Now, 14 years later, Tesla has confirmed it will stop production of the car, as well as the Model X. The latter, with its famous falcon-wing doors, was the company's first approach to a family SUV. Like the Model S, it was a massive hit across the country.

But times move on, and in Tesla's earnings call this week, the company confirmed it needed to change gears. When combined, the Model S and Model X only accounted for 2.8% of Tesla's total revenue in 2025. But beyond that, by stopping production, Tesla can utilize the space at its Fremont factory to build robots.

“S and X will always continue to exist in the fleet, just not in production, but it’s still a little sad,” Elon Musk wrote in a post on X.

The pivot into robotics comes at an interesting time for Tesla. In the earnings call, the company reported $3.8 billion in annual GAAP net income on $94.8 billion in revenue — which comes out to a year-over-year decline of 3%. It's the first time annual revenue has fallen for the car company. Moreover, deliveries were down 9% to 1.64 million vehicles compared to 2024.

The future is robots

In the earnings call, Musk confirmed plans to reallocate resources saved from the Model X and Model Y towards its autonomous robot development.

“We are going to convert that production space to an Optimus factory. It’s part of our overall shift to an autonomous future,” Musk said on the call.

Tesla is doubling down on its autonomy efforts, operating under the belief that general transportation will be better served by autonomous platforms than traditional human-driven ones. So expect to hear more about the company's $30,000 Cybercab in the coming years.

But as well as cars, humanoid robots will dictate the future of Tesla. The company's Optimus product has been around since 2022 and the third generation could be unveiled in the next few months. The Optimus 3 is apparently able to learn by observing human behavior, instead of having to program it to perform certain tasks.

"It's going to be a very capable robot," Musk said on the earnings call.

Whether or not the Optimus robot will achieve a place in the history books alongside the Model S remains to be seen.

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Tesla is expected to hold its Q4 earnings call later today at 5:30 p.m. ET (2:30 p.m. PT), but the company has gone ahead and released its report. Even though revenue fell 3% year-over-year to $24.7 billion, it exceeded Wall Street expectations with GAAP gross margin improved significantly to 20.1%, up from 16.3% a year ago.

This comes is good news considering how the dwindling demand for EVs in the last year. For Tesla, this comes after Tesla's announcement last week that it’s no longer going to be offering its AutoPilot feature with new vehicles sold in the U.S. and Canada — choosing instead to put one key aspect of this feature behind a subscription paywall.

Things have drastically changed since the federal EV tax credit expired last October, which enticed prospective EV shoppers with a $7,500 credit for new EVs. Tesla delivered 418,227 vehicles in Q4, bringing the full-year 2025 total to 1.636 million — which is 9% decline from 2024.

There's also other streams that Tesla focused on to combat the EV downturn, including things like its Powerwall rechargeable battery backup system for homes, autonomous Robotaxi service expansion, and more. Here's everything Tesla announced with its Q4 2025 report.

Tesla Q4 2025 earnings: At a glance

• Tesla reported $3.8B in annual GAAP net income on $94.8B in revenue, which comes out to a year-over-year decline of 3%.
• GAAP gross margin improved significantly to 20.1%, up from 16.3% a year ago.
• Deliveries totaled 1.64 million vehicles, a 9% decrease compared to 2024.
• Energy storage deployments generated $1.1B in quarterly profit, up 49% year-over-year.

Tesla Q4 2025 earnings: How to listen live

We’ll be live-blogging all the key announcements to come from Tesla’s Q4 2025 earnings call, but you can catch up with everything by listening to the livecast in real time. Once the Q&A session is over, an archive of the entire thing will be available online.

Tesla Q4 2025 earnings live webcast

Navigating hundreds of job postings, avoiding those that are nothing but scams, and constantly updating your resume and cover letter can be taxing for unemployed individuals. And that’s all before you even get a response from one of the jobs you’ve applied for, and receive the opportunity to sit down for an interview.

For the employed, the everyday stresses of maintaining one’s professional duties are many. But holding onto a paid position and staying financially afloat has always been a necessity.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk envisions a future where work will become less of a mandatory endeavor and more of an optional one. And what elements does he see taking over jobs regularly performed by humans? AI and robotics.

Elon Musk predicts jobs turning into something like a hobby in the next 10 to 20 years

During an onstage discussion about technology with NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang at last year’s U.S.-Saudi Arabia Investment Forum in Washington, D.C., Elon Musk leaned into one of his biggest predictions yet: a future where work isn’t required.

“My prediction is that work will be optional. It’ll be like playing sports or a video game or something like that,” Musk said. He compared it to the difference between buying vegetables at the store versus growing them yourself — harder, but something people might still choose to do simply because they enjoy it.

Huang offered a more grounded version of what that shift could look like. “Everyone’s jobs will be different,” he said. “As the mundane things we do become simpler and we become more productive, you’ll have more time to pursue ideas.”

Still, it’s hard to picture a world where farmers, factory workers and other hands-on professions are fully replaced by AI-powered machines anytime soon. But it’s also not hard to understand why people are nervous. Layoffs, automation and constant uncertainty have made job security feel shaky, even for workers who are currently employed — and for many families, retirement already feels less like a plan and more like a fantasy.

Musk has even suggested AI could make retirement savings irrelevant. On the 'Moonshots with Peter Diamandis' podcast, he said: “Don’t worry about squirreling money away for retirement. In 10 or 20 years, it won’t matter. In the relatively near future, you could have whatever you want.”

For anyone living paycheck to paycheck, trying to keep bills paid and a roof overhead, that kind of future doesn’t just sound optimistic — it sounds almost impossible to believe.

Bill Gates also sees AI taking over important jobs, such as those of teachers and doctors

Another tech industry giant offered his outlook on what jobs AI may take over, including professors and even doctors.

Last year, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates popped up on an episode of 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon' and provided some comments on the continued evolution of AI. “The era that we're just starting is that intelligence is rare, you know, a great doctor, a great teacher,” Gates said. “And with AI, over the next decade, that will become free and commonplace. Great medical advice, great tutoring.”

Gates even went so far as to question whether the traditional five-day work week will still exist with the rising presence of AI. “Should we just work two or three days a week?” he pondered. “So I love the way it'll drive innovation forward, but I think it's a little bit unknown if we'll be able to shape it. And so, legitimately, people are like ‘wow, this is a bit scary.’ It's completely new territory.”

Bottom line

Elon Musk and Bill Gates are both painting a future where AI and robotics don’t just assist workers — they take over major parts of the job market, deliver “great” tutoring and medical advice on demand, and leave humans free to spend less time working and more time creating.

And sure, parts of that vision sound plausible. But the idea of a world where jobs are optional and saving for retirement no longer matters isn’t exactly comforting.

Imagining classrooms overtaken by robotic tutors and humans being operated on by nothing but AI-powered doctors doesn’t seem all that crazy to conceive of. But here’s hoping that the human element that comes with those types of professions still takes precedent over a focus on robots doing all the work.

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Allegedly, the feature has been tested internally at Tesla with a potential rollout happening in the coming months. If CarPlay comes to Tesla vehicles, it would be a stark departure from the company’s long-standing resistance to third-party software.

Apple CarPlay is considered a must-have by many with over 800 models across multiple manufacturers supporting the infotainment system. According to a 2024 McKinsey study, half of car buyers won’t consider a vehicle that doesn’t have Apple CarPlay or Android Auto and 85% of car owners preferred those systems to ones built-in by car makers.

Tesla resists third-party systems

Historically, Tesla has been committed to its proprietary infotainment system (which includes features like a sketchpad as well as integrated video games for use when charging), though the platform does support apps like Apple Music, Spotify and Google Maps.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has disparaged Apple in the past, especially around the company’s App Store policies and was openly upset over Apple poaching Tesla engineers when the company was still developing an Apple Car.

However, times are different, and Tesla sales have steeply declined this year as the company is suffering an exodus of leadership. Much of the decline has been blamed on Musk’s political rhetoric and involvement in the DOGE agency earlier this year.

But while it sounds like Tesla may be more willing to add Apple CarPlay support than it once was, Bloomberg claims there are no plans to integrate Android Auto.

Apple pluses and minuses

While Tesla and Apple declined to comment on Bloomberg’s report, it would be a coup for Apple if CarPlay rolls out across the Tesla lineup. Despite declining sales, Tesla remains the most popular EV maker in the U.S., according to Car and Driver.

Apple, meanwhile, has faced some resistance from car makers this year. At the end of October, GM CEO Mary Barra announced that the company would totally ditch Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in all its cars for a proprietary infotainment system by 2028. GM dropped support for CarPlay in EVs in 2023.

CarPlay Ultra — the high-end, more integrated version of the platform — was announced at WWDC 2025 and is already struggling to gain traction with automakers. Manufacturers including Audi, Mercedes-Benz and Polestar retreated from commitments of support after being announced as partners.

While the improved CarPlay should still come to Aston Martin, Kia and Hyundai vehicles, luxury manufacturers were concerned about maintaining their own software and in-car experiences. Allegedly, a Renault executive told Apple, "Don't try to invade our own systems."

When cars that support CarPlay Ultra will actually arrive has not yet been announced.

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The investigation was begun after at least four reports of crashes, including one from November 2023 in Rimrock, Arizona where a pedestrian was killed by a Tesla Model Y. 

As reported by TechCrunch, the crashes all arose from road conditions where visibility was reduced:

"In these crashes, the reduced roadway visibility arose from conditions such as sun glare, fog or airborne dust. In one of the crashes, the Tesla vehicle fatally struck a pedestrian. One additional crash in these conditions involved a reported injury."

The NHTSA's preliminary evaluation is looking into several Tesla vehicles that feature FSD, including the 2016 - 2024 Model S and Model X, the 2017 - 2024 Model 3, 2020 - 2024 Model Y and the 2023-2024 Cybertruck.

According to the NHTSA report, the federal agency will look into three main areas:

• The ability of FSD’s engineering controls to detect and respond appropriately to reduced roadway visibility conditions
• Whether any other similar FSD crashes have occurred in reduced roadway visibility conditions and, if so, the contributing circumstances for those crashes
• Any updates or modifications from Tesla to the FSD system that may affect the performance of FSD in reduced roadway visibility conditions. In particular, this review will assess the timing, purpose, and capabilities of any such updates, as well as Tesla’s assessment of their safety impact.

The agency's notice comes out a week after Elon Musk revealed the Tesla Cybercab, a driverless robotaxi that doesn't feature a steering wheel or pedals. During that reveal, Musk did admit that, currently, Tesla does not have approval to run automated cars on public streets. This is why the reveal took place in a locked down Warner Bros. lot. Musk did not offer concrete details on how Tesla will get a approval to run without supervision.

It doesn't help that Musk has insisted that the FSD's camera-only system is better than sensor-based ones like those on the Waymo self-driving vehicles. As it is, Waymo uses a bevy of sensors including lidar, cameras and radar and, unlike Tesla, can operate on public roads without supervision.

The crashes that piqued the NHTSA's interest include the November incident, a crash in January 2024 in California where a Model 3 hit another car on the highway in the midst of a dust storm, a March 2024 Model 3 crash in Virginia during a cloudy day, and an incident in May 2024 where another Model 3 hit a stationary object in Ohio during foggy conditions.

Typically, NHTSA investigations like this are completed within about eight months, so we should find out the results around June of 2025. 

Other Tesla investigations

This isn't even the first NHTSA investigation that Tesla has been involved with this year. 

In April, the agency closed a three-year probe into Tesla's Auotpilot, a driver assistance software offered by Tesla that has been involved in nearly 500 crashes. The investigation found 13 of those were fatal and that Tesla wasn't tracking data properly or were only counting very specific narrow bands of crashes like only when air bags deployed. Techcrunch reported that the agency almost immediately opened a new investigation into the recall that Tesla issued to fix Autopilot.

The Department of Justice is also in the middle of an investigation about claims Tesla has made regarding FSD, while the California DMV has claimed that Tesla inflated the claims of the capabilities of their software.

It may be some time before Tesla is able to effectively and legally release a vehicle that can drive on public roads using their FSD system.

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The event was held on a Warner Brothers lot in Los Angeles, and didn't get off to a great start. The title is a reference to "I, Robot" a book of science-fiction short stories by Isaac Asimov, which seems to echo previous Musk statements referring to Tesla as an "AI robotics company" and not a car maker.

Musk was an hour late to take the stage, claiming that the delay was due to a "medical emergency" for an attendee.

The biggest reveal was the Cybercab, a gold painted vehicle that is a more sci-fi looking scissor-door Model S with LED headlights that displays laser projections on the road. The "driver's seat" distinctly lacks a steering wheel or pedals.

Musk took the Cybercab through a staged demonstration where the robot taxi meandered through various movie sets stopping at junctions or pausing for staged cyclists.

During the event, Musk sclaimed that there were "50 autonomous cars" driving around the Warner Bros. lot, which was supposed to include Model Ys in the built-in autonomous driving mode.

"The autonomous future is here," Musk said. "With autonomy, you get your time back."

Beyond that though, Musk did not describe the technology Tesla is utilizing the in the Cybercab. Though he did reveal that the Cybercab will go on sale for "less than $30,000." He said he expected the autonomous vehicle to start production some time in 2026.

For those watching the livestream of the Tesla event, it was a lot of guesswork to figure out what's actually in the Cybercab. For example, it doesn't appear to run on LiDar or Musk didn't mention it. This suggests the cab is running with high-def cameras to navigate and "see" obstacles.

Inductive charging was mentioned, which means the Cybercab lacks a plug and relys on inductive plates to charge the batteries.

Musk admitted he might be overselling it here, "Well, I tend to be a little optimistic with time frames. But in 2026. So yeah. Before 2027. Let me put it that way."

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said on X that he believed the Cybercab wouldn't actually hit mass production until 2027.

Unlike Alphabet's Waymo, Tesla does not currently legally have the ability to run unsupervised vehicles on roads in California and Texas.

In general, the event was a resounding disappointment, especially with investors. Dennis Dick of Triple D Trading told Reuters, ""I'm a shareholder and pretty disappointed. I think the market wanted more definitive time lines. I don't think he said much about anything."

For other investors, the event proved to be "underwhelming and stunningly absent on detail," as Bernstein anaylst Toni Sacconaghi told MarketWatch.

Much of the disappointment seems to stem from a lack of details including when Tesla when gain approval to allow their vehicles on real roads and not staged backlots or the actual cost per mile to run a Cybercab.

Robovans and Robots

In a surprise, Tesla also revealed a 20-person Robovan, a transportation pod that somehow looks even more sci-fi than the Cybercab with some renderings showing the pod as a sort of food truck. There were no other details about the pod.

They also showed more of the Optimus humanoid robots that Musk has shown off previously. Musk claimed the robots would be sold for $20,000 suggesting that they would be "the biggest product ever, of any kind."

The robots which were supposedly tending bar during the event appeared at best to be props, and Musk didn't provide any more information on what the robots would actually be capable of or when they might produced.

As with the Cybercab the theme of all of these revealed autonomous products was a flashy unveiling with little to no actual details on what powers them or when they would truly be available.

They remain, as before, pie in the sky.

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This is the fifth recall issued for the Cybertruck since the company released them to the masses in November. Aside from the accelerator, faulty wipers, loose trim and some nagging software problems hit the divisive electric truck.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) report said the recall applies to "certain Model Year (MY) 2024 Cybertruck vehicles manufactured between November 13, 2023, and September 14, 2024, that are or were operating with a specific software logic for low-voltage hardware." The total number of vehicles in the report is 27,185, which is almost every cybertruck made so far.

While not the most devastating issue on the surface, the report notes that the rearview camera display can take 6-8 seconds to load once the truck is shifted to reverse, which is indeed long enough to be annoying — especially in a vehicle that costs at least $81,000. Not only that, but Federal regulations require reverse camera feeds to appear within two seconds of the shifter being placed in reverse, so the Cybertruck violates regulations.

The issue applies to any Cybertruck running version 2024.32.5.2 or later. A free over-the-air software update to fix the problem is being issued. Thankfully, no crashes or injuries have been reported due to the backup camera problems. Still, with the poor backup visibility of the Cybertruck (and any oversized vehicle), a functioning backup camera is essential.

As noted by the NHTSA, "Delayed availability of the rearview camera display may affect the driver’s rear view and increase the risk of a collision. The driver may continue to reverse the vehicle by performing a shoulder check and using their mirrors."

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The report first came from a Reddit user (via Road and Track) claiming that firmware version 2024.20.1 isn't cooling the car the way it should, potentially leaving their dogs in dangerous heat. "I left my dog in the car this morning with dog mode on and set to 19C, as it's pretty hot out today, 30C at the time. Ten minutes after leaving the car, I got a "Problem with Dog Mode" warning on my phone... it was 29C in the car and rising fast when I ran out to save my boy," reads the post.

Thankfully, the phone alerted the user that the Dog Mode wasn't working correctly, or the result could have been far more catastrophic for the innocent animal. They also claimed that the air conditioner was having difficulty keeping up with the cooling in the car's Keep Climate On mode, so it could be an issue with the HVAC system while the vehicle isn't moving. They've since updated their post to say that Keep is working again but that they haven't tried Dog Mode yet.

The user reported the issue to Tesla but was told that the company needed to send it to the technical review team to figure out what was happening. Later, the company responded, "Our remote test did confirm a firmware issue with dog mode at this time, still under investigation [...] please refrain from using dog mode for the time being."

Leaving a dog in a car for an extended period is never a good idea whether your vehicle has a Dog Mode or not. This is an example of why trusting a feature like Dog Mode with your pet's life is a poor decision. Thankfully, there have been no reports of dogs perishing due to the malfunctioning feature, but it could happen, and it's just not worth the risk. 

The initial report was a week ago, and we've yet to hear anything official from Tesla regarding the matter. An update was pushed with the version number 2024.20.3. It mentions that "the A/C cools the cabin down faster," but it never explicitly calls out a fix to Dog Mode. For the time being, we'd recommend avoiding the mode until there's a fix. 

Or don't leave your dog unattended in the car, regardless of Dog Mode's status. 

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What's wrong with the Tesla Cybertrucks?

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued the recall on April 17. The document says, "On affected vehicles, when high force is applied to the pad on the accelerator pedal, the pad may dislodge, which may cause the pedal to become trapped in the interior trim above the pedal." 

As far as what can happen if the pedal becomes trapped, the NHTSA document breaks it down: "If the pad on the accelerator pedal becomes trapped in the interior trim above the pedal, the performance and operation of the pedal will be affected, which may increase the risk of a collision."

Thankfully, users who have this issue can still bring the car to a stop, as the recall notes that "application of the brake pedal will cut drive torque, including when both brake and accelerator pedals are pressed, and continued application of the brake pedal will bring the vehicle to a stop as quickly as if the accelerator pedal was not pressed." 

What happened to cause the issue? It sounds like there was an issue with the lubricant (soap) that aided in the assembly of the pad. Some "residual lubricant" caused the pad to slip off in some instances.

What should Cybertruck owners do?

The NHTSA says the issue impacts "all Model Year ('MY') 2024 Cybertruck vehicles manufactured from November 13, 2023, to April 4, 2024." Basically, that means that if you're one of the 3,878 people who purchased a Tesla Cybertruck, you need to take action. 

While there have been other Tesla recalls, those were software-related and could be fixed with an over-the-air update. This one, however, will require physical modifications to the pedal, which means owners will need to bring their truck to a Tesla dealer.

According to the recall, all Tesla dealerships will be notified today, April 19, 2024. Letters regarding the issue will be sent to vehicle owners on June 18, 2024. 

"At no charge to the customer, Tesla will replace or rework the accelerator pedal assembly such that the assembly meets specifications and ensures sufficient retention force between the pad and accelerator pedal to prevent the pad from dislodging," reads the recall notice.

Thankfully, the fix won't cost Tesla owners anything, but they will be at risk until the issue is fixed. Remember, though, pressing the brake will still make the vehicle stop even if the accelerator pad dislodges.

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Even if the car was a quarter of the price, a brand new car breaking down just minutes after receiving delivery is going to upset buyers. And we're not talking about someone's game console or laptop failing — we're dealing with a giant piece of machinery that the driver is trusting with their life. 

Some of the craziest Cybertruck user claims

• "Worst delivery in my life (truck died in 5 minutes)," claimed one owner on CyberTruckOwnersClub. "Tesla really rushed these trucks out, what a nightmare," they continued.
• A flashing red screen told one CyberTruckOwnersClub user to "Pull over safely. Critical steering issue detected." 
• "My Cybertruck suddenly made a hard brake stop when we both have a clear wide enough space between us," said another CyberTruckOwnersClub user.
• "No, it’s not glorious. The Cybertruck isn’t a truck. It’s a toy truck at best, an experimental concept at worst. I rented mine in LA, and spent 24 hours with it," said user JPinaJeep on the TeslaMotorsClub forum.
• A Reddit user showed off photos of what could best be described as inconsistent build quality.
• Some users have complained of “corrosion” and “orange rust marks” already appearing on their expensive trucks, but Tesla claims this is expected and that they're easy to wipe off.

Did the Cybertruck need more time?

The other Tesla models didn't have perfect launches, but they didn't seem to be plagued by the same major problems facing the Cybertruck. A Southern California-based CyberTruckOwnersClub user detailed their experience in a thread titled "Worst delivery in my life (truck died in 5 minutes)." 

The user said their new Cybertruck "made it 1 mile down road, started getting steering error, flashing red screen, pulled off side of highway now the truck is dead and I’m waiting for a tow truck. Dealer couldn’t do anything for me. It was great for 5 minutes. Tried everything, restarting, screen is stuck black and keeps beeping."

Another user in the thread reported a simualr situation, citing their truck started "flashing a red screen" and telling them to "Pull over safely. Critical steering issue detected." 

While those issues are certainly not pleasant regardless of the truck's cost, a user in a different CyberTruckOwnersClub thread claimed the autopilot had some serious issues that could have led to a crash. "My Cybertruck suddenly made a hard brake stop when we both have a clear wide enough space between us. Luckily there is no vehicle at the back as it would have been a definite collision."

There are plenty of other reports of issues with the Cybertruck popping up on forums and sites like Reddit. They're not all life-threatening like some of the ones above, but they still seem a bit too common. 

A video making the rounds on YouTube from VoyageATX broke down everything wrong with his Cybertruck. "I was missing one of the D-rings inside of the bed," says the Youtuber. "Fortunately, they were able to get that part replaced; it did take them a while." And while a lot of them are small, it still calls to light a worrying lack of quality control.

Still, surely there are tons of Cybertrucks on the road without issues. However, Tesla hasn't said how many of its latest vehicles it has delivered, so there's no way to know for sure what the failure rate is. Some users have countered the anger on Tesla forums. Even the user with the truck that died in five minutes said, "The truck is amazing otherwise. The 5 minutes I got to drive it was great." Another CyberTruckOwnersClub user took delivery of their truck, had fun doodling all over the stainless steel exterior and called it a "Pretty amazing experience" and said they're "loving the truck."

Another user detailed their experience on CyberTruckOwnersClub: "The delivery experience for CT at Marina Del Rey in LA was awesome - indoor and guided through the UI & vehicle setup (shout out to James LaGro and Robert Peters) - and the product & build quality feels pretty incredible so far."

Still, for people who spent somewhere between $80,000 and $100,000, the only failure they're probably concerned about is the one in their truck, and in that case, even one failure is too many.

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There’s a reason why you see more Tesla EVs on the road than anything else, so the bar has been set high for all other EVs to match them. I’m fully aware about the advanced technology and conveniences they offer after checking out a Tesla Model 3. However, the Ford F150 Lightning blends the classic styling of the pickup and injects much-needed future proofing with its all-electric power.

Sure, I did find it challenging to charge the Ford F150 Lightning at a Tesla Supercharger station, but after clocking in serious driving time and doing additional research, I’m convinced it’s better than Tesla. Although, the majority of your decision should be based on what you need an EV for. I fully understand that a full-sized pickup truck isn’t really suited for city driving, but there are other reasons that make it practical over a Tesla.

I won’t just make comparisons against a single model, but rather, I’ll mention how the entire lineup stacks up against the F150 Lightning — so expect to read about references on the Tesla Model 3, Model S, Model X, Model Y, and even the Cybertruck.

It accelerates just as fast

Here’s the thing I learned about EVs: they all have obnoxiously fast accelerations. Take even the cheapest EV on the market, the Nissa Leaf, which has a 0 to 60 mph time of about 5.5 seconds. The Ford F150 Lighting takes a smidge under 4 seconds, while the most affordable Tesla, the Model 3, takes about 5.8 seconds.

All the other Teslas, including the Cybertruck, pull in faster times, but I hardly think 2 seconds is wide enough of a spread for most people. In fact, my Corolla takes a whopping 10 seconds to get to 60 mph — which is turtle timing when you think how these EVs do it in less than half the time. Even more impressive is the fact that the F150 Lightning is a pickup truck, versus the sedan and SUV stylings of these Teslas.

Same range on a full charge

In the same manner, the Ford F150 Lightning also has the same, if not, better range than some Tesla EVs. For example, the Ford F150 Lightning XLT (second model up from the base version) with the extended range option gives it a maximum range of 320 miles with its 131 kWh capacity — whereas a comparable Tesla, the Model Y, gets up to 310 miles on a full charge.

Other Teslas technically offer better range, but again they’re not overstepping the Ford F150 Lightning by leaps and bounds. For example, the SUV-like Tesla Model X gets a range of 326 miles — while the Cybertruck does better at 340 miles. 

More cabin room for passengers

This is probably the single area where the Ford F150 Lightning beats Tesla. You can comfortably fit five people inside of the F150 Lightning due to the amount of legroom and height it offers passengers. The rear cabin in particular has the biggest disparity because it has the widest shoulder room at 66 inches, versus the next closest at 56.9 inches with the Tesla Model X. Don’t get me started with the Model 3 either even though it’s cheaper than the F150 Lightning, mainly because it feels more cramped in the rear passenger area with its 54.2-inch shoulder room.

You have your choice of Android Auto or CarPlay

I rely on my phone for everything, including things such as turn-by-turn directions and streaming music. This is why I prefer the Ford F150 Lightning over Tesla because you have the choice of choosing your infotainment system: Android Auto or CarPlay. This essentially lets your phone become the entertainment system for the Ford F150 Lightning, giving you access to most of the apps you know, love and interact with on the daily.

