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Ford Mustang Mach-E driver charged over deadly BlueCruise crash

Credit: Ford

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A Ford Mustang Mach-E driver from Pennsylvania is facing charges over an incident last March that claimed the lives of two individuals. The Mustang Mach-E was reportedly operating with its BlueCruise hands-free driver-assist system when the incident happened. 

Authorities have noted that at about 3 a.m. on March 3, Aktilek Baktybekov was on the shoulder of U.S. Interstate 95 because his Toyota Prius had become disabled. Another man, Tolobek Esenbekov, stopped at the scene to help Baktybekov, so he parked his car behind the disabled Prius. Just as Esenbekov was getting out of his car, a Ford Mustang Mach-E driven by Dimple Patel crashed into his vehicle. Both Baktybekov and Esenbekov were killed in the crash. 

As per the police, the Ford Mustang Mach-E was traveling about 70 mph when it crashed into Esenbekov’s vehicle. The all-electric crossover was reportedly also traveling “with (its) BlueCruise hands-free driving feature and Adaptive Cruise Control systems activated” when it crashed, the police noted. 

Patel is currently facing nine charges, including homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence, involuntary manslaughter, tampering with evidence, reckless driving, careless driving, and prohibited text-based communications, as noted by the Miami Herald in a report.

Ford has noted that it is aware of the incident. The company also noted that it has been working with all relevant organizations investigating the crash. It should be noted that Ford does not advertise BlueCruise as a fully autonomous driving system, though the automaker also dubs it as a “hands-free” solution for designated “Blue Zones.” 

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“There is no priority higher than safety at Ford, and we have been collaborating fully with all relevant organizations on the investigations into these incidents. We extend our sympathies to those involved,” Ford noted. 

Paul Holdefer of the Pennsylvania State Police, for his part, has urged drivers to always be vigilant behind the wheel. 

“The Pennsylvania State Police urges drivers to always stay alert and limit distractions when driving. No partially automated vehicle technology should ever be left alone to perform the driving tasks that are required to safely navigate the roads of the Commonwealth. While the advancements in technology are immense, always strive to maintain proper control of your vehicle. If you are driving hands-free, be aware and ready to regain control if the situation warrants your immediate reaction,” Holdefer noted.

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

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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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Tesla gets major upgrade that Apple users will absolutely love

Tesla is unloading a new feature for iPhone users that they will absolutely love.

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Credit: Tesla Inc.

Tesla is giving its owners who use iPhones and the iOS platform a major upgrade that will make the vehicles more compatible with the current capabilities of Apple devices.

Much to the chagrin of Android users, Apple iPhone users who own Teslas are usually the first to get new features.

However, Tesla is rolling out a new feature to iPhone users that will only be available to them, as Live Update compatibility is now rolling out.

Live Updates on the iPhone allow users to track the progress of tasks while using other apps. For example, uploading a post on X can be tracked while using an internet browser, as the Dynamic Island, the small display near the speaker on an iPhone, will show progress.

Tesla will now do this for Supercharging, a new update shows. The Dynamic Island is not the only thing that will monitor the progress of Supercharging, though. Updates will also be visible on the lock screen and as a drop-down notification:

You will need iOS 17.2 or newer to use this feature.

The Supercharging updates will show the current State of Charge (SoC), time remaining, and price of the current session. These notifications will make the charging process easier when you’re not inside your Tesla, as many Superchargers are located in retail settings.

You’ll be able to monitor the price and time remaining with a quick glance at your phone.

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Tesla rolls out new crucial safety feature aimed at saving children

Tesla has been working on this child detection feature for several years.

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(Credit: Tesla)

Tesla is finally rolling out a new, crucial safety feature that is aimed at saving children from being left in the car.

Over the past few months, we have reported on a feature Tesla was planning to roll out in its vehicles that would help keep children out of hot cars unattended.

Tesla set to roll out new child safety and navigation features, coding shows

The company has been working on a solution to this problem for several years, as it has been working on an ultrawave sensor that would detect heartbeats instead of movement, as cameras would.

Now, Tesla is implementing the feature in its vehicles with Software Update 2025.14.12, calling it “Child Left Alone Detection.”

The release notes, via Not a Tesla App, show that the vehicle and the Tesla app will both make various attempts to alert the driver of a child in the car:

“If an unattended child is detected, the vehicle will flash the exterior indicator lights, play an alert tone, and send a notification to your Tesla app. This will repeat at regular intervals until you return to your vehicle. Cabin data is processed locally and is not transmitted to Tesla.

This feature is enabled by default. To disable, go to Controls > Safety > Child Left Alone Detection.”

Tesla later said that the feature is currently rolling out to mid-2023 and later Model 3 vehicles in Europe initially, while other models and regions will receive the update in the coming months.

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Tesla Semi frames stack up in Nevada as production nears

Tesla Semi frames are being spotted outside of the Nevada production facility ahead of initial high-volume manufacturing.

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Credit: Zanegler | X

Tesla is moving closer to the initial production of the Semi later this year, and outside of its dedicated factory in Nevada, which will be responsible for building the all-electric truck, frames, and other parts of the vehicle, are beginning to stack up.

The Semi production facility is located on the same property as Gigafactory Nevada, and is moving closer to completion as the construction crews on site have already enclosed walls.

Now, production is moving even closer as parts of the Semi were spotted outside of the Semi production facility in Nevada. The images were captured by Zanegler, a Tesla Semi enthusiast and Giga Nevada tracker:

The Semi is already used by a handful of companies, including U.S. Foods, Frito-Lay, and PepsiCo. However, the vehicle is not up for public use quite yet, as Tesla is working with various companies to carry out pilot testing of the Semi to see how it performs during regional runs.

Tesla Semi fleet from Frito-Lay gets more charging at Bakersfield factory

The results have been very encouraging, with the Semi even completing a 1,000-mile run in a single day two years ago.

Now, Tesla is truly focusing on the launch of the factory, which will put production into full swing moving into 2026. Earlier this year, Lars Moravy, Tesla’s VP of Vehicle Engineering, gave an update on the Semi and the company’s current timeline for the product:

“So, we just closed out the Semi factory roof of walls last week in Reno, a schedule, which is great with the weather. In Reno, you never know what’s going to happen. But we’re prepping for mechanical installation of all the equipment in the coming months.

The first builds of the high volumes in design come late this year in 2025 and begin ramping early in 2026. But as we’ve said before, the Semi is a TCO, no-brainer. I think it’s really similar to Optimus. It’s going to be set by how much people pay and it has the total cost of ownership, it’s much, much cheaper than any other transportation you could have.”

Tesla also started ordering parts for the Semi and Cybercab after the tariff situation between the U.S. and China was alleviated.

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