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Kimbal Musk trolls Fox with ‘Plant a Seed Day’ in exchange about Tesla’s new chair
It appears that the art of trolling runs deep between the Musk brothers. While Elon Musk is known to troll on Twitter from time to time, the trolling chops of Kimbal Musk have mostly been untapped. That is, of course, until recently, when Kimbal ended up aggravating Fox Business Network host Stuart Varney by trolling him with a barrage of plugs for “Plant a Seed Day,” an initiative from his nonprofit, Big Green, that aims to encourage American families to plant a seed on March 20, 2019.
During the amusing segment, the Fox Business host attempted to ask Kimbal about Robyn Denholm’s activities as Tesla’s new chair. Denholm, who has been with the board since 2014, and who has experience in both tech and auto companies as a finance executive, was named earlier this month as a replacement for the outgoing Elon Musk, who was forced to vacate his Chairman post as part of his settlement with the SEC. Denholm’s appointment was widely supported by Elon Musk and Tesla’s supporters, who noted that he was looking forward to working closely with the finance veteran.
It did not take long before Denholm’s appointment attracted some creative speculations among Tesla’s critics. Headlines such as “Tesla’s New Chair Is Part of the Furniture,” “Tesla’s New Chair Won’t Do Much to Rein In Elon Musk,” and “Taming Elon Musk: New Tesla chair, board members face a tough job” have been prevalent since Denholm’s appointment, suggesting that there might be a certain degree of conflict between Musk and the new chair as she attempts to keep the CEO in line.
Varney’s questions towards Kimbal Musk during the short-lived interview suggest that he was traversing a similar line. “Look, Kimbal, you are on the board at Tesla. And you’ve got a new chair. Have you heard anything from her? You’ve got to tell me, is she laying down the law? Have you had contact with her? What’s she saying? What’s she doing on the board?” the Fox Business host asked.
Kimbal Musk, for his part, proved immovable, simply stating that he was “so happy for the future of Tesla.” He also mentioned Plant a Seed Day on March 20, 2019, where his nonprofit, Big Green, aims to get a million American families to plant a seed in their backyards. During the course of the brief interview, Kimbal plugged Plant a Seed Day five times, much to the chagrin of the Fox Business host.
A visibly upset Varney eventually decided to throw in the towel, saying “You think my viewers want to learn about plant a seed day? Do you really? They don’t care, Kimbal. They don’t care!” Kimbal, for his part, continued plugging Plant a Seed Day, stating that the event is “going to be awesome.” At that point, Varney opted to cut the interview.
“Okay, okay. I’m wrapping it up, I’m sorry. Wait a minute, I am responsible to my audience. I’m sorry it’s over. I will not be used,” Varney said, visibly aggravated.
Plant a Seed Day is being coordinated by Big Green, Kimbal Musk’s nonprofit whose mission is to promote and foster a healthy food lifestyle for America’s schoolchildren. A centerpiece of Big Green’s initiatives is the Learning Garden, which are modular gardens that are set up in schools where children could plant and harvest crops. In a blog post on Medium, Kimbal noted that Plant a Seed Day is working with “national and international distribution, brand, and sponsorship partners” to get over 1 million seeds to families for March 20, 2019.
“At Big Green, when my team works with a new Learning Garden school, we encourage teachers to have their students draw out their dream garden. It’s one of my favorite activities because this is when the magic begins. Kids will draw unicorns watering tomato plants, banana trees growing next to their school, or plants that talk, walk, and water themselves. The creativity and energy put toward creating a dream garden is endless. Soon the children realize the real magic of a garden is in planting a seed, watering it, caring for it, and watching it grow.
“Planting a seed is the first and powerful step to making a big change in food education. We have seen this critical step taken thousands of times in the schools we work with through Big Green. On March 20, 2019 we will bring those magical moments to millions of children.”
To learn more about Plant a Seed Day, click here.
Watch Kimbal Musk’s short-lived interview with Fox Business below.