In contrast, Tesla doesn’t give you the option — forcing you instead to use its own Infotainment System. While there are apps you’re familiar with, like Apple Music, Spotify, and Netflix, it doesn’t have the same seamless experience with the stuff you’re used to using on your smartphone. For example, if you use another music streaming service, such as YouTube Music or Pandora, you’ll have to essentially pair your phone via Bluetooth to play music through the speakers.

More utility with its flatbed and frunk

Finally, the last reason why the Ford F150 Lightning beats Tesla is an obvious one if you’ve ever tried picking up a dining room table with a sedan. The flatbed of the F150 Lightning gives it the utility you won’t get in any Tesla sedan or SUV, so carrying bigger pieces of furniture or electronics isn’t going to be a problem for it. If you’re worried about losing the space you’d normally have with a truck, then just know that the Ford F150 Lightning has a ginormous frunk (front trunck) that can fit just as many groceries as a Tesla’s trunk space.

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Shortcuts has been around on iOS for the past few years, but the app is getting a bunch of upgrades as part of iOS 17. That includes a brand new design, alongside new actions for various essential apps on your phone, making the existing automation feature that bit neater and more convenient. Now even Tesla is getting in on that action.

Tesla drivers will already know the mobile app is a very useful tool to have. While the company is not known for smartphone integration while you’re driving, the app itself lets you control systems like the lock, climate control, Sentry mode and battery conditioning from a remote location.

Bringing Shortcuts into the mix makes those features slightly easier to access, be it via a home screen widget, Siri voice commands or a Spotlight search in iOS 17. The shortcut does need to be set up in advance, naturally, but the process only takes a couple of minutes. Once it’s done, you’ll be able to activate or deactivate those in-car features without having to go diving into the Tesla app. 

Tesla’s Shortcuts app support is live in the latest version of the Tesla iPhone app, and includes a smorgasbord of options for you to choose from. From activating Bioweapon Defense Mode, to turning on the heated seats, beeping the horn, and starting a charging session.

None of these things are particularly difficult to do, especially if you’re already in the car. But it could help save you a few seconds, which does add up over time. Like asking Siri to open the charging port as you’re getting out of the car, so it’s open and ready when you arrive. That could save you a couple of seconds compared to doing this task on the car’s infotainment screen, or via the charging port itself. And those seconds will add up over the weeks and months.

So if you are a Tesla owner with an iPhone, it’s worth checking out those Shortcuts to see what’s on offer. Simply head into Shortcuts, tap the +  symbol in the top right followed by Add Action > Apps > Tesla. This will bring up a list similar to the one above, and tapping each one lets you configure that command to your liking.

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The lawsuit, filed on August 3, alleges Tesla breached vehicle warranties and engaged in fraud and unfair competition — all of which could lead to a payout for owners who bought a Tesla vehicle based on its claims. 

According to the lawsuit: "Had Tesla honestly advertised its electric vehicle ranges, consumers either would not have purchased Tesla model vehicles, or else would have paid substantially less for them". 

If the lawsuit receives class-action status it could cover owners of a Tesla Model 3, a Model S, a Model Y, or a Model X vehicle, while seeking unspecified damages for the alleged false advertisement. 

Why is Tesla in trouble? Here’s what we know so far 

The lawsuit filed on Thursday cites Reuters’ reporting into Tesla’s wide-ranging, systematic approach to preventing customers from complaining about the range of its vehicles and its exaggerated range claims. 

According to the outlet’s reporting, drivers would see the range somewhere above 350 miles when the battery was fully charged, but would only travel around half that distance before the car needed to be recharged. At the heart of the issue, the report claims, was a purposely skewed algorithm that would show “rosy” estimates of the range when the battery was above a 50% charge and then drop to a more accurate level once the battery drained below 50%. 

If the exaggerated claims weren’t bad enough, Reuters claims that Tesla then did everything in its power to cover up the complaints about the range of its vehicles, going so far as to implement a covert branch of the company that would remove negative reviews that mention range being an issue and canceling maintenance appointments for customers experiencing what they believed were battery issues with their cars. 

To add insult to injury, Tesla’s Autopilot and "Full Self-Driving" technology — and its claims about the safety of those systems — are also facing litigation.

Tesla has yet to make a public comment about Reuters' reporting or the most recent litigation, but we'll update this story if or when that happens.

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The code was uncovered by Tesla App Updates (iOS) on Twitter (@Tesla_App_iOS), who found an "allowsAirPlayForMediaPlayback" string after decompiling the newest version of the iOS Tesla app.

With AirPlay, users can stream audio, video, photos, and other content wirelessly from Apple devices to a device with, or connected to, a larger screen. The addition of AirPlay to Teslas would be an improvement on the current system where users use Bluetooth to play their own music when driving.

In the past, Elon Musk, founder of Tesla, hasn't ruled out the ability to cast entertainment to the onboard Entertainment Screen in Tesla vehicles. But he still maintains that the current system used in the EVs sounds "incredible," even without the lossless streaming that AirPlay would enable.

AirPlay vs CarPlay

Tesla passengers can already launch entertainment apps like Netflix, YouTube, and Hulu, and even play games while the EV is parked. However, the adoption of AirPlay would be a big step in improving the lives of iPhone users, while maintaining control of the overall user experience for passengers.

On top of streaming media, AirPlay would give users the ability to view photos, mirror iPhone, iPad or Mac screens, and take advantage of lossless streaming thanks to direct WiFi streaming.

This however would not be the same as adding CarPlay to Tesla, another much-requested feature that would allow integration of more iPhone apps and navigation with the electric cars.

During WWDC last year, Apple revealed that 98% of cars within the U.S. had CarPlay integrated into them, and that 79% of consumers would not buy a car if it did not have CarPlay integrated into it. Maybe Tesla needs to consider listening to the apparent will of the car-buying public and work on CarPlay support next.

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Even if you’re a seasoned electric car driver, or have been in Teslas before, odds are there are some things you didn’t know about. Plus, given how regularly Tesla updates its cars, there might even be new ones nobody told you were there. So here are 13 of the best Tesla hidden features you should be using.

13 hidden Tesla features you should be using

1. Use your Tesla as a dash cam
2. Careoke
3. Tesla Theater
4. Change your suspension height (Model S)
5. Reset your tire configuration
6. Ludicrous mode
7. Dog Mode
8. Fart mode & other gimmicks
9. Speed limit mode
10. Adjust maximum trunk height
11. Manual charge port opening
12. Dismiss the Autopilot prompt
13. Joe Mode

1. Use your Tesla as a dash cam

You don’t need one of the best dash cams when you drive a Tesla, because the Tesla is the dash cam. The cameras dotted around the car can keep a record of what’s going on when you’re driving, while Sentry Mode keeps it safe when you’re parking. But that relies on you knowing how to access and save that footage. For the dash cam feature to work you’ll need a USB drive formatted to Fat32, and a folder on that drive called TeslaCam. 

Once formatting is complete, plug that drive into a USB port, either in your center console or the glovebox. You should see a little camera icon with a red dot appear at the top of your touchscreen, which means everything is working. Footage is saved to the drive automatically, and like other dash cams, older footage will be overwritten once it reaches capacity. Alternatively, you can press the camera icon to save ten minutes of footage, which will protect it from being saved over.

Adding a USB drive in this manner also lets you use Sentry Mode which, once activated, will monitor your car and save footage of incidents when you’re not driving. However you need to activate it manually each time you leave the car, from Control > Safety > Sentry Mode > On.

2. Careoke

Tesla’s Careoke mode is the perfect way to live out your fantasy (or nightmare) of being just like James Corden. It essentially turns your car into a roving karaoke machine, with song lyrics prominently displayed on screen in a way that doesn’t interfere with your essential driver data. Because yes, this can be used while you’re driving. 

To access Careoke tape the Music icon at the bottom of your screen, and select Careoke from the myriad of sources available to you. Songs are provided by StingRay, and you can mute the vocals by tapping the microphone icon in the top corner. Just be aware this will need an active data connection to stream everything — which means subscribing to Tesla Premium Connectivity ($10 a month) or connecting to a standalone Wi-Fi network or hotspot.

3. Tesla Theater

If you have to park up somewhere, be it a charger or somewhere else, it helps to have something to do. Fortunately Teslas come with a bunch of features to entertain you — provided the car isn’t driving — including access to popular streaming services, the likes of which include Netflix and YouTube. To get there tap Controls > Entertainment > Theater followed by your app of choice.

While options are limited, the Tesla’s built-in web browser can be utilized to access abettertheater.com, which offers unsupported streaming services in your car. That includes Plex, Disney Plus, HBO Max, and others, as well as services like Google Maps, Reddit and A Better Route Planner.

4. Change your suspension height (Model S)

The Tesla Model S has an automatic air-raising suspension system that will change depending on your driving conditions — giving you the best performance and ride quality in the process. But you can change the suspension level yourself by hitting the Brake pedal, followed by Controls > Suspension on the touchscreen.

Dragging the on-screen slider lets you choose between Very High, High, Medium and Low  height. It’s also worth noting that High and Very High will switch back to Medium or Low after driving 100 feet, or when you reach a certain speed. While the speed threshold can’t be changed, tapping the Keep until 15mph/35mph option will keep your Tesla in higher suspension modes for an “unlimited distance” until you reach that speed.

5. Reset your tire configuration

Your tires can play a big part in how much range you get, but changing them can cause your Tesla’s range estimates to be thrown out of whack. So whenever you swap tires, or install a set of winter tires, you need to reset the tire configuration, which tells your Tesla to forget its learned tire settings. This also resets the clock on the automatic wear and tread alert, which pops up every 6,250 miles.

On your touchscreen panel head to Controls > Service > Wheel & Tire Configuration > Tires. Just be aware that you shouldn’t reset tire configuration unless your tires change, because doing so will cause a temporary change to acceleration and regenerative braking performance.

6. Ludicrous mode

Teslas offer some of the fastest acceleration times of any electric car on the roads, but those impressive speeds aren’t actually available all the time. In simple terms, Ludicrous mode is Tesla’s own version of launch control, with software enhancements boosting the performance of the car. 

Ludicrous increases peak torque by around 60%, while the newer Ludicrous Plus does the same while heating the battery to “ideal operating temperatures”. This also sends 100% of available power to the motor. The Model S Plaid and Model X Plaid also come with “Plaid mode” which offers five unique performance enhancements for you to try. You can activate Ludicrous and Plaid modes by heading to Controls > Pedals & Steering > Acceleration.

7. Dog Mode

As the name suggests, Dog mode is a Tesla feature designed around your favorite furry friend. The idea being that you get to leave your dog (or kids) in the car, and the Tesla system will maintain a comfortable temperature no matter how hot or cold it might get outside. On top of that, the touchscreen features a message informing passers-by that you have abandoned your dog to succumb to the elements.

While Dog Mode prevents Sentry Mode from being active, Tesla recently added a feature that lets you view a live feed and see what your dog is getting up to when you’re not there. To activate Dog Mode, head to the HVAC control screen and hit the Dog icon on the right-hand side. It’s the one that has a paw print over it. Oh, and make sure you have more than 20% battery or else the feature won’t engage.

8. Fart mode & other gimmicks

That’s right, Fart Mode you can get your Tesla to make a variety of fart sounds. Which is perfect if your sense of humor rivals that of a teenage boy or a billionaire auto-CEO. Head to the Application Launcher > Tesla Toy Box > Emissions Testing Mode. Options here include the option to fart on demand, using your turn signal, custom fart sounds, and to cause a flatulent noise to come out of a seat of your choice. Hilarious.

Other features in the Toy Box include the option to turn your map into the surface of Mars, set up a Light Show, a sketchpad, turning the Autopilot street into Rainbow Road, Romance Mode (a virtual fire), Boombox (custom sounds from the exterior speaker) and more.

9. Speed limit mode

Most modern cars come with a speed limiter, but Tesla’s isn’t immediately obvious. So go to your touchscreen and press Controls ? Safety & Security > Speed Limit Mode then adjust the speed with the arrows and move the slider to On. You can cap your speed anywhere from 50 mph and 90 mph, and no matter how hard you put your food down your car won’t get any faster.

A similar feature called ‘Valet Mode’ can also be activated from the screen, limiting your top speed to 70 mph and activating a bunch of privacy features. To activate it tap your profile name on the screen, followed by Valet Mode on the drop down menu. Enter a 4-digit PIN and the setting will then be enabled until you deactivate it.

10. Adjust the maximum trunk lid height

The powered trunk is a great feature on any car, but it may be a little too high for you or your garage. Thankfully you can alter the maximum height yourself, and without fiddling with any settings. Simply pull the trunk hatch down to your preferred height, then press and hold the trunk closing button for three seconds. The car should chime at you to confirm once you’re all set.

11. Manual charge port opening

There are a bunch of ways to unlock your charging port, whether that’s using the touchscreen, your keyfob, or tapping the port itself. If none of them seem to be working, or the charging cable is stuck, there’s always the manual release. That’s a cable or lever inside the truck, roughly level with the charging port itself.

In the Model S, that lever is behind a removable panel. Model 3, Model X and Model Y owners should look for a triangular cutout in the plastic with a fabric handle inside. Some models also have a cable, which can be found behind what looks like a vent cutout. Just remember to stop the charging session if you can, and don’t pull the plug out while someone is pulling the manual release.

12. Dismiss the Autopilot prompt

If you’re using Tesla Autopilot a lot, you’ll know that your car will prompt you to wiggle the steering wheel to prove you’re paying attention. Which can be daunting, because you need to apply enough pressure to show the car you’re doing it, but not so much you end up disengaging Autopilot.

It’s pretty simple to get the hang of it, but there is still a better way. Whenever you get the blue Autopilot attention warning on screen, you can press or spin one of the steering wheel’s scroll wheels instead. The prompt will vanish, and you can get back to the drive.

13. Joe Mode

If your Tesla’s chimes are too much for you, or passengers in the rear seats, then Joe Mode will lower the volume by 50%. It’s named after Joe, the guy who complained about the noises disturbing his kids. 

You can activate Joe Mode by hitting Controls > Safety & Security > Joe Mode. Nice and simple, and if you find Joe Mode still isn’t quiet enough, Elon Musk claims that the volume will be lowered again in a future update. 

We can all agree that this is a good thing. Not just because this price cut means more Teslas are now eligible for the federal EV tax credit, but also because of Tesla’s position at the top of the electric car market. The biggest problem electric cars face right now is that the price makes them less accessible. So a major automaker dropping its prices could have much wider (and positive) ramifications.

Tesla price cuts: What you'll pay now 

Different Tesla models have received different price cuts, and how much you’re now going to save is all dependent on how expensive the car was in the first place. The Tesla Model 3, previously $46,990 only received a $3,000 (6%) price reduction to $43,990. 

Meanwhile, the Performance Model 3 has dropped by $9,000 (14%) from 62,990 to $53,990 — a cut that brings it below the EV tax credit’s current $55,000 price cap. Something similar happened to the Tesla Model Y which, despite being a compact SUV, has been labelled a car in its five-seat configuration by the IRS. That means the $13,000 (20%) price cut, which brings the car down from $65,990 to $52,990, ensures more people can claim the tax credit on some of Tesla’s most popular cars.

Sadly, this isn’t the case for the Performance Model Y. Previously the car cost $69,990, and it has dropped by $13,000 (19%) to $56,990. Or roughly $2,000 over the threshold for federal tax credit eligibility.

The Model S has dropped by $10,000 (10%) from $104,990 to $94,990, while the performance-tuned Model S Plaid has dropped by $21,000 (15%) from $135,990 to $114,990. The Model X SUV is $11,000 (9%) cheaper, with the $120,990 price lowering to $109,000. Finally, the Model X Plaid is $19,000 (14%) cheaper, costing $119,000 instead of $138,000.

The only Tesla model that didn’t get a price cut (as far as we know) is the Long Range Model 3. However, it hasn’t been possible to order this particular model since last August, and there’s no confirmation on when new customers will be able to pick one up beyond a vague “2023” window. It’s unclear what the car’s price might be when it finally goes back on sale.

Price cuts are crucial for electric car success

If you ask people why they don’t have an electric car, two reasons tend to dominate. The obvious is fears over charging availability, though that will no doubt vary from location to location. The other is that EVs are so darn expensive. Far more expensive than their combustion engine counterparts.

Take, for instance, the Chevy Bolt. It may be the cheapest electric car in the United States, but it also costs $26,500. It’s far from the most expensive car Chevrolet has to offer, but it’s nowhere near the cheapest either. The Trax, Trailblazer, Malibu, Camaro, Colorado and Equinox can all be purchased for less  — the majority of which are far larger cars with better traveling distance.

Take Ford’s F-150 Lighting as another example. We declared that it was the best F-150 on the road in our Ford F-150 Lighting review, but it is also much more expensive than the gasoline-powered model. The 2023 F-150 starts at $33,695, while the F-150 Lightning pricing currently starts at $55,974. That’s a $22,279 price difference, or $143,779 if you manage to claim the full $7,500 EV tax credit.

Both cars have also received various changes to their price over 2022. The Chevy Bolt was notable in that it received a very generous price cut in mid 2022 (around $6,000), which cemented it as the cheapest electric car in the United States. However, that price did increase by roughly $900 towards the end of the year. 

The Ford F1-50 Lightning, which was in such high demand Ford had to stop taking pre-orders at one point, had its price raised three times in 2022. 

Originally the entry-level Pro model, which is designed for commercial use, had a $39,974 starting price. That rose to $46,974 in August 2022, $51,974 in October and then again to $55,974 in mid-December. Not to mention the fact there are multiple stories of dealers marking up the price of the truck — by as much as $30,000 according to some reports — as they cashed in on demand.

At least Tesla’s direct sales model hasn’t suffered that problem, no matter how many price hikes there are or how much demand there is.

The Chevy Bolt and the F-150 Lightning are not alone either. Plenty more cars have seen their prices increase by various amounts, including the Ford Mustang Mach-E and VW ID.4, The Nissan Leaf even saw its price rise, though it was only by $520.

The obvious problem is that when EVs already have a reputation for being expensive, raising the prices doesn’t do anything to quell those fears. It doesn’t matter whether the reasons are due to supply chain problems, raising the cost of production or corporate greed, the effect is the same. While it’s worth noting some price hikes were reversed (Cadillac and Rivian come to mind), it feels like EV prices are going in the complete wrong direction.

The cost of buying an electric car needs to be coming down, especially as more automakers get involved, and more options become available.

Tesla’s price cuts could push others to do the same 

These price cuts aren’t the only discounts Tesla has offered in recent weeks. Back in December the automaker offered $3,500 off the price of the Model 3 and Model Y provided you took delivery before the end of the month. This was later extended to $7,500, the same amount as the federal EV tax credit, for both cars, with the Model S and Model X joining the fray during the final days of 2022.

But these discounts were temporary, and were never going to stick around forever. This doesn’t appear to be the case for the current wave of price cuts. While prices may well start increasing again someday, offering such a significant price cut is a great thing for consumers.

It doesn’t matter if Tesla has done it to boost orders, take advantage of tax credits, or if the spiraling stock price has got the company panicking. Tesla has long been the most popular electric car maker in the United States, and is currently the best-selling luxury car maker overall. The automaker is also credited with helping to reinvigorate interest in battery-powered vehicles, kicking off the current flood of electrification we’re experiencing.

Tesla is the electric car success story, and other automakers are paying attention to what it does. Tesla lowering its prices, and not raising them for a significant period afterwards, could prompt others to do the same. Especially if the price cut leads to an increase in sales and higher demand for Tesla cars. 

It doesn’t matter whether rivals are actively copying Tesla to try and mimic its success, or trying to stop a major competitor from gaining too much of an advantage. It also doesn’t matter if only a handful of car companies take notice at first; you just need a few of them to get the ball rolling and drop their own prices in response to Tesla. The more that do, the lower prices could theoretically drop.

Automakers are businesses first, and they won’t be keen to sacrifice their profit margins. Electric cars are expensive for a reason, with costs associated with materials, different manufacturing needs, plus general research and development. Only time will help those costs decrease, as electric car makers settle into the new normal.

 Bottom Line

Tesla’s price cut is, first and foremost, a big deal for prospective Tesla customers. Not only has this effectively reversed a number of recent price hikes, there are two more Tesla cars that are eligible for the federal EV tax credit. That makes the car a much more enticing purchase, assuming you’re okay with the uniqueness of the Tesla experience.

But Tesla is the big shot of the electric car industry, and when it jumps the others check to see how high it was. While they may not be scrambling to drop their prices right away, you know they’ll be taking notice. If Tesla’s price cut pays off over the coming months, other automakers may be inclined to follow its example. 

Though how low those prices might drop is currently anyone’s guess. Let’s just hope it’s low enough to push more people to take the plunge and purchase an electric car of their very own.

Tesla stock analysts Loup Ventures (via Teslarti) are predicting that the cheap Tesla will be unveiled sometime in 2024, ready for production the following year. Of course, this would rely on Tesla not facing any additional setbacks, which have been a common occurrence throughout its history — particularly with the challenges of the past few years.

So far we don’t know very much about the $25K Tesla, least of all what it’ll be called. Loup Ventures, alongside various media outlets, have taken to calling the car the “Model 2” — a name CEO Elon Musk has already refuted. In fact, we've heard next to nothing about the car since its initial announcement, with Tesla generally leaving us in the dark.

Loup Ventures' prediction suggests that Tesla has to avoid announcing the car too early. They posit that doing so could eat into potential sales of the Tesla Model 3, “while ramping capacity during what is likely to be a broader auto recession." 

We also have to consider that the car isn’t top of Tesla’s list of priorities right now. Last March Elon Musk admitted that Tesla was “not currently working” on the car during an earnings call. He’s also emphasized multiple times that 2023 will be the year of the Cybertruck and the Tesla Roadster — two vehicles that have already seen plenty of delays.

Then there’s all the emphasis on Optimus, a humanoid robot that Musk has been hyping over the course of 2022 — to the point where he claimed the robot would be worth more than Tesla’s car business. Musk later admitted that the cheap car was on hold, and Optimus was to blame. 

In short, there are a lot of other things that are taking priority before Tesla’s goal of launching a cheaper car can come to fruition

Both Tesla and Musk have emphasized the need for cheaper electric cars, something just about everyone can agree on. Currently EVs tend to swing towards the luxury market, and even those that don’t are noticeably more expensive than gasoline or hybrid alternatives. 

Given Tesla’s position at the top of the electric car business in the United States, offering more low-cost options could push rival automakers to do the same. $25K is still a lot of money, but it would put the car at the top of the list of the cheapest electric cars. This is assuming Tesla can still hit that price point, given its recent slew of price hikes blamed on inflation and supply chain issues.

We’re just going to have to wait and see what happens with this. Hopefully Tesla can clear its backlog of unreleased vehicles this year, and renew its focus on more affordable options. The Tesla Semi has finally gone into production already, and the Cybertruck is expected to hit roads sometime early this year.

Assuming the Roadster can also make it off the production line in the next 12 months, then only Optimus will stand in the $25K model’s way. Here’s hoping, at any rate.

I’ve driven a little over 1,000 miles in Teslas for work and pleasure, and my feelings about the cars are best described as ambivalence. I can see the appeal of a Tesla, certainly where range and charging are concerned, but there’s no way I’d actually buy one for myself. Here's why.

My beef is with Tesla, not electric cars as a whole

There are plenty of reasons why I have a personal dislike for Tesla’s cars, but I should make it clear that I don’t particularly like the cars themselves. Whatever Elon Musk gets up to in his spare time, or whatever criticism is levelled at Tesla’s build quality, they are little more than footnotes on the list of reasons why I never want a Tesla to call my own.

My disapproval of the cars goes a little deeper than what you can read in a headline, or a comment on a Reddit forum. It all stems from the fact Tesla offers a very different kind of experience to other electric cars and, frankly, it doesn’t feel like a particularly good one. Not to me, at any rate, because I know there are thousands of people out there who feel differently.  

It’s also not a criticism about electric cars. While the cost of recharging has risen quite a bit over the past several weeks, and gasoline prices have taken a dip since the summer, I much prefer being able to plug in than fill up. Not to mention the fact that my car is pretty spacious for its size, offers instant torque for speedy getaways and a one-pedal driving mode.

There’s also the fact that I’m not burning fuel and leaving a trail of pollution in my wake, and that the car drives incredibly quietly. Frankly the quieter the cars, the better. I live near some very busy roads, and the noise some cars come out with really get on my nerves — especially in summer when my windows are open

My Nissan Leaf is not without its problems, and I’ve spoken about them at length in the past. I have very few regrets after buying the car, but I wouldn't go out of my way to buy another should that situation ever arise. Should this ever be the case, a Tesla would likewise be right near the bottom of my wish list.

Extreme minimalism is a deal breaker 

My biggest problem with the Tesla design is the extreme minimalism that’s employed throughout the cabin. In the Model 3 and Model Y, this means virtually everything is condensed into a single central touchscreen. In fact, there are only a handful of features that don’t employ the touchscreen in some way, and those are relegated to a few levers and dials around the steering column. 

The thing that always baffles me most is that Tesla’s two cheapest cars don’t have a dedicated driver display or gauge cluster behind the steering wheel. Instead if you want something as simple, and important, as your current speed, you need to glance over at the central display. The Model S and Model X do have a driver display, but the trade-off is that they come with a steering yoke instead of a traditional steering wheel. 

However, having never driven with a Tesla yoke, I can’t say how much better or worse an experience this might be. I certainly don’t like the idea, though, especially since the levers have now been replaced with touch controls on the front of the yoke.

The overreliance on the touchscreen is my biggest issue. Not only because of the lack of tactile feedback, ensuring you can’t use the smooth and glossy device without looking, but also because any fault in the screen will render your car completely useless. My Leaf’s infotainment display died recently, taking a bunch of useful car functions with it. But a functional driver display meant I could still drive around safely, and know how fast I was going.

Had this happened in a Tesla, and the car would have essentially been completely out of commission. There had been some speculation that this design was implemented starting with the Model 3, in anticipation that Autopilot would do most of the driving work. However, like all the times Elon Musk has broken various promises, things didn’t exactly play out the way people suspected.

A speedometer behind the steering wheel (or projected onto the windshield) only requires a quick split second check. Keeping that speedometer in a central display, meanwhile, takes slightly longer and could prove to be a hazard while driving.

