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Tesla Model 3 reservations holders would rather wait for dual motor AWD

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Initial demand for a dual motor Tesla Model 3 was high, with over 70% of Model3Tracker.info survey respondents noting that they were planning to order the AWD version of the affordable electric sedan. However, a notable change in the poll data occurred after Tesla CEO Elon Musk revealed that only rear wheel drive versions of Model 3 would be produced first, followed by the more sought after dual motor variant “6 to 9 months” after.

The team behind Model3Tracker saw a spike in configuration adjustments shortly after Musk’s reveal which indicated that some Model 3 reservation holders were willing to do whatever it takes to become a first recipient of Tesla’s upcoming self-driving Model 3. The graph below shows the number of respondents making a change from all wheel drive to real wheel drive following Musk’s announcement.

Source: Model3Tracker.info via Teslarati forum

However, it’s important to note that the shift in sentiment only represents a very small fraction of nearly 7,000 respondents, and counting. The large majority of Model 3 reservation holders want the dual motor configuration and willing to wait for it.

Model3Tracker has continued to provide valuable insight into the thought process of the Model 3 reservation holder ever since the vehicle’s debut one year ago. Visibility that 93% of respondents were planning to upgrade from the base model, at the very least, reinforces Musk’s estimate that the average sales price of the Model 3 will be closer to $42k versus the $35k base price.

“The large majority of Model 3 reservation holders want the dual motor configuration and willing to wait for it.”

“As it stands now, 29% are wanting Rear Wheel Drive. From the year end report, it stood at approximately 25%.” notes Paul Carter of Model3Tracker.

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New data from the reservation tracking site shows the strong preference for an all wheel drive dual motor Model configuration from both first time Tesla buyers and existing owners.

Model 3 reservation holders are clearly excited about the upcoming Model 3 launch event and anxious to find out what the final specifications will be for the highly anticipated mass market sedan.

Just yesterday, a black Model 3 release candidate version with two additional sensors was spotted testing outside of Tesla’s Silicon Valley-based headquarters. With three months remaining before Model 3 is expected to go into low volume production, we expect to see very minor updates being made to the release candidate.

If you’re a Model 3 reservation holder, be sure to help the community by logging your choice of Model 3 configurations in Model3Tracker.info.

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Black Tesla Model 3 release candidate spotted on April 4, 2017 in Los Altos, CA.

Also, if you think you spotted a Model 3, send us a tip with photo directly from your iOS or Android phone!

 

I'm passionate about clean technology, sustainability and life. I've worked in manufacturing, IT, project management and environmental...and enjoy unpacking complex topics in layman's terms. TSLA investor. Find more of my words on my website or follow me on Twitter for all the latest. Tesla Referral link: http://ts.la/kyle623

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Ford is charging for a basic EV feature on the Mustang Mach-E

When ordering a new Ford Mustang Mach-E, you’ll now be hit with an additional fee for one basic EV feature: the frunk.

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Credit: Ford Motor Company

Ford is charging an additional fee for a basic EV feature on its Mustang Mach-E, its most popular electric vehicle offering.

Ford has shuttered its initial Model e program, but is venturing into a more controlled and refined effort, and it is abandoning the F-150 Lightning in favor of a new pickup that is currently under design, but appears to have some favorable features.

However, ordering a new Mustang Mach-E now comes with an additional fee for one basic EV feature: the frunk.

The frunk is the front trunk, and due to the lack of a large engine in the front of an electric vehicle, OEMs are able to offer additional storage space under the hood. There’s one problem, though, and that is that companies appear to be recognizing that they can remove it for free while offering the function for a fee.

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Ford is charging $495 for the frunk.

Interestingly, the frunk size varies by vehicle, but the Mustang Mach-E features a 4.7 to 4.8 cubic-foot-sized frunk, which measures approximately 9 inches deep, 26 inches wide, and 14 inches high.

