Skip to main content
All Stories Tagged:

Tesla

Founded in 2003, Tesla is the top manufacturer of electric vehicles in the US. Led by billionaire CEO Elon Musk, the automaker upended the industry with the futuristic designs and technology of the Gigafactory, the Model S sedan, the Model X SUV, the mass-market Model 3, and soon, the Model Y compact SUV and the unconventional, Blade Runner-inspired pickup Cybertruck. The company has also experienced a number of growing pains on the path to that status as a leader, including public clashes with government agencies, and it commonly faces questions about its technology, issues with its manufacturing, and the treatment of its workforce. The Verge covers all of Tesla’s product launches and ambitions, including energy generation and storage, and the push towards autonomous cars.

No car company has taken up Tesla’s offer to license FSD.

In an earnings call, Elon Musk said it might be because they “still don’t believe it’s real.” He claimed that Tesla is still in talks with other automakers to license the advanced driver-assist feature, that despite the misleading name still requires driver’s to pay attention to the road while using.

Over 400,000 cars in North America have the feature, Musk said. Tesla just started rolling out v12, which uses neural nets “end-to-end” to control the vehicle’s functions.


E
External Link
Tesla finally releases (sort of) its neural network Full Self-Driving feature.

Electrek reports that Tesla is slowly releasing FSD v12 on beta to a very small group of testers after CEO Elon Musk promised its release last year. If the demo was anything to go by, delaying the release to 2024 was a good idea, especially after almost running a red light.

FSD v12 is supposed to feature what Musk calls “end-to-end neural nets,” meaning that instead of relying on a mix of cameras and sensors like radar, FSD v12 will mainly use AI and cameras.


E
Youtube
The Cybertruck’s 11,000-pound towing limit just got put to the test.

We’ve already seen range tests with the Cybertruck carrying 6,000 pounds, but JerryRigEverything maxed out the Cybertruck’s 11,000-pound capacity in a new video that has the EV pickup pulling a Hummer.

The trip, which was done in sub-freezing temperatures, lasted 90 miles before the Cybertruck’s battery ran out of juice. To compare, one Cybertruck owner towing 6,000 pounds got around 111 miles of range.


R
Youtube
Tesla Supercharger in Chicago packed with “dead robots” that can’t charge in the cold.

Electrek points out this Fox 32 report from Monday showing Teslas that couldn’t charge in subzero temperatures, similar to issues some drivers reported last winter.

It’s unclear if drivers failed to warm the batteries by preconditioning (EVs in Norway, for example, seem to get by somehow) or if the chargers failed, and Tesla doesn’t respond to questions. Another report from WGN News points to long lines at functioning stations and includes a service center operator telling people to park their cars inside if possible.


Elon Musk is uncomfortable with the amount of control Elon Musk has over Tesla.

The Tesla CEO and X CTO / owner writes that “I am uncomfortable growing Tesla to be a leader in AI & robotics without having ~25% voting control,” and proposed building products (like Grok?) outside of Tesla instead.

Musk’s stake in the company reportedly dropped to 13.4 percent in 2022 as he sold shares and acquired X, then known as Twitter. Now there’s this statement, a recent WSJ report citing concerns about drug use, and... Tesla’s Q4 earnings report coming up on January 24th.


“I am uncomfortable growing Tesla to be a leader in AI & robotics without ~25% control. Enough to be influential, but not so much I can’t be overturned. Unless that is the case, I would prefer to build products outside of Tesla. You don’t seem to understand Tesla is not one startup, but a dozen. Simply look at the delta between what Tesla does and GM.  As for stock ownership itself being enough motivation, Fidelity and other own similar stakes. Why don’t they show up for work?”
Image: @elonmusk (X)
J
External Link
Tesla temporarily halts production at its biggest European factory.

The company blames the two-week pause at its German Gigafactory on a component shortage caused by shipping disruptions in the Red Sea — a major trade route between Asia and Europe.

Iranian-backed Houthi militants have increasingly targeted cargo ships in the region following the start of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7th. Delays caused by shipping companies re-routing around the conflict are also impacting production at Volvo.


W
Youtube
Want to know what the Cybertruck can do to carrots and hot dogs?

The folks over at the Out of Spec Reviews channel started this Cybertruck look by comparing the pinch sensors (or lack thereof) of the doors and frunk of a Rivian truck, a Cybertruck, an F-150 Lightning, and a Tesla Model X.

Something to watch if you’re curious about what happens if you don’t get your snack out of the way in time.


