During the IAA Transport Show in Germany today, the Semi’s Head of Engineering, Dan Priestley, unloaded tons of new details on the vehicle, including plans to leverage several different variants of the electric truck, how its efficiency stacks up, and various Easter eggs that the company has discovered through its fleet operation thus far.

Tesla Semi sleeper section and large side storage teased in new video

Tesla Semi Configurations

Priestly said Tesla will develop several configurations of the Semi so that they can be purchased according to the buyer’s needs.

Thanks to Tesla’s vertical integration, manufacturing will be simple.

Mass production at the new Semi factory near Giga Nevada will scale to 50,000 units annually.

Priestley said:

“We aim to be as competitive at an upfront price with diesel as possible, in order to accelerate the adoption of electric trucks as quickly as we can. Again, this is on lock for Tesla’s deep vertical integration, and we will plan to leverage this into multiple variants…We will be taking on a wide variety of applications and vehicle types.”

Tesla Semi Efficiency

Tesla, along with the companies that have been operating the vehicle in their pilot programs, have routinely flexed the efficiency of the Semi.

Pepsi details how its Tesla Semi fleet is helping it reach sustainability goals

But Priestley said today at the conference that common industry numbers are approaching 100 kWh per 100 kilometers traveled.

The Semi has already achieved this.

It will only get better when Tesla comes back with a high-volume version of the Semi. Higher efficiency means lower battery mass and cost, meaning a less expensive product and more advantages for the customer.

Fleet Data

Despite the Tesla Semi being a vehicle that is relatively new and only has operated on a very controlled basis, only being delivered to a handful of companies.

Here are some of the stats Tesla has logged so far for the fleet:

• Over 4.65 million miles have been driven since the Tesla Semi pilot test fleet started operation
• One Tesla Semi unit has over 248,000 miles driven — it took only 18 months to get to this point
• The fleet has a 95 percent uptime — this includes scheduled and unscheduled maintenance

The full presentation can be watched below:

Here is the full keynote speech of the Tesla Semi program lead @danWpriestley which just took place in the IAA in Hannover Germany.

Welcome to Europe, @Tesla!
The Semi is incredible. pic.twitter.com/UPYKkwDVeO

— Jaan of the EV Universe (@TheEVuniverse) September 17, 2024

I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.

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Tesla released Actually Smart Summon last night, bringing the feature back after the company transitioned to a Vision-only approach several years ago. The original release, known as Smart Summon, is relatively identical to the new Actually Smart Summon. However, there are some improvements.

We are now seeing owners take ASS for a spin as the vehicles are operating with the new form of Summon.

Tesla finally launches Actually Smart Summon and Dumb Summon

One owner showed the improved accuracy of the navigation of a vehicle on Summon as a Model Y made it through a roundabout and picked him up on the far side:

Actually Smart Summon test #2 (Roundabout)

I’m officially impressed pic.twitter.com/GbiWcdFYpB

— ΛI DRIVR (@AIDRIVR) September 3, 2024

It seems to navigate the roundabout with plenty of confidence, and although slow and cautious, there is something to be said about the vehicle doing what it is with no true hiccups along the way.

The next true test will be to see Summon in a parking lot that has some foot traffic, as the reactions of what people will see as a “driverless car” would be priceless in their own right.

I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.

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As someone who loves to drive their car out on the beach and stay out for as long as 24 hours in a row, a cooktop is truly a necessity.

Perfect for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and compact enough to fit inside a trunk or bed without taking up too much space, a cooktop is something that everyone from the casual camper or the hardcore outdoorsman will appreciate.

The Rivian Travel Kitchen is specially engineered for Rivian vehicles and fits on any tabletop surface that is within reach of a power source. It includes a carrying case, Hangout Lights and poles, a cutting board, and a drawer for storage of utensils.

How it Works

The induction cooktop includes two burners and can be powered by the R1T or R1S or a 120V power source with at least 15A of current.

The burners will share 1500W, and you can use all 1500 on one or split between the two. It uses a touch-control panel and will only transfer heat with an induction-capable pot or pan. This makes it super safe and will keep you from burning yourself.

Easy Transport and Designed for Travel

The Travel Kitchen can be stored in the R1T gear tunnels, R1 front trunks, or any trunk until it is ready to be used.

It comes with a carrying case and has ergonomic handles for easy carrying.

It also uses sustainable materials throughout to align with Rivian’s mission. The cutting board, for example, is made from recycled materials. The inside of the kitchen is also made from castor plants.

Additionally, induction cooktops are more environmentally friendly than gas or wood.