The Model S and Model X may not have this issue, but with prices ranging from $104,990 to $138,990 it means they are well out of ordinary peoples’ price ranges. Such simple features should not be restricted to the people that can afford to overpay for them.

It’s also the little things and unnecessary changes 

The touchscreen-heavy controls aren’t the only change that puts me off driving a Tesla full time. Tesla has made a lot of smaller changes to its cars that have always come across as both totally unnecessary and kind of irritating.

The locking system is the main one. The car itself comes with a key card which needs to physically touch the car to lock or unlock, which I find incredibly inconvenient. The Tesla app offers an automatic proximity lock, which operates via Bluetooth and is a pretty cool concept — albeit not one that I actually trust too much. You can get a fob with clickable buttons, but that costs an additional $175

I much prefer the option to control my car’s locks myself, either unlocking from a distance or ensuring the doors are locked as soon as it leaves my line of sight — without having to pay an additional $175 for the privilege of using a function most cars offer by default.

I feel similarly about opening the doors. I’m quite partial to the Tesla’s flush door handles, and how they don’t have to pop-out mechanically — which means fewer points of failure. But instead of a traditional door handle, Tesla opted for an electronic button-centric door mechanism, alongside a physical handle that has to be there in case of an emergency.

It’s a system that has always felt, to me at least, like a case of overengineering a mechanism for the sake of it rather than for any productive purpose. Tesla fans have tried to explain it’s all down to the frameless design, which requires the windows to lower slightly when the door opens. But maybe, just maybe, if your design can’t accommodate a standard mechanism for something as simple as a door, then your design needs to be reworked.

I understand that stubbornly sticking to a system because of how it’s always been done is a perfect recipe for stagnation. Advancement requires challenging the status quo, after all. But at the same time we don’t need change for change's sake. Don’t just make something different, make it better. And a door-opening system that needs to be explained to everyone that uses the car is the opposite of better.

The same goes for the turn signals, which are softer and lack the mechanical clickiness of rival cars. Making things quieter is no bad thing, but that soft mechanism isn’t nearly as precise. Considering the turn signals don’t always disengage automatically, it means you have to make a conscious effort to ensure other drivers know what you’re doing — which means less attention paid to the road ahead.

The recent Tesla Holiday Update promises to help rectify this, but the fact is that it shouldn't have needed fixing in the first place.

Other issues I have relate to lack of support for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, which all but forces you to pay for Tesla's Premium Connectivity package to access features other cars can pull from your phone. Similarly, the Tesla system is filled with stuff that you don’t need. That ranges from gimmicks like karaoke mode and gaming, to totally useless features like fart mode and turning your map into the surface of Mars.

Oh and, in my experience, the soundproofing is just awful. This came to a head during my recent vacation, when I spent a solid 10 days inside a Tesla Model Y. Not only could I easily pick up music and sounds from the cars around me (primarily in traffic) some weird acoustic effects meant I was picking up music from vehicles a few cars back. It’s an issue I’ve never had in any other car, even older ones that have as much soundproofing as a paper bag.

On their own these things are minor annoyances, but combine them altogether and it creates an experience I’d prefer to avoid if I can help it.

Autopilot is nice, but it’s far from unique 

One of Tesla’s major selling points is Autopilot, an autonomous driver assistance system (ADAS) designed to let the car take on a bunch of the hard work driving can involve. One of the main things that sets it apart is that Basic Autopilot is standard on all Teslas, while additional features can be purchased as part of the Enhanced or Full Self Driving packages.

Other automakers don’t offer the same level of autonomy on their entry-level cars. Or at least they keep any auto-steering features locked behind a paywall, even if cheaper models have adaptive cruise control. This either means ADAS is exclusive to more expensive model trims, or has to be purchased as an optional extra or as some kind of technology pack.

Autopilot may be more prevalent than its rivals, and updates are highly publicized as a result — especially for the Full Self Driving beta. But Autopilot as a whole isn’t particularly unique. Tesla may be a little bit ahead of other ADAS systems, but a lot of the basic Autopilot features are quite widely available.

Unfortunately Tesla Autopilot is not a true level 5 autonomous car, despite what the term, “Full Self Driving” may suggest. Tesla has had to admit that multiple times, after accusations that the FSD marketing is deliberately mislead (something Tesla has always strongly denied).

If your car still can’t drive you from point to point by itself, and needs a human driver, I’d argue that you don’t necessarily need the most cutting edge ADAS technology and features. I certainly wouldn’t go out of my way to purchase a Tesla on Autopilot’s merits alone, certainly not combined with all the other issues I have with the cars.

Different cars and different automakers will offer a variety of features and systems, with differing levels of quality and ability. But as long as it can handle the basics, and stay in the center of the lane without driving into the car in front, I’ll be pretty happy. And it just so happens there are a bunch of electric cars on the market with that kind of prowess.

Tesla has some positive traits — just not enough

It’d be foolish to say that Teslas are all bad, because that’s objectively not true. Despite the problems people, myself included, may have, the company has managed to do a great deal. Tesla offers a range of electric cars that offer some of the longest range and fastest speeds on the electric car market. 

Similarly, its Supercharger network has coverage that other charging companies can only dream of right now — with consistently fast charging speeds to boot. The infinite customization options of the HVAC control screen is also a stroke of brilliance I wish other cars would adopt.

And yet, for me, the good stuff is seriously outweighed by the bad. Sure, a Tesla Model 3 may be able to drive up to 358 miles, and regain up to 175 miles in 15 minutes. But it doesn’t change the fact that I genuinely dislike the driving experience. I’d much rather stick to a car with slightly less range and charging convenience if it means I don’t actively dislike being behind the wheel. Until then my driveway will remain a Tesla-free zone.

The wireless charging mat would fill the battery of up to three devices at once, no matter where they were placed on it, but it missed its promised release date, and Apple eventually announced that it wouldn’t be coming after all. No official reason was given, but insider accounts have since claimed the number of charging coils made it an overheating nightmare.

Now electric car maker Tesla has announced its own take on the challenge: the Wireless Charging Platform. It’s available to pre-order now, shipping next February with the somewhat prohibitive price tag of $300.

It’s “inspired by the angular design and metallic styling of Cybertruck” with an aluminium and alcantara finish, and provides 15W of charging for up to three devices simultaneously. “Featuring FreePower® technology, which charges your Qi capable devices such as phones or earbuds placed anywhere on its surface without precise alignment,” Tesla writes.

So far, so AirPower, but that last sentence revealed a big clue as to why it’s not quite the AirPower we never had.

Close, but no AirPower 

While the key selling point of AirPower was the idea you’d no longer have to painstakingly line up your devices on the charging coils, the other big promise was that you could charge all your Apple devices at once. Apple press shots showed AirPower charging an iPhone X (which dates it a little), AirPods and an Apple Watch. Only two out of three of those will charge on Tesla’s Wireless Charging Platform.

 That’s because the Apple Watch — and most other wearables including the Pixel Watch and Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 for that matter — aren’t compatible with the Qi standard Tesla is using here.

On a lesser note, Apple also claimed that AirPower and (Apple) devices placed upon it would “intelligently work together and communicate with each other to manage the charging through one more efficient charging system.” Nothing in Tesla’s promo page suggests that’ll be the case here — understandably, given the company doesn’t have its own ecosystem of portable devices, but still a difference.

While rumors persist that Apple will one day bring AirPower back from the dead, the problem of carefully aligning devices with wireless charging pads isn’t such a big deal on iPhones anymore, thanks to another innovation: MagSafe wireless charging. Introduced with the iPhone 12, the magnetic circle on the back of handsets automatically attaches to compatible devices, including wireless chargers, to ensure perfect alignment. 

With that hurdle cleared, something like AirPower is arguably less attractive than it was in 2017 — at least for Apple and its ecosystem of devices. So it will be interesting to see whether there is still a market for Tesla’s Wireless Charging Platform when it’s released next year.  

Steam support has been promised for a while now, but it was always unclear when it might actually arrive. The app is still in beta right now, but it's bundled as part of the Tesla holiday update — among other useful features. 

This means drivers of a 2022 model year (or newer) Model S or Model X have access to the Steam store to buy and install “thousands” of Steam games, and synchronize save files with the cloud — letting them continue their progress no matter the device.

There are some caveats, however. The main one is that the Model S and Model X are the two most expensive cars in Tesla’s line-up, and the only ones to come with the necessary gaming computer. It also requires your car to have 16GB of DDR RAM and an active Premium Connectivity subscription — which is $10 a month or $100 a year. You’ll need a controller for the car too, and while any Bluetooth controller should work, Tesla claims the PS5’s DualSense works best.

It’s also worth mentioning that the Tesla Steam appears to be running a version of Linux rather than any form of Windows. So you don’t quite have access to the full Steam library, only games that have been verified for Linux-based Steam Deck. 

That's still quite a lot when you think about it. Certainly compared to the smaller range of games Tesla has offered in the past, like Cuphead, The Witcher 3 and more casual arcade titles.

I’ve always felt that having long, story driven games running on your car is kind of pointless. The common argument is that it gives people something to do while they wait for their car to charge. There’s also an argument to be made for gaming from the backseats, since there’s a secondary entertainment display in the Model S and Model X. Anyone in the passenger seat is out of luck, since Tesla (rightly) disabled a rather stupid feature that let them game while the car was in motion.

Of course, up until now, any in-game progress you made inside the car would stay in the car. What good is getting 30 minutes into Cyberpunk 2077 and not being able to continue it on your home PC? Gaming in your car, even if it’s sitting on your driveway, isn’t exactly the most comfortable, or private, of experiences.

Which is why it’s especially important that Steam on Teslas has cloud synchronization. That way any progress you make isn’t going to waste. So no matter how much, or how little progress you make in the car, you’re able to pick up right where you left off when you get home.

Tesla’s Holiday update isn’t all about Steam, though, and there are extra features for people not rocking a brand new Model S or Model X. That includes brand new apps like Apple Music, Zoom, Mahjong and the ability to schedule a multi-car light show. 

More productive changes include the ability to view a car’s interior when it’s in Dog or Sentry mode, Track Mode for better closed track performance and control, and a bunch more. You can read all about them here.

The update also comes with a setting that automatically deactivates turn signals after completing a lane change, fork or merge, which should prove very useful as well. Tesla's bizarre turn signal design, and the fact they don’t always click off when you need them to, is one of my biggest pet peeves about the cars.

That’s exactly what I did during my recent vacation, a ten-day trip to Orlando, Florida. Normally I drive a Nissan Leaf, a small but serviceable electric car, and the prospect of switching to a combustion engine vehicle didn't really appeal. Least of all because I was booking this trip around the time gasoline prices were at record highs.

Fortunately, I was able to secure myself one of the best electric cars, a Tesla Model Y, from Hertz, and for a not-so unreasonable price. I paid $101 a day and $1,010 overall, which was only around $250 more than the cheapest option available — which was some kind of compact hatchback. 

With car rental companies, Hertz in particular, starting to invest more in electrified fleets, you may find yourself renting an electric car sooner rather than later. So here’s how my whole trip with a Tesla went down.

Pre-trip jitters 

I’ve already spoken about this before, but the run-up to my trip did have me feeling a little anxious. The cause of that anxiety changed over the course of a couple of months, but there was one point where I had a little voice in the back of my head pestering me about charging. Which I knew was ridiculous, for a bunch of reasons. Least of all because I was staying in an area with no fewer than four Tesla Superchargers.

For someone that’s never driven an electric car before, I suspect those feelings would be considerably worse. I can’t tell you that your hypothetical future trips will all go smoothly in an EV, but what I can say is that Hertz is hell-bent on making sure people know how electric cars work before they pick them up.

In the four months between booking the car and arriving in Orlando, I got no fewer than 11 emails going over the intricacies of the Tesla Model Y, electric car driving and the whole recharging process. That’s as well as the usual waft of administrative emails detailing pick-up locations, checking in and so on.

I didn’t read a single one of those emails, to tell you the truth. I’ve already driven Teslas, know all about driving and charging electric cars, and had a deep dive into Hertz's EV-centric literature back when they announced their first plans to go electric. But that’s because my job requires it. For everyone else, provided you’re not a seasoned Tesla driver, there’s plenty to familiarize yourself with before you even get on a plane.

That said, no amount of reading is going to make you intimately familiar with the intricacies of Tesla driving. As I found out.

Getting used to driving a Tesla

Anyone that watched the first season of Good Girls may remember Dean (Matthew Lillard) referring to a Tesla as a “giant iPad”. That assessment is pretty accurate, because no matter what car you get into these days, everything is generally the same — with buttons, dials, levers and all those other things. Tesla’s extreme minimalism, on the other hand, makes it feel much more like a smartphone on wheels than an ordinary car.

Everything you may want to do while in the driver’s seat, aside from actually driving, requires advanced knowledge of how things work or a deep dive into the settings menu. Setting climate control, changing the speed of the wipers, adjusting the type of headlights you’re using, and so on. There’s a fairly steep learning curve that you usually don’t get with other cars.

Case in point: actually locking the car. Arriving in the parking garage, the Tesla I rented was already unlocked. Most airport rentals are in my experience, and it means the key lives inside the car. Arriving at our hotel, I realized I didn’t know how to lock it. Being a rental I didn’t have access to the Tesla app for proximity-based locking, and there’s no button-laden keyfob to lock and unlock at will.

It’s frustrating to realize something so basic has been changed to the point where you have to use Google to figure out what you’re supposed to do. Especially after you’ve been up 16 hours, spent 10 of those hours on a plane, and the temperature is around 85 degrees.

It’s also worth noting that this is the first time I’ve driven a Tesla in the United States. That has its own challenges, on the road and inside the car. Particularly where the side mirrors are concerned — and how hilariously small they felt.

I had to do a little digging into this, because I never had that problem in a Tesla back home. Like a lot of things, it was all down to the different regulatory standards across the world. European mirrors are wider and cover a lot more of your blind spot, while American mirrors are built to offer a more realistic view behind you.

Not that I ever found this an issue the last time I was driving in the U.S., rocking around in a Ford Fiesta. Then again, I shouldn’t be too surprised that there are rubbish mirrors when Tesla’s CEO has been trying to replace them with cameras for nearly a decade. There’s a hi-tech solution to make up for it, of course, but it took me several drives to even notice that a live camera feed switches on every time you hit the turn signal.

Tesla Autopilot proved its worth 

While autonomous driver assistance systems are not uncommon these days, Autopilot is still one of Tesla’s defining features. It’s also standard, and unlike other automakers it’s not exclusive to the most expensive trims. Rental Teslas are apparently no exception, though they only come with the Basic Autopilot package.

 Naturally, no rental company is going to shell out a minimum of $6,000 to upgrade to Enhanced Autopilot or $15K for Full Self Driving. No matter what special features might come with it. If you want to try those, you’ll have to go to a Tesla dealership for a test drive.

Driving to Disney World from where I was staying (near Universal) involved a drive between 11 and 15 miles, the majority of which was down a particularly straight section of Interstate-4. Needless to say, it was the perfect opportunity to put Autopilot to work — especially when it was getting busy. 

Autopilot gave me the opportunity to fully concentrate on my surroundings, rather than worry about my speed limit and how close I am to the lane markings. Things that could have been made easier had the car come with a few simple things — including wider mirrors and a driver display behind the wheel. 

I always forget how big the Tesla Model Y really is. Images on the Tesla website would have you believe it’s not that much larger than a Model 3, but that’s not the case. It’s a big car, and the uninitiated might assume it’s the Model X — Tesla’s full-size SUV.

My own Nissan Leaf is not a large car, but it’s not exactly small. Despite this, it feels dwarfed by the Model Y, which is taller, longer and (crucially) wider. Switching to a wider car always has me on edge at first, because it’s a little harder to gauge where my car is positioned. That was amplified by the fact I was driving from the left-hand side of the car for the first time in almost four years.

Naturally, the I-4 would have been a lot more harrowing, given the sheer amount of high-speed traffic around me, had I not been able to let Autopilot keep the car in the center of the lane. We may be a long way off fully-autonomous cars that can out-drive a human being in every situation, but those little advances make the driving experience all the more better. 

My only complaint was that the car didn’t like the merging lanes. The fact they were so wide seemingly confused the Autopilot system, and the car kept trying to move into the middle when that’s the absolute last thing it should have been doing.

Charging was the least of my worries 

No matter my, or anyone’s, thoughts on Tesla, there’s no denying that their cars offer a fantastic amount of range. Over 300 miles for most of its cars, including the Long Range Model Y I had to hand.

A trip to Orlando doesn’t usually involve a lot of long distance driving, especially after I had to cancel the 112-mile round trip to Kennedy Space Center (thanks, Hurricane Nicole). I managed to clock in 278 miles of driving over the course of the 10 days. Sadly, I still had to recharge and didn’t manage to get close to the full 330 miles quoted by Tesla. But considering most of the driving was on highways and with some pretty high AC, that’s to be expected.

I only had to do a proper recharge once, followed by a minor top-up of around 15% on our last day to make sure we got to the airport. Since there was a Supercharger at the end of the street, next to the nearest gas station, the act of charging didn’t really take much time out of the trip.

This location was a semi-deliberate choice, since car charging availability was on my list of criteria when picking a hotel. All the hotels that offered their own chargers to guests were out of my price range, but staying 2-3 minutes drive from a Supercharger is the next best thing.

Though the route I had to take from the hotel parking lot was a little winding and complex. One thing I’ve noticed is that Orlando certainly hates drivers making left turns, and I had to spend a lot of time waiting at lights whenever it needed doing.

I’ll be honest, I didn’t pay any attention to the cost of charging when I was plugged in. In fact I don’t actually recall seeing the price per kWh anywhere, even on the car itself, just the total for the current charging session.

It is possible to see how much a Supercharger costs from the car’s navigation screen, but that information never entered my brain. Assuming I even saw it at all.

Unlike chargers that require you to pay there and then, either by car or via some sort of app, Tesla chargers have an automatic plug & charge system. Since each Tesla is unique, and tied to a specific account, Tesla-owned chargers automatically bill the owner. So the price isn’t that visible because Tesla must assume you will either check the navigation system or refer back to your receipt when the session is over.

Not being my car I never actually got a receipt, with Hertz (initially) footing the bill. Those costs are naturally passed onto the driver — and the company has promised not to add any markup of their own.

All in all, I ended up paying $15.17 for what little charging I did. Which isn’t bad considering I picked up the car at 98% and returned it on 23%, 278 miles of driving later. My estimate is that even if I had gone to Cape Canaveral, as I had originally planned, I wouldn’t have had to pay more than double that price.

Of course if you’d rather pay as you charge, and don’t mind waiting around for a slower charging session, there was a J1772 adapter in the trunk for use with non-Tesla AC chargers. I didn’t bother with that, given how little I had to recharge and how close the Supercharger actually was.

Oh, and the fact that there’s no fuel in the car means you don’t have to return it with a full tank. Hertz simply asks that it be returned with at least 10% of its battery, letting you walk away without worrying about being billed again.

I didn't quite get the full Tesla experience 

Remember how I likened the Model Y to a big iPad? Because the Tesla has so much hidden away in the central touchscreen, there’s an adjustment period to try and figure out what’s hiding away in the depths of various menus.

If you own or lease the car, then you have an incentive to go for a deep dive and find all the various features and settings that are right for you — though even then you’ll miss stuff. If you’re in a rental Tesla, and only have the car for a brief period, there’s little incentive to do that. So long as you can safely drive it around for the duration of your trip. 

I did go into the settings, ever so briefly, but that was primarily to increase the strength of the regenerative braking system. I’m used to using a one-pedal driving system at home, and I already knew the Model Y could do the same. Once that was done I barely looked at the settings for the rest of the trip, only doing a cursory glance round while I was waiting for the car to charge.

Similarly, because it’s not your car, you can’t hook it into the Tesla app and all the features that it has to offer — like proximity locking, remote access and so on. Remotely setting the climate control, or locating the car, would have been a huge help. Florida weather is not particularly comfortable, even in November, and locating a black SUV in a giant parking lot full of black trucks and SUVs is no easy task.

Then again, the same is true of most rentals. You may get to drive it around for the duration of your trip, but you don’t quite get the feel of what it’s like to actually own one.

Bottom line 

If you’re not familiar with electric cars, then renting one is more like an extended test drive than anything else. It’s not the full picture of what you can or can’t do, but it’s a good look at what would be involved if you bought an EV for yourself. 

For me, I certainly have no regrets about renting a Tesla over some other car. It was not the cheapest available option, but it meant I could still enjoy all the great benefits of an electric vehicle. Not to mention all the hi-tech options like Autopilot, which made the long stretches of road considerably easier to handle. 

Plus, I could be safe in the knowledge that I wasn’t burning any gasoline to get around, nor was I at the mercy of the local gas prices. You couldn’t say the same for a Ford Focus or some equally small car a rental company would have on offer.

Read Next: Why I'd never buy a Tesla

I bring this up because Tesla has started selling its home charging stations at Best Buy. That’s the very first time a third party has offered the charger separate from an installation package — suggesting Tesla may be getting more serious about getting more Tesla chargers out in the world.

It’s easy to deduce why Tesla would have a vested interest in expanding the reach of its own charger — especially if it’s able to earn money licensing the technology to other companies. While it’s hard to imagine other automakers will ditch the Combined Charging System (CCS) which is an open standard, more widespread adoption could still be beneficial for electric cars and drivers alike.

Tesla’s charger trumps CCS in a lot of key ways

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t believe there’s any point in taking sides in an argument over what kind of plug is best. CCS is an open charging standard, meaning it’s available to pretty much everyone, and has become the default DC charger for cars across the world.

Meanwhile Tesla’s NACS plug is proprietary In other words it can only be used by Tesla and any companies that come to some sort of licensing agreement. It’s also only in use in North America, since Teslas outside the continent use alternative plugs — CCS Combo 2 in Europe and Australia, while China uses Type 2 AC and the local GB/T DC standard.

Despite the position as the “default” car charger across the world, many electric car enthusiasts will tell you that CCS isn’t all that great for a number of reasons. The plug itself is very big and rather bulky, with a noticeable separation between the AC and DC components. Other limitations include a maximum charging speed of 350 kW and no standardized Plug & Charge features as of yet — though some carmakers, like Rivian, offer this on their own chargers.

Tesla NACS chargers have a single connection for AC and DC, which Tesla claims is half the size and weight of CCS with no moving parts. Looking at it, it's not hard to see how much sleeker and more minimalist the design is. Tesla also claims that the NACS is capable of supporting speeds up to 1 MW, though Tesla Superchargers are currently limited to 250 kW and megawatt speeds are reserved for the Tesla Semi trucks.

CharIN, the organisation responsible for CCS development, readily admits that it hasn’t cracked megawatt charging and that it will be necessary for electrifying trucks, buses and other heavy duty electric vehicles. But right now the Megawatt Charging System (MCS) is still in the development stage.

Tesla rivals aren’t likely to get on board 

Advantages or not, suggesting that rival automakers adopt the Tesla charging solution is a big ask. After all, it would be ceding control of charging technology to a rival company and particularly when that rival, despite a small dip in market share, is such a dominant player in the American EV market.

It would be like asking Android phone makers to adopt Apple’s Lightning connection.

Stranger things have happened, though. Aptera, the startup responsible for the bizarre-looking solar-powered Aptera Paradigm Plus, has been talking about how great the tesla charger is for several months — even going so far as to launch a petition demanding it become the North American standard. It’s no surprise that the company has since confirmed its car will use a Tesla NACS charger.

Of course there’s a very big difference between a startup and an established automaker. Especially since we don’t know the specifics about how a company could go about adopting the NACS charger. Tesla may have made design and specification documents freely available, but there’s no word on whether it’s free to implement or if a licensing agreement is necessary.

One key point to mention is that having a NACS charger doesn’t automatically mean you can use a Tesla Supercharger. Software locks prevent unauthorized use, and there’s no getting around them without Tesla’s go ahead. Supercharging is arguably the best reason to adopt NACS, and making the switch wouldn't make much sense without it.

However the act of charging may be where this decision can do its best work.

Adding Tesla plugs to non-Tesla chargers is better for everyone 

Getting its rivals to build cars with an NACS plug is likely to be an uphill battle for Tesla. The same is not true for the many charging networks across the United States, the majority of which are currently unable to cater to Tesla drivers.

As it stands, Tesla drivers primarily use Tesla chargers when they’re out on the road. Third party chargers don’t have the right plug, after all, and though adapters may exist they have to be purchased separately. But should this change, then a whole new world of charging options will be available to Tesla drivers

Crucially that can be done without denying access to people who recharge via CCS. Dual-cable chargers are not rare, as anyone who drives a Nissan Leaf can attest. There are a large number of charging stations that offer CCS and CHAdeMO rapid charging.

A non-Tesla charging network rolling out waves of NACS chargers can, in theory, grow their potential base of customers by a very large amount. As said before, Teslas are still the dominant figures in the American electric car market, with Tesla claiming NACS-ready cars out number CCS-equipped models two to one. Those drivers need to charge, and their money is just as valid as money from someone in a Chevy Bolt.

It’s already happened too, with EVgo announcing it was adding 600 Tesla chargers to its network back in February 2021. Tesla also knows that the opposite is true. While there were other factors in its decision to begin opening up the Supercharger network, it is able to make money from those cars — and charge more money in the process.

Assuming the NACS is as open as Tesla suggests, there’s nothing to stop all charging networks getting to work adding extra cables to their own chargers. It’s not clear how quickly this could happen. However a large group of new prospective customers could help push charging networks to install even more chargers in areas that need them.

It’s a win for everyone. Tesla gets the benefit of additional chargers for its drivers, without having to build or manage them, while charging companies have a brand new pool of customers to generate revenue. Plus if it leads to more chargers in more locations, then it’s even better for all the non-Tesla drivers of the world.

That benefit should be even more pronounced, should Tesla ever integrate CSS charging cables at Supercharger sites — something Elon Musk has suggested may be in the works.

But let’s try not to further fragment the charging infrastructure 

Of course this scenario is reliant on all these things coming together, and not just leading to charging networks neglecting CCS in favor of appealing to the Tesla-driving masses. The last thing you want is a situation where CCS becomes the new CHAdeMO. 

Depending on where you are, finding an available (and functional) CHAdeMO charger can be a challenge. That’s because most non-Teslas have CCS, and the Nissan Leaf is the only car that still uses CHAdeMO with any great frequency. I’ve had first-hand experience with this problem, and it isn’t fun.

