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Tesla’s ‘Bioweapon Defense Mode’ is proving invaluable to owners affected by CA wildfires

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7 years ago

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When Elon Musk initially talked about the Model X’s “Bioweapon Defense Mode,” the company’s skeptics dismissed the feature as a simple gimmick. For owners of the company’s electric cars currently affected by the raging wildfires in CA, though, Bioweapon Defense Mode has become a welcome blessing, allowing them and their passengers to breathe clean air despite the worsening air quality outside.

California is currently facing its most destructive fires in the state’s history. As of Friday, the northern California city of Paradise has already been lost to the blaze. More than 6,700 structures have also burned to the ground in northern CA’s Camp Fire on Thursday and Friday. At least nine people have perished against the onslaught of expanding wildfire, and more than 250,000 people have been forced out of their homes as well. Despite authorities’ best efforts, Los Angeles fire officials noted on Friday afternoon that the blaze remains “zero contained.”

Reports from members of the Tesla community living in areas affected by the wildfires have noted that their vehicle’s Bioweapon Defense Mode has effectively maintained the air quality inside their cars. One such owner, Andrei Bulu, even posted a couple of pictures on social media showing the air readings from inside and outside his Model X as he was driving through the Bay Area, which is being affected by the fire in Paradise. As could be seen in the Model X owner’s post, the air quality readings improve dramatically when his electric SUV’s windows were up and Bioweapon Defense Mode was enabled.

Tesla’s Bioweapon Defense Mode allows occupants to breathe clean air. [Credit: AndreiB/Twitter]

Other Tesla owners driving in areas currently affected by the CA fires have shared similar experiences as well.

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Bioweapon Defense Mode incited a notable amount of lighthearted laughter from the audience when Elon Musk announced the feature for the Model X. During the vehicle’s unveiling, Musk candidly stated that the function is possible due to the Model X’s incredibly large HEPA filter, which is around ten times as large as those of a regular fossil fuel-powered car. Tesla noted that Bioweapon Defense Mode, which was later added on the Model S, is “100 times more effective than premium automotive filters, removing at least 99.97% of fine particulate matter and gaseous pollutants, as well as bacteria, viruses, pollen, and mold spores.”

In true Tesla fashion, the company’s skeptics were notably unimpressed with the feature, with many claiming that Bioweapon Defense Mode was but a marketing statement. Tesla later debunked these claims by holding a controlled test of a Model X inside a bubble contaminated with extreme levels of pollution (1,000 µg/m3 of PM2.5 vs. the EPA’s “good” air quality index limit of 12 µg/m3). Within two minutes, the Model X’s HEPA filtration system had scrubbed the air inside the all-electric SUV, and in the following minutes, even the air around the vehicle started getting cleaner.

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While Tesla’s electric car owners are able to breathe clean air despite the CA wildfires due to their vehicles’ Bioweapon Defense Mode, Elon Musk has stated that the company’s electric cars might prove helpful in moving people away from areas compromised by the blaze. An email Musk sent to employees reportedly even encouraged Tesla workers to provide assistance to the ongoing rescue efforts if they can, and not worry about compensation.

Over the years, Tesla has developed a reputation for helping out when it is able. Amidst the onslaught of this year’s hurricanes, Tesla provided temporary free unlimited Supercharging and a range upgrade to owners of Model S 40, 60, and 70 vehicles, enabling them to leave hurricane-affected areas. Elon Musk, for his part, also continues to provide some humanitarian aid as well. Just last month, it was revealed that Musk had been helping Flint, MI by giving the necessary funds to install water filtration systems to the district’s school buildings.

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Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

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Elon Musk

Tesla automotive will be forgotten, but not in a bad way: investor

It’s no secret that Tesla’s automotive division has been its shining star for some time. For years, analysts and investors have focused on the next big project or vehicle release, quarterly delivery frames, and progress in self-driving cars. These have been the big categories of focus, but that will all change soon.

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40 minutes ago

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January 20, 2026

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(Credit: Tesla)

Entrepreneur and Angel investor Jason Calacanis believes that Tesla will one day be only a shade of how it is recognized now, as its automotive side will essentially be forgotten, but not in a bad way.

It’s no secret that Tesla’s automotive division has been its shining star for some time. For years, analysts and investors have focused on the next big project or vehicle release, quarterly delivery frames, and progress in self-driving cars. These have been the big categories of focus, but that will all change soon.

I subscribed to Tesla Full Self-Driving after four free months: here’s why

Eventually, and even now, the focus has been on real-world AI and Robotics, both through the Full Self-Driving and autonomy projects that Tesla has been working on, as well as the Optimus program, which is what Calacanis believes will be the big disruptor of the company’s automotive division.