Accessories

The Travel Kitchen features things like Hangout Lights and retractable poles that can be used for nighttime cooking or additional light when hanging out with friends.

The cutting board and drawer are obviously huge advantages for the kitchen.

Availability

The Travel Kitchen is available today and can be yours for $1,400. Check out the awesome video of it in use below:

I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.

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“Now is the bottom,” Baron said during an interview with Squawk Box on CNBC earlier today.

Baron has been one of the biggest winners in terms of Tesla stock ownership, seeing his portfolio increase by multitudes over the past several years and holding over $1.5 billion in shares at one point.

However, as the stock has felt some pressure over the past year and a half, being up only 1 percent compared to a year ago and down 32 percent since the beginning of 2024, Baron believes the only way to go now is up.

“It’s going to go up huge,” Baron said. When he was asked when this would happen, his answer was simple: “Now.”

As Tesla is trading at around $166 on Thursday morning during early trading hours, it has gone up the past two days, fending off bearish tones that mention slowing demand, increasing vehicle inventories, and a loss of market share in regions like China and Europe.

Tesla’s Q1 2024 Earnings Call seemed to put some rest to the questions that lie before it. When will a dedicated Robotaxi be released? How far is Tesla from solving Full Self-Driving? How will Tesla compete with automakers that have released affordable models that are comparable to their best-sellers that are not as competitively priced?

Robotaxi and Solving FSD

Tesla announced recently that it would unveil a dedicated Robotaxi vehicle on August 8. Based on an experience he recently had with the company in California, Baron believes the Robotaxi will be capable of driving people around without any human intervention.

He requested to see Steve Jobs’ house from Tesla’s Hawthorne Design Studio in Los Angeles. He claims that several others joined him in the car, and the vehicle drove him to Jobs’ former residence without any human intervention, handling things like a pedestrian waving the vehicle on and other challenging scenarios.

He believes Robotaxi will be coming soon.

Affordable Models

Tesla said in its Q1 2024 Shareholder Deck that it had ultimately decided to launch a new, updated vehicle lineup that will help accelerate the launch of new models ahead of previously planned timelines, which hinted toward a late 2025 production start.

Including a blend of both the existing and next-generation platforms, the new vehicle lineup will feature affordable models and will be able to be manufactured on existing production lines.

Tesla updates future vehicle lineup — and it will arrive sooner than expected

“This update may result in achieving less cost reduction than previously expected,” Tesla wrote, “but enables us to prudently grow our vehicle volumes in a more capex efficient manner during uncertain times.”

Baron’s Other Thoughts

Baron kept the same tone regarding selling Tesla shares as he has for years: none are going anywhere.

He believes the stock will increase substantially, and the catalysts of Robotaxi and Full Self-Driving will be the main drivers of an increase in valuation for Tesla, aligning with the idea that the company is not an automaker and should be looked at in terms of software.

Today’s full video of Ron Baron talking $TSLA

“It’s gonna go up huge. Now is the bottom.” pic.twitter.com/FshULylNy6

— Christopher Dungeon (@ChrisDungeon) April 25, 2024

I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.

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Among the first videos of the new Autopark feature seen on social media show a vehicle safely and confidently backing into a parking space after the driver chooses a spot.

The Tesla then pulls forward and backs into the space with ease, comes to a complete stop, and successfully performs a routine maneuver to occupy a spot.

The video was uploaded on X by a Tesla owner who shows the capability of the maneuver, which uses only cameras, as the previous versions relied on both cameras and ultrasonic sensors for some of its semi-autonomous driving functions:

Tesla autopark for vision only non-USS Model Y! At long last! So far I’m pretty impressed. It’s way better than the old autopark.@AndyZeGerman @28delayslater pic.twitter.com/Hi25l7T1XL

— Space Cat ?? (@raderje) March 24, 2024

Autopark updates have been coming for a long time.

Tesla owners have requested improvements on the feature for several years. These requests were finally answered earlier this month, as CEO Elon Musk confirmed that Autopark and Summon improvements would be coming to customers.

Tesla Summon to get major improvements, Autopark gets a new name

Last week, these improvements finally started to roll out to customers in the form of a Software Update. Version 2024.2.11 equipped several improvements, including a new version of Autopark, which included the following release notes:

“Your vehicle can now automatically park — and parallel park — in designated spaces.

When you’re driving at low speed, your display highlights potential parking spaces. Autopark shows a circular P symbol to suggest a space, but you can choose any highlighted space.

To start parking, stop the vehicle, press Start, and release the steering wheel so it can move freely. Refer to the Owner’s Manual for more detail.