Thankfully it’s hard to imagine other major car companies would pivot away from CCS anytime soon. Not unless there’s a huge shift in the industry. I also can’t imagine Tesla will ever ditch the NACS, certainly not that it’s trying to push it as the standard. You only need to take a quick glance around Tesla forums and Subreddits to find people criticising CCS for one reason or another — especially the way it looks. 

So if NACS and CCS are going to exist side-by-side, then they might as well co-exist peacefully. Because arguing over who’s plug is best is pretty redundant, and there isn’t going to be a single unified electric car charger then we might as well make sure both are universally available.

We know about this discount thanks to an update on Tesla's inventory page, and some chatter over on Reddit. Multiple users have confirmed they’ve been told about this discount via email and contacting Tesla about existing orders. According to one post, there are no restrictions based on income or vehicle MSRP, just that you need to take delivery of a Model 3 or Model Y before the end of the year.

Sounds pretty good, right? That end of year deadline won’t be a coincidence, though, since January 1 is the day new electric car tax credit rules are expected to come into force. Those rules remove the existing sales cap, and means some Tesla models will join the list of electric cars still eligible for the EV tax credit for the first time since the end of 2019.

However, incoming price caps mean that cars with an MSRP over a certain amount won’t be eligible — $55,000 for electric cars and $85,000 for electric trucks and SUVs. For Tesla that means three cars will be eligible: the standard Model 3, the Long Range Model; Y and the Performance Model Y.

Herein lies the catch of Tesla’s new discount. There are people out there who have held off on ordering a Tesla in order to claim that discount. I previously argued that now is the worst time to buy a Tesla for that very reason.

It’s impossible to say how many of these people exist, but it seems there are enough of them that Tesla feels some sort of sales incentive is necessary. The elephant in the room is that the $3,750 is half the value of the full $7,500 tax credit.

Should you take the Tesla discount or wait for the tax credit?

So the question is, is this worth taking advantage of? It could be, depending on your personal circumstances. If you are getting a Tesla Model 3 or Model Y delivered this month regardless, then the discount is a no brainer. But if you aren’t already doing that, and you were planning on taking advantage of the tax credit, then things get a little tricky.

One of the big points is that Tesla seems to suggest that all Model 3 and Model Y cars are eligible for this discount. That’s important because the Long Range and Performance Model 3s are not eligible for the revamped tax credit, because they cost too much. That means taking a discount is the most sensible option; just double check the eligibility with a Tesla rep before you make any commitments.

Likewise, come January, the EV tax credit will come with an income cap. So earning too much means you won’t be allowed the credit, no matter what car you buy. That cap is $150K for single filers, $225K for heads of households and $300K for joint filings. So if you earn too much, you may as well take the discount now.

It’s also worth pointing out that the tax credit is worth up to $7,500. Tax credits reduce the income tax you owe to the state and federal governments, and the EV tax credit can only be used once. So if you don’t owe more than $7,500 in income tax, you won’t benefit from the full amount. But if you’re likely to owe more than $3,750, it might still be worthwhile waiting until January to claim your Tesla.

Just remember that you don’t get the benefit of that tax credit until you file your taxes. The discount is applied immediately, at the point of sale. So you’ll need to decide whether you’re happy to wait and potentially get more out of the tax credit, or if you’d rather get a cash discount right away. Again, that’s a personal decision that all depends on your financial circumstances.

Bottom line

One final point is that there’s likely to be a rush of orders for the Model 3 and Model Y come January, as people attempt to get themselves a slightly discounted Tesla. That means Tesla wait times are likely to increase in the new year, whereas you could easily receive one of the eligible cars pretty soon. 

At the moment Tesla estimates a December delivery for the standard Model 3 and performance Model 3 and Model Y. The Long Range Model Y is expected between now and March, while orders for the Long Range model 3 are closed until next year. There may also be inventory near you, if you’re willing to take a pre-built car. 

Tesla doesn’t offer discounts very often, especially given its car prices have been slowly increasing over the past couple of years. So this is a pretty exceptional deal that’s on offer right now, no doubt done to try and help Tesla boost its end of year sales ahead of the changes to the tax credit. And there’s no reason why you shouldn’t take advantage of that, if it works for you.

Parler and Donald Trump’s Truth Social have previously been blocked by the two dominant app marketplaces for prioritizing free speech over content moderation. And while both have now been readmitted after making concessions, it’s possible that Twitter’s path could see it being blocked by Google Play and the App Store, too.

So what would Musk do if that happened? While other free-speech-focused apps have taken a more hands-on approach to moderation in response, Musk claims he would take a less conciliatory approach.

“I certainly hope it does not come to that, but, yes, if there is no other choice, I will make an alternative phone,” he tweeted.

Elon Musk phone a serious threat?

How seriously should we take that? Both seriously and not at all.

Let’s start with the serious end. Musk remains the richest person on the planet, and he’s clearly a man who’s not above making impulsive decisions as buying Twitter while foregoing his right to due diligence shows. 

Essentially, nothing is stopping him from entering the smartphone world if he wants to, but despite the many eager responses and positive polls posted by Musk superfans in response, it would be a massive uphill struggle to get even a fraction of Apple and Google’s mobile OS market share. 

Between them, the two have the market entirely sewn up, having successfully elbowed out companies that aren’t exactly short of money such as BlackBerry and Microsoft. Even Amazon — with the massive advantage of having the world’s most popular e-commerce storefront for free promotion — crashed and burned when it attempted to enter the smartphone world, and the less said about the HTC and Facebook collaboration, the better.

Despite accepting Twitter polls as sufficient evidence to decide consequential Twitter policy, Musk will know that on-platform surveys spread amongst his biggest fans don’t exactly meet the standards of polling methodology. Voting ‘yes’ in a poll is not the same as getting your wallet out and pre-ordering a hypothetical (and likely expensive) product. 

Even if it were, making a smartphone isn’t exactly something that happens overnight. And with Musk privately not ruling out the possibility of Twitter going bankrupt, time wouldn’t be on his side were Apple and Google to pull the plug.

It’s also worth highlighting that Musk says a lot of things — especially on Twitter — and not all of it should be taken at face value. Most recently, he promised that no decisions about unbanning Twitter accounts would be made until a moderation council had formed — a pledge that lasted all of 22 days.

With that in mind, the phrasing of the tweet is important: “if there is no other choice” is quite a telling phrase. There are loads of possible choices, including tougher content moderation — the option that both Truth Social and Parler picked.

In short, yes, Musk could build his own phone, or one branded with Tesla or Starlink. But it’s hard to imagine executives at Apple or Google losing any sleep over the possibility — and even less chance of it having any impact on the decision to ban Twitter, should it be discussed. 

If that was the intention of the tweet, then it feels more than a little misguided.

Despite the fact there have been some Autopilot-induced Tesla recalls over the years, it remains one of the major benefits of owning a tesla — alongside access to the Tesla Supercharger network.

When you're driving with Autopilot, it almost feels like the car is driving itself. But it relies on you being able to know what it can do and, crucially, how to use everything correctly. So, whether you're already a Tesla driver or are thinking about braving the Tesla wait times to purchase one, here's how to use Tesla Autopilot.

How to use Tesla Autopilot

Once you're out on the road, activating and using Tesla Autopilot is incredibly easy. But it does differ depending on which kind of Tesla you have. Here's how to get things going.

How to activate Tesla Autopilot on Tesla Model 3 and Model Y

1. Locate the gear stalk on the right-hand side of the steering wheel.

2. Pull the stalk down twice in quick succession. 

3. The car will beep at you twice, and both the gray steering wheel icon and lane markers on your center display will turn blue.

4. Turn the steering wheel's right scroll wheel up and down to adjust maximum speed, or left and right to adjust stopping distance.

5. To deactivate, gently press the brake pedal or push the gear stalk up. It's possible to disengage Autosteer, but not traffic aware cruise control, by gently turning the wheel.

How to activate Tesla Autopilot on Tesla Model S and Model X

1. Press in on the scroll wheel on the right side of the steering yoke. Press twice if the traffic aware cruise control option is enabled in the car's settings.

2. Older versions of both cars will have a dedicated stalk for cruise control to the left of the steering wheel. Pull this down twice in quick succession to activate Autopilot — as you would with a Model 3 or Model Y.

3. Once Autopilot engages, the car will beep twice at you, with both the steering wheel icon and lane markers on the driver display turning blue.

4.  Maximum speed can be adjusted by turning the same scroll wheel up and down. Following distance can only be adjusted from the Autopilot menu on the central display

5. To disengage Autopilot by pressing the scroll wheel again, or gently press the brake pedal. If TACC is enabled in the settings, you can deactivate Autosteer and leave cruise control on by gently turning the yoke.

How to use Tesla Autopilot's Auto Lane Change

Unlike activating Autopilot, which differs slightly based on the Tesla model you're driving, Auto Lane Change is exactly the same across all four types of Tesla. Here's how to use it:

1. Go into the Autopilot settings and make sure the Auto Lane Change option is enabled.

2. Once driving, activate Autopilot and Autosteer.

3. Check your mirrors and blind spot, waiting for a gap in traffic.

4. Activate your turn signal as you normally would.

5. Allow your car to automatically switch lanes, but keep watch to ensure you don't need to retake control.

How to use Tesla Autopilot's Autopark and Summon features

Parking can be kind of a drag, but your Tesla Autopilot can handle most of the hard stuff for you — even going to far as to locate suitable parking spaces. Here's how:

1. Make sure you're driving slowly — under 15 mph for parallel parking and under 10 mph for perpendicular parking. This will cause the Tesla to automatically search for potential parking locations.

2. Look for the gray P icon on your instrument panel or center display. This appears when your car locates a suitable parking spot.

3. Press the brake and shift into reverse. Keep your foot on the brake.

4. Select "Start Autopark" when it appears on the center display.

5. Release the brake and steering wheel.

Summon essentially does this in reverse. Here's how to get your Tesla out of those awkward parking spaces:

1. Open the Tesla app.

2. Press "Summon" followed by the forward or reverse buttons, depending on how your car needs to pull out. Model S or Model X owners can also achieve this by holding the center of their key fob for three seconds, followed by the frunk (forwards) or trunk (backwards) button.

3. Get out of the way while your car maneuvers out of its parking space.

Smart Summon takes this a step further, allowing you to remotely summon your Tesla from its parking spot to your location. There are limits to the distance it will travel, but it saves you hunting down your car.

1. Open the Tesla app.

2. Press "Smart Summon"

3. Choose either "Come to Me" to summon the car to your location. Alternatively press the target button, choose a location on the map, and hold the "Go to Target" button. In both cases you will need to keep hold of the button until your car arrives at the right spot.

Tesla Autopilot vs Traffic Aware Cruise Control

Tesla Autopilot in its current form is what's known as a Level 2 autonomous driving system. The broad definition of this is that the car is able to simultaneously control steering and acceleration without driver input — but not to the extent that the driver can stop paying attention. For a more detailed breakdown, here's what all the levels of autonomous driving mean.

Traffic Aware Cruise Control (TACC) is Tesla's name for adaptive cruise control — a level 1 autonomous system. The key difference here is that level 1 systems can control acceleration and steering, just not at the same time. But it differentiates itself from classic cruise control because it can react to other cars on the road.

On an empty road, TACC will accelerate to whatever maximum speed the driver has set. Should you find yourself behind a slower car, TACC will automatically brake and adjust that speed to avoid driving into the back of it. Should the car in front of you turn off the road, or if you overtake it, the system will automatically start accelerating to the previous top speed.

TACC is a crucial part of the Autopilot system, but on its own it still relies on the driver to control the car's position. It's only once Autosteer is engaged that the car is able to start doing that by itself. That way the car can keep itself between definite lane markings, even when the road itself isn't completely straight.

And no, you can't have Autosteer on without cruise control. That's not the way the system is set up.

When you can use Tesla Autopilot

The main thing to remember about Tesla Autopilot is that it won't engage if the right conditions aren't met. Generally speaking, the car will happily engage Autosteer features so long as it can detect clear lane markings — as you would on any highway or major road. 

However the fact Autopilot can be engaged doesn't mean Autopilot should be engaged. Remember, despite its name the system is not truly autonomous, and in its basic form is little more than an advanced cruise control.

Autopilot is best suited to long stretches of relatively straight road, without lots of tight turns and bends. 

Also be aware that some features are locked behind different Autopilot tiers. Auto Lane Change, for instance, is part of the $6,000 Enhanced Autopilot package. Meanwhile, Traffic light and stop sign controls are exclusive to the Full Self Driving Autopilot — which currently costs $15,000. Make sure you know the difference between the two before you drive.

If conditions are suitable for Autopilot, then you'll see a gray steering wheel appear on the driver information display. Meanwhile the TACC availability symbol takes the form of your set maximum speed, also in gray. Both of these will turn blue when their respective system is engaged.

On the Model S and Model X, you can find both symbols on the instrument cluster next to your speedometer. In the Model 3 and Model Y they can be found at the very top of the central display, on the driver's side.

TACC can be activated even if Autopilot isn't available, but if those symbols don't appear then the Autopilot system won't engage — no matter how many times you try.

Tesla Autopilot has its limits

Despite what Tesla's branding may suggest, there are no truly autonomous cars on the road by now. Instead, what we have are autonomous driver assistance systems (ADAS). To the casual observer it does appear as though the car is driving itself, but there are some serious limitations to what an ADAS system can actually do.

While they're really good at following pre-programmed instructions in optimal conditions, any variation can throw a wrench in the works. That's why all car companies, including Tesla, try to emphasize the fact that there has to be an alert driver behind the wheel and ready to take control at all times.

Because there will be situations where the car can't react correctly, or does something stupid that a regular human driver wouldn't dream of doing. The many reports of phantom braking in Teslas and non-Teslas alike are the perfect example of this.

So when the car tells you that you to keep your hands on the wheel, there's a very good reason for it. You absolutely should not try and trick the car into thinking otherwise, nor should you do anything than pay attention to the road ahead. That includes texting, playing games on the Tesla's screen or having a nap on the back seat.

No car company is stranger to recalls, but the increasing number of Tesla recalls is catching peoples' attention. CEO Elon Musk has been critical of this, because the issues aren't recalls in the truest sense, and are typically fixed over the air without any physical work. But he doesn't make the rules. Still, when the automaker has to pull features from the already-controversial Full Self Driving beta, it makes a bad problem look even worse.

Here are all the latest Tesla recalls, and everything you need to know.

April 25: Study claims Tesla is the most recalled car brand

A recent study from iSeeCars has identified Tesla as the most recalled car brand on the market. The Model Y has experienced the most recalls, while the Model 3, Model X and Model S came in third, fourth and fifth position. Second place was given to the Porsche Panamera. 

iSeeCars came to this conclusion by investigating the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's recall list between 2014 and 2023. The goal of which was to figure out which cars and the most, or least, recalls over that period.

Coming in second is Porsche, which also has four of the most recalled models, while Volkswagen has 2. Brands like Lexus, Mercedes and Toyota have at least one car on the list. You can read the full results over at InsideEVs.

April 5:  Tesla Semi is being recalled over brake issues

The tesla Semi truck has only been out on the roads since December, but it's already suffering through its first recall. The issue here is a faulty parking brake, and unlike many Tesla recalls can't be fixed with an over-the-air update.

According to the NHTSA, the faulty lies in the valve module inside the electronic parking brake itself. Apparently that valve doesn't always engage, which would cause the truck to move when the brake pedal is released. 

Tesla will be replacing the valve module with new components designed to prevent air leakage that would otherwise prevent the parking brake from activating properly.

February 20: 362,000 Teslas recalled over Full-Self Driving issues

Tesla has recalled over 362,000 U.S. vehicles in order to update the Full-Self Driving Beta, after reports that the system could be responsible for crashes — thanks to it not following traffic safety laws.

According to the NHTSA the FSD beta software allowed Tesla cars to "exceed speed limits or travel through intersections in an unlawful or unpredictable manner increases the risk of a crash." 

Tesla has publicly disagreed with the assessment, but would be issuing the recall based on the regulator's request. The recall affects 2016-2023 Model S and Model X cars, 2017-2023 Model 3s and 2020-2023 Model Ys that have the FSD Beta installed. 

More from Tom's Guide

• Tesla Model Y review: This is the Tesla you'll want to buy
• Tesla wait times — how long you'll wait
• Tesla Cybertruck price, rumored release date, interior, specs and more

But It might be possible to get around those limitations with some technical wizardry.

Michał Gapiński, the same programmer who figured out how to run Apple CarPlay on a Tesla back in January, is back with a new update for the Tesla Android project. A lot has changed since the start of the year, and not only has Gapiński published a detailed how-to, it’s clear that the process also ensures it’s possible to get Android Auto running on a Tesla as well.

However, it’s not an easy process, and requires a Raspberry Pi 4 and a willingness to dig around in Tesla’s software. But once you can get Android side-loaded onto the Tesla it means you can access both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay through the car’s browser.

The video above only shows the Tesla running CarPlay, with no sign of Android Auto. But Gapiński’s instructional how-to does make it clear that the process can be used to run both pieces of automotive software. If anything Android Auto should be easier to run in a stable way, since it’s a native Android app.

That said, it doesn’t matter which of the two bits of software you actually want to use. Installing Tesla Android looks like a lengthy and rather technical process. So it is absolutely not designed for people who don’t know what they’re doing. There’s also no telling what kind of impact this tinkering will have on your warranty. So proceed at your own risk.

Owners of the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y will already know how important the central display is. Since Tesla, bizarrely, thinks its two cheapest cars don’t need driver information displays behind the wheel, everything runs through that 15-inch panel — including your current driving speed.

Fortunately, the fact Tesla Android runs through the browser, which is an official feature on the infotainment system, means a good third of the screen is unaffected. So you’ll still be able to see all the vital information you need.

There are standalone displays, powered by a standard 12-volt car socket, that can access Android Auto and CarPlay on their own. They can cost a few hundred dollars, but they’re usually easy to set up and use.

None of this would be necessary if Tesla offered support for both apps in the first place. It’s one of the only automakers that doesn’t offer support for either, meaning users have to pay for the company’s Premium Connectivity package ($10 a month, or $99 a year) to get anything more than basic navigation in their car. 

Android Auto and CarPlay are a lot more limited and lack many of the same features as a Tesla, like intelligent navigation which automatically adds charging stops on long trips. But it would be nice to have a little choice, without needing to deep dive into unofficial hacks. No matter how impressive they may be.

The Tesla Model S Plaid is the current flagship of the Tesla line-up, and one of the most Tesla-y cars yet. The Model S has always been at the forefront, but the new Plaid trim takes that to brand new heights.

Much of the emphasis is on speed and power, with Tesla boasting that the car is among the fastest production cars ever to hit the streets. Plus you get all the same hi-tech features Tesla is known for, including crazy amounts of range and the Autopilot autonomous driver assistance system. Here's everything you need to know about the Tesla Model S Plaid, including price, availability, interior and the all-too-impressive 0-60 time.

Tesla Model S Plaid: Price and availability

The Tesla Model S Plaid is available now, following Tesla's June 10 2021 'delivery event'. Following a hefty price cut, it's available to purchase for $119,000

The Model S Plaid can be purchased directly from Tesla, with a non-refundable order fee of $100. Current Tesla wait times estimate delivery will happen between January and February. Meanwhile the standard $94,990 Model S will arrive is roughly the same amount of time if you'd rather prioritize range over speed.

Tesla Model S Plaid: Performance and top speed

The thing that sets the Model S apart from the rest of the Model S range is its speed and power. “Beyond Ludicrous” is the term Tesla uses on its website, a reference to the Ludicrous Speed” scene from Spaceballs. 

While previous Model S cars have only had two motors, the Plaid and Plaid Plus have three. This means the Model S Plaid has 1,020 horsepower, a top speed of 200 miles per hour, and can go from 0-60 mph in 1.99 seconds. According to Tesla, that makes it the “quickest accelerating car in production today," 

Tesla also announced that the Model S Plaid had broken the world quarter-mile speed record back in June, managing the distance in just 9.2 seconds.

That all tracks with the Model S Plaid’s performance at the Laguna Seca racetrack in California. Unconfirmed reports claim that the car managed to set a new record by completing a full lap in 1:29:92 — the first time an EV has managed to come in under 1:30. That also beats the car’s previous time by 0.4 seconds.

On top of this the Model S Plaid includes Tesla's new 'Palladium' motor, which uses carbon-sleeved rotors that promise to boost power and efficiency, while also decreasing the overall size. Coupled with a new drag coefficient of 0.208 it means the  Model S Plaid is going to avoid wasting those precious watts to get you places.

Elon Musk also revealed a new heating system which will benefit prospective Tesla owners in colder regions. Apparently the new system makes the car 30% more efficient in cold climates, and requires 50% less energy to heat the cabin in freezing conditions

Tesla Model S Plaid: Design and features

Both Model S Plaid models appear pretty much identical to one another, and the existing Model S. Which makes sense, because on the outside they are all the same car. 

You get the same old Sedan frame everyone is familiar with, with all those same options. Aerodynamics, style, a choice of 19- or 21-inch wheels, it’s all there. You also get the same 28 cubic feet of cargo space, a secure front trunk and room inside for five adults.

You get all the usual features you’d expect from a Model S. That includes the tinted glass sunroof, Sentry Mode. mobile app control, a choice of yoke or wheeled steering, 22-speaker audio, wireless charging, HEPA air filtering, heated seats and steering wheel, and an array of hi-resolution displays.

Both the Tesla Model S Plaid comes with Autopilot as standard, which gives your car limited control over steering, acceleration, blind spot alerts and braking within a lane. 

You’re also able to add “Full Self Driving” Autopilot for an additional $15,000, which packs in lane change assist and auto navigation on the highway. If that is too much money, you can always opt for the $199 a month FSD subscription service which gives you all the same features for significantly less money. And there's no obligation or contracts, so you can cancel it anytime you like

Full Self Driving is not full driver-free autonomy, though, so always make sure to pay attention to the road.

The Tesla Model S Plaid was also speculated to include retractable spoiler, which emphasizes just how powerful and lightweight the car actually is. However, it doesn't appear as though this particular feature made it past the prototype stage and can't be found on production models.

Tesla Model S Plaid: Interior

The Tesla Model S Plaid includes a 12.3-inch driver display, 8-inch second row display, and the 17-inch infotainment touchscreen. That infotainment display includes a 10 teraflop gaming computer, and wireless controller compatibility.

Tesla has also redesigned the interior for a more comfortable ride. The front seats now have more headroom and legroom, while the backseats have more space in general. The new model also comes with hidden air vents, and like the Model 3 and Model Y users can control where the air flows using one of the car's two touchscreens.

The Model S Plaid's infotainment system has had a major graphical overhaul, with a brand new customizable user interface and improved gesture control. That way it should be easier to control the various features inside the car mid-drive. Sadly there's no changing the fact that touchscreens are not very tactile, and are significantly harder to use accurately when you're not looking at them.

Buyers also get a year’s free access to Tesla’s Premium Connectivity, which offers internet browsing, music streaming, ‘Careoke’, video streaming service access, live traffic and satellite-view maps.

Finally Elon Musk confirmed that the audio system has been upgraded, and now features 22 adaptive speakers throughout the car. Not only will Tesla be able to improve quality via over the air updates, the system will alter the audio to best suit whatever content is playing at the time.

Tesla Model S Plaid: Battery and range

The Tesla Model S Plaid is reported to have a 95kWh battery, which Tesla claims will offer up to 396 miles of range. That’s less than the long range Model S, which offers 405 miles on a single charge. However, that model isn’t nearly as fast.

The car is set to be compatible with Tesla’s 250kW superchargers, which promises to offer 187 miles of range in just 15 minutes. Musk hinted that Tesla would be developing faster chargers in the future, with “280 kW, 300 kW and eventually 350 kW” speeds. But there's no timeline, and there's no telling whether those speeds will even be available on the current Model S Plaid.

Tesla Model S Plaid Plus?

Originally Tesla had planned to release two Model S Plaid cars, the standard Plaid which has just launched and a more powerful "Plaid Plus". The Plaid Plus was set to arrive in mid-2022, with a significantly higher $144,490 price tag.

However the upgraded model had been greyed out ever since Tesla confirmed the Plaid's June launch, before Elon Musk confirmed that the car had been cancelled.

Musk's reasoning was that the standard Plaid was "more than good enough", which means the Plaid Plus wasn't necessary. He later clarified that he was specifically talking about range, claiming more than 400 miles of range on a car isn't needed. 

“What we are seeing is that once you have a range above 400 miles, more range doesn’t really matter", Musk said. "There are essentially zero trips above 400 miles where the driver doesn’t need to stop for restroom, food, coffee, etc. anyway.”  

So what was the difference? In addition to offering an extended 520 miles of range (powered by the 115kWh battery pack, the Plaid Plus was designed to be a lot more powerful than the standard Plaid model.

That includes 1,100 horsepower, and what was alleged to be the fastest 0-60 (under 1.99 seconds) and quarter mile acceleration of any production car ever made.

Inside we were looking at the exact same car, albeit significantly more expensive. But, sadly, it's not meant to be. If you want something better than the Model S Plaid, you're going to have to wait until 2023 and pick up the $200,000 2nd gen Tesla Roadster.

Tesla Model S Plaid: Outlook

The Tesla Model S Plaid doesn't change much about Tesla's premium sedan, but the changes that have been made are still very important. The range of the Model S Plaid is particularly impressive, and proves that despite the increased number of electric cars on the road Tesla still has them beat.

While one could argue that speed and acceleration aren't particularly important in a road car, those improvements still matter too. Not only is it another way the Tesla Model S Plaid manages to beat the competition, it also proves that you don't need to sacrifice power or speed to have an electric car. Which is more than enough to give those gasoline-fuelled sports cars a run for their money.

Teslascope, which digs around in the code for Tesla’s mobile app, found some code that suggests the referral program may be making a comeback. Specifically offering referrers the chance to earn free Supercharging, Tesla merch and even accessories for the vehicles. 

It’s quite a long way off the free Tesla Roadsters that were up for grabs in the past, but that particular reward was always problematic. It’s long-been suspected that offering the chance to win a free $250,000 car played a big part in Tesla suspending the referral program. Not to mention the fact that the second generation Roadsters have been saddled with delays, and still haven’t started rolling off the production line.

