News
Ohio legislation about autonomous driving misreported – Read the bill, please.
A recent article published on WCPO online, Ohio, states that, “If you already own a Tesla car with self-driving features in Ohio, a bill introduced last week could prohibit you from driving on most roads in the state.”
This is an example of inaccurate journalism as well as the rush at every proverbial turn to condemn the future and vision of Tesla Motors, Inc.
Let’s do our own review, shall we, and determine the bill’s actual intent? The Ohio bill, with short title, “Regulate autonomous vehicles” actually has two components:
- to authorize a manufacturer of autonomous vehicles or autonomous technology to operate autonomous vehicles on public roads and highways in accordance with specified requirements; and,
- to require the Director of Transportation to produce a report discussing whether additional legislative or regulatory actions are necessary for purposes of ensuring the safe testing of autonomous vehicles.
Here are the particulars within the bill’s language, paraphrased to eliminate the legalese.
- Sec. 4501.50. (B)(1) (2) Individuals aren’t allowed to operate autonomous vehicle on the Ohio public roads and highways right now; only manufacturers of autonomous vehicles can do so, and that’s only for testing the vehicles.
But this makes sense, doesn’t it? Before we let the Average Joe and Jane drive at a Level 5 full autonomy, we need to test the systems to make sure they’re fully functional. And Ohio is going to allow this testing to take place on their roads, with certain restrictions, so they’re confident that, when autonomous driving becomes the norm, it will be safe.
- Sec. 4511.204. Don’t you dare use a handheld electronic wireless communications device while you drive except in emergencies and other specific situations. Additionally, “(11) A person using a handheld electronic wireless communications device for purposes of testing, monitoring, or controlling an autonomous vehicle.”
Isn’t the problem here the “handheld” device? Most Tesla drivers would be in favor of that stipulation, not only for autonomous vehicles, but for the safety of all drivers on the road.
- Section 3. The Director of Transportation will consult with automobile manufacturing and automated technology manufacturing industries and study whether additional legislative steps need to be taken to ensure safe testing of autonomous vehicles, with a report due out in two years.
Hey, good for Ohio. The DOT isn’t pretending to know everything it needs about autonomous driving and technologies, and it’s planning to meet with experts in those fields to learn more before making decisions. Wise and efficient.
The bill also defines terms like “autonomous vehicle” and “autonomous technology,” which makes sense as any innovations become mainstream. Governances need a common and accepted vocabulary in order to discuss, regulate, and implement legal changes. Plus, the bill builds in certain fines for individuals who breach outlined stipulations. That’s standard and how laws work.
WCPO’s article quotes Rep. Cheryl Grossman, one of two state Republicans who introduced the bill:
“Many bills have a starting place, and will have 8 or 9 drafts before you come up with the final one. I thought it was important to have conversations on what we need here in Ohio. So just because it starts that way, doesn’t mean that’s how it’ll end up.”
Because Ohio House Bill 608 will have changes, there is no direct correlation that those changes will foster, as the title to the article states, “Tesla owners wouldn’t be able to drive on most roads if this bill passes.” Maybe a wild title-creating editor superimposed hyperbole over the author’s intentions? It happens. But let’s not incite Ohio and other states to levels of fear that they’ll be prohibited from using the revolutionary software on their $100,00 luxury Tesla vehicles, shall we?
Many other states have their own autonomous/ self-driving vehicles legislation. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued a Federal Automated Vehicles Policy. Essentially, NHTSA is broadly in favor of self-driving technology, given the potential to reduce the death toll on the nation’s roads, which was above 35,000 in 2015 and up almost 8 percent versus 2014.
Tesla just told us twice that the Model Y L is coming to the U.S., and two social media posts definitely just tipped the company’s hand, as if they wanted it to be any other way.
The two social media posts basically confirm that the slightly longer version of the Model Y will be heading to the United States soon, and many have speculated that the company could launch the vehicle as soon as this weekend.
The first post was directly from Tesla, and it showed an incredibly long Dachshund, with words above that said, “Looking forward to the long weekend.”
Looking forward to the long weekend pic.twitter.com/URzH6zOUdn
— Tesla (@Tesla) July 1, 2026
Anyone who knows Tesla knows the company loves to troll its fans and have fun, and this is a perfect example of that. While not a direct acknowledgement, Tesla is very involved on social media, especially CEO Elon Musk’s platform X, and the company is well aware of what is being discussed within the community.
With recent sightings of Model Y L test mules in California, peeks of the vehicle at Giga Texas, and a large call for the car to come to the U.S., Tesla is simply stoking conversation with this.
However, the company also made another move that was recognized on social media. Tesla has a large gallery that includes photos of its products so media and others can use them. This gallery applies to the U.S. market specifically, unless otherwise specified.