As with all Autopilot features, you must continue to pay attention and be ready to take immediate action, including canceling Autopark.”

Tesla was attempting to bring the feature to vehicles that were utilizing Vision-only for its semi-autonomous driving functions.

I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.

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Tesla has been teasing a new Roadster for several years, but Musk seems more willing than ever to commit to the vehicle’s planned production date and some new features that it will equip.

Musk was with Don Lemon for a new interview that dove into everything from how the CEO spends his time off and unloads his stress to the issue of free speech on his social media platform X.

However, Lemon also inquired about potential details surrounding the Tesla Roadster, and Musk was willing to share a few details.

Musk confirmed that the Roadster will be a direct collaboration between Tesla and SpaceX, which we expected based on the company’s claims that the vehicle will be able to hover for a short period of time. Musk said “maybe” to Lemon’s question of whether the vehicle would be a “flying car,” but we knew that Tesla’s goal was for the Roadster to be capable of floating, at least for a few seconds.

However, there were more details that Musk was confidently willing to discuss, including two new features, like steer-by-wire and a new Yoke.

Lemon asked Musk various questions, including whether the Roadster would have wings or wheels. Musk answered these questions, confirming that the vehicle would not have wings and would have wheels, but he also confirmed that it would have “a drive-by-wire Yoke.”

“Kind of like the way aircraft or modern jets are controlled,” Musk confirmed.

Steer-by-wire is not a new development, but Tesla has just started introducing it on its vehicles. The Cybertruck was the first vehicle to utilize this functionality in the Tesla lineup, and it appears the Roadster will be the next car to equip it.

Tesla Cybertruck: price, range, trims, and specs revealed

In simple terms, steer-by-wire does not require a driver to turn a wheel more than 180 degrees to execute a full turn radius. While traditional rack-and-pinion steering systems require more than a full 360-degree wheel spin to have a vehicle turn fully, steer-by-wire helps the wheels turn more with less effort from the driver.

In late February, Musk teased the Roadster’s new unveiling date for the end of 2024. Of course, we’ve all heard that the Roadster will be delivered in the past, and Tesla has not followed through on these dates, so we cannot confirm whether it will actually be available by the time 2025 rolls around.

However, Musk said there are “radically increased design goals” for the Roadster in the late February X post.

Tesla next-gen Roadster will be a collaboration with SpaceX: Elon Musk

Musk’s full interview with Don Lemon is available below:

The Don Lemon Show episode 1: Elon Musk

TIMESTAMPS:
(02:23) News on X
(10:07) Donald Trump and Endorsing a Candidate
(13:04) The New Tesla Roadster
(16:46) Relaxation and Video Games
(17:54) Tweeting and Drug Use
(23:19) The Great Replacement Theory
(30:03) Content Moderation… pic.twitter.com/bLRae4DhyO

— Don Lemon (@donlemon) March 18, 2024

Don’t hesitate to contact us with tips! Email us at tips@teslarati.com, or you can email me directly at joey@teslarati.com. I’m also on X @KlenderJoey

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The truck was shot up by Jack Rosenbauer, a content creator, whose Cybertruck was driven to a remote location and unloaded on with an assault rifle.

Although the X post states that the gun is an AK-47, it is not. Instead, it is a 9mm and not the 7.62mm diameter rounds that an AK would actually utilize. While it is not as advertised, it is still an impressive feat.

Took an AK47 to the Tesla cybertruck. It is in fact bulletproof @elonmusk did not lie. This truck is an absolute tank @Tesla t pic.twitter.com/9MqSWcwJ2K

— jake (@jake_rosenbauer) March 7, 2024

Of course, this is not the first time that Tesla’s claims of a bullet-resistant exoskeleton have been put to the test.

Initially, Tesla conducted a test involving a Tommy gun.

This vehicle was spotted on the highway after the test, which occurred before the pickup’s initial deliveries in November.

Tesla posts behind the scenes footage of Cybertruck’s “bullet test” demo

This was followed by another bullet test in February from notable streamer and content creator Adin Ross, who shot up his Cybertruck as well.

Joe Rogan also shot an arrow into the side of the Cybertruck during CEO Elon Musk’s most recent appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast.

Tesla Cybertruck’s ‘arrow-proof’ exoskeleton highlighted in new JRE with Elon Musk

It seems the theme with the Tesla Cybertruck for sometime will be to shoot it, abuse it, and run it into the ground to see how much damage it can actually take before it gives way. Perhaps what is most impressive is that it has managed to overcome several of these gunfire tests, meaning it is definitely capable of what Tesla developed it for, which is to be the ideal mode of travel in the case of an apocalypse.