But hey, any referral bonuses are better than no referral bonuses. Especially since the current referral program only applies to people with Tesla’s solar products convincing others to buy more Tesla solar products. Which is great for promoting home solar power, but isn’t quite the same as earning free Supercharging miles.

There were rumors last year suggesting Tesla could restart its referral program, but nothing official has been announced until now. Not even CEO Elon Musk, who is notorious for seemingly making product announcements on Twitter when the mood strikes him, hasn’t said anything in public. 

The only thing we did hear was that Tesla was likely to get rid of the referral link. It wasn’t uncommon to see people spamming their referral links on social media, since it allowed the referrer and buyer to earn themselves free Supercharging. Instead sources claim the referral would transition to the Tesla app, and try to promote in-person referrals. 

How that would work isn’t clear, but it likely involved the prospective buyer downloading the Tesla app themselves. Which would be worth it, if it meant the chance to recharge for next to nothing for a few months. Especially given the high cost of Superchargers and other DC charging stations.

Why would Tesla do this now? 

While we have questions about the amount of charging that would be on offer, or the products Tesla would be willing to give away, that’s not the most pressing question. Instead we have to ask why Tesla would be relaunching its referral program, especially when it was originally suspended for its high cost.

Demand for electric vehicles has been incredible this year, thanks in part to the increase in gas prices. Combined with supply chain and production issues, it got to the point where Tesla wait times were getting out of control. 

Things have stabilized a bit more in recent weeks, though some models, notably the Model X, have wait times of several months. Tesla has also made a record number of deliveries in recent months.

So why would it need to encourage even more demand for its cars? There are a few possibilities, but the most notable is Tesla trying to tackle the increase in competition. All the other automakers have taken note of Tesla's success, and the majority are launching electric car lineups of their own. Some of them have been incredibly well received, which resulted in incredibly high demand. 

Giving customers incentives to promote its cars, especially given Musk’s proud boasting that Tesla doesn’t advertise in the traditional sense, is one way for the automaker to stay competitive. In any case we’ll have to see how this pans out, and what Tesla has in store for its existing and would-be customers. 

The Model X is a strong option for those looking for a full-size SUV and have money to burn, on top of ultra-premium features like long range and high performance. Meanwhile the Model Y offers a slightly more compact crossover build for a lot less money, but doesn't offer as much pep or driving range in the process.

Let's see how the Tesla Model X and Tesla Model Y compare.

Tesla Model X vs. Tesla Model Y: Overview

The Tesla Model X is one of the oldest models in the range, having followed the Tesla Model S and first being unveiled back in 2012. However, as is often the case with production at Tesla, initial cars didn't actually make it on to the streets until 2015.

Despite the early glitches, with the car’s characteristic Falcon Wing rear doors initially proving problematic, the Tesla Model X has become one of the automaker’s biggest success stories. Though there was a wobble a couple of years back, when wait times could see people waiting over a year for their order.

The Tesla Model Y is a newer car and, to some extent, has stolen a bit of the Model X’s thunder. It provides customers with a slightly smaller option, but keeps the same premium edge and performance appeal of the chunky SUV.

The Tesla Model Y first appeared in 2020, so while it's newer the other bonus is its leaner looks and slightly more refined feel compared to the Model X. In fact, it seems more attuned with the similarly tuned Model 3 sedan.

Tesla Model X vs. Tesla Model Y: Specs

Tesla Model X vs. Tesla Model Y: Price

The Tesla Model X can be ordered starting at $79,990 for the standard dual-motor model. You’ll pay a considerable premium for the Plaid Model X though, with a basic price of $94,990 currently. However, this does come with the benefit of seven seats and the triple-motor powertrain.

The Tesla Model Y is considerably cheaper than the Model X, though the actual price does bounce around a bit these days. Right now you'll be paying at least $44,990 for the long range rear wheel drive model, $47,990 for the long range with all wheel drive and $51,490 for the high-speed Performance option.

Both of these cars feature the all-wheel-drive dual motor configuration. As is the case with any Tesla in the range, it is also possible to add plenty of additional cost to your final order via a selection of options.

Both cars have been subject to significant wait times in the past, but Tesla appears to have picked up the slack. Both cars were the worst-affected Teslas, but the automaker has managed to shorten your wait for both cars down to just a couple of months.

Tesla Model X vs. Tesla Model Y: Design and interior

The Tesla Model X is perhaps still the model to go for if you want a bona fide SUV with all of the space that comes with it. In fact, it’ll seat up to seven people if you pick that particular seating configuration when you place your order.

Tesla’s Model Y doesn't offer quite the same sort of accommodating interior although it’s still roomy, with seats for five in the Performance edition. However, the design is available as a seven-seat option too, which is available to order for the All Wheel Drive Long Range model for an extra $2,000.

In terms of overall interior cargo space it’s pretty unsurprising to see that the bulkier Tesla Model X has 91 cubic feet, compared to the 68 cubic feet of the Model Y. The Tesla Model X has also received a spruce up mind, and the refresh means it now benefits from the panoramic glass roof found in the Tesla Model Y.

There have also been interior trim improvements too, with a carbon fiber finish adding an extra premium feel to proceedings. The most notable addition is the yoke steering wheel, which looks like it’s come from a commercial airliner. However after many years of resistance, the default is a traditional round steering wheel once again — with the yoke costing an extra $1,000.

If it’s infotainment you’re after then the Model X also tops the Model Y with a 17-inch touchscreen that is more impressive than the latter's 15-inch display. On top of that, it’s landscape oriented. The Model X also packs a second touchscreen for rear seat passengers.

If you plan on sitting in your car for long periods of time, the Model X will also double as a gaming console of sorts — letting you play select triple-A titles on the infotainment screen.

Tesla Model X vs. Tesla Model Y: Power and performance

If you go for either Tesla model then you’ll be able to enjoy very decent performance in equal measure. The Tesla Model X comes as a dual motor, all-wheel-drive model, or there’s a beefier tri-motor Plaid powertrain to pick if you want extra power.

Considering its overall size the SUV is pretty potent. The Long Range model packs in 670 horsepower, which can produce a top speed of 155mph and a 0-60mph time of just 3.5 seconds. The car is also capable of towing 5,000lbs, which will make it a great option for many who spend their time outdoors.

However, it’s the Tesla Model X Plaid edition that really gives it the beans, with a peak power of 1,020hp that delivers a 0-60mph time of just 2.5 seconds and a top speed of 149mph. You still get that 5,000lb towing capacity too, although the range drops by 9 miles.

Tesla Model X vs. Tesla Model Y: Battery and range

All of the cars in the Tesla line-up tend to offer impressive levels of range, and both the Tesla Model X and the Tesla Model Y follow suit. The Model X comes in two variants, the Long Range and the Plaid edition. The former car offers up to 335 miles of range currently, while the latter can deliver around 326 miles.

Meanwhile, the Tesla Model Y is currently available in rear and all wheel drive long range variants or the performance. The Long Range RWD model promises around 337 miles, while the AWD drops that figure down to 308 miles. The Performance models offers 277 miles.

Tesla Model X vs. Tesla Model Y: Other features

Considering that the Tesla Model X has been around for as long as it has and the Tesla Model Y is a relative newcomer both vehicles share quite a lot of similarities. That said, the Model X has the likes of heated seats, a heated steering wheel and exterior driver aids like wiper blade defrosters and washer nozzle heaters for owners living in colder climes.

Both cars features an impressive HEPA air filtration system that Tesla has dubbed the 'bioweapon defense mode'. Previously this was only available on the Model X (and Model S), but now it's going to be a standard feature on all Tesla cars going forward.

Given the way that Tesla constantly updates its range you may well see other features that currently only appear in the Model X soon appearing in the Model Y too. And vice versa for that matter.

Tesla Model X vs. Tesla Model Y: Outlook

Although it’s been around for a number of years the Tesla Model X still looks relevant and doesn’t feel at all long in the tooth. In fact, in many ways it’s remained ahead of the game, with its ability to pack in three rows of seats inside a well-appointed SUV, and continues to prove very popular with many buyers.

The Tesla Model Y has followed suit, which puts the automaker in a great position to pull in new EV purchasers. After all, not everyone wants a big SUV these days. While sales for the Tesla Model X still appear to be reassuringly strong Tesla Model it looks like many electric car converts are seeing plenty of potential in the more restrained crossover appeal of the Model Y.

The Tesla energy app runs on every single one of the automaker’s cars, offering various statistics about your car’s energy usage over time. The latest update adds some helpful features to the mix, with range as the focus. 

Not only can your Tesla now show you its power consumption compared to initial predictions, the car will also be able to offer tips on how to maximize your electric car's driving range.

Advertised range figures come from testing in, essentially, laboratory conditions, with none of the variables drivers come across out on the road. Not only does driving in less-than perfect situations cause energy consumption to rise, every part of your car draws power from the same source.

Things like driving speed, cargo weight and road conditions will impact how much power is needed to make the wheels turn. On top of that, features like the heater, A/C and whatever other electrics are connected to your car will help to drain the battery. All of which lowers your overall driving range.

Because there’s no crash course in electric car ownership before you buy, this is something budding EV drivers may not be completely aware of. I was in that position once, and it proved to be a very rude awakening. Cue a bunch of research on how to preserve range over long distances.

Teslas have some of the best range on the electric car market, certainly more than a (relatively) cheap used Nissan Leaf. But they still can’t compare to the driving distance afforded by a tank of diesel or gasoline. The more distance you can get out of the battery, the more comfortable your trips will be — especially if you have limited access to high speed Superchargers.

By displaying range-preserving tips inside the car, Tesla is tackling both problems head-on. The first is putting tips on maximizing range where the driver can see them, and offering advice on how to avoid wasting power — like turning the heating down a few degrees or opting for heated seats instead.

These tips also appear to be personalized. So these aren’t generic tips like you’d find in a video game loading speed, this is advice that is relevant to you and your driving style. So if you have a habit of speeding, your Tesla’s computer will be able to calculate how much range you could have gained, had you kept to the speed limit like a good law-abiding citizen.

By itself, seeing your own power consumption against what the car initially predicted is more of a curiosity than a useful tool. Unless, of course, your driving efficiency is so terrible there’s a huge disconnect between the two. But even then it offers little more than a wake-up call about how much better you could be.

But the Tesla energy screen will now show you where the energy is being expended, which is infinitely more useful. How many battery percentage points have been lost to climate control, changes in elevation, conditioning the battery for optimal performance and so on.

This feature also applies to the parked car, showing how many miles you’ve lost to the car’s Sentry Mode, screen usage, the Summon feature and more. All of which works together to help you figure out where your power is going and whether there’s anything you can do to stop it.

It’s a feature that I wish every carmaker would start offering on their own vehicles. Not just the ones selling electric cars, either. Imagine if your combustion engine car could tell you which features are causing your gas tank to empty out faster than it should, and what you can do about it. You wouldn’t just be reducing the time between trips to the gas station, you’d also be saving money as a result.

But combustion engines aren’t as connected as electric cars are, and it’s pretty unlikely that’ll happen. Especially as more automakers switch sides and start producing their own EVs. However, they’ve got no excuse where all-electric models are concerned.

Once again Tesla has to be the one to show them what’s possible. It would be nice if the rest of the industry could be a little more proactive with the whole “innovation” thing.

Read next: Tesla could relaunch its referral program, with these rewards up for grabs.

It looks Tesla is working on a feature called “Reverse Summon” or “Park Seek," which could be added to its Full Self Driving Autopilot suite in the near future. So while Summon has a car pull out from a space and come to you, Reverse Summon would see it drop you off and go hunting for somewhere to park.

Comments during Tesla’s recent AI day suggested that such a feature is on the way, and it’s now been added to the automaker’s official Autopilot page. In the Full-Self Driving Capability section, Tesla notes that arriving at your destination means getting out of your car at the entrance. The car will then enter “Park Seek mode” and find a place to park up while you do what you need to do.

When you’re done the car can then be summoned, a feature that’s already available as part of the Enhanced Autopilot suite, from the Tesla app. The car will pull out by itself, and drive around to wherever you’re waiting. It sounds just like having valet parking, but without having to hand your keys over to another person.

According to Paril Jain, Manager of Autopilot Motion Planning at Tesla, the company plans to add a “parking lot stack” to the Full-Self Driving beta before the end of this year. 

However, based on what Jain said, this will still require you to be sitting in the car while it hunts for a parking space. It doesn’t get you out of the car as soon as you arrive, but at least it means the car would be doing the heavy lifting.

Teslarati notes that past rumors suggested that there could be three different modes to Tesla’s eventual self-parking system. They include parking close to the entrance, near the end of the lot and close to a shopping cart return area. Although if you can literally summon a Tesla to your location, it’s not going to make much difference where it was able to park.

Then again Summon in its current form is not known for its accuracy, and even Elon Musk admitted it’s “mostly just a fun trick” right now. Considering how much the CEO likes to hype Tesla products, that can be seen as a pretty scathing indictment of the Summon feature. But he claims it will be “sublime” once Summon moves to a single FSD stack. 

There’s been no word on when that will be, but at least it means updates can and will be released in the future. As for a driver-free Park Seek mode, only time will be able to tell us when that might arrive. So sit tight and be patient, and see what Tesla gets up to.

Next: I spent my first week ever with a Tesla — and here’s what happened.

Tesla Cybertruck is arguably going to be the most unique-looking vehicle to hit the road for a good few decades. If it ever arrives that is, because the all-electric truck has already been delayed twice and still doesn't have a definitive launch date.

But while Elon Musk's pet project looks like it was designed by a PS1-era game developer with a vendetta against curves, it still looks set to offer all the things that make a Tesla a Tesla. Minimalist design, some of the best range on the market, and all the hi-tech features you could possibly ask for (within reason). All packed into the body of a pickup truck, and all the features that segment has to offer.

In other words, even when you forget about the design, this could prove to be an electric car to watch. So here's everything you need to know about the Tesla Cybertruck, which is equal parts bizarre and interesting.

Tesla Cybertruck latest updates

• Tesla has announced a Cybertruck delivery event in Q3 2023, though volume production still won't begin until 2024
• Another Cybertruck has been spotted out in the world, only this one had broken down. Embarrassing
• A Cybertruck prototype has been spotted on the streets of Palo Alto, California, giving us a look at the truck on real-world roads.
• Tesla has received widespread derision and mockery after claiming that the Cybertruck can pull "near infinite mass"

Tesla Cybertruck launch window

Tesla was originally set to begin production on the Cybertruck in late 2021, but later delayed that until sometime in late 2022. After rumors that the Cybertruck was being pushed back again, Elon Musk confirmed that Tesla would not be launching any cars in 2022. That mans the first Cybertrucks won't be arriving until 2023 at the earliest.

However Elon Musk has admitted that mass production won't begin until 2024, so the majority of people will be waiting some time before their truck is delivered.

Initial delays were pinned on the supply chain issues, which have been affecting the automotive industry en masse. Elon Musk said Tesla couldn't build enough 4680 battery cells for the Cybertruck, while the steel frame was said to require a brand new casting machine to be developed.

Meanwhile Tesla's has been open about its priorities, saying that it wouldn't begin Cybertruck production until the Texas Gigafactory had begun production on new Model Y. This only kicked off in March 2022, though it now means Tesla is free to prep for Cybertruck production.

Elon Musk says that Tesla wants to have completed Cybertruck development before the end of 2022, ready for production to begin in 2023. He later announced that the Cybertruck would indeed arrive in 2023, and in July 2022 confirmed the truck was on track to be in production by mid-2023. Barring any unforeseen delays, the first Cybertrucks could hit the roads soon after.

A special delivery event has been scheduled for sometime in Q3 2023, but it's unclear precisely when it'll be or how many Cybertrucks will actually be delivered to customers. The truck has yet to enter initial stages of production, and volume production isn't expected to start until next year.

Sadly we just don't know exactly when the Cybertruck will properly arrive, and what the delays (and the revelation of a quad-motor model) mean for the production schedule of the dual and single motor models. But it's safe to say most people won't be getting one of these trucks for a while yet.

Tesla Cybertruck price

Tesla recently pulled a bunch of Cybertruck information from its website, including specifications and pricing. While we know what Tesla used to say the truck would cost, it's confirmed those prices will not be honored going forward.

Speaking at Tesla's 2022 Annual Shareholder's Meeting, Musk confirmed pricing will change. "Cybertruck pricing, it was unveiled in 2019, and the reservation was $99,” Musk. “A lot has changed since then, so the specs and the pricing will be different. I hate to give sort of a little bit of bad news. But I think there’s no way to sort of anticipate the inflation that we’ve seen and the various issues,”

In other words the truck's price will be rising, just like every other Tesla model, and we don't know how much it will cost yet. In fairness, a $39,990 starting price did seem too good to be true. 

All four models will come with Basic Autopilot as standard, but the Full Self Driving option will be available for an additional fee. That package currently sells for $15,000, though we expect the Cybertruck will also be eligible for the $199-a-month FSD subscription.

However, considering Full Self Driving Autopilot's price has risen by $3,000 since July 2019, it's pretty likely that more price  hikes are on the way. Elon Musk himself has said as much on more than one occasion. Tesla did bring back Enhanced Autopilot, which shares many of the same features as FSD for a much lower $6,000 price tag. 

However FSD is designed to be a service that improves all the time, especially if you're a beta tester, while Enhanced appears to be locked in for the time being.

The Cybertruck was also supposed to be coming to the U.K.. However, Musk said that the truck is currently being built to U.S. specifications, since trying to make it suitable for every country would be impossible. U.K. pricing and launch details are still a complete unknown.

Tesla Cybertruck design 

No matter your opinion on Tesla, or its CEO, you can't deny that the Cybertruck has a striking uniqueness. Musk himself has even tweeted about how he believes this is why people find the truck so appealing.

There's a bit of hyperbole there, since the Cybertruck looks very much like a '90s vision of the future. Still he's not wrong that the truck looks unlike anything else the automotive industry is working on.

One important thing to remember about the Cybertruck, is that the design we've seen so far isn't quite what will roll off the production line. Musk has confirmed that the truck will come with side mirrors, something required by law in the United States and several other countries.

However, Musk has claimed that those mirrors are designed to be easy to remove. Laws on the legality of driving without side mirrors vary from state to state, so prospective Cybertruck buyers might want to check up on that ahead of time.

The Cybertruck has also been spotted with a gargantuan windshield wiper, with only a single blade for the entire front of the truck. Considering the windshield's size, it's surprising that Tesla is opting for a single blade during the testing phases. But Musk confirmed that this particular bit of design is not final.

In fact, more recent leaked photos offer a much closer look at this wiper. While still enormous, it appears that the wiper may be extendable, meaning it can cover the full windshield wipe in one motion, without being overly cumbersome when it's not in use.

Being the cool non-conformist vehicle that it is, the Cybertruck will also be taking a different stance on the materials it uses. Its key selling point will be the steel exoskeleton, which Tesla claims is made of 30x cold-rolled stainless steel — allegedly the hardest thing Tesla could find.

Those leaked images also show off the truck without its wheel covers. While not as aerodynamic, the bare wheels do look a lot nicer. After all the covers Tesla has previously shown off are pretty blocky and not so aesthetically appealing — no matter how much they may fit with the existing Cybertruck design.

Musk was bragging about that strength a lot when the Cybertruck was first announced, even showcasing how it fared against a sledgehammer and 9mm handgun rounds. However the glass wasn't quite so strong, and ended up smashing when hit with a metal ball.

It's also worth noting that the truck appears to be available in coloring other than the standard metallic silver. We know this tanks to a former SRE Aerodynamic Engineer posting a picture of himself at Tesla (via Reddit), with a matte black Cybertruck in the background.

However Musk later clarified that the Cybertruck would only come in one color: "nothing". In other words, the unpainted silver of stainless steel.

Tesla Cybertruck interior

We haven't seen a huge amount of stuff on the inside of the Cybertruck. But early previews show that the interior would be sticking to the Tesla formula we've seen in other cars — particularly the particularly-spacious Model X. 

However, everything is a lot more angular, befitting a vehicle with as many straight edges as the Cybertruck.

There's room for up to six people, and the steering wheel is the same butterfly yoke design we've seen in the latest Model S and Model X cars. The dash is as minimalist as any other Tesla, albeit with a marble-effect instead of something more traditional.

The infotainment screen takes center stage, naturally, and like the Model 3 and Model Y is looks like this screen will be the only thing displaying any information. 

Tesla Cybertruck battery and range 

We know for a fact that Tesla is set to include the new 4680 battery cells in the Cybertruck. Musk himself admitted that the truck's delay is, in part, caused by the automaker's inability to make enough cells cost-effectively.

The 4680 batteries are a marvel of engineering, with Tesla promising that the spiral design offers 16% more range and six times the power of its existing battery cells. The cells are also supposed to cost less to produce, and those savings can be passed on in the final cost of the truck. 

Considering that EVs are generally pretty expensive compared to gasoline-powered cars, this would be a big win. Especially if Tesla is serious about launching a $25,000 car next year.

Tesla Cybertruck range

Like many cars, the range of the Cybertruck is going to vary based on the model you end up buying. Tesla previously confirmed that the single motor model will offer 250 miles of range — the bare minimum Elon Musk claims he will let Tesla offer.

Meanwhile, upgrading to the dual motor model ups that range to 300 miles, which is a more impressive-sounding figure. The tri-motor model is also expected to offer over 500 miles of range on a single charge, which is absolutely ludicrous.

However, this figure was announced before Musk cancelled the Model S Plaid, declaring that the car's 500+ miles of estimated range was too much. So it's unclear what this means for the Cybertruck.

Unfortunately the quad-motor model's range is a completely unknown, and since the extra motor requires more energy we're not entirely sure whether it will be more or less than the tri-motor model is supposed to offer.

Tesla Cybertruck performance

According to tesla the single-motor Cybertruck can go from zero to 60 miles per hour in under 6.5 seconds. That's pretty sluggish by Tesla standard, but this is a truck and their bulk typically stops any super-fast acceleration.

Though this makes performance of the higher-end models that bit more impressive. The dual motor Cybertruck can make it to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds, while the tri-motor model can do it in 2.9 seconds. That's amazingly quick for such a large vehicle, and is likely to give some other, less bulky electric cars, a run for their money.

Plus, being a truck, the Cybertruck will be able to tow 7,500 lbs with a single motor, 10,000 pounds with two, and 14,000 pounds on the tri-motor model. However Tesla has been widely mocked after claiming the Cybertruck can pull "near-infinite mass". It sounds ridiculous, and as Clean Technica notes, it's a pretty meaningless claim.

We have no details for the quad-motor variant at all, though we expect that extra motor may be put to use with additional acceleration and towing capacity.

However, the Cybertruck is set to come with rear-wheel steering, similar to the GMC Hummer EV's 'crab mode' and lets the Cybertruck drive diagonally to get out of tight spots. We expect the wuad-mot0or model to excel at this, since each wheel will have its own motor to provide momentum

We have no details for the quad-motor variant at all, though we expect that extra motor may be put to use with additional acceleration and towing capacity.

However, the Cybertruck is set to come with rear-wheel steering, similar to the GMC Hummer EV's 'crab mode' and lets the Cybertruck drive diagonally to get out of tight spots. We expect the wuad-mot0or model to excel at this, since each wheel will have its own motor to provide momentum

Tesla Cybertruck outlook 

The Cybertruck has the potential to be a very big deal in the world of electric trucks, which is down to the fact Tesla holds so much sway over the market. While it's funky design may be off-putting to some, it's the kind of things that is likely to appeal to people who want to be able to stand out - whether they already drive a truck or not.

However, the constant delays do not bode well for the Cybertruck's chances. The electric truck industry has already started heating up, with the Rivian R1T and GMC Hummer EV already hitting the streets, and the Ford F-150 Lightning coming very soon. 

One could argue that they don't have the same sway as Tesla, especially where range and technology are concerned. But the longer people have to wait for the Tesla Cybertruck, the more time the competition has chance to close the gap.

Fortunately things have leveled out pretty nicely. The Model X no longer comes with wait times of over a year, and the Long Range Model Y wasn't much better. So you don't necessarily need to commit to a lengthy wait before your new car is delivered. Still the length of your wait all depends on which Tesla you’re buying, and in the past it was all about what premium add-ons you’re ordering it with. 

Here's everything you need to know about Tesla wait times, including how long you have to wait and what you can do to try to shorten the wait time.

Tesla wait times: How long you'll wait for each model

Tesla wait time: Tesla Model S

The standard Tesla Model S (from $72,990) currently promises a delivery estimate of June 2024 in its cheapest configuration. That's as good as you're going to get right now, and no amount of optional extras will give you a better delivery estimate.

The $8,000 Full Self Driving Autopilot option don’t visibly improve delivery estimates either, and neither will adding a bunch of extra add-ons.

The more expensive Tesla Model S Plaid (from $87,990) currently has the same delivery estimate, and this is as good as you'll get — optional extras or not.

Tesla wait time: Tesla Model X

The standard Tesla Model X (from $77,990) used to have the worst wait time of any Tesla car, but a lot has changed over the year. These days the standard Model X has an estimated delivery window of June 2024.

That's the best delivery estimate you can get right now, so buying a bunch of premium extras should only be done if you want them. They include one of four premium paint jobs ($1,500 - $2,500), 22-inch wheels ($5,500), the black & white or cream interior ($2,000) the six-seat layout ($6,500) or seven seat layout ($3,500).

Adding the Full Self Driving or Enhanced Autopilot doesn’t do anything to improve wait times, nor does combining multiple add-ons for the sake of it.

Meanwhile the performance-centric Tesla Model X Plaid (from $92,990) has the same June delivery estimate. Adding extra features doesn't bump up your estimate in any way.

Tesla wait time: Tesla Model 3

The Tesla Model 3 is the least expensive car in Tesla's current line-up, and the one that has some of the least depressing delivery estimates. If you want the cheapest possible Tesla Model 3 (from $38,990), you’ll get a June 2024 delivery estimate.

Previously you could improve your wait time by paying for extra stuff, but that's no longer the case. Combining add-ons, or choosing one of the premium Autopilot packages ($6,000 and $15,000 a piece) doesn't affect the delivery estimate in any noticeable way either.

The Tesla Model 3 Long Range (from $47,490) is now back on sale, and if you had your heart set on the longest-travelling Model 3 you should be able to receive one in June of this year. 

The Tesla Model 3 Performance model ($54,990) is currently listed as having a July to August delivery date.

