News
Tesla’s self-driving CA to NY “Cannonball” run needs Alex Roy
Alex Roy of Cannonball Run fame made his case for why Tesla CEO Elon Musk should put him in the first fully autonomous Tesla, set to take stage when it drives cross-country without human input later this year.
To establish a firm foundation for his case, Roy backs his story on The Drive with history of the epic yet controversial cross-country speed route that is the Cannonball Run. The race has a long history of disputed claims based on lack of evidence due to the inability of racers to provide sufficient corroborating evidence. VIN verifications, multiple eye witnesses and fuel receipts evolved to become supporting evidence needed in the loosely defined rules for the Cannonball Run. Roy notes that “extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence” as the capstone for his claim.
If Tesla is going to make the truly historic claim of being the first vehicle to drive autonomously from a California parking lot to a parking lot in New York as stated by Musk earlier this year, Roy believes it will require an equal amount of evidence. How will the public know that nobody touched the steering wheel while navigating to the fourth or fourteenth Supercharger on the route? Will the public be able to trust that the run actually happened without a full and complete set of incontrovertible evidence?
Roy posits that because the run Tesla will make is not simply a timed drive across the nation but truly a technological feat that seeks to establish a basis of trust with its customers, Tesla must establish a body of evidence that is irrefutable. The stakes are too high and, perhaps more importantly, the technology and skills to implement it exist.
Finally, Alex makes the case that in the very small subset of journalists and auto enthusiasts qualified to participate in the historic event, Roy is the most capable and qualified given his long history with autos, the Cannonball Run and autonomous driving. In terms of qualifications, it is clear that Roy is in a class apart. He’s in an elite club of extreme auto racers that are just crazy enough to attempt breaking long held records held by generations past.
The challenge with this particular run is that it is not a Cannonball Run style event. It will be going cross-country but not for time and Roy acknowledges that. Tesla has never been a company to sensationalize the work it does or the milestones it achieves. Major updates are typically rolled out to stores with media left to figure out what happened, where, to whom and how much it will cost without the typical press releases or media events. Sure, it hosts events for major product releases like the Model 3 reveal last year, but it has never aimed to be a hype factory.
Whether or not Tesla takes Roy up on his offer or plea to be the independent observer and counselor in the first vehicle of any kind to drive coast to coast fully autonomously is something we will see in due time, but another outcome is fully possible. If Tesla is so confident in its vast array of on-board camera and sensor technology – enough to be comfortable sending humans hurtling down the highway in one of its vehicles unassisted – it is also possible if not likely that it is already capturing and storing all of that sensor metadata.
With granular GPS breadcrumb data supported by feeds from the integrated camera array and a bevy of radar metadata, could it already prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that it performed the trip cross country? And if someone is going to be in the car, Roy is the clear choice as he has the know-how to cover the run and an inhuman ability to wait hours and hours longer than is likely healthy to use the bathroom.
News
Tesla ‘Mad Max’ gets its first bit of regulatory attention
Tesla “Mad Max” mode has gotten its first bit of regulatory attention, as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has asked for additional information on the Speed Profile.
A few weeks ago, Tesla officially launched a new Speed Profile for Full Self-Driving (Supervised) known as “Mad Max,” which overtook the “Hurry” mode for the fastest setting FSD offers.
Tesla launches ‘Mad Max’ Full Self-Driving Speed Profile, its fastest yet
It launched with Full Self-Driving v14.1.2, and it was no secret that the company was looking for a new mode that would cater to more aggressive driving styles.
The release notes showed the description of the Speed Profile as:
“Introduced new speed profile MAD MAX, which comes with higher speeds and more frequent lane changes than Hurry.”
It certainly lived up to its description. In our testing, it was aggressive, fast, and drove similarly to some of the more challenging traffic patterns I’ve come across.
In normal highway driving, it was one of the quicker cars on the road, while other applications saw it be a suitable version for navigating things like rush-hour traffic.
Here’s what my experience with it was:
🚨 Tesla “Mad Max” testing on FSD v14.1.2
It drives like a human being! Consistent lane changes, keeps up with quicker traffic, very refined
Well done Tesla Team pic.twitter.com/wzTucDhczA
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) October 19, 2025
While Tesla owners have certainly enjoyed the feature and the behaviors of Mad Max, the NHTSA said it is in contact with Tesla about it, looking to gather additional information. Additionally, it said:
“The human behind the wheel is fully responsible for driving the vehicle and complying with all traffic safety laws.”
The important thing to note with Mad Max mode, along with the other Speed Profiles, is that the driver can choose whichever one they’d like, and they all cater to different driving styles.
While Mad Max is more aggressive, modes like “Sloth” and “Standard” are significantly more conservative and can be more suitable for those who are not comfortable with the faster, more spirited versions.