Elon Musk
Tesla launches 200mph Model S “Gold” Signature in invite-only purchase
Tesla’s final 350-unit Signature Edition closes the book on two cars that changed everything.
Tesla has announced a super limited Signature Edition run of 250 Model S Plaid and 100 Model X Plaid units as an invite only purchase in a bid to give its original flagship vehicles a proper send-off.
When the Model S first launched in 2012, the first 1,000 units sold were “Signature” editions that required a $40,000 deposit and cost nearly $100,000 each. Those early buyers were Tesla’s first real believers. This new Signature Edition deliberately echoes that moment, bookending a 14-year run with numbered collector hardware.
Both models are finished in an exclusive Garnet Red paint not available on any current Tesla production vehicle, with gold Tesla T badges up front, a gold Plaid badge and Signature badge at the rear, and a white Alcantara interior featuring gold Plaid seat badges, gold piping, Signature-marked door sills, and a numbered dash plate. The Model S adds carbon ceramic brakes with gold calipers. Every unit ships with Tesla’s Luxe Package, bundling Full Self-Driving (Supervised), four years of Premium Service, free lifetime Supercharging, and a Signature Edition key fob. Both are priced at $159,420, a roughly $35,000 premium over standard Plaid inventory.
The discontinuation is part of a broader strategic shift. At Tesla’s Q4 2025 earnings call, Musk described the decision as “slightly sad” but necessary, saying: “It’s time to basically bring the Model S and X programs to an end with an honorable discharge, because we’re really moving into a future that is based on autonomy.”
The Fremont factory floor that built these cars is being converted to manufacture Optimus humanoid robots, with a target of one million units annually.
Elon Musk
Tesla FSD in Europe vs. US: It’s not what you think
Tesla FSD is approved in the Netherlands, but the European version differs from what US drivers use.
On April 10, 2026, the Dutch vehicle authority RDW granted Tesla the first European type approval for Full Self-Driving Supervised, making the Netherlands the first country on the continent to authorize Tesla’s semi-autonomous system for customer use on public roads.
As Teslarati reported, the RDW approval followed 18 months of testing, more than 1.6 million kilometers driven on EU roads, 13,000 customer ride-alongs, and documentation covering over 400 compliance requirements. Tesla Europe had been running public demo drives through cities like Amsterdam and Eindhoven since early 2026, giving passengers their first experience of the system on European streets.
The European version of FSD is not the same software US drivers use. The RDW’s own statement is direct, noting that the software versions and functionalities in the US and Europe “are therefore not comparable one-to-one.” We’ve compile a table below that captures the most significant differences between US-based Tesla FSD vs. European Tesla FSD that’s based on what regulators and Tesla have publicly confirmed.
| Feature | FSD US | FSD Europe (Netherlands) |
| Regulatory framework | Self-certification, post-market oversight | Pre-market type approval required (UN R-171 + Article 39) |
| Hands requirement | Hands-off permitted on highway | Hands must be available to take over immediately |
| Auto turning from stop lights | Available — navigates intersections, turns, and traffic signals autonomously | Available in EU build — confirmed in Amsterdam demo footage handling unprotected turns and signalized intersections |
| Driving modes | Multiple profiles including a more aggressive “Mad Max” mode | EU build is more conservative by default and errs on the side of restraint when it cannot confirm the limit |
| Summon | Available — Smart Summon navigates parking lots to driver | Status unclear — not confirmed as part of the RDW-approved feature set; urban FSD approval targeted separately for 2027 |
| Driver monitoring | Camera-based eye tracking | Stricter continuous monitoring with more frequent intervention alerts |
| Software version | FSD v14.3 | EU-specific builds that must be separately validated by RDW |
| Geographic restriction | US, Canada, China, Mexico, Australia, NZ, South Korea | Netherlands only; EU-wide vote pending summer 2026 |
| Subscription price | $99/month | €99/month |
| Full urban FSD scope | Available | Partial — separate urban application planned for 2027 |
The approval comes as Tesla is under real pressure to grow FSD subscriptions globally. Musk’s 2025 CEO compensation package, approved by shareholders, includes a milestone requiring 10 million active FSD subscriptions as one condition for his stock awards to vest. Tesla hit one million subscriptions during its Q4 2025 earnings call, which is a meaningful start, but still a long way from the target. Opening Europe as a market for subscriptions, rather than just hardware sales, directly accelerates that number.