On the All-In podcast, Calcanis revealed he had visited Tesla’s Optimus lab earlier this month, where he was able to review the Optimus Gen 3 prototype and watch teams of engineers chip away at developing what CEO Elon Musk has said will be the big product that will drive the company even further into the next few decades.

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Calacanis said:

“Nobody will remember that Tesla ever made a car. They will only remember the Optimus.”

He added that Musk “is going to make a billion of those.”

Musk has stated this point himself, too. He at one point said that he predicted that “Optimus will be the biggest product of all-time by far. Nothing will even be close. I think it’ll be 10 times bigger than the next biggest product ever made.”

He has also indicated that he believes 80 percent of Tesla’s value will be Optimus.

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Optimus aims to totally revolutionize the way people live, and Musk has said that working will be optional due to its presence. Tesla’s hopes for Optimus truly show a crystal clear image of the future and what could be possible with humanoid robots and AI.

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Tesla Robotaxi fleet reaches new milestone that should expel common complaint

There have been many complaints in the eight months that the Robotaxi program has been active about ride availability, with many stating that they have been confronted with excessive wait times for a ride, as the fleet was very small at the beginning of its operation.

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3 hours ago

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January 20, 2026

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla Robotaxi is active in both the Bay Area of California and Austin, Texas, and the fleet has reached a new milestone that should expel a common complaint: lack of availability.

It has now been confirmed by Robotaxi Tracker that the fleet of Tesla’s ride-sharing vehicles has reached 200, with 158 of those being available in the Bay Area and 42 more in Austin. Despite the program first launching in Texas, the company has more vehicles available in California.

The California area of operation is much larger than it is in Texas, and the vehicle fleet is larger because Tesla operates it differently; Safety Monitors sit in the driver’s seat in California while FSD navigates. In Texas, Safety Monitors sit in the passenger’s seat, but will switch seats when routing takes them on the highway.

Tesla has also started testing rides without any Safety Monitors internally.

Tesla Robotaxi goes driverless as Musk confirms Safety Monitor removal testing

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This new milestone confronts a common complaint of Robotaxi riders in Austin and the Bay, which is vehicle availability.

There have been many complaints in the eight months that the Robotaxi program has been active about ride availability, with many stating that they have been confronted with excessive wait times for a ride, as the fleet was very small at the beginning of its operation.

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With that being said, there have been some who have said wait times have improved significantly, especially in the Bay, where the fleet is much larger.

Tesla’s approach to the Robotaxi fleet has been to prioritize safety while also gathering its footing as a ride-hailing platform.

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Of course, there have been and still will be growing pains, but overall, things have gone smoothly, as there have been no major incidents that would derail the company’s ability to continue developing an effective mode of transportation for people in various cities in the U.S.

Tesla plans to expand Robotaxi to more cities this year, including Miami, Las Vegas, and Houston, among several others.

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Elon Musk

Tesla announces closure date on widely controversial Full Self-Driving program

Tesla has said that it will officially bring closure to its free Full Self-Driving transfer program on March 31, 2026, giving owners until the end of the quarter to move their driving suite to another vehicle with no additional cost.

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4 hours ago

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January 20, 2026

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla has officially announced a closure date for a widely controversial Full Self-Driving program, which has been among the most discussed pieces of the driving suite for years.

The move comes just after the company confirmed it would no longer offer the option to purchase the suite outright, instead opting for a subscription-based platform that will be available in mid-February.

Tesla has said that it will officially bring closure to its free Full Self-Driving transfer program on March 31, 2026, giving owners until the end of the quarter to move their driving suite to another vehicle with no additional cost.

After that date, Tesla owners who purchased the FSD suite outright will have to adopt the exclusive subscription-only program, which will be the only option available after February 14.

CEO Elon Musk announced earlier this month that Tesla would be ending the option to purchase Full Self-Driving outright, but the reasoning for this decision is unknown.

However, there has been a lot of speculation that Tesla could offer a new tiered program, which would potentially lower the price of the suite and increase the take rate.

Tesla is shifting FSD to a subscription-only model, confirms Elon Musk

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Others have mentioned something like a pay-per-mile platform that would charge drivers based on usage, which seems to be advantageous for those who still love to drive their cars but enjoy using FSD for longer trips, as it can take the stress out of driving.

Moving forward, Tesla seems to be taking any strategy it can to increase the number of owners who utilize FSD, especially as it is explicitly mentioned in Musk’s new compensation package, which was approved last year.

Musk is responsible for getting at least 10 million active Full Self-Driving subscriptions in one tranche, while another would require the company to deliver 20 million vehicles cumulatively.

The current FSD take rate is somewhere around 12 percent, as the company revealed during the Q3 2025 Earnings Call. Tesla needs to bump this up considerably, and the move to rid itself of the outright purchase option seems to be a move to get things going in the right direction.

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