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When the vehicle was first released, Ford marketed the frunk as the ultimate tailgating feature, showing it off as a perfect place to store and serve cold shrimp cocktail.

Ford Mach-E frunk is perfect for chowders and chicken wings, and we’re not even joking

It appears the decision to charge for what is a simple advantage of an EV is not going over well, as even Ford loyal customers say the frunk is a “basic expectation” of an EV. Without it, it seems as if fans feel the company is nickel-and-diming its customers.

It will be pretty interesting to see the Mach-E without a frunk, and while it should not be enough to turn people away from potentially buying the vehicle, it seems the decision to add an additional charge to include one will definitely annoy some customers.

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Tesla to improve one of its best features, coding shows

According to the update, Tesla will work on improving the headlights when coming into contact with highly reflective objects, including road signs, traffic signs, and street lights. Additionally, pixel-level dimming will happen in two stages, whereas it currently performs with just one, meaning on or off.

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Credit: @jojje167 on X

Tesla is looking to upgrade its Matrix Headlights, a unique and high-tech feature that is available on several of its vehicles. The headlights aim to maximize visibility for Tesla drivers while being considerate of oncoming traffic.

The Matrix Headlights Tesla offers utilize dimming of individual light pixels to ensure that visibility stays high for those behind the wheel, while also being considerate of other cars by decreasing the brightness in areas where other cars are traveling.

Here’s what they look like in action:

As you can see, the Matrix headlight system intentionally dims the area where oncoming cars would be impacted by high beams. This keeps visibility at a maximum for everyone on the road, including those who could be hit with bright lights in their eyes.

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There are still a handful of complaints from owners, however, but Tesla appears to be looking to resolve these with the coming updates in a Software Version that is currently labeled 2026.2.xxx. The coding was spotted by X user BERKANT:

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According to the update, Tesla will work on improving the headlights when coming into contact with highly reflective objects, including road signs, traffic signs, and street lights. Additionally, pixel-level dimming will happen in two stages, whereas it currently performs with just one, meaning on or off.

Finally, the new system will prevent the high beams from glaring back at the driver. The system is made to dim when it recognizes oncoming cars, but not necessarily objects that could produce glaring issues back at the driver.

Tesla’s revolutionary Matrix headlights are coming to the U.S.

This upgrade is software-focused, so there will not need to be any physical changes or upgrades made to Tesla vehicles that utilize the Matrix headlights currently.

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xAI’s Grok approved for Pentagon classified systems: report

Under the agreement, Grok can be deployed in systems handling classified intelligence analysis, weapons development, and battlefield operations. 

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Credit: xAI

Elon Musk’s xAI has signed an agreement with the United States Department of Defense (DoD) to allow Grok to be used in classified military systems.

Previously, Anthropic’s Claude had been the only AI system approved for the most sensitive military work, but a dispute over usage safeguards has reportedly prompted the Pentagon to broaden its options, as noted in a report from Axios.

Under the agreement, Grok can be deployed in systems handling classified intelligence analysis, weapons development, and battlefield operations. 

The publication reported that xAI agreed to the Pentagon’s requirement that its technology be usable for “all lawful purposes,” a standard Anthropic has reportedly resisted due to alleged ethical restrictions tied to mass surveillance and autonomous weapons use.

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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is scheduled to meet with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei in what sources expect to be a tense meeting, with the publication hinting that the Pentagon could designate Anthropic a “supply chain risk” if the company does not lift its safeguards. 

Axios stated that replacing Claude fully might be technically challenging even if xAI or other alternative AI systems take its place. That being said, other AI systems are already in use by the DoD. 

Grok already operates in the Pentagon’s unclassified systems alongside Google’s Gemini and OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Google is reportedly close to an agreement that will result in Gemini being used for classified use, while OpenAI’s progress toward classified deployment is described as slower but still feasible. 

The publication noted that the Pentagon continues talks with several AI companies as it prepares for potential changes in classified AI sourcing.

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