Tesla has said it anticipates EU-wide recognition of the Dutch approval during summer 2026, which would extend FSD access to Germany, France, and other major markets through a mutual recognition process without each country repeating the full 18-month review. That timeline is Tesla’s projection, not a confirmed regulatory outcome. As Musk acknowledged at Davos in January 2026, “We hope to get Supervised Full Self-Driving approval in Europe, hopefully next month.”
News
Tesla’s troublesome Auto Wipers get a major upgrade
Tesla has quietly deployed a major over-the-air (OTA) update across its entire fleet, implementing a new patent that could finally solve one of the most complained-about features in its vehicles: the Auto Wipers.
One of Tesla’s most complained-about features is that of the Auto Wipers, but they have recently received a major upgrade that impacts every vehicle in the company’s fleet, a company executive confirmed.
Tesla has quietly deployed a major over-the-air (OTA) update across its entire fleet, implementing a new patent that could finally solve one of the most complained-about features in its vehicles: the Auto Wipers.
Confirmed by senior Tesla AI engineer Yun-Ta Tsai on April 10, the improvement is based on patent US 20260097742 A1. It introduces an “energy balance model” that adds a tactile, physics-driven layer to the existing camera-based system—without requiring any new hardware.
🚨 Tesla has already implemented a new patent that improves the accuracy of the Auto Wiper system https://t.co/QjjKHKxSNv pic.twitter.com/mEbd04oJAu
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) April 10, 2026
Tesla drivers have griped about auto wipers since the company ditched traditional rain sensors in favor of Tesla Vision around 2018.
Owners routinely report the wipers failing to activate in light drizzle or mist, leaving windshields streaked and visibility dangerously reduced. Just as often, they formerly blasted into high-speed mode on dry, sunny days, screeching across glass and risking scratches or premature blade wear.
This is a rare occurrence anymore, but many owners still report the feature having the wipers perform at the incorrect speed or frequency when precipitation is falling.
Tesla has tried repeatedly to fix the problem through software alone.
Early “Deep Rain” initiatives and the 2023 Autowiper v4 update used multi-camera video and refined neural networks, with Elon Musk promising “super good” performance. The 2024.14 update added manual sensitivity boosts, and later FSD versions claimed further gains. Yet complaints persisted.
Elon Musk apologizes for Tesla’s quirky auto wipers, hints at improvements
Vision systems struggle with edge cases—glare, bugs, reflections, or faint mist—because they rely purely on visual inference rather than physical detection
The new patent takes a different approach. The car’s computer constantly measures electrical power delivered to the wiper motor. It subtracts predictable losses—internal motor friction, linkage drag, and aerodynamic resistance—leaving only the friction force between the rubber blade and windshield glass.
Water lubricates the glass, sharply reducing friction; dry or icy surfaces increase it dramatically. This real-time “tactile” data acts as an independent check on the camera’s visual cues, instantly shutting down false triggers on dry glass and fine-tuning speed for actual rain.
The system can also detect ice and auto-activate defrost heaters, while long-term friction trends alert drivers when blades need replacing.
By fusing vision with precise motor-load physics, Tesla has created a hybrid sensor that is both elegant and cost-free. Owners have waited years for reliable auto wipers; this OTA rollout may finally deliver them.
Tesla launches 200mph Model S “Gold” Signature in invite-only purchase
Tesla FSD in Europe vs. US: It’s not what you think
