Tesla highlights an underrated, noble goal FSD


Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) makes driving a lot more convenient, and when it gets fully refined, it will have the potential to make roads a lot safer. But FSD’s advantages don’t end there. As highlighted by Tesla recently in social media, FSD also has the capability to give mobility back to people who would otherwise have a hard time operating a car. 

Tesla shared these sentiments in a quote post on its official account on X. Tesla’s official account was responding to a post from Shaddy Mazzini, who posted a photo of his father’s Tesla. Mazzini noted that his father, who does not have the use of his legs, typically uses a specific driving setup to operate his vehicle. But with FSD, his dad reportedly had a much easier time driving around. “For people like my dad, it’s almost heaven sent,” the EV advocate wrote. 

Tesla then highlighted one of FSD’s most noble and most underrated goals in a quote post. “So many people face mobility challenges & find ways to adapt to their environment so they can get where they need to go. FSD Supervised & autonomy are about making transportation accessible for all,” Tesla wrote. 

A look at the conversations about FSD today would show that there is a lot of focus being given to the convenience that the advanced driver-assist system is able to provide. And in a lot of ways, this is true. With FSD engaged, driving becomes a lot easier, and even long trips become far less tiring. That’s a great enough goal, of course, but Tesla’s recent post suggests that FSD could have advantages that many people might not even think about. 

Interestingly enough, such a scenario was presented by a Tesla fan in October 2018. At the time, Troy Edward Nikolic, a Tesla enthusiast and filmmaker, created a fanmade video ad demonstrating just how life-changing a system like FSD could become. The ad itself is over five years old and it was created long before FSD Beta was even a thing, but its message was clear as day. FSD will be life-changing — possibly in more ways than we can ever imagine. 

Watch Nikolic’s fanmade FSD ad from 2018 in the video below. 

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Tesla highlights an underrated, noble goal FSD





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Tesla Semi spotted delivering upgraded Model 3 sedans


It appears that Tesla is indeed putting its own Tesla Semi fleet to work. This was hinted at in a recent sighting of the Class 8 all-electric truck, which showed the Semi transporting a number of Ultra Red reengineered Model 3 sedans from the Fremont Factory. 

The sighting of the Tesla Semi with its special load was shared on social media platform X by Tesla owner Meriam Al Sultan, who noted in a post that she and her passengers were heading into the Fremont showroom to return a demo vehicle of the upgraded Model 3. As she was leaving the premises after dropping off the all-electric sedan, she and her passengers spotted the Tesla Semi leaving the facility.

The Tesla Semi that was spotted by the EV owner was carrying five reengineered Model 3 units, all of which were painted in Ultra Red. Interestingly enough, the Tesla Semi’s trailer seemed to be configured to transport only five cars at a time. This was less than the conventional car carrier trucks that the electric car maker uses, some of which have been spotted to hold up to eight Teslas. 

Considering that the Tesla Semi in the sighting was only transporting five reengineered Model 3 units, the vehicle was definitely operating far below its fully loaded maximum gross combination weight of 82,000 pounds. The Semi’s speed was evident in the sighting, however, as the Class 8 all-electric truck could be seen accelerating smoothly on the road. 

Tesla Senior Manager for Semi Truck Engineering Dan Priestley previously noted on social media platform X that the electric vehicle maker has been using the Tesla Semi as part of its operations for years. He noted that Tesla’s Semi fleet had transported over 20,000 battery packs from Giga, Nevada, to the Fremont Factory. He also stated that the Semis were running the same route and carrying the same load as the company’s conventional diesel trucks, but they have a lower operating cost. 

“Every day, the Tesla Semi demonstrates that battery electric trucks can directly replace diesel trucks. With our own fleet of Semis, Tesla has shipped >20,000 battery packs out of Gigafactory Nevada to support Fremont vehicle builds. These trucks run the same route, carrying the same load (no load reduction for weight) as the diesel trucks running this route but at substantially lower operating cost. Now, it’s about scale,” the Tesla executive noted. 

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

Tesla Semi spotted delivering upgraded Model 3 sedans





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Tesla is planning a 200+ stall Supercharger site in Florida


Tesla is planning to build a massive new Supercharger station in Florida, set to be the world’s largest with over 200 charging stalls.

According to site plans filed during a pre-application meeting with Osceola County last month, Tesla is set to build a Supercharger station in Yeehaw Junction with more than 200 charging stalls, as can be seen in the preliminary draft of the site. The plans, as shared by X user MarcoRPi1 on Saturday, show the site to be located at 3010 State Rd. 60, off of exit 193 on the Florida Turnpike and near the junction with I-95.

While the plans are only preliminary, they show roughly 160 V3 charging stalls and 40 standalone stalls, including eight pull-through stalls for trailers. According to Marco, the site is also expected to be built in a three-phase construction project, with the site opening stalls progressively.

In the document, you can see that GPD Group Inc. is managing construction on the project, and the site may also include up to four Megapacks, as can be seen near the electrical cabinets in the draft.

You can see the preliminary site plans below.

Credit: Osceola County (via MarcoRPi1 | X)

Credit: Osceola County (via MarcoRPi1 | X)

In February, Tesla also filed plans for a 164-stall Supercharger station in Kern County, California, which would also be larger than any currently active stations. At this time, some of the largest stations include the Harris Ranch Supercharger in Coalinga, California, with 98 stalls, as followed by an Supercharger in Quartzsite, Arizona with 84 stalls.

The news also comes as Tesla has begun rolling out Supercharger access to other electric vehicle (EV) brands, with the company last month opening its stations to both Ford and Rivian. The automaker is also expected to open the Supercharger network to other EVs from General Motors (GM), Polestar and parent company Volvo. Tesla has also been making progress on a unique Supercharger with a diner and drive-in theater in Los Angeles, California, featuring two screens, a 1950s-style restaurant and around 32 charging stalls.

Tesla Supercharger Network opening one new stall every hour

What are your thoughts? Let me know at zach@teslarati.com, find me on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send us tips at tips@teslarati.com.

Tesla is planning a 200+ stall Supercharger site in Florida





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