybertruck is a wicked machine, whether you'd like to admit it or not. That said, even the so-called indestructible pickup has some inherent flaws. One of them is the factory wheel setup, which has become a growing point of criticism as demand for the Cybertruck appears to be cooling down. Now, Unplugged Performance has stepped in with a solution worthy of the truck’s size and aspirations: the UP Forged UP-RW Cyber Road Warrior. Designed to handle the Cybertruck’s weight and real-world p

Tesla has introduced a new Dual-Motor All-Wheel-Drive trim for the Cybertruck. Slotting in below the Premium AWD model, the new trim has a much lower starting price of $59,990. After cheaper versions of the Model 3 and Model Y were introduced last year, the Cybertruck is now following suit with a more affordable trim of its own. But, as with those smaller Teslas, a few key features have been removed from the new Dual-Motor AWD trim to make the price cut possible. Let’s take a deeper dive into wh

A TeslaCybertruck owner from Houston, Texas is suing the automaker for $1 million after a terrifying incident that she claims put her and her infant’s lives in danger. The all-electric truck, which was allegedly operating on Full Self Driving (FSD) mode when the incident happened in August 2025, was caught on camera nearly going off an overpass barrier on Houston's 69 Eastex Freeway. As the footage shows, had the Cybertruck not hit a lighting pole that sent it ricocheting it back, it would have

Wheel Studs May Separate Tesla has recalled 173 2024-2026 Cybertruck vehicles equipped with 18-inch steel wheels (around 5% of Cybertruck production) for a potential issue with its wheel studs. According to the NHTSA recall, the brake rotor stud holes could develop cracks, which allow the stud to separate from the wheel hub. This increases the risk of a crash. Tesla If owners co

New data from Cox Automotive shows the TeslaCybertruck suffered the steepest sales decline of any electric vehicle nameplate in the United States during 2025. After a strong first full year on sale in 2024, Cybertruck volume fell sharply in 2025, highlighting how quickly early demand can cool once initial reservation energy fades and mainstream buyers weigh the tradeoffs. Tesla

Electric vehicles tend to perform very well in crash-safety tests, due to how their bodies are structured. Heavy batteries help create a lower center of gravity, while the absence of an engine allows designers more space to create effective crumple zones. The Tesla Cybertruck and Rivian R1T pickups are two of the biggest EVs around, so their sheer size can also improve crash safety. But how do they compare to each other? And how do they perform when it comes to crash prevention? To answer those

A Post-Holiday Reality Check After navigating a difficult year that included setbacks such as the end of key federal EV tax incentives, Tesla is preparing to introduce significant lease price increases across parts of its lineup following Christmas Day. According to CarsDirect, the changes will apply to the 2026 model-year Model 3, Model Y, and Cybertruck, with the Model 3 seeing the largest increase at 67%. That means the Model 3 Premium trim will soon be offered at $499 per month with a $3,000

Tesla is cracking down hard on owners who used FSD enabler hacks to illegally unlock Full Self-Driving in countries where the software remains unapproved. The company has begun remotely disabling FSD capabilities on affected vehicles across Europe, China, Japan, South Korea, and the UK, amongst other countries. While every Tesla ships with the FSD hardware baked in, software activation remains tied to regulatory approval. Outside the United States, FSD has not received full approval in most mark

Tesla has introduced a more affordable Model 3 variant in Europe in a push to regain momentum in a region where its once-dominant position has faded. The new entry-level model arrives as Tesla faces some of its toughest competition yet, with buyers shifting toward cheaper Chinese EVs or skipping full electrification for hybrids. The Euro Model 3 Standard Tesla

A Price Cut With a Clock Tesla recently unveiled a new entry-level Cybertruck trim priced about $20,000 below the Premium AWD model. However, CEO Elon Musk dampened the excitement with a cryptic post on X: “Just for 10 days.” A follow-up exchange with a fan later clarified what he was referring to. When asked how much the Cybertruck would cost after 10 days, Musk responded, “Depends on how much demand we see at this price level.” While the remark implies the lower price may be temporary, the new

When Safety Tech Becomes a Legal Question Apart from convenience, Tesla’s so-called Autopilot has always been connected to safety. The advanced driver aid can steer, brake, and step in when needed. Systems like Full Self-Driving (FSD) are officially SAE-certified as Level 2, so the driver is supposed to stay in charge. Sounds simple enough on paper, but it’s a different story on the road. In a 2019 crash in Key Largo, Florida. George McGee was driving a Tesla Model S on Autopilot when he looked