I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.

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This is not the first time the Tesla Cybertruck has been subjected to gunfire, as CEO Elon Musk revealed the pickup underwent a variety of gunfire “Al Capone style” to test its durability.

The Tesla Cybertruck has been marketed as one of the toughest vehicles on the market today, and the company put its money where its mouth was by testing it and releasing a video of it during the delivery event in November.

However, just as the steel ball test was first performed by Tesla and then emulated by fans later on, it was only a matter of time before somebody somewhere decided to do the same with a gun.

Adin Ross decided to be the one to do it, shooting his Cybertruck up with 9mm ammunition:

Shot up my Tesla truck today
It’s definitely bullet proof. I love this truck. Thanks Elon @elonmusk

pic.twitter.com/4mB7hDSpPv

— adin (@adinross) February 21, 2024

Ross’s excitement can be felt through his heavy breathing, use of profanity, and general expressions during and after the test. It is no secret the Cybertruck has some of the most interesting features and capabilities you can have in a car today, but its ability to withstand damage from firearms could arguably be the most impressive.

“If you’re ever in an argument with another car,” Musk said in November during the delivery event, “you will win.”

Bullet-tested Tesla Cybertruck to be displayed at Petersen Museum

But while accidents are a common occurrence on the road, being subjected to gunfire is not the most likely scenario. However, Tesla has branded the Cybertruck as an apocalypse-proof vehicle that will undergo any assessment or challenge and pass with flying colors.

I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.

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It’s a good thing Tesla does some pretty intense real-world testing before it releases its vehicles to the public, because this will undoubtedly not be a one-off instance.

Tesla Semi’s intense, all-terrain testing is not for the faint of heart

Truckers are confronted with some pretty treacherous driving conditions at times, and it is important that they are trained to handle these situations. However, it is just as important that their vehicle can handle challenging terrains, icy and snowy roads, and other harsh conditions that will, at some point or another, confront them.

The Tesla Semi seems up for the task.

The video shared by the CHP shows the Semi rolling slowly and carefully down Interstate 80 Eastbound through the snowy and cold Donner Summit, which is a well-known stretch of roadway that gets dicey at times, especially during the cold weather months.

There were several big rig spinouts, according to the video shared, but the Semi did not appear to be one of them as it made its way down a tricky hill in a slow and calculated manner:

California Highway Patrol has posted a new video of a Tesla Semi tackling an icy hill. https://t.co/tfbWdjJ8tS

— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) February 7, 2024

We know the Semi went through some pretty intense testing from Tesla before it ever started being delivered to PepsiCo., which still appears to be the only company that has the vehicle in its possession.

Tesla fitted the Semi with numerous safety features, including some advanced motor and brake controls that help deliver traction and stability.

I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.

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The new Model 3 has just recently started deliveries in the United States, but it has been available in China, Europe, and the Middle East for some time.

Tesla owners report upgraded Model 3 deliveries

It was time for Tesla to give the Model 3 a new look. Since its introduction in 2017, it has only gone through one slight “refresh,” which removed any chrome parts and a new center console, among other minor changes.

Most of the vehicle stayed the same. It was truly just a slight upgrade from the earliest versions and did not introduce any major changes from a cosmetic perspective, and most features from the early builds remained.

However, Tesla wanted something new with what was once called the “Model 3 Highland.” As the front end of the vehicle underwent what is perhaps the biggest overhaul in the new design, MKBHD has more thoughts than that.

The interior reminded him of the Model S, and this even had him go as far as saying that the new Model 3 is just a miniature version of Tesla’s flagship sedan.

He commented on what parts of the new Model 3 had him feeling this way:

The feature set, adding the rear screen, and the build quality refinement – quieter ride, better suspension, etc

— Marques Brownlee (@MKBHD) February 2, 2024

Brownlee has been a solid contributor to early impressions of Tesla releases. He was among the first humans on Earth outside of Tesla to drive and handle a Cybertruck, and his review of that highlighted the strengths and weaknesses of Tesla’s early pickup.

The Model 3, however, is a different animal. Tesla used this vehicle to launch itself into the mainstream, and it truly brought the company to light as both an innovator and a disruptor, as it was the main factor in many other automakers being forced to develop EVs.

Tesla currently does not offer a Performance configuration of the new Model 3, but it was already confirmed by the company that it was on its way in the future. We hope to see a separate review from MKBHD regarding that particular version of the new Model 3 to see what changes will be present in the new Performance variant.

I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.

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