News
Tesla shares AI5 chip’s ambitious production roadmap details
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has revealed new details about the company’s next-generation AI5 chip, describing it as “an amazing design.”
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has revealed new details about the company’s next-generation AI5 chip, describing it as “an amazing design” that could outperform its predecessor by a notable margin. Speaking during Tesla’s Q3 2025 earnings call, Musk outlined how the chip will be manufactured in partnership with both Samsung and TSMC, with production based entirely in the United States.
What makes AI5 special
According to Musk, the AI5 represents a complete evolution of Tesla’s in-house AI hardware, building on lessons learned from the AI4 system currently used in its vehicles and data centers. “By some metrics, the AI5 chip will be 40x better than the AI4 chip, not 40%, 40x,” Musk said during the Q3 2025 earnings call. He credited Tesla’s unique vertical integration for the breakthrough, noting that the company designs both the software and hardware stack for its self-driving systems.
To streamline the new chip, Tesla eliminated several traditional components, including the legacy GPU and image signal processor, since the AI5 architecture already incorporates those capabilities. Musk explained that these deletions allow the chip to fit within a half-reticle design, improving efficiency and power management.
“This is a beautiful chip,” Musk said. “I’ve poured so much life energy into this chip personally, and I’m confident this is going to be a winner.”
Tesla’s dual manufacturing strategy for AI5
Musk confirmed that both Samsung’s Texas facility and TSMC’s Arizona plant will fabricate AI5 chips, with each partner contributing to early production. “It makes sense to have both Samsung and TSMC focus on AI5,” the CEO said, adding that while Samsung has slightly more advanced equipment, both fabs will support Tesla’s U.S.-based production goals.
Tesla’s explicit objective, according to Musk, is to create an oversupply of AI5 chips. The surplus units could be used in Tesla’s vehicles, humanoid robots, or data centers, which already use a mix of AI4 and NVIDIA hardware for training. “We’re not about to replace NVIDIA,” Musk clarified. “But if we have too many AI5 chips, we can always put them in the data center.”
Musk emphasized that Tesla’s focus on designing for a single customer gives it a massive advantage in simplicity and optimization. “NVIDIA… (has to) satisfy a large range of requirements from many customers. Tesla only has to satisfy one customer, Tesla,” he said. This, Musk stressed, allows Tesla to delete unnecessary complexity and deliver what could be the best performance per watt and per dollar in the industry once AI5 production scales.
Energy
Tesla VP hints at Solar Roof comeback with Giga New York push
The comments hint at possible renewed life for the Solar Roof program, which has seen years of slow growth since its 2016 unveiling.
Tesla’s long-awaited and way underrated Solar Roof may finally be getting its moment. During the company’s Q3 2025 earnings call, Vice President of Energy Engineering Michael Snyder revealed that production of a new residential solar panel has started at Tesla’s Buffalo, New York facility, with shipments to customers beginning in the first quarter of 2026.
The comments hint at possible renewed life for the Solar Roof program, which has seen years of slow growth since its 2016 unveiling.
Tesla Energy’s strong demand
Responding to an investor question about Tesla’s energy backlog, Snyder said demand for Megapack and Powerwall continues to be “really strong” into next year. He also noted positive customer feedback for the company’s new Megablock product, which is expected to start shipping from Houston in 2026.
“We’re seeing remarkable growth in the demand for AI and data center applications as hyperscalers and utilities have seen the versatility of the Megapack product. It increases reliability and relieves grid constraints,” he said.
Snyder also highlighted a “surge in residential solar demand in the US,” attributing the spike to recent policy changes that incentivize home installations. Tesla expects this trend to continue into 2026, helped by the rollout of a new solar lease product that makes adoption more affordable for homeowners.
Possible Solar Roof revival?
Perhaps the most intriguing part of Snyder’s remarks, however, was Tesla’s move to begin production of its “residential solar panel” in Buffalo, New York. He described the new panels as having “industry-leading aesthetics” and shape performance, language Tesla has used to market its Solar Roof tiles in the past.
“We also began production of our Tesla residential solar panel in our Buffalo factory, and we will be shipping that to customers starting Q1. The panel has industry-leading aesthetics and shape performance and demonstrates our continued commitment to US manufacturing,” Snyder said during the Q3 2025 earnings call.
Snyder did not explicitly name the product, though his reference to aesthetics has fueled speculation that Tesla may finally be preparing a large-scale and serious rollout of its Solar Roof line.
Originally unveiled in 2016, the Solar Roof was intended to transform rooftops into clean energy generators without compromising on design. However, despite early enthusiasm, production and installation volumes have remained limited for years. In 2023, a report from Wood Mackenzie claimed that there were only 3,000 operational Solar Roof installations across the United States at the time, far below forecasts. In response, the official Tesla Energy account on X stated that the report was “incorrect by a large margin.”
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