Tesla says it has started high-volume production of the Semi Class 8 electric truck at its dedicated 1.7-million-square-foot facility near Gigafactory Nevada. The announcement was made by the official Tesla Semi account on X, and was shared by CEO Elon Musk on his personal page. “First Semi off high volume line,” reads the April 29 post, which includes a photo showing a white Tesla Semi rolling off the production line with hundreds of workers standing in front of it. Tesla did not reveal the exa

Tesla Looks to the Skies A recent Tesla patent explores the use of radio-frequency (RF) transparent materials in the roofs of its electric vehicles, hinting at the possible future integration of Starlink connectivity. However, implementing such a system would not be as straightforward as it sounds, as these alternative materials could raise structural and compliance challenges. The patent (Pub. No U.S. 2025/0368267) references materials such as polycarbonate, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, and

Days after announcing it's killing off the Model S and Model X, Tesla has launched a new version of its Model Y in the United States. At the same time, the EV manufacturer has also dropped the ‘Standard’ moniker from the base Model Y. The new variant is the Model Y All-Wheel Drive, and it means you can pick up a Model Y with AWD for $7,000 less than before; previously, the cheapest AWD trim was priced far above what rivals were charging. That’s a big deal for anyone living in a cold-weather stat

End of an Era After earlier reports saying the Model S and Model X would be discontinued, Tesla has recently sent an email to U.S. customers thanking them for their support of both outgoing nameplates. The EV maker also took the opportunity to encourage interested buyers to place orders now as it clears its limited inventory. Tesla was not explicit in the email, saying only that the move would “make way for this autonomous future.” Still, the automaker was likely referring to freeing up capacity

According to Tesla, using its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) suite dramatically lowers the chances of being in a major or minor collision. The company’s data states you’ll have to drive around 5.1 million miles with FSD engaged before being in a major collision, whereas the U.S. average (including all vehicle makes) is just 699,000 miles. That’s just one of Tesla’s many safety claims for FSD, and now one auto insurer in the U.S. will be rewarding Tesla drivers with much lower premiums for using

The federal government is not impressed with Tesla. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) is further probing Tesla's Full Self Driving Beta and Full Self Driving (Supervised) degradation detection system, which was deployed after the automaker began moving away from using both cameras and radars to just cameras with its Tesla Vision system in mid-2021. The agency is concerned that, despite an update, it "fails to detect and/or warn the driver

Looks Like a Model Y The Tesla Model Y L is an evolution of Tesla’s most popular car, stretched and modified to accommodate six passengers. Initially a China-exclusive, it's now available throughout Asia and Oceania, and I was given a chance to check it out. It’s not an entirely new car, but rather a strategic extension of an already successful model, one that fixes the biggest problem with the standard Model Y: space. The car has been modified behind the B-pillar. The stretched wheelbase and bo

Tesla’s “Robotaxi” fleet is getting a lot bigger on paper, but the rollout looks very different from the fully driverless future Elon Musk has been pitching for years. In California, the company has registered well over a thousand vehicles for paid Robotaxi service in just a few months, yet every one of those cars still needs a human driver behind the wheel. At the same time, Tesla is testing dedicated driverless prototypes and showing off future designs, from a Model S–based Robotaxi mule to

Just as cars with retractable door handles have been banned from being sold in China starting next year unless automakers fit mechanical release systems on both sides of their vehicles, Tesla has been hit with yet another lawsuit regarding this exact issue. The family of 20-year-old Samuel Tremblett, who died in his burning Tesla Model Y after an October 29 crash on Route 138 in Easton, Massachusetts, has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. automaker on February 4 in Massachusetts federal court. Vi

It appears that Tesla can’t catch a break from being bombarded with lawsuits. Yet again, it’s door handles. While the EV maker was recently taken to court for the Model 3’s door handle design, this one’s slightly different in that it’s a pre-facelift Model S, specifically MY 2014-16. Newer Teslas feature a flush door handle design, which looks noticeably different from older models. Although they were of a similar retractable pop-out type, the design wasn’t all that reliable, claims the plaintif

The First Signs of a Bigger Plan Tesla is reportedly building two new Supercharger stations that won’t be open to the public. Instead, the sites, which have been filed for permits in Arizona, will be dedicated to the company’s Robotaxi fleet, signaling confidence that a wider Robotaxi deployment could gain approval in the state. So far, Tesla’s unsupervised Robotaxi operations are active in Texas, including its newest expansions into Dallas and Houston. In the San Francisco Bay Area, however, th