Tesla wait time: Tesla Model Y

Tesla recently launched a standard range Model Y in the United States, offering 270 miles of range and a price tag starting at $44,990. This model currently has a June delivery estimate. Meanwhile the Long Range Model Y (from $48,990) has the same estimated delivery of June 2024.

Previously it was to reduce this wait with premium add-ons, but at the time of writing none of these extras make any difference, so you should only pay for them if you want them. The same is true for the $8,000 Full Self Driving.

The Performance Model Y (from $51,490) is also expected to arrive in June 2024 if you order right now. This is also as good as you’re going to get, however since the premium extras have no visible impact on delivery estimates. 

Tesla wait times: Should you buy used instead?

The obvious disadvantage to buying a used electric car is that it’s, well, used. But the biggest upside is that a used Tesla will be available an awful lot sooner than it will if you bought it new — especially if you’re going after something like a Model X. 

Tesla has even claimed that its batteries retain 90% of their original capacity after putting 200,000 miles on the clock. That means the used Tesla you’ve been eyeing has a reasonable chance of being in pretty good shape.

The downside is that the used car market is a mess right now, and has been for the past couple of years. Demand for Teslas is also particularly high, seeing as how you can theoretically pick one up without a months-long wait. 

In some cases those cars actually cost more than they were originally bought for, though you may be able to save some money compared to an equivalent new model. Though you do lose out on whatever advances and tweaks Tesla has made in the years since that particular car was new.

In other words you have to really want to buy a Tesla right now to go down this route.

More from Tom's Guide

• Tesla Model Y review: This is the Tesla you'll want to buy
• Tesla Model X vs Tesla Model Y
• Tesla Roadster Price, release window, 0-60, range potential and more

Unveiled as part of the company’s AI Day, the Tesla Bot — with all its mechanical internals on full display —  articulated its limbs, waved and shuffled around the stage unaided. This was the first time it had walked without being tethered, according to CEO Elon Musk.

Then a second prototype was revealed, closer to the kind of thing Tesla intends to put into production. This one “wasn’t quite ready to walk”, Musk said, but did demonstrate “the degrees of freedom” the company expects to see in the first commercially available units, which includes independent finger movements and opposable thumbs. 

This is important as it means it can use tools and replicate other human functions that other robots simply aren’t dextrous enough to mimic well. Optimus is apparently “inspired by biology” with each finger being partnered by metallic tendons to mimic the flexible grip we humans take for granted.

You can see the section devoted to Optimus on the livestream video archived on the Tesla channel. Just skip to the 17-minute mark and enjoy.

Optimus has been designed “using the same discipline that we use in designing the car," Musk says. In other words, the company intends to “make the robot at a high volume at low cost with higher reliability.” 

“That’s incredibly important because we’ve all seen very impressive humanoid robot demonstrations, and that’s great, but what are they missing?,” Musk asked, likely obliquely referencing the amazing acrobatics performed by Boston Dynamics’ Atlas. “They’re missing a brain, they don’t have the intelligence to navigate the world by themselves, and they’re also very expensive and made in low volume.”

Navigating the chaos of the home, office and factory environments is a whole different level of challenge to the difficulties faced by self-driving cars which at least have dedicated highways and the rules of the road to follow. 

Lizzie Miskovetz, a senior mechanical engineer at Tesla, was on hand to explain a bit of the company’s thinking in how to overcome the problem via a modified version of what it already ships within its cars. 

“We want to leverage both the autopilot hardware and the software for the humanoid platform, but because it's different in requirements and in form factor, we’re going to change a few things first" Miskovetz explained. 

“It's going to do everything that a human brain does: processing vision data, making split-second decisions based on multiple sensory inputs and also communications.” These will come via integrated Wi-Fi and cellular radios.

Within its frame, Optimus will also pack a 2.3kWh battery pack, which will apparently be good for a full day’s labor, just like your average human. It’ll consume 100W while sitting, or 500W while briskly walking, but Tesla has thought of ways to make the most out of it. 

“Humans are also pretty efficient at some things and not so efficient at other times,” Miskovetz said. “For example, we can eat a small amount of food to sustain ourselves for several hours, [and] that’s great. But when we’re just kind of sitting around, no offense, but we’re kind of inefficient — we’re just sort of burning energy.

“So on the robot platform, what we're going to do is we're going to minimize that idle power consumption, drop it as low as possible. That way we can just flip a switch and immediately the robot turns into something that can do useful work.”

This is still a long-term project, and indeed much of the AI Day’s purpose is to inspire engineers to join Tesla and help bring projects like this to fruition. But with last night’s show, the company struck an upbeat note. 

"After seeing what we've shown tonight, I'm pretty sure we can get this done within the next few months or years and maybe make this product a reality and change the entire economy,” concluded Milan Kovac, Tesla’s director of autopilot software engineering. 

Tesla has been somewhat optimistic on promises and timelines in the past, but tonight’s show proved that it’s serious in its ambitions to be taken just as seriously for its robotics as its battery and driving tech.

Tesla are designed to offer a feeling of luxury, even in its cheapest models. For Model 3 and Model Y owners, it means an upscale driving atmosphere that doesn't have a six-figure price tag. Sure, neither of these cars are as flashy or advanced as the Model S or Model X, but you still get a lot for your money.

Deciding between the two can be a little difficult, though, and whether you want long range, performance, or a luxury-feeling interior, the Model 3 and Model Y have something to offer. But as similar as both cars are, there are just as many key differences that will make your job easier — least of all the price. So when it's a case of Tesla Model 3 vs Tesla Model Y, which car is right for you?

Tesla Model 3 vs Tesla Model Y: Specs

Tesla Model 3 vs Tesla Model Y: Price

The Tesla Model 3 is the cheapest car in Tesla’s portfolio, despite all the price increase. It did look like the single-motor Cybertruck might have usurped its position, but with news the electric truck will be more expensive than originally promised the title of "cheapest Tesla" falls back to the RWD Model 3.

The latest price changes means the RWD Tesla Model 3 now starts at $42,490. That's the entry-level model with rear-wheel drive that doesn't offer quite as much performance or driving distance as other models. 

On top of that you also have a all wheel drive long range model with rear-wheel drive starting at $42,490 and an all-wheel drive Long Range model from $47,490. A high-speed Performance model starts at $54,990.

The Model Y is a little bit more expensive. The rear wheel drive long range model costs $44,990, while the all wheel drive model jumps up to $47,990. The Performance model costs $51,490. 

Tesla Model 3 vs Tesla Model Y: Design and interior

The Tesla Model 3 is a sedan, while the Model Y is a hatchback SUV. Naturally that comes with a few differences in the overall look of the car and what you get on the inside.

Being a sedan means the Model 3 has a much sleeker and sportier profile than the Model Y. It’s closer to the ground, and has a much flatter hood. However, that design comes with some drawbacks, as you’ll only find 15 cubic feet of rear trunk space. 

The Model Y comes with 36 cubic feet, on account of the noticeably larger SUV design. It’s two inches longer and wider than the Model 3, as a whopping seven inches taller. While you can squeeze five people into a Model 3, the Model Y’s spacious interior means they’re going to be a lot more comfortable on long drives.

You also have the option for a third row in the AWD Long Range Model Y, which means you can get seven people in there for an extra $2,000. The Model Y also has an optional tow hitch, which the Model 3 lacks, though it will cost you an extra $1,000

As for the rest of the design, there isn’t much more to differentiate the two EVs. The dash is nearly identical, and you'll get the same glass roof, 15-inch touchscreen control panel, wireless charger, cup holders, power-adjustable seats and vegan-friendly “softer than leather” interior.

Tesla Model 3 vs Tesla Model Y: Power & Performance

The power you get with the Tesla Model 3 all depends on which version of the car you purchase. All of them pack in two motors, but the cheapest model only comes with rear-wheel drive. Long Range and Performance models come with all wheel drive, and that offers a little bit more oomph.

So the RWD Model 3 will go from 0-60 in 4.9 seconds, and has a top speed of 125mph. RWD and AWD Long Range model reaches 60mph in 4.2 seconds and has the same 125mph top speed. The Performance manage to get to 60mph in 2.9 seconds with a top speed of 163mph.

The Model Y isn’t quite as good in this respect. Its acceleration and top speed are lower than the equivalent Model 3. The RWD Long Range manages 0-60 in 6.5 seconds, while the AWD model does it in 4.8 seconds. The Performance model has them both beat with a 3.5 second time. Both long range models have a 135mph top speed, while the Performance model tops out at 155 mph.

The Model Y is only a fraction of a second slower than Model 3, and chances are you won’t even get close to that top speed on a public road. But for those obsessed with the highest numbers, or who want to take part in some drag racing, the Model 3 has the edge.

Tesla Model 3 vs Tesla Model Y: Battery and range

Once again the range you can expect is all dependent on which model of car you purchase. And there’s a very obvious correlation with bigger batteries making your car last longer.

If you pick up a RWD Model 3, you can expect to get 363 miles out of the battery. The AWD Long Range model hits 341 miles of range, and the Performance variant offers 303 miles.

The Tesla Model Y can offer 337 miles with the rear wheel drive long range model, 308 from the all wheel drive model and 277 miles out of the Performance model. That’s the sacrifice you have to make for having room to put more stuff (and people) inside your car.

So if you want to maximize range, the Model 3 is the car to pick.

Tesla Model 3 vs Tesla Model Y: Autopilot and other tech 

In terms of special features, both cars have the standard Tesla suite. That includes basic Autopilot, that comes with basic autonomous steering, acceleration and braking, lane assist, collision warnings and blind-spot alarms. 

The “Full Self-Driving package” is also available on both for cars, either as a one time purchase of $8,000. It's worth reminding people that this isn’t complete Level 5 autonomous driving. Instead this lets you navigate on freeways, change lanes automatically, automatically park, a summon option, as well as light and stop sign recognition.

FSD offers features like Navigate on Autopilot (for highways), auto-lane change, Autopark, Summon and Smart Summon. However it's not likely to get upgrades as readily as FSD, and isn't eligible to take part in the FSD beta. The feature suite on both cars is identical.

Both cars also come with a sentry mode that monitors the surrounding area when the car is unattended, a glass roof shielded from UV and infra-red light, over the air updates and mobile app support. Inside they have the same 15-inch touchscreen control panel, a wireless charging pad, and “advanced climate control”. 

That last one is Tesla's fancy HVAC control system, which lets you control what air flows where by dragging simulated air flow across a touchscreen — which you can see below.

All car models get complimentary access to Tesla’s Standard Connectivity, which offers simple navigation, for eight years.

If you want data-heavy features, such as live traffic visualizations, satellite-view maps, video and music streaming, you'll need to subscribe to Premium Connectivity. That will cost $10, or $99 a year, a month — no matter which car you have. Neither car supports Android Auto or Apple CarPlay.

Tesla Model 3 vs Tesla Model Y: Outlook 

Which Tesla you buy is completely dependent on what you want to get out of your car. The Model 3 easily wins on both range and performance, if you’re only looking at the numbers. But you have to sacrifice interior space as a result.

The Model Y isn’t far behind in terms of both range and power, though the benefit of owning one is that you can fit a lot more stuff inside. You can still hold a lot in the Model 3’s trunk, but you might want to be mindful of its limitations before you try and fill it with Ikea furniture — even with the back seats folded down.

But the reality is that both cars are very similar. The price difference between comparable models isn’t huge, and honestly, both are  going to look very similar to the untrained eye. When it comes down to it, it all just depends on what you need your car for.

Families and other people who can take advantage of the size of an SUV will want the Model Y. If you want a Tesla on the cheap, or you want to maximize the amount of range or power your car has, then the Model 3 is for you. There’s no wrong answer, and you’ll get a pretty similar Tesla experience regardless of choice.

It all comes down to the Clean Vehicle Credit, also known as the federal EV tax credit. Worth up to $7,500, this credit can make a serious dent in the cost of buying an electric car. Eligibility criteria also happens to be changing, allowing drivers to claim the tax credit on cars that are currently ineligible — Tesla included.

That means now is the absolute worst time to buy a Tesla, but the best time to order one is coming very soon.

Tesla buyers can’t claim the EV tax credit… yet 

Back in August some changes were made to the federal EV tax credit, which was done as part of the Inflation Reduction Act. 

One of the most crucial parts of the change is that the original 200,000 sales cap is now being lifted. So not only will cars stop losing eligibility for being too popular, drivers will be able to claim up to $7,500 off the cost of buying from an automaker that hit the sales cap at sometime in the past. 

However there are some conditions here. First up is that all electric cars have to have had final assembly in North America, or those cars won’t be eligible for any tax credits. The second is that cars over $55K and trucks or SUVs over $80K won’t be eligible. The final condition of note is that the sales cap is not being lifted until January 1, 2023. 

Tesla does do its final assembly in the United States, but hit the 200,000 sales cap several years ago. This means no Teslas will be eligible for the EV tax credit until January 1 at the earliest. Tesla’s own pricing structure also means only three of its cars will actually be eligible.

Those that are eligible are the standard range Tesla Model 3, which starts at $46,990, and both the Long Range and Performance Tesla Model Y — which start at a respective $65,990 and $69,990. Since the Model Y is an SUV, it means both models should fall into the $80K price cap category — as would the rumored standard range model, which still hasn't been official confirmed and supposedly has a price tag of around $60K.

What happens if you order a Tesla now? 

Tesla wait times are known to be pretty extreme, but we have seen delivery estimates drop over the past several weeks. Right now there is a very real chance you could pick up one of these three cars before the end of the year.

Tesla currently estimates that the Model 3 will arrive between October and December 2022, while the Performance Model Y could arrive even sooner — between September and October. Meanwhile the Long Range Model Y could arrive as early as December, or as late as April.

In each case there are some very good odds that ordering today means your car arrives before the tax credit restrictions are lifted. That’s up to $7,500 you won’t be getting back, in other words.

Of course there are still some unknowns, particularly in how the IRS will be treating the end of the sales cap limitations. Specifically, whether tax credits will be available to drivers who reserve a car now (with a refundable deposit) but don’t take delivery until next year.

Back in August, when the Inflation Reduction Act was signed into law, the IRS did allow some leniency towards people who had orders for newly-ineligible cars. The transition rule is that if someone paid a non-refundable deposit or at least 5% of the final sale price before August 16, they could claim the tax credit under the old rules.

It stands to reason that something similar could happen with the lifting of the sales cap. Provided you don’t lock yourself into a sale, or take delivery of a Tesla before January 1, you may be eligible for the credit.

We have to make it clear that the IRS has not confirmed any details about the changes happening to the EV tax credit on January 1. In fact, as best we can tell, it’s still figuring out what the changeover rules should be. If I were you I’d just wait until January to order my Tesla, or at least until after the agency confirms all the fine print about the transition period.

If you’re after a different Tesla, one that costs more than the price cap allows, then there’s absolutely nothing to lose by ordering as soon as you can. That includes both Tesla Model S and Model X models and the Performance Model 3. The Long Range Model 3 would also be ineligible, but Tesla has suspended orders until next year.

It doesn’t matter if these cars arrive tomorrow or next year, you won’t be getting that tax credit. You might as well get some of the waiting out of the way. Then again, the way things are going, it’s not quite so important to invest in an electric car right now.

Gas prices are going down as well 

The recent record-breaking spike in gasoline prices has helped hammer home just how much cheaper electric cars are to run. Even though the cost of electricity rose, it was still dwarfed by the cost of a gallon of gas back in June — with the national average exceeding $5 a gallon.

Some people decided that it was the right time to buy an electric car as a result, against the advice of some money-saving experts. After all, spending tens of thousands of dollars you wouldn't otherwise spend on a brand new car is no way to save money. 

If you are able to buy and recharge an electric car, we certainly encourage you to do so. But if you weren’t already planning on replacing your car then now is not the time to do so. Especially if you were worried about the price of gas, since it has started falling to less insane levels.

According to AAA, the national price of regular gasoline is around $3.70 a gallon. That’s more than it cost a year ago ($3.177), but it’s also less than it was this time last week ($3.764) and last month ($3.959). 

In short, the cost of driving is slowly decreasing, which minimizes the savings you’d gain from buying an electric car — Tesla included. Which means you can probably afford to wait a little longer before you make your purchase.

Are there any downsides to waiting? 

If you order a Tesla today, then the price you’ll pay will be locked in. If you wait, and Tesla decides to increase its prices yet again, you’ll be stuck paying the newer, more expensive price. It’s rare for Tesla to announce price hikes ahead of time, and you’ll only find out after it’s happened. So waiting is, in essence, a gamble.

You have the choice of holding off on placing an order so that you can claim up to $7,500 from the IRS, or lock everything down right now and guarantee the price you pay — potentially sacrificing the tax credit in the process.

Nobody can make this decision except you, so you’ll have to decide which option you’d rather take. Or more specifically, what will make you the least upset if you end up on the losing side.

Bottom line 

There is absolutely nothing stopping you from buying an electric car right now. You just need to be aware of which cars are actually eligible for the tax credit before you make your decision — and most importantly why certain cars aren’t eligible. 

For a lot of electric cars, it’s all down to the fact they aren’t assembled in North America, and that’s not likely to change anytime soon. For Tesla and General Motors, it’s all down to aspects of the previous tax credit hanging around temporarily. Fortunately that caveat already has an end date that’s less than four months away.

$7,500 is no small amount of money, even on cars that cost in excess of $60k. So if you want to maximize your savings buying a shiny new Tesla, you’ll want to hold off on placing that order for just a little longer. And hope Elon Musk doesn’t push the price up again.

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Taking inspiration from the original Roadster, which helped launched Tesla into the limelight back in 2008, the new supercar promises blistering performance stats. And this time it's all homemade, rather than a converted Lotus Elise. We're expecting 0-60 mph time of 1.9 seconds, a 0-100 time of 4.2 seconds, a top speed of over 250 mph, and up to 620 miles of range.

Tesla’s Roadster follows the unveiling of its 1000bhp Tesla Model S Plaid and Model X Plaid saloons that arrived mid-last year, with the updated cars delivering better performance thanks to a new tri-motor electric setup based on the Plaid powertrain. 

This, combined with better battery technology means the rejuvenated Model S is able to reach 0-60mph in 1.99 seconds. The tri-motor flagship Cybertruck model was originally claimed to be able to travel over 500 miles on one charge.

Tesla Roadster: Release window and pricing

Unsurprisingly, the Tesla Roadster was set for a 2022 release, having already been delayed a couple of times. But thanks to supply chain shortages, production won't be starting until 2023. 

Elon Musk originally tweeted news of this delay in September 2021, and confirmed the situation during Tesla's annual shareholders meeting. However the Tesla CEO later confirmed that the Roadster is scheduled to enter production in 2023 — likely after the launch of the Cybertruck.

The continual delays will be a kick in the teeth for people who've put down a deposit of $50,000 to reserve a car that was originally set to cost $200,000 for the base model. Reservations have always been open, which is more than you can say for the Cybertruck, but the final price has been removed from the Tesla website.

Given the supply chain issues, and Tesla's seemingly never-ending price increases on existing models, don't be surprised if the Roadster ends up costing a lot more than originally planned.

Reservations require a $50,000 deposit, $5,000 of which is due at the time of reservation. The remaining $45,000 has to be paid within 10 days.

Tesla also has plans for a Founders Series model, with only 1,000 being produced, which was originally set to come with a price tag of $250,000; that's serious supercar money. 

Tesla Roadster: Range potential, battery and performance 

The Tesla Roadster will feature a 200kWh battery pack that, according to the US manufacturer, will have the potential to offer around 620 miles of range. That's an absurd level of range that's absolutely unheard of in electric cars. 

Even Tesla's other cars, which have industry-leading levels of range, can't match that. The next-best alternative would be the tri-motor Tesla Cybertruck, which promises over 500 miles of range, and the Long Range Model S which offers 405 miles.

However, anyone tapping into the formidable performance potential of the car is unlikely to get anything near that. The powerpack will drive three electric motors – one in the front, two in the rear - which will deliver 10,000 Nm / 7,400 lb ft of torque and enable it to launch from zero to 60mph in 1.9 seconds.

The performance is slightly better than the Model S Plaid, which is hardly surprising given the Roadster’s lower, more dynamic body styling. Tesla claims the all-wheel drive Roadster will also be able to reach 0-100mph in 4.2 seconds and cover a quarter-mile in just 8.8 seconds. Top speed is expected to be somewhere over 250 miles per hour. 

Plaid three-motor powertrain models have a distinct advantage compared to more standard models in the Tesla range though, because ‘standard’ cars only feature twin electric motors – one at the front and the other at the back. 

Tesla Roadster: Design and interior 

The Tesla Roadster looks every inch a supercar, with delicious lines that give a clear indication of what the 2+2 sports model should be capable of delivering. 

The second-generation Roadster was first unveiled back in 2017 and was initially expected to begin production during 2021, but has experienced similar delays to the Model 3 saloon. The overall look of the design hasn’t changed much during the last three years or so though.

Despite its supercar status, the Tesla Roadster’s interior will feature seating for four. Although, judging by the design, roominess for the rear occupants looks to be somewhat snug at best. Especially because of that dramatically angled roofline. 

However, the car is likely to feel slightly more spacious thanks to a removable glass roof section. That’s above the front seats and can be lifted out and stored in the trunk. Staying with the interior, the concept indicates that there’s a large touchscreen that covers the area from the top of the dashboard down to the center console.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has previously hinted that there will be a range of trim options available, over and above that found on the base model specification. In typically overblown fashion, Musk has also suggested in his colourful Tweet timeline that there will be a SpaceX package featuring 'rocket thrusters', which could deliver an additional twist to the potent design package.

Tesla Roadster: Special features 

Any new Tesla model always comes with plenty of tech, and the Tesla Roadster looks to be no exception. Aside from those, ahem, rocket thrusters, the sports car will feature the company’s latest incarnation of its Autopilot driving technology, a raft of surround cameras offering 360-degree visibility up to 250 meters away and a crop of ultrasonic sensors. 

A dozen of these sensors will be able to detect hard and soft objects, while the car’s forward-facing radar can continue to function through an array of adverse conditions. That includes heavy rain, fog and dust. 

Tesla’s Roadster will likely also feature over-the-air software updates, allowing performance, autonomous features and numerous safety systems to be updated dynamically. As you would expect from the manufacturer.

Tesla Roadster: Outlook 

It’s been a long time coming, but the second generation Tesla Roadster is getting closer to emerging from the company’s American headquarters in California - even if it’s currently held up in a logjam of other production headaches for the Fremont-based manufacturing facility. 

Good things take time, and given that the car has been developed from scratch, unlike the original Tesla Roadster that was based on a Lotus chassis, the continued delays in its development are hardly surprising. But while the headline-grabbing power and performance figures are impressive, they’re currently just that. Time will tell if the car manages to live up to the hype.

Nevertheless, the Tesla Roadster is just one of several high performance EVs that are set to enter the hypercar marketplace in the not-too-distant future. There’s the Pininfarina Battista, the Rimac C_Two and a rumoured BMW iM2 to name but three but, as always, it’s currently Tesla that’s arguably doing the best job of whipping up hysteria about its forthcoming and, possibly, fastest car to date.

The plans for the facility in Yuma County, Arizona, reveal some crucial details about the mooted V4 Supercharger site. Among the details are that there will be 40 stalls, a Megapack for power storage and two solar canopies — one covering 4,730 feet and the other 4,250 feet.

The canopies will seemingly offer shade to two blocks of chargers, which is exactly the kind of setup you’d want in a climate such as Arizona's; the better the shade, the less A/C (and power) is needed to keep the cabin a comfortable temperature. That will offer small savings on time and cost, since the car won’t need to draw quite as much energy as it otherwise would.

Of course the solar panels will also be able to generate energy throughout the day, which will both help power cars and supply excess power which can be stored in the Megapack batteries. Combined, the two will be able to offset the location’s burden on the electrical grid, and push closer to Elon Musk’s plan to pull Superchargers off the grid where possible.

It’s not clear what sort of generation capacity this array will have, however, other than the fact there are said to be 340 panels in total. Should Tesla install 420-watt panels, which it launched to the public back in 2021, you’re looking at 142.8 kW of production capacity. And that's a lot of power.

It’s worth noting that a single Tesla Megapack can hold enough power to charge 40 Tesla cars. That’ll be especially useful during busy periods, and will once again help prevent the facility causing too much demand on the local energy grid. That also has the potential to keep prices low, because Tesla is able to generate its own electricity with little overhead — with excess either stored or possibly even sold back to the grid.

Frankly, it’s a shock that solar-supplemented car chargers are not a more common sight. Here’s hoping that Tesla starts rolling out more solar canopies at Supercharger locations, since it may encourage competitors to do the same.

The planned site for the charger is a vacant lot next to the Dateland Travel Center, just off Interstate 8, which covers the areas between Tucson and San Diego. In other words it’s pretty conveniently located for any drivers travelling along that stretch of highway.

Of course there’s still a lot we don’t know about the V4 Superchargers. For starters there’s been no official word on the sort of charging speed that will be offered, and if there will be a significant increase over the 250 kW currently available at V3 Supercharging stations. Other charging networks offer chargers up to 350 kW, and as rare as they are, Tesla may need to catch up at some point.

Similarly, it’s not clear if the new charging stations will be built with support for non-Tesla charging, something Elon Musk previously promised was on the way. Musk never provided a timeline for when it would happen in the U.S., only that Superchargers would be fitted with equipment for the CCS charging standard.

The White House has announced that work on this would begin before the end of the year, though it’s not clear whether that date refers to the deployment of non-Tesla Supercharging or the beginning of equipment manufacture. In either case, building a brand new Supercharger, and a V4 no less, would be a wasted opportunity if there weren’t at least some CCS capable chargers onsite.

It’s not clear when the Arizona V4 Supercharger will begin construction, let alone when people might be able to use it. But this is still good news, because we all need better car chargers, and ways to ensure they don’t put too much strain on the electrical grid. Especially in locations where sunlight is available in abundance.

The Tesla Model X Plaid is here, replacing the old performance Model X with something decidedly better. The car still offers the same beefy SUV design that we was there before, but with significantly more impressive improvements under the hood — especially in the performance department.

The Model X Plaid uses the same tri-motor Plaid powertrain as the Model S Plaid, which launched in mid-2021. That means the Model X Plaid comes with a trio of motors that offer the SUV a whopping 1,020 bhp, with a 0-60 time of just 2.5 seconds. But as impressive as that is, there's more than speedy acceleration to gawk at. Here's everything you need to know about the Tesla Model X Plaid.