A
External Link
Meet the new Tesla Autopilot, same as the old Tesla Autopilot.

In the wake of the massive recall meant to address inadequate driver monitoring, MotorTrend tested out Tesla’s newly updated Autopilot on a 700-mile road trip, and wouldn’t you know it, it’s barely any different.

In our estimation, Tesla has done the bare minimum to satisfy the NHTSA’s concerns. It has made the warnings more visible, but it has not increased the frequency of those warnings. It continues to rely on easily deceived steering wheel torque sensors for all driving conditions that don’t involve Autosteer, rather than cracking down on driver distraction at all times, as many competitors have done. 


Tesla is putting fewer speakers in the base Model Y.

It’s also getting rid of the subwoofer.

The EV-maker’s website now says that the cheapest version of the Model Y comes with seven speakers and one amp, as spotted by Drive Tesla Canada.

That’s a downgrade from the 13 speakers, one subwoofer, and two amps that the base Model Y used to come with (as shown on this archived page). The upgraded audio is now only available with the Dual Motor and Performance models.


Screenshot by Emma Roth / The Verge
W
External Link
Elon Musk’s alleged drug use is worrying Tesla and SpaceX execs,

At least according to a new report in The Wall Street Journal that claims that SpaceX and Tesla executives and board members are concerned about how Musk’s drug use could affect his health — and his businesses.

Musk, thanks to SpaceX, is deeply entangled with the US federal government, and his antics have cost him before, such as when the Pentagon investigated him after he smoked pot on Joe Rogan’s podcast.


W
Instagram
Pharrell Williams was up all night to parallel park his Cybertruck.

Just kidding; it wasn’t all night. But according to Business Insider, when the recording artist and producer pulled up to Louis Vuitton, he struggled for about 10 minutes to get his chunky metal triangle car into a spot before giving up and letting a valet handle it.

Guess he just couldn’t find the right angle.


E
External Link
Tesla is recalling another 1.6 million vehicles in China.

The automaker recalled 2 million cars in the US last year to issue an Autopilot fix, and now it’s doing the same in China. An over-the-air software update will roll out to the affected vehicles, which is supposed to help prevent drivers from misusing its driver-assist system.


E
External Link
Norwegian driving instructors aren’t happy about Tesla’s turn signal placement.

Newer versions of the Model S, X, and 3 come with a turn signal that’s just a button on the steering wheel, rather than on a separate stalk.

The placement makes it more difficult for students to activate their blinkers and exit a roundabout, causing them to fail driving exams, one driving instructor tells the Norwegian outlet Motor. For that reason, some instructors in Norway believe newer Tesla vehicles are “unsuitable” as driving school cars.


‘The thing is like a giant wet noodle.’

Just because it’s a new year doesn’t mean we’ve forgotten about the most important story of 2023: the Tesla Cybertruck’s comically large windshield wiper. Thanks to Out of Spec’s Kyle Conner, we now have confirmation that the wiper has the rigidity of overcooked fettuccini. And perhaps is missing a second wiper blade?? More details are sure to be unearthed, as The Verge remains your primary source for all Cybertruck wiper related news.

[Conner’s wiper demonstration starts at 12:43]


Tesla Cybertruck wiper gif
That’s one floppy wiper.
Out of Spec
W
Twitter
Tesla delivered 1.81 million cars in 2023.

The company squeezed out roughly 1,300 more vehicles in the final three months of the year than analysts had expected, according to Bloomberg. Tesla said in a press release this morning that, overall, that was a 38 percent year-over-year increase.

Most of the year’s sales were of the Model 3 or Model Y, but the company claimed 68,874 deliveries of other vehicles, too.


Over 80 percent of new cars sold in Norway were electric in 2023.

New figures released by the Norwegian Road Federation say 82.4 percent of new cars sold in the country last year were electric, up from 79.3 percent in 2022. Tesla, Toyota, and Volkswagen were the most popular brands, with Tesla’s Model Y making up almost a fifth of new sales. Reuters notes that Norway intends to end the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in 2025.


Chart showing best-selling new cars in Norway in 2023.
Chart showing best-selling new cars in Norway in 2023 (machine-translated chart title).
Image: Norwegian Road Federation
E
Youtube
The Cybertruck collision’s aftermath got caught on dashcam.

A video posted to YouTube shows dashcam footage of a driver approaching the scene of the accident, which resulted in “minor” injury. You can see the Toyota Corolla's mangled front end before getting a glimpse at the Cybertruck’s driver’s side with what appears to be less significant damage. We still haven’t gotten a look at the front of the Cybertruck, however.


