Tesla appears to have rolled out a paid performance upgrade for the new Model Y crossover. The paid upgrade was spotted and shared on social media by members of the Tesla community this weekend.

Tesla Model Y Acceleration Boost

As observed by longtime Tesla owner-investor Matthew Donegan-Ryan in a post on X, Tesla has released an “Acceleration Boost” upgrade for the 2026 Model Y. The upgrade, which can be purchased for $2,000 on the Tesla App, adds about 100 hp to the all-electric crossover’s power, allowing it to go from 0-60 mph in just 4.2 seconds.

Without the Acceleration Boost upgrade, the new Model Y Long Range All Wheel Drive (AWD) is able to go from 0-60 mph in 4.6 seconds. That’s not slow by any means, but an improvement of .4 seconds in acceleration is notable, especially for drivers who value speed.

New Tesla Model Y Offerings

Following the end of the new Model Y Launch Series, Tesla started offering the Model Y Long Range AWD to customers in the United States. This is quite interesting as prior to its “Juniper” update, the Model Y was offered in three variants: the Rear Wheel Drive (RWD), the Long Range AWD, and the Performance. 

Speculations were high that Tesla would roll out the RWD and Performance variants of the updated all-electric crossover after it ended the vehicle’s limited edition Launch Series, but so far, only the Model Y Long Range AWD has been made available in the United States. With this in mind, the $2,000 “Acceleration Boost” upgrade could be worth it for drivers who wish to get the most performance out of their Model Y, at least while waiting for the new Model Y Performance.

SpaceX’s Starbase has officially become a city following a decisive vote over the weekend. Starbase City officials seeks to increase SpaceX launches from five to 25 annually.

On Saturday, eligible residents—mostly SpaceX employees—voted 212 to 6 to incorporate a 1.6-square-mile patch of Cameron County, Texas, as the municipality of Starbase, according to results published by the county.

Starbase serves as the launch site for SpaceX’s rocket program, which holds contracts with NASA and the Department of Defense to return astronauts to the moon and eventually reach Mars. The new Starbase city is led by Mayor Bobby Peden, SpaceX’s vice president of Texas test and launch operations. Starbase City also has two commissioners with ties to SpaceX, who will oversee planning, taxation, and local governance. Starbase’s new Type C city status allows a property tax of up to 1.5%, per the Texas Municipal League.

Since SpaceX began acquiring land in 2012, Starbase has transformed from a sparsely populated area into a hub with company housing, facilities, a road named Memes Street, and even a giant bust of Elon Musk. The company’s investment has earned support from local officials for boosting jobs, but creating a company town has sparked some debate.

Proposed Texas legislation could grant Starbase’s government officials the authority to close a local highway and restrict access to Boca Chica Beach and State Park during launches. The proposal was opposed by Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino, Jr., who argues that beach access should remain under the control of Cameron County.

SpaceX is also seeking federal approval to increase annual launches from five to 25, with officials arguing that city-controlled beach closures would streamline operations.

“We need the ability to grow Starbase as a community,” wrote Starbase General Manager Kathryn Lueders in a 2024 letter to local officials. Lueders noted that SpaceX already manages roads, utilities, schooling, and medical care. Critics warn that shifting authority to Starbase could limit public access to recreational areas.

As Starbase takes shape, its galactic identity underscores SpaceX’s bold vision. Yet, the balance between company control and public access remains a point of contention, with implications for South Texas and beyond.

A Waymo self-driving robotaxi caught a ton of attention on social media this weekend–but for the wrong reason.

The robotaxi in question was spotted in Tokyo, Waymo’s first offshore market for testing and data collection.

Waymo Pulled Over

As could be seen in the image, which was posted on X by user @YukkuriMasa1225, a Waymo robotaxi was seemingly pulled over by traffic police. The self-driving car could be seen stopped on the side of the road, while a traffic cop on a motorcycle seemed to be preparing a ticket for the robotaxi. 

The image caught a lot of attention on social media, garnering over 1 million impressions on X as of writing. Several comments poked fun at the idea of a robotaxi getting a ticket from the traffic police, while some joked that Waymo’s other vehicles could also be caught. That being said, there is a likely explanation behind the humorous ordeal.

Waymo’s Tokyo Rollout

Waymo’s robotaxi rollout in Tokyo started in April. While the vehicles are capable of driving autonomously, the robotaxis are still operated manually by drivers from Nihon Kotsu, one of Tokyo’s largest taxi companies. This means that the traffic stop that spread on social media was likely caused by a human driver’s actions, not Waymo’s self-driving system.

Waymo’s rollout in Japan is currently focused on the seven wards in central Tokyo, which are comprised of Minato, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Chiyoda, Chuo, Shinagawa, and Koto. Data gathered by the Nihon Kotsu drivers are expected to be used to adapt Waymo’s self-driving system for the Japanese market. 

The potential of Waymo’s robotaxis is vast, particularly with regard to road safety. Over 56.7 million miles, compared to human drivers, Waymo Driver achieved a 92% reduction in pedestrian injury crashes, 82% fewer crashes with injuries with cyclists, and 82% fewer crashes with injuries with motorcyclists.