Tesla Model X Plaid: Price and release date

All that performance comes at a price, with the Tesla Model X Plaid costing considerably more than the Long Range, dual motor, all-wheel drive edition. That costs $109,990, whereas the Tesla Model X Plaid edition, which features the tri motor, all wheel drive setup has a price tag of $119,990.

What’s more, while it is certainly possible to order the Tesla Model X Plaid edition right now, you may not get ahold of your car right away. Current Tesla wait times list the cars as having a couple of months to wait before you can take delivery.

Tesla Model X Plaid: Power and performance

If you’ve already been impressed by the Long Range edition of the Tesla Model X, with its 0-60mph time of 3.8 seconds and 670 horsepower, then the power and performance of the Model X Plaid is next level. 

The Plaid edition of the Model X features a tri-motor, all-wheel-drive setup that delivers 1,020 horsepower and propels you from 0-60mph in just 2.5 seconds. That’s blisteringly fast for an SUV that can seat seven people in comfort

Adding to the appeal of the decidedly lively Tesla Model X Plaid car is its top speed, which is 163mph, compared to the Long Range edition, which can reach 155mph. However, the Long Range car is just that as it can go farther on a charge with 360 miles of range compared to 340 miles from the Plaid model.

Tesla Model X Plaid: Battery and range

The Tesla Model X Plaid car certainly features plenty of range capability, with 340 miles possible from one single charge. And, thanks to the Tesla 250 kW Supercharger network it’s possible to replenish the car’s battery rapidly, with up to 175 miles added to it within the space of 15 minutes. 

Tesla Model X Plaid: Design and interior

While the exterior revisions of the Tesla Model X aren't particularly dramatic, the subtle design flourishes do give the SUV an extra touch of zing. The most notable feature are the redesigned air vents in the front bumper, which follow the same theme as those seen on the latest Tesla Model S. 

There’s also the option for switching the car’s chromework with more moody back trim if you prefer. New wheels complete the imposing look of the car and will be available as either 20 or 22-inch options.

Central to the arrival of the Model X Plaid has been a makeover of the seven-seat interior, which is now more striking than ever. Perhaps the most noticeable feature is the steering wheel, which isn’t your average circular affair. Instead, there’s something that looks like it should be in an aircraft, with Tesla also doing away with the stalks that are normally present for lights and wipers. 

Meanwhile, if your eyes are firstly drawn to the yoke-style steering column they'll soon be heading in the direction of the 17-inch infotainment display. This beefy screen can be adjusted to suit the front seat occupant who’s using it.

Rear seat passengers also get catered for in the infotainment department, with another 8-inch screen located in the back of the car. Tesla has designed the system to let occupants enjoy wireless gaming from wherever you’re sat in the car.

There’s also Bluetooth, wireless and USB-C charging and a 22-speaker, 960-watt audio system. Seating-wise, the Tesla Model X Plaid can have a configuration that caters for five, six and seven people depending on your requirements.

Tesla Model X Plaid: Additional highlights

While the Tesla Model X Plaid offers a premium driving experience it’s also got a dazzling array of the automakers tech and safety features. The new and improved interior boasts that screen, with its 2200x1300 resolution but, before that, remember this is the car that comes with automatic front doors, which open and close using power. Meanwhile, rear passengers get the benefit of Falcon Wing doors, which lift up allowing easier entry and exit.

There’s also been a lot of care an attention put into the environment within the cockpit. Tri-zone temperature controls, ventilated front seats and HEPA filtration means that whichever one of the five, six or seven seats configurations you’ve got the tech should ensure you get a premium experience. 

Thanks to the size of the SUV you also get 91ft³ of storage space. Plus, there’s a trailer hitch as standard, and with all that power you get the benefit of 5,000lbs towing capacity.

Naturally the Model X Plaid will come with Tesla's breakout feature: Autopilot. Basic Autopilot, which can control basic steering, braking, and acceleration is included as standard. Full Self Driving is available as a $15,000 extra, or a $199 a month subscription in the United States, which offers features like auto-park, summoning the car out tight spots, and 'highway driving' which takes you from on-ramp to off-ramp all by itself. 

Tesla Model X Plaid: Outlook

Although the Tesla Model X Plaid is not set to appear until next year there have been recent sightings of a refreshed car. Video footage in circulation on the web show the model in question to have the distinctive yoke steering wheel, a new instrument cluster and infotainment display too. Externally, the car also appears to sport the new design wheels and black trim elements.

While Tesla continues to struggle to keep up with demand there’s every possibility that the Model X Plaid arrival date could slip. U.S. orders were original supposed to start arriving before the end of this year, but the reality could well be that pre-ordered cars will start appearing in the first half of 2022.

• More: Tesla Model 3 vs Tesla Model Y: What's the difference?

According to Tesla’s Q2 earnings call it constructed 247 new Supercharger stations, with a total of 2,508 individual charging stalls. As Inside EVs notes, the number of new locations is 8% lower than this time last year, but the number of new chargers is 5% more. 

Combined with the fact Tesla has been ending Supercharger exclusivity, and allowing non-Teslas to use the network, means this amount of growth could be the tipping point for electric car charging infrastructure.

Overall, Tesla has 3,971 Supercharger locations across the world, with 36,165 individual chargers. That’s an average of 9.1 chargers at each location, which is more than some of the competing charging networks can say, and means there’s a much better chance of there being a free Supercharger bay when you arrive.

The only downside to this news is that Tesla doesn’t specify where the new Superchargers have been built. Earlier this month it was revealed that around half the Supercharger network is made up of Chinese and European chargers, with a respective 1,200 and 800 locations.

By the end of last year Tesla had around 1,200 Supercharger locations in the United States, and its map shows that new locations are due to open over the course of the next year. So it’s not as though Tesla’s home turf is missing out on account of the automaker’s international ambitions.

But if you are after a Supercharger, you will be better off being near big cities, or closer to the east and west coasts of the country. That’s where the highest concentration of Supercharger locations seem to be. Because that’s where all the people (and cars) tend to be.

Tesla is leading the way

Geography aside, the expansion of the Supercharger network is showing exactly how fast we can adapt to the growing popularity of electric cars. Chargers may not have the same numbers of time convenience as gas stations, but that is changing — and quickly.

The key example is that the number of Supercharger stations and individual chargers is up by 34% since this time last year. Plus, those chargers are slowly losing their exclusivity, and this growth will benefit all EV drivers — not just the ones that own Teslas.

The move to open Superchargers to non-Teslas has already started in Europe and is expected to start in the U.S. before the end of the year. Tesla CEO Elon Musk claims it’ll eventually be the case everywhere Superchargers are found.

Tesla’s far from the only car charging network out there. Electrify America, which has 800 charging locations in North America, has announced plans to increase that number to 1,800 by 2026. That’ll offer over 10,000 individual chargers to EV drivers across the U.S. and Canada.

Meanwhile, EVgo has partnered with General Motors to install 3,250 chargers before the end of 2025. That doesn’t sound like a lot at first glance, but the original plan was to build 2,750 — meaning it's a noticeable improvement. Back in early 2020 ChargePoint also pledged $1 billion to deploy new chargers at 4,000 locations along highways and in rural areas.

In other words, it’s a great time to drive an electric car, because it’s getting even easier to find somewhere to plug in and recharge. Not to mention the fact that battery range seems to be improving with each new generation of vehicles.

Change is happening, but more can be done

Granted, there’s still plenty that can be done. Move away from the big cities and off the major highways, and EV charging infrastructure seems to be severely lacking.

Looking at PlugShare’s map of EV chargers shows just how problematic this is in places. States like Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota do have EV charging infrastructure, but there are still huge areas of all three states without a single publicly-available car charger.

Somehow I doubt that they have the same trouble with gas stations, and it shows that as far as EV charging infrastructure has come more still needs to be done — even for basic access.

Charging speed is also something to worry about, because recharge times aren't as fast as filling up a tank of gas. But things are improving pretty rapidly. Some cars are capable of handling charging speeds up to 350kW, and Tesla itself is said to be upgrading Superchargers to handle even faster speeds.

Currently V3 Superchargers top out at 250kW, while V2 Superchargers come in at 150kW. According to recent reports Tesla is set to upgrade that top speed to 300kW in the near future, or if some rumors are to be believed 324kW. Not to mention the fact that upgraded V4 Superchargers are also supposedly on the way.

It’s going to take a bit of time before we’re at the point where charging is as ubiquitous and convenient as gas stations currently are. But enough progress is happening to give us something to be hopeful for.

Read next: Plans for Tesla's first V4 Supercharger have been revealed, and it includes solar panelling and a Megapack storage battery

According to a just released fact sheet from The White House Tesla Superchargers will start allowing non-Teslas to plug in and recharge before the end of this year. The sheet mentions what EV charging companies are doing to expand charging infrastructure - Tesla included.

In the process, The White House revealed that Tesla will begin production on equipment that lets non-Tesla drivers use Superchargers by the end of 2022.

People who’ve been keeping track of Supercharger news will know that Tesla is already letting non-Teslas recharge at Supercharger stations across Europe. While still officially in a trial phase, the move has seen Supercharger access open up in countries like France, the U.K., Germany, Norway, the Netherlands and more.

Non-Tesla cars can drive into a bay, plug in, and confirm their charge via the Tesla app. Meanwhile, Tesla drivers can continue to plug in and start recharging without any additional action. And soon, it looks like EV drivers in the U.S. will be able to experience this for themselves.

This shouldn’t be a major surprise, since Elon Musk has been promising this would happen for some time. After being prompted to open Supercharger access to non-Teslas in Norway, so that the company could claim financial incentives from the government, Musk confirmed Supercharger exclusivity would be lifted all over the world. 

The process likely began in Europe for simplicity’s sake, since Teslas and non-Tesla use the same type of charger — the CCS-2 Standard. North America has proven more difficult, since Tesla still utilizes a proprietary charger, rather than the CCS-1 standard featured on the vast majority of electric cars.

Back in May Elon Musk confirmed work had started ensuring compatibility between non-Teslas and American Superchargers. According to a tweet that meant adding “the rest of the industry’s connectors as an option to Superchargers in the U.S.” That likely meant retrofitting Superchargers with an additional cable, featuring a CCS plug, and removing any software blocks that would prevent non-Teslas from drawing power.

Now, according to The White House, this process will begin before the end of the year. And good thing, too, because the White House recently confirmed that federal funding would not be available for EV chargers that did not include a CCS plug. Provided it also sticks to other guidelines, like offering account-free payments, Tesla may be eligible for some of that money.

It’s a win/win for everyone involved. Tesla gets federal money to build Superchargers; Tesla drivers will be comforted by the fact even more Superchargers are coming; and non-Teslas will eventually get to plug into a charger at one of the 1,400-plus Supercharger locations across the United States.

Considering range and charging anxieties do get in the way of EV adoption, this could be the boost EVs need to help overtake gasoline-powered vehicles. Because as popular as Teslas are, they are still pretty expensive — with prices starting at $46,990m for a Tesla Model 3.

Meanwhile, there are cars, like the Chevy Bolt, which are available for under $30,000. Giving those cars access to the many 250kW Superchargers across the U.S. could be the key to encourage more drivers to buy an EV.

We don’t know exactly when the first Supercharger stations will allow non-Teslas to recharge, or how quick the rollout might be. But it’s happening relatively soon, and that’s the most important thing.

Read next: Plans for Tesla's first V4 Supercharger have been revealed, and it includes solar panelling and a Megapack storage battery

And as such, the Tesla has a lot going on around it from new cars to EV thoughts spouted by Elon Musk. So we now have a rolling collection of news and updates from Tesla, giving you a one-stop-shop to track what's going on at the company. 

So read on for the latest news from Tesla and why you might want to get a bit excited about what's coming from Tesla this year an beyond. 

Latest Tesla news (updated December 16)

December 16: Tesla is offering 10,000 free Supercharging miles... if you buy  before the end of the month

Following on from Tesla's $3,750 discount, the automaker has now started offering 10,000 Supercharging miles absolutely free. The catch, once again, is that you have to take delivery of the car before the end of the month. However it is valid on all Tesla models, not just the Model 3 and Model Y

Again it feels like Tesla is hoping to boost its end of year sales, which may be taking a hit ahead of changes to the federal EV tax credit. After all why would you take delivery of a car that could well be $7,500 cheaper in just a few short weeks? 

And, considering the current short Tesla wait times, you could easily pick up a new model before December 31.

December 14: Tesla brings Steam to the latest Model S and Model X models

Tesla loves to hype the credentials of its flagship Model S and Model X cars, especially where hardware is concerned. It's not news that the cars can play AAA video games, and now Steam support has expanded that library from a handful of games to over a thousand.

According to Tesla any games that is verified for the Steam Deck will run on a 2022 model year Model S and Model Y — provided you have a Bluetooth controller to go with it.

December 2: Tesla is offering a discount on Model 3 and Model Y cars, if you buy this year

Tesla has reduced the price of the Model 3 and Model Y by $3,750, provided you buy the car before the end of December. It's suspected that the goal is to boost Tesla's end-of-year sales, since people will likely be waiting for January 1 — and the changes to the federal EV tax credit.

The discount may not be the full tax credit amount, but it offers a few advantages. There's no limit on price, meaning the Performance Model 3 is eligible, and you get a direct cash discount at the point of purchase.

June 30: This quality report might make you think twice about buying a Tesla

Teslas may be desirable, but they have a reputation for poor quality production and quality control. A new report J.D. Power about the quality of 2022 model cars isn't going to do much to change that, with Tesla coming seventh from bottom with 226 reported problems per 100 cars.

For reference the industry average is 180 problems, and the current top scorer is Buick with 139. Non-Tesla electric cars averaged 240 reported problems, while the bottom of the list was Polestar with a whopping 328. It's not a great look for either automaker.

According to J.D. Power there has been an 11% drop quality year over year, which it blames, in part, on supply chain issues. Something Tesla knows about all too well, as the perpetually-delayed Cybertruck can tell you.

June 16: Tesla just raised all its prices again

In news that is becoming all too familiar, it seems Tesla has gone and raised the prices of its cars. This time all four Tesla models have had some kind of price increase, ranging between $2,00 and $6,000 depending on the car in question.

The Model X is the worst of the lot, with the standard model increasing by $6,000 from $114,990 to $120,990. Meanwhile the Model S is increasing from $99,990 to $104,990 — a $5,500 increase. The Model X Plaid and Model S Plaid are unaffected, and remain at a respective $138,990 and $135,990.

Both Model Ys have had a price hike, with the Long Range model jumping $3,000 from $62,990 to $65,990. The Performance model's price has increased by $2,000, going from $67,990 to $69,990.

Only the Long Range Tesla Model 3 is affected, but still faces a $2,500 price hike. That means you'll be paying at least $57,990 instead of $54,990. The standard range and Performance models remain at their respective $46,990 and $62,990 starting prices.

Tesla hasn't explained why the prices have increased, but it's likely that supply chain issues and inflation will have a part to play. Tesla's not the only automaker affected, and Ford has just revealed that the Mustang Mach-E is no longer profitable for similar reasons.

But, on the bright side, increased prices is likely to help curb demand — something Tesla has been struggling with. So those Tesla wait times, especially those for the Model X, might not be growing quite as fast.

June 15: Tesla Model S Plaid might have just set a new 1/4 mile record

The flagship Tesla Model S Plaid is already a speedy machine, with a 0-60 time of 1.99 seconds — which Tesla claims makes it the "quickest accelerating production car today". Last year one of the cars broke the quarter mile speed record, clocking in that distance in 9.2 seconds. 

Now a modified version of the car has taken it a step further, and apparently set a new 1/4 mile speed record of 8.834 seconds and hit a top speed of 161.37 miles per hour.

There's no video of the run, but it is worth mentioning that this is not as production-model car. According to Tesla North, the owner has reduced the weight of the car by 500 or 600 pounds, and that likely played a huge part in the speeds the car achieved.

However we've been promised that the owner will be recording next time they make a run. So we'll see some video evidence of what the Model S Plaid could be capable of.

May 17: You're one step closer to seeing electric Tesla Semi trucks on the road

The Tesla Semi truck has been delayed more times than we can count, but now it's actually possible to order one. It only took five years.

While most drivers won't have any interest in driving a semi truck, let alone one with a $150,000 starting price and a $20k non-refundable deposit. But the fact orders are now open to the general public means we're one step closer to seeing electric trucks on highways instead of gas guzzlers.

Last month Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that he expects the Semi to hit the roads in 2023 — alongside the Cybertruck and Roadster. Like the other two, we don't have a precise window for when deliveries will begin, but it is happening.

Tesla isn't the only company working on electric semi trucks, nor will it be the first company to put them on the roads. Startup Nikola delivered two all-electric Semis last December, as part of a pilot program. Amazon also added five all-electric trucks to its U.K. fleet back in March.

May 4: New Tesla Model S and X infotainment screens swivel to improve your view

Part of the Tesla experience is having a fully-featured infotainment screen in your center console. Previously that screen was fixed in place, which could make it harder to see in certain conditions. Fortunately the latest Model S and Model X cars have a motorized swivel feature to make the viewing experience much better.

As you can see in the Larry Li's tweet above, the screen can tilt from one side to the other. Controlled from the settings menu, it seems as though you can tilt the screen to face the driver, passenger, or stay centered.

Considering there's so much packed into the infotainment display, a better viewing angle is likely to be a big help. Especially while you're driving, or if the sun is shining at the absolute worst angle to see what's on screen.

It's not clear when the change was made, but Li claims this car was produced in the last week of April. It may be that only the most recent models are equipped with the new tech, so expect to see more of these screens as time goes on.

April 19: Your new Tesla won't come with a free mobile charger

Tesla's Gen 2 Mobile Connector Bundle lets you plug your car into a standard household outlet, meaning you can recharge just about anywhere. Previously the bundle was included with your Tesla at the point of sale, but that's no longer the case.

Elon Musk confirmed this news on Twitter, citing statistics that claimed Mobile Connector usage was "super low". Which is not surprising given the fact the Mobile Connector's 1.3 kW charging speed can only recharge 2-3 miles of range every hour. That means recharge time is measured in days, rather than hours, which is 

However Musk confirmed that some changes were being made. If you want to buy a Mobile Connector, the price will be dropping from $275 to $200. Tesla will also be including some additional adapters, likely so you can plug the car into 240v outlets or Type 1 EV chargers if they're available. 

Thankfully Superchargers and Tesla home chargers, which can recharge significantly faster, will plug straight into any Tesla without an adapter.

April 13: The standard range Model Y is making a comeback

After many rumors, Elektrek is reporting that the standard range Tesla Model Y is making a comeback. Tesla canceled the original Standard Range Model Y in February 2021, due to it having a (relatively) low range of 244 miles. That left the Long Range Model Y, currently priced at $62,990, as the cheapest model.

But thanks to the new 4860 battery packs, which offer significantly better power capacity than previous batteries, Tesla is bringing back the cheapest Model Y. This new model offers a dual motor all-wheel drive system, rather than rear wheel drive of its predecessor, 279 miles of range and a $59,990 starting price. 

Unfortunately Elektrek reports that the car is only available to Tesla employees right now, with the first ones being delivered at the Giga Rodeo event last week. However sources say that the car will be made available to ordinary buyers "in the weeks ahead".

Mar 15: Tesla raised all its prices again

"Tesla price increase" is a phrase we've been hearing all too much of in recent months, but here it is again. Earlier this week Tesla chances the prices on its online configurator once more, and means the cheapest Tesla car, the Model 3, now starts at $46,990. That's a $2,000 price increase.

The long range Model 3 is now $2,500 more, despite already getting a $1,000 price hike last week, and costs $54,490. The Performance model went up by $3,000, and will now cost you $61,990.

Other models haven't been spared either. The long range Model Y now costs $62,990, having suffered a $1,000 price increase last week and an additional $2,000 this time. The Performance Model Y went up by $3,000 to $67,990.

The already-expensive Model S and Model X models weren't spared either. The standard Model S now starts at $99,990, while the Plaid is now $135,990, both of which are $5,000 increases. The Model X, the most expensive range in Tesla's line-up, now starts at $114,990 for the standard model and $138,990 for the Plaid. Respective increases of $10,000 and $12,500.

As to why, the increase is presumably down to the supply chain and the increasing cost of materials. The price of Nickel, a key component in EV batteries, has seen its price surging in recent weeks.

The good news is the changing price only affects new orders. So if you reserved a Tesla back when prices were lower, that should be the price you pay.

Mar 11: Tesla is prioritizing orders with $12,000 Full Self-Driving add-on

It's no secret that Tesla can have trouble meeting demand, and there are some pretty hefty wait times for some of its cars — especially the Model X. But if you have the money to pay for Full Self Driving, you may be able to get your car earlier than if you didn't.

InsideEVs notes that the wait time for a Model Y is around six months, however adding the $12,000 FSD add-on shortens your wait time to just two. Meanwhile the standard Model 3 would arrive in May, while a FSD-equipped model would arrive a month earlier.

So if you want a Tesla, and you want it pronto, you might have to shell out an additional $12,000 for the privilege.

Feb 28: 'Track Mode' is coming to non-performance Teslas.

Tesla is going to give drivers considerably more control over their car's setting, even if they don't own one of the company's Performance or Plaid model cars. 

Elon Musk has g it will be coming to Model 3 and Model Y — even if you own a standard or Long Range version of either car. Or, at least, it will if you have the Acceleration Boost upgrade.

Track Mode lets you adjust handling, traction control and regenerative braking, and modify the balance of the car. On top of this Tesla will visualize various specs on your car's screen, including g-force, temperature of various parts, and so on.

On top of this, your car's dash cam will automatically save each lap as a separate video, provided you set up star and finish markers.

There's no timeline on this, or whether cars without Acceleration Boost will get the upgrade. So sit tight, and just be patient.

Feb 28: Full Self-Driving Beta is rolling out to Canada

Tesla's Full Self-Driving Autopilot may be available in various parts of the world, but the beta program is only available in the U.S. Or it was, because it's also started rolling out in Canada.

The beta is an opt-in program, provided your driving can pass Tesla's "safety test score", and gives FSD drivers access to new software and features before they roll out to the public. And now it's going to start being available if you live in Canada. But tough luck if you live outside of North America.

Canadian FSD drivers can request access to the beta on their car's infotainment screen. Head to Controls > Autopilot > Request Full-Self Driving Beta and follow the on-screen instructions.

Feb 23: Tesla wants you to be able to play Steam games in its cars

There may be a day in the near future where you can access your Steam library inside your car. Or, at least, that's what Tesla CEO Elon Musk is gunning for, by tweeting the company's intention to let Tesla play Steam games — rather than simply porting titles one by one.

The ability to game in a Tesla is nothing new. More recent Model S and Model X cars can play AAA titles like The Witcher 3 and, at some point in the future, Cyberpunk 2077. Other cars can also play various less resource-hungry mini games.

Obviously adding Steam games would be a huge boost. While it's pretty unnecessary to be able to play video games in your car right now, Musk has previously claimed that “entertainment will be critical when cars drive themselves.” He isn't wrong, but we're still a way off cars being able to do all the heavy lifting with no driver input — no matter how many times Musk tries to claim otherwise.

Which gives Tesla plenty of time to work on expanding its cars' limited gaming libraries. Just so long as it doesn't let people play them when they're driving.

Feb 18: Tesla's letting older Model 3 owners upgrade their trunk — but only in China (for now)

Tesla has announced a new upgrade program that will allow people to pay $650 to retrofit their old Model 3 with a power tailgate — or, in other words, a motorized trunk hatch that can open and close itself. But there's a catch in that the upgrade is only available in China right now.

Older Model 3 EVs were sold without a power tailgate, a feature that many would expect at its price point. Some have resorted to aftermarket installations from third parties, but Tesla is now offering Chinese customers the chance to get the work done by authorized Tesla engineers . That $650 asking price included parts and labor.

Tesla seems to be making a habit of announcing things in China before the rest of the world of late — it recently began offering a first-party wrapping service in the country, too. Expect that, and the tailgate upgrade, to expand internationally eventually.

J.D. Power just posted its Initial Quality Study for 2020 model-year cars, and it’s not good news. According to the findings, supply chain issues have caused a decline in vehicle quality across the board — with an 11% drop year over year. That’s the steepest drop ever recorded by the group, and the likes of Tesla and Polestar are right near the bottom.

The survey is based on input from 84,165 verified drivers, who either owned or leased the cars between November 2021 and February 2022. Responses account for 33 different brands and 189 different individual vehicles.

According to those findings, there were 226 problems for every 100 Tesla vehicles — meaning the cars rank seventh from bottom. Not a great look for a company that already has something of a reputation for poor manufacturing and quality control, especially with random price increases happening over the past year or so.

Meanwhile, Polestar ranked dead last with 328 problems per 100 cars, and non-Tesla EVs averaged 240 problems per 100 cars. Top of the list were Buick (139), Dodge (143), Chevrolet (147) Genesis and Kia (both 156). The industry average is 180 problems per 100 cars.

The biggest problems facing modern car-owners is the software, rather than the physical cars themselves. Six out of the 10 biggest issues involved infotainment, with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay getting 5.8 complaints per 100 cars (up from 4.9) and proving to be some of the worst offenders. 

Other related issues include voice recognition problems (4 complaints per 100 cars), difficulty using touchscreens and displays (3.5), Bluetooth (3.4), lack of USB ports and power sockets (2.9) and inconsistent audio volume (2.7). Advanced driver assistance issues have increased, after a decline in 2021, with lane departure warnings and lane-keep assistance features proving to be the most problematic — with 4.1 complaints per 100 cars.

Interestingly, J.D. Power noted that premium vehicles tend to experience more problems than more mass market models — with the former clocking in at an average of 196 complaints per 100 cars compared to 175. It’s suggested that this is down to the fact premium cars include more hi-tech features, which increases the chances of things going wrong.

This trend may also explain why EVs have such a high average score. A lot of electric vehicles are at the more premium end of the pricing spectrum, and even the cheaper models tend to have more hi-tech options.

The report notes that automakers are struggling to get a handle on the ongoing supply chain issues, particularly where microchips are concerned. That's led to some automakers delivering cars without some features installed, which will have an impact on customer satisfaction. Especially if they're not expecting things to be missing.