A
External Link
Tesla’s Autopilot fix ‘doesn’t go far enough.’

Consumer Report did some preliminary testing with its Tesla Model S with Autopilot after a massive 2 million vehicle recall triggered a new software update. And unsurprisingly, the group’s safety experts came away thoroughly unimpressed.

A preliminary evaluation of Autopilot after the software update was installed on CR’s Tesla Model S suggests that the fix is insufficient, a CR safety expert says, explaining that it’s still too easy for drivers to misuse the feature.

“Although we welcome some of the changes that Tesla made as part of the most recent software update, including warning text that’s easier to read, the new software doesn’t go far enough to prevent misuse or address the root causes of driver inattention,” says Kelly Funkhouser, associate director of vehicle technology at CR’s Auto Test Center. 

They were still able to use Autopilot after covering the in-cabin camera! So much for driver monitoring.


A
External Link
Tesla vehicles have serious quality issues, part 7,294,656.

Tesla vehicles don’t have the best record for quality. The brakes will sometime slam without warning. The range is often inflated. Autopilot is a mess. And now, according to Reuters, the suspension and steering columns on “tens of thousands” of Tesla vehicles are experiencing premature failure — sometimes after just a couple hundred miles of ownership.

Tesla’s response? Blaming the customers.


A
External Link
Tesla has no policy to prevent abusers from using its technology to stalk their victims.

A woman in San Francisco sued Tesla to block her abusive husband from using the company’s smartphone app to track her Model X. The husband was stalking her and had allegedly left a metal bat in the backseat of the car as a warning. She tried asking the company to restrict his access, but sued after she was told no. A judge ruled in Tesla’s favor.

Other companies, like GM and Rivian, are taking steps to prevent misuse of their connected cars. But not Tesla.


J
Youtube
Jay Leno got Tesla execs to talk more about the Cybertruck’s giant wiper.

Wiper Chat begins at 17:40 in a new video about the Cybertruck on Leno’s YouTube channel. Perhaps Leno has been reading The Verge and wanted to know more.


A
Youtube
The Tesla Cybertruck wiper remains large and in charge.

The Verge is your source for all Tesla Cybertruck wiper news, so please keep sending us tips!


T
Twitter
Tesla’s new Optimus Gen 2 robot.

The latest Tesla Bot is a little bit lighter, walks faster, and balances better with improvements throughout, including in the function of its neck, feet, and hands. But is it the “friend” Elon Musk says will cost “much less than $20,000” and allow for “a future where there is no poverty?” Probably not.


R
Instagram
Software problems apparently stranded this Cybertruck.

According to the updated caption, this Tesla Cybertruck suffered from software problems that caused traction control issues and a failure to air down, while another post said it also had the wrong tires. That left it spinning its wheels during a recovery at the Corral Hollow OHV trail by the same kind of Ford SuperDuty pickup Tesla claims its electric truck can out-pull.

Also, at least on this release candidate, the people who recovered it said the truck lacked recovery tow points — they had to tie the ropes to its suspension.


U
External Link
So, what’s the statute of limitations on false advertising?

The California DMV accused Tesla of misleading customers with brand names like “Autopilot” and “Full Self-Driving” into believing the company’s EVs are capable of autonomous driving.

Tesla’s defense is that the DMV was aware of the branding since 2014 / 2016 and gave “implicit approval” since it never said Tesla’s advertising was problematic after all these years.


W
External Link
Tesla can’t have its Swedish license plates after all, court rules.

A judge had ruled in November that postal workers who, in solidarity with Tesla’s unionized Swedish mechanics, refused to deliver the plates had to let Tesla pick them up. But Fortune writes that another Swedish court overturned the ruling pending a final decision.

The strike began when Tesla refused to bargain with around 120 unionized Swedish mechanics. Soon, other unions joined, including dockworkers and postal workers, then the strike spread to unions in Denmark and Norway.


W
External Link
Tesla Autopilot has a responsibility vacuum.

A pair of stories in The Washington Post today highlighted how little seems to stop Tesla drivers from ignoring company guidance about where and how to use Autopilot. It’s resulted in years of fatal crashes, court cases, scoldings, and investigations, but no impactful regulation.

As some drivers choose to use Autopilot where they shouldn’t, they wait for Full Self Driving, which Musk has promised for years, but Tesla has never delivered on.