Tesla working on ‘tap to park’ feature, says Elon Musk

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Tesla CEO Elon Musk has alluded to an upcoming “tap to park” feature for the automaker’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) beta. While it isn’t clear when it’s expected to become available, some have already pointed out how useful such a feature could be.

On Friday, Musk responded to a post on X saying that Tesla is developing a feature in which the car identifies potential parking space options, letting users tap the one they want to use. Upon doing so, the driver will then be able to leave the vehicle before the vehicle parks in the selected space.

The statement came in response to another post claiming that a 360-degree bird’s eye view would be irrelevant in a world of self-driving vehicles, as the driver wouldn’t need to do anything at all for the vehicle to locate and park in a specific spot.

Tesla owners with cars built before the automaker stopped including Ultrasonic Sensors (USS) in its vehicles can also access a similar “Autopark” feature. However, it doesn’t let them select from multiple parking spots, and drivers are expected to remain in the car and ready to regain control unlike the feature Musk describes.

Many of those who have used Autopark have noticed that it still needs some work, and those who have newer cars with Tesla’s camera-based Vision still don’t have Autopark or other advanced features such as Summon and Smart Summon.

You can see an old video from Tesla below showing off how the Autopark feature works in a Model 3.

Tesla did, however, start the rollout of its Tesla Vision Park Assist earlier this year, which approximates the distance between the car and other objects when parking.

The news also comes as Tesla has begun deploying its FSD v12 to employees, as Musk confirmed late last month. The FSD version is expected to include a marked improvement by eliminating several lines of human-written code in place of more reliance on the system’s neural networks as they train from real-world driving video footage.

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

Tesla working on ‘tap to park’ feature, says Elon Musk





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World’s fastest Tesla Model S Plaid undergoes major changes

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You may have seen the formerly wrecked, then gutted 2022 Tesla Model S Plaid that had most of its body cut off and set the quarter mile record back in August, but now, it is a completely different creation dubbed the “Plaidessey.”

YouTube channel BoostedBoiz is making another major change by chopping off what little remained of the Plaid and dropping a 2001 Honda Odyssey body onto what’s left to create the “ultimate sleeper.”

In all fairness, the Odyssey body actually fits pretty well over the Model S, with less than two inches separating the wheelbase and only minor changes needed for the fenders.

One hurdle was the B pillar of the van not lining to where the Model S had its B pillar, but once the front windshield of the Model S was cut off, it made the accessibility into the car much easier.

The “Plaidessey” halfway through the changes (Credit: BoostedBoiz YouTube)

Before this major alteration, they set the Model S Plaid quarter mile world record by running 8.71 seconds down the dragstrip after cutting off the body and adding an aluminum shell to help with aerodynamics.

After setting the world record, they ran into another problem with the suspension getting stuck in low mode and even took it by a couple of Tesla dealerships in Florida to see if they could help with the issue. Unsurprisingly they weren’t able to get much help considering the changes made.

They were eventually able to enlist the help of Electrified Garage to help narrow down their issues and get a replacement part shipped out to fix the suspension.

Check out the transformation on the BoostedBoiz’s channel below!

What do you think of this creation from a 2022 Model S Plaid turned “Cyberkart” and now the “Plaidessey?”

Questions or comments? Shoot me an email at rangle@teslarati.com, or Tweet me @RDAnglePhoto.

World’s fastest Tesla Model S Plaid undergoes major changes





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Tesla Sweden prioritizes employee safety as they receive threats 

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Tesla and IF Metall’s battle in Sweden is reaching dangerous levels as the automaker reports that employees have received threats on social media. Tesla is now prioritizing the safety of employees while the IF Metall strike continues. 

Jönköpings-Posten (JP) recently visited Tesla’s new facility in Hedenstorp and talked with a representative from the Texas-based automaker. 

“It is a sensitive situation. There have been threats on social media, and we want to protect the safety of the employees in this situation; our highest priority is their security,” the Tesla representative told JP.

During its visit to Tesla’s Hedenstorp facility, JP was not permitted to take photos of workers or ask them questions about the IF Metall strike. Tesla also forbids JP from publishing any worker’s names. JP was directed to Tesla’s written statement regarding any questions about the IF Metall strike.

The answer to how many workers are actually on strike has been elusive. Tesla claims 90% of its employees are still working because it is counting all its workers in Sweden. Indeed, many Tesla employees have chosen not to join the IF Metalls strike; even the union’s contract secretary, Veli-Pekka Säikkälä, has alluded to it. 

IF Metall’s numbers are a little more nuanced. The union only counts Tesla workers within its contractural area, meaning those who are members of IF Metalls. In addition, white-collar workers are not included among its members. The union states that half of Tesla’s mechanics are members of IF Metall, and not all of them had joined the strike.

IF Metall’s board will assess each Tesla union member who has not joined the strike. Some of them may be excluded from the union. Veli-Pekka shared listed several reasons workers might not join the strike. 

“There are migration cases, people from third countries afraid of their residence permit. Some people are on probation and fear for their employment. There are also EU citizens who want to build a life in Sweden and fear that they will have to move from Sweden again. Some are afraid of what happens after the conflict. You have heard from other countries about trade unions fired at Tesla.”

The Teslarati team would appreciate hearing from you. If you have any tips, contact me at maria@teslarati.com or via X @Writer_01001101.

Tesla Sweden prioritizes employee safety as they receive threats 





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