Supply chain issues has also led to numerous delays on multiple vehicles. The Tesla Cybertruck was pushed back from a late 2021 launch to early 2023, and the Nissan Ariya arrived over a year behind schedule.

So, as tempting as it may be, now might not be the right time to pick up a new electric car — Tesla or otherwise. Though given the fact supply chain issues are still ongoing, and some Tesla wait times are well over a year, you might not have much choice in the matter either way.

Read next: Tesla could relaunch its referral program, with these rewards up for grabs. You can also check out our guide to the 7 things you need to know before you buy an electric car.

According to a tweet from The Cybertruck Guy (via Teslarati), Tesla’s in-car navigation is now capable of rerouting you to Tesla Supercharger stations that aren’t as busy. In other words, the Tesla can see that you might have to wait at Supercharger A, and sends you to Supercharger B to get you plugged in more quickly. 

The fact that Teslas (and some other electric cars) have navigation systems that can account for recharging needs is pretty important. It means you, the driver, don't have to worry about figuring out where to stop. The fact cars will adapt, and send you to a location that isn’t as busy, is one more thing you don’t have to worry about.

That’s a big deal for anyone who does suffer from anxiety about range or charging — especially if other automakers follow Tesla’s example.

I can speak from personal experience that driving an EV long distance can be a gamble. In fact, I wrote about how I used an electric car to get to my brother's wedding — and I barely made it. Even if you know where to find charging stations along your route, you can never be sure of what to expect when you actually arrive. Even if you have a way to check real-time charger status at your intended stop, it’s not easy to keep checking it while you’re driving.

If you find yourself at a busy spot your only choice is to sit and wait or head back on the road and see if you can plug in somewhere else. Assuming you have the charge to make it to the next rest stop or exit. Worse still, charging spots typically have to share their power supply — so the busier it is the slower recharging will be for everyone.

Having your car do it for you takes almost all the stress out of the situation. Especially if you have a car like a Tesla, which offers a mix of long range and high-speed charging. It’s one of the many benefits of Tesla’s ‘do everything’ approach.

Going on a long trip? You don’t need to worry about where to stop to charge, because your car can pick the most convenient charger along your route. And if that charger happens to be too busy when you’re almost there? The car can find the nearest alternative and calculate whether you have enough charge to get there.

In my experience Tesla tends to play it safe with recharging, and prompts you to stop and plug in long before your battery level starts getting urgent. So there should be enough power reserves to get you to a quieter charger without issue.

As electric cars become more popular, demand for charging stations is going to get more intense. Especially if high gas prices push people to make the switch before they would have otherwise done. The answer to charging more EVs is to build more accessible EV chargers, but features like Tesla has to offer are going to become even more important going forward. 

In the same way that apps like Waze can automatically route people around traffic, EVs should be helping to ease charger demand by automatically spreading drivers over a wider area. That means drivers are far less likely to have to wait for an open charger, charging speeds aren’t throttled due to high demand and there’s less burden on the local power grid.

But most invaluably, a widespread system like this will offer peace of mind. Driving long distances can be a giant pain in the butt, and stopping to recharge along the way can make that even worse if it’s busy or things keep going wrong. Giving your car the ability to make decisions on where and when you stop, without necessarily needing human intervention can be a huge weight off your shoulders.

We just need an accessible version of this system that can be used by cars that aren’t made by Tesla.

Read next: Tesla Superchargers just hit a new milestone, and it shows how far EV charging has come. You can also check out our guide to the 7 things you need to know before you buy an electric car.

Considering Ford's F-Series pickup is the most popular vehicle in American history, Tesla has its work cut out for it. But Musk's pet project is no slouch either, with top-tier specs and performance we'd never have expected a truck to offer. But in a battle of Tesla Cybertruck vs Ford F-150 Lightning, which truck is going to come out on top?

(You can also check out our full review of the Ford F-150 Lightning).

Tesla's Cybertruck may look like the product of Elon Musk's fever dream, but it's also marrying its premium electric experience with the versatile utility of a truck. Ford looks to be offering the same classic truck experience it's offered for decades, but powered by a battery instead of a gas tank.

  Tesla Cybertruck vs. Ford F-150 Lightning: Specs

Tesla Cybertruck vs. Ford F-150 Lightning: Pricing and availability

Tesla had originally promised the Cybertruck would arrive before the end of the year, provided you wanted the tri- or dual- motor version of the truck. However the start of production has been pushed back twice, and isn't set to begin until 2023. You can thank the supply chain shortages for that one

Ford laid out an "early 2022" release window for the F-150 Lightning, and delivered on that promise. Deliveries of Ford's electric truck started last year, though it's proven so popular that reservations had to be closed for a time. This means Ford is hot on the heels of Rivian and Hummer, beating Tesla to launch by roughly a year.

The entry level F-150 Lightning, which comes with two motors and all-wheel drive, starts at $39,974. That's $74 more expensive than the $39,900 you'd pay for a single-motor Cybertruck, but by saving that meager amount you'd be losing out on quite a lot. The F-150 Lighting is a lot more similar to the dual-motor Cybertruck, which was previously listed at $49,900 — $10,000 more.

Ford also sells three additional F-150 Lightning models, with the XLT coming in at $52,974, Lariat starting at $67,474, and the $90,874 Platinum that promises to let you "have it all". The XLT and Lariat also come with extended range options, costing a respective $72,474 and $77,474.

Previously we were told the top-tier Cybertruck was the $69,900 tri-motor model, though that does come with extra hardware and features, including significantly more range (500+ vs Ford's 300) and a third motor for better performance. A quad motor model has also been promised, though we know very little about it at the moment.

Tesla Cybertruck vs. Ford F-150 Lightning: Design

The main selling point for the F-150 Lightning is that the truck is almost identical to its gasoline-powered and hybrid counterparts. There are some differences on the front end, particularly since there's no need to have a grille on an electric car, but it's clear at a glance that all the F-150s are very closely related.

Considering that the Ford F-series trucks have been North America's best-selling passenger vehicles for decades, it's crucial that Ford keeps that momentum going. Ford CEO Jim Farley likened the F-150 to Coca-Cola, which is pretty apt if you ask us. You don't want the F-150 Lightning to flop like ‘New Coke’, especially not when the rest of the auto industry moves towards electrification.

The Tesla Cybertruck is the first of its kind, and there are no other vehicles to base it on. Elon Musk being Elon Musk, the Cybertruck has been made to look like something out of an early ‘90s sci-fi game. You can't deny that it's eye-catching, and the weird angular design has people talking. Whether you actually like the look of it is a matter of personal taste, however.

The Cybertruck comes with all the truck features you'd expect, including a 6.5-foot truck bed. The bed comes with an extendable telescoping ramp instead of a standard tailgate, which, while different, does have its uses. The Cybertruck is also built to be incredibly durable, with Elon Musk proudly bragging that the door would hold up to shots from a 9mm handgun.

Tesla also demonstrated that the Cybertruck's doors can hold up to a beating from a sledgehammer. Unfortunately the windows weren't so lucky, and were cracked by a thrown metal ball.

Which electric-truck design is the "best" all depends on what sort of truck you're looking for. The F-150 Lightning is built to mimic the 2021 F-150 and will blend in as well as any Ford pickup possibly could. It's similar to how the GMC Hummer EV took the classic Hummer look and added a few twists to adapt it for prospective EV ownership.

Meanwhile, the Tesla Cybertruck sticks out because it's unlike anything else you'll see on the road. But therein lies the difference between the two trucks. Ford has built the F-150 to be as practical as a regular gas-powered pickup, while Tesla seems to be pushing the Cybertruck as a fashion statement — a useful one that can do all the truck things you'd expect, but a fashion statement nonetheless.

Tesla Cybertruck vs Ford F-150 Lightning: Interior

Ford has filled the F-150 Lightning with a lot of features you'd expect from a modern EV, including a 15.5-inch infotainment screen. But unlike the Tesla Cybertruck, which goes for an almost-exclusively touchscreen-based experience, Ford is keeping the physical buttons and dials around. In fact, there's even a physical dial built into the screen, just as in the Ford Mustang Mach-E.

Being a big truck, the F-150 Lightning also has plenty of storage space. There's a 14.1 cubic-foot ‘Mega Power Frunk' (front trunk), plus the same 5.5-foot bed as the gasoline F-150. The inside also features a fold-out workstation in the center console and front seats that can fold completely flat.

The Tesla Cybertruck is very much a standard Tesla affair, though not without some key differences. While a Model S and Model 3 may look almost indistinguishable on the inside, there's no denying that the Cybertruck's unique aesthetic has influenced the interior.

Obviously there's no escaping the angular roof, and that straight-edged Cyberpunk-esque design has been added to things like the seats and the dash. But you still get the classic Tesla features, including the yoke-shaped steering wheel, the 17-inch touchscreen display, and the glass roof.

There's a lot we still don't know about the specifics, although Tesla tends to offer the same interior experience across all its cars. While it's confirmed that the Cybertruck's display will have a customized user interface, we assume that it will still be familiar to owners of other Tesla vehicles.

Tesla Cybertruck vs Ford F-150 Lightning: 0-60 and towing

Tesla has been bragging about the Cybertruck's' capabilities, promising that the tri-motor model can pull 14,000 lbs. and can go from 0-60 mph in 2.9 seconds. The dual-motor and single-motor models don't fare quite so well (naturally), with the 0-60 time dropping to 4.5 seconds and 6.5 seconds, respectively. Towing capacity levels out at 10,000 lbs. for the dual motor, and 7,500 lbs. for the single motor.

We don't know how quickly the Ford F-150 Lighting can do 0-60, but Ford has said it's somewhere in the mid-4 second mark. During a test drive, U.S. President Joe Biden guessed it was around 4.3 seconds, which would fit, though a Ford spokesperson wouldn’t confirm or deny. So watch this space.

The standard F-150 Lightning can tow up to 7,700 lbs, while the extended-range model can handle up to 10,000 lbs. That's pretty similar to Tesla's equivalent Cybertrucks, but since there is no tri-motor Lightning, it's not completely fair to compare the current models to Tesla's top-tier model.

That said, the fact that Tesla has a more powerful model coming, and despite the delays, that could give Elon Musk's company an advantage. If you want as much power as possible and don't mind waiting for it, then the tri-motor Cybertruck is the obvious winner.

Of course the F-150 is much more evenly matched with the cheaper dual- and single-motor Cybertrucks, which means it's much harder to choose based on power alone.

Tesla Cybertruck vs Ford F-150 Lightning: Battery and range

As is usually the case, Tesla has Ford well and truly beaten on range. The entry-level F-150 Lightning is set to offer 230 miles of range, while the extended-range model will offer 280-320 miles depending on your trim. This is respectable even if those figures are a bit middle-of-the-road. 

The Tesla Cybertruck's entry-level model offers 250 miles of range for the same price, even if it isn't quite as powerful a vehicle. The dual-motor model offers up to 300 miles, while the tri-motor model offers over 500 miles of range. There's absolutely no question that the Cybertruck wins on range every single time.

Tesla also wins on charging, since the Cybertruck can handle the 250-kW charging speeds from the company's supercharging network. That lets the Cybertruck recharge from 10% to 80% battery capacity in just 44 minutes.

The F-150 Lightning has charging speeds of only up to 150 kW , and its battery goes from 15% to 80% in the same roughly 45 minutes. This isn't terrible, though the shorter range means you’ll inevitably end up spending more time recharging the car - especially if you’re doing a lot of long-distance driving.

Tesla Cybertruck vs Ford F-150 Lightning: Autonomous driving

Like all Teslas, the Cybertruck comes with basic Autopilot as standard, as well as the FSD Autopilot option that's available for an additional $10,000. The basic Autopilot system is a Level 2 autonomy system, which offers automated steering within visible lanes, smart cruise control, lane-change suggestions and blind-spot monitoring. 

The FSD add-on means the car will navigate for you on the highway, automatically change lanes, stop at traffic lights and stop signs, park itself and respond to your summons. Tesla says these features require you to keep your hands on the steering wheel and your eyes on the road.

The F-150 Lightning comes with Ford's BlueCruise, which is also coming to the Mustang Mach-E later this year. BlueCruise can control steering and acceleration and doesn't require the driver to keep their hands on the wheel. It also comes with an infrared camera that monitors whether the driver is looking at the road or not, so you won't be able to get away with napping in the back seat while the truck drives itself.

The F-150 Lighting also comes with a smart-hitch assist feature, useful for people who intend to use the truck as an actual truck and do some towing.

In terms of standard autonomous features, the two cars are pretty evenly matched. Tesla's FSD add-on does give Tesla a big advantage, though it's still nowhere near advanced enough for the car to drive around without someone in the driver’s seat that can take over at a moment’s notice. It's also an expensive addition to the car, especially if you opt for the cheaper $40,000 option.

Tesla Cybertruck vs Ford F-150 Lightning: Outlook

It's clear that the tri-motor Cybertruck is the clear winner, though that can easily be explained away by the fact there is no tri-motor Ford F-150 Lightning to compare it to. When you downgrade the power then you end up with two trucks that are pretty evenly matched from a performance perspective.

Of course no matter how you look at it, Tesla wins on range. Tesla has spent several years investing in better batteries alongside lighter and more aerodynamic designs, which gives it a huge boost when it comes to single-charge driving. No other car company can come close to what Tesla has to offer. 

It's still early days for Ford, though, and the F-150 Lighting is a good first effort, especially since the extended-range model can match the dual-motor Cybertruck's original300-mile range estimate.

The F-150 Lightning hase proven itself to be a solid contender, and  we declared it to be the best F-150 you can buy right now. But until the Cybertruck arrives, it's impossible to say how the two compare.

If you're after a more traditional truck experience, then the F-150 Lighting is the way to go, especially given Ford's decades of truck-building experience. But if you're after something different, there's nothing more unique than the Cybertruck.

Except Tesla apparently didn’t give up on the plan, and the project has still been in development out of the public eye. Until last month, anyway, when it filed construction plans with the city of LA. Today we get to see some artist renders of what the site could look like. 

Musk originally announced the site would be an “old-school drive-in, roller skates * rock restaurant at one of the new Tesla Supercharger locations in Los Angeles”. In other words it sounds like a huge dose of ‘50s nostalgia with a modern electrical twist.

The automaker even filed for plans to build a site in Santa Monica a few months after the announcement. Sadly those plans faltered thanks to local regulations. But in a weird twist of fate, Tesla’s proposed site is on Santa Monica Boulevard in Hollywood. Funny how that works, right?

According to the plans the site will feature 29 Supercharger stalls, two movie screens, and a semi-circular two-story diner. Whether it will actually be called Milliways, like Douglas Adams’ eponymous restaurant at the end of the universe, is unclear.

But it seems the designer threw in a bunch of nerdy and Tesla-related Easter eggs for die-hard Musk fans to find, including an image of the Tesla Roadster that's cluttering up the path to Mars.

The idea of a drive-in with EV chargers isn’t a uniquely Tesla idea. In fact, Electrify America announced a partnership with the Westfield mall chain last year, letting EV openers have food delivered to their car while the battery recharges.

Of course. Tesla’s plan takes it one step further, giving drivers the chance to watch movies on the big screen and eat in the on-site restaurant. I would be surprised if drivers couldn’t order food to their charging cars either, which is where the roller skates would likely come into play.

There’s no timeline on when this drive-in might open, assuming Tesla is granted the necessary permissions and permits to go ahead with construction. But it does show that the electric car charging landscape is changing. And in a way that seems a little bit more sensible than trying to rework the gas station model for the modern age.

Musk made this claim over on Twitter, which is pretty par for the course for the Tesla CEO. Apparently he’s moving the company’s ‘AI Day’ from August to September, with the aim of having a “working” prototype of the Optimus on show at the time.

You may remember when the Optimus bot was announced at the last Tesla AI day, back in August 2021. Instead of a robot, Musk made the announcement by having a person in a spandex bodysuit do some over-the-top dance moves. Moves that every other humanoid robot we’ve seen so far, wouldn't be able to mimic.

Musk claims that the Optimus robot will be utilized to do all the repetitive, boring and dangerous jobs that human beings would rather avoid. Robots also wouldn’t need paying and can’t unionize.

Other promises include the claim that the robot will be “friendly," be able to carry 45lbs, deadlift 150lbs, move at a speed of up to 5 mph and has “Dojo Training." So one day you might be able to sign up for martial arts, and get your butt handed to you by a literal machine. All this is supposedly powered by Telsa’s full self-driving computer and Autopilot cameras. 

Who knows, maybe Musk can pull it out of the bag and create a functional humanoid robot before the end of the year. But the odds aren’t in his favor. 

For starters, development of humanoid robots has been going on since the beginning of automation, and so far we haven’t come close to anything remotely capable of human movement. You know that those would sell like hot cakes if they existed, especially to the military.

The best known examples come from Boston Dynamics, which has been researching robots for well over a decade at this point. As advanced as those humanoid bots are, they’re still classified as experimental and are far from perfect.

Musk also has a long history of overpromising, and continuing to over promise even after breaking those promises. Those promises make headlines, after all, and they sound an awful lot better than him threatening to lay off 10% of Tesla’s workforce, rallying against remote working, the fact his quest to purchase Twitter isn’t going as planned, or the pretty horrific Tesla wait times some prospective owners have to endure.

Honestly, it feels like these claims about Tesla’s Optimus robot are just more hot air, on par with his repeated claims that true autonomous cars will be ready within a year or so. The system may be called “self-driving” but that doesn’t mean it’s an accurate description. This is also the many that promised to put people on Mars within 10 year, as a “worst case scenario;" that was 11 years ago.

Not every Elon promise gets broken, and his companies have achieved an awful lot. Especially in the electric car and private spaceflight industries. But I’m still not convinced the robot is going to be ready this year. Maybe someday, but not late 2022.

When Elon Musk revealed the Model Y back in 2019, he claimed that not only would it likely become the best-selling Tesla ever, but he expected it to out-sell all other models combined. That may not have happened just yet, but as anyone who lives in a major U.S. or European city can already attest, Tesla’s compact SUV is incredibly popular.

As a quick recap, the Model Y is broadly to the Tesla Model 3 what the Model X is to the Model S – minus the X’s dramatic falcon-wing doors. Being an all-electric crossover with compact SUV dimensions, the Model Y strikes at the heart of the 2022 auto industry zeitgeist like a SpaceX rocket nailing the landing. It is, on paper at least, exactly what many millions of motorists are clamoring for.

But does the latest Tesla deliver on that promise? Read our full Tesla Model Y review to find out.

Tesla Model Y: Price and availability

Tesla’s prices tend to change as quickly as its cars accelerate, so you may well find the figures quoted here, in May 2022, have changed by the time you read this review. Tesla also has a habit of quoting its prices after incentives and potential gasoline savings. 

I’m going to side-step all of that and stick with the cash price, which for the Model Y Long Range tested here starts at $52,990, and for the Model Y Performance you’re looking at $56,990. There’s also some evidence of a standard range Model Y, with AWD, which looks to have a starting price of $60,990. 

Only white and silver paint options are offered for free, with blue, black and red priced at $1,000, $1,500 and $2,000 respectively. Five- and seven-seat interior options are available for the Model Y, with the latter costing an additional $3,000. 

Curiously, the seven-seat version isn’t available in some markets, including the U.K. where our drive of the car took place. Also omitted from U.K. versions of Model Y is a rear parcel shelf, so everything left in the trunk can be seen through the rear windshield. We don’t know why, and neither did the Tesla representative we asked.

Tesla Model Y: Design

There’s no mistaking the Tesla genes in the Model Y’s exterior design. To my eyes it’s a bluff, fish-like face only Musk could love, with an awkwardly tall glasshouse and an overall aesthetic that feels too generic, conservative – and, frankly, boring – for a car as impressive as the Model Y. But that is entirely subjective and I shan’t dwell on something that can’t be seen from behind the wheel.

The Model Y continues a trend previously seen on the Model 3, where exterior details like the flush door handles and window frames are now black instead of chrome. Setting the Model Y apart is how the rear trunk hinges from further forward along the roofline than it does on the Model 3, creating a far larger opening to a much bigger load space.

Despite sharing the same general appearance, the Model Y sits higher than the Model 3, both in terms of its ride height, but also owing to the taller cabin and higher roof. It’s less attractive than the Model 3, but has a far more practical design. For young families tasked with loading children into the rear seats and strollers into the trunk, it’s a revelation.

Tesla Model Y: Interior design and features

Tesla has sensibly carried a lot of the Model 3’s interior over to the Model Y, as it did with the S and X a few years earlier. The 3’s centrally-mounted touch screen is here, and that’s the only display you’ll find inside the vehicle — due to there being no traditional instrument binnacle behind the steering wheel.

This is mostly fine, but if we have to go without any sort of gauge cluster I wish Tesla would instead fit its cars with a heads-up display. It wouldn’t cost much, could be sunk into the dashboard, and would make it far less distracting to see your speed and the next navigation instruction. As it is, the Model Y driver needs to take their eyes off the road and glance to the upper-corner of the central display to see all that information.

The lack of a conventional stalk for the windshield wipers is also a problem. Since the automatic wipers (which use the cameras of the Autopilot system to function) aren’t entirely reliable. 

So your vision is already obscured before you second-guess the system. You then need to press a button on the turn signal stalk to open the wiper menu, and tap at the touchscreen to pick the speed you want.

It’s a classic example of Tesla overengineering a solution to a problem that didn’t exist in the first place.

Aside from the many, many menus, the operating system includes YouTube and Netflix, for being entertained while parked at a charger, along with a digital sketching app, a karaoke machine and, yes, ‘fart mode’, which lets one rip when you tap the display or operate the turn signal. You can even pick which of your children to blame it on, and the sound will come from the speakers nearest them. It’s daft and pointless, but I challenge you not to smile at least once.

There are games too, with Beach Buggy Racing 2 letting you control your virtual vehicle with the actual car’s steering wheel and brake pedal. It’s huge fun, but everyone in the parking lot is going to think you’re crazy, sawing away at the wheel of a parked car.

Other uniquely-Tesla details include how the steering wheel position is adjusted by entering a touch screen sub-menu, then rotating a pair of scroll wheels with your thumbs, and while the direction of the air conditioning also requires a quick dive into the operating system.

It all works well for now, but I worry how hideously expensive fixing any of this could be in years to come. So too the electric, button-press door releases and touch screen-controlled glove box.

The minimal nature of the Model Y’s cabin gives the interior a real sense of space, while also no doubt helping to cut design and manufacturing costs. After all, the more symmetrical the interior, the less to change when switching the steering wheel from one side to the other.

The all-vegan interior with synthetic leather, used for the seats and steering wheel, broadly looks and feels like the real thing — and is available in either black or white. For the sake of future cleaning bills you’ll surely want to opt for the former.

Wireless smartphone charging is included as standard, with a pair of charge pads located below the touch screen. It’s a nice use of otherwise dead space, but I don’t think the driver should be encouraged to place their phone where every distracting notification can be seen. I’d much rather hide my phone in a storage bin and connect via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, but sadly neither is currently offered in any Tesla.

Speaking of storage, there’s a good amount of space beneath the central armrest, a pair of drinks holders ahead of you and a second storage bin covered by a hinged lid.

So far, so very familiar. But where the Model Y’s interior impresses over the Model 3 is when you get into the back seats. Even when sitting behind a taller driver, there’s loads of room for equally-tall rear occupants thanks to the extra height of the Y. Where the Model 3 can feel cramped in the back, the Y is nothing of the sort, and the interior is bathed in light flooding through the standard-fit panoramic glass roof.

Rear passengers get access to a pair of USB-C charge ports, and so too do those on the third row if that’s the configuration of Model Y you go for. The second and optional third row all fold flat, with electronic release switches in the trunk making it easy to lower the seats on your next trip to Ikea.

Many electric cars have a front trunk, or frunk, owing to their lack of engine, but Tesla is the best at maximizing that space for extra storage. The Model Y’s frunk is just over four cubic feet, which is comfortably more than the Ford Mustang Mach-E, and around double that of the Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5.

Tesla Model Y: Driving and performance

Teslas have always been quick cars and the Model Y is no exception. Both variants have a motor on each axle for all-wheel-drive, for that added performance. The slower and cheaper Long Range model has 0-60 mph time of 4.8 seconds and a top speed of 135 mph. Go for the Model Y Performance and the name is justified, with 60 mph dispatched in a supercar-bothering 3.5 seconds, while top speed is 155 mph.

I drove the former and, while it isn’t quite the rollercoaster ride of the Performance, it’s still incredibly quick for what is, by all other metrics, a sensible and practical family car. Like other EVs, acceleration is served up on a mountain of torque from zero rpm, pinning you into the seat and never failing to produce a smile. 

Like other Teslas, it’s the silent ease with which the Model Y sprints away from stop lights and overtakes slower traffic that never fails to impress.

The regenerative braking offers a one-pedal driving system, so lifting off the accelerator uses the motors to slow the car — feeding kinetic energy back into the battery. That feels familiar to anyone who has driven a Tesla, or any other modern electric vehicle. The strength of the regen can’t be adjusted as it can on many other EVs, but Tesla’s calibration is among the very best. It takes just a few miles to master one-pedal driving, and you seldom have to use the actual brakes.

If the Model Y’s straight-line performance encourages you to hustle it along a winding country road, then you’ll find a car that is stiffly sprung with good body control and minimal roll. That’s hardly a surprise given the heaviest component, the battery pack, is in the floor, pulling the center of gravity down with it. However, this stiffness leads to a firm and sometimes fidgety ride when driven more sedately.

I suspect, in a bid to mask the extra weight and slightly higher center of gravity  compared to the Model 3, Tesla has simply turned up the damping. This might not be an issue on a smooth French autoroute, but on the more challenging road surfaces of the U.K. (and, I would suspect, the U.S. too) the ride quality suffers. It’s really quite firm for a compact SUV with no sporting credentials, party-trick acceleration aside.

Tesla Model Y: Range and charging

Almost a decade since construction on the Supercharger network began, this remains the primary reason to buy a Tesla. And what a reason it is. Compared to the misery of most public charging networks, the Supercharger system is a revelation. To borrow Apple’s old slogan, it just works.

And, much like the tight integration between Apple hardware, software and services, Tesla cars communicate perfectly with the Supercharger network. Enter a destination in the navigation system and, if the car thinks it will need to charge on the way, you’ll be shown which Supercharger stations to stop at, and for exactly how long. It’ll also show how much charge you’ll have left at each stop and your final destination.