Tesla uploaded a Model Y L to the Gallery last night:
This looks like a Model Y L https://t.co/TpnBwrLmH9
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) July 2, 2026
This seems to be another indication that the Model Y L is coming to the United States.
Musk said last year that the Model Y L could make its way to the United States late this year, but it was not something that was set in stone by Tesla. The company definitely needs to establish something in the SUV market that is larger than the Model Y, and the Model Y L might be the answer.
Even still, there are consumers out there who would love Tesla to develop something even larger, like a competitor to the Tahoe or Expedition. Tesla has not really given much of an indication that it will go in that direction.
Tesla is using the vehicles’ internal microphones to improve build quality, Vice President of Engineering Lars Moravy revealed recently.
It’s no secret that Tesla is always finding ways to make its manufacturing operations more efficient, accurate, and valuable. Constantly trying to make its cars better, the company has never placed any restrictions on what it will do to improve everything from panel gaps to paint.
As Teslas have been driving autonomously on the property of the Gigafactory Texas plant for a while now, Moravy revealed to Herbert Ong in a new interview that cars rolling off production lines now autonomously navigate themselves through a bumps, squeaks, and rattles (BSR) portion of the line. This helps to identify any loose or improperly installed internal parts.
The cabin’s microphones, which are used for a variety of things in ownership, simultaneously monitor any noises inside the vehicle while it rolls through the BSR portion of the production line. Moravy actually revealed that Tesla is trying to build “Full Self-Hearing,” an AI system that will detect minor imperfections so they can be corrected before delivery.
It’s no secret that build quality is something that Tesla struggled with as it scaled to a fully massive production operation that manufactures over 1.6 million vehicles per year. However, in recent years, especially, there have not been as many complaints. Tesla has truly improved upon its build quality and paint quality over the past several years, especially in the U.S.
Tesla’s ‘megacasts’ are key to massive build quality improvements
While those improvements have been evident, there are still some complaints; no automaker is perfect with this. But this step will now ensure that every single car that rolls off the production lines at Gigafactory Texas will be void of any creaks, squeaks, or squeals when it leaves the factory.
This measure is one of the most unique we’ve seen in terms of a strategy to avoid build quality issues, but it is not exclusive to Tesla.
Ford uses acoustic analysis AI to find abnormalities in seat motors, climate control units, and other components. Suppliers and OEMs will also use microphone arrays or particle velocity sensors in end-of-line stations.
The full interview with Lars Moravy is available below:
🚨 If you’re a Tesla investor, this is one interview you don’t want to skip. The full video posted below.
Jeff Lutz @thejefflutz and I sat down with Tesla VP of Engineering Lars Moravy, and it was packed with insights!
A few of the biggest takeaways:
• Cybercab is expected to… pic.twitter.com/fhYSr2dCqP
— Herbert Ong (@herbertong) July 1, 2026
Investor's Corner
Tesla crushes Wall Street expectations, beats delivery estimates by over 15 percent
Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) beat Wall Street expectations of 406,000 vehicles delivered in Q2 by reporting 480,126 deliveries for the three months ending in June.
Tesla reported it delivered 467,762 Model 3 and Model Y units, while 12,364 Model S, Model X, and Cybertrucks switched hands during the quarter. The Model S and Model X were officially sunset this past quarter and will no longer be part of the company’s Production & Delivery reports moving forward.
🚨 BREAKING: Tesla delivered 480,126 vehicles in Q2, ANNIHILATING Wall Street expectations of 406,000. Production was reported at 451,758.
Deliveries:
Model 3/Y: 467,762
Other Models: 12,364Production:
Model 3/Y: 442,936
Other Models: 8,822 https://t.co/TTHwQAsKt8 pic.twitter.com/7qI4Zj6FE5— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) July 2, 2026
The quarter is a pleasant surprise and a good rebound from Q1, when Tesla slightly missed the Wall Street consensus of 365,645 cars by reporting 358,023 deliveries for the first three motnhs of the year.
Energy storage deployments also provided some strength in Tesla’s delivery report, hitting 13.5 GWh for Q2. This is a particular division of Tesla’s business that has been overwhelmingly robust over the past few years, truly being a strong point of the company’s overall model.
For the year, Tesla analysts still predict deliveries to trend in the 1.69 million unit region, a modest 3 to 5 percent increase from the 1.64 million cars the company delivered last year. Tesla will likely return to more sequential and noticeable year-over-year growth as the Cybercab project starts to ramp up considerably in the next few years.
Tesla has some other potential catalysts to spur vehicle deliveries, too. Not only is it expecting Cybercab to truly start making a change in the next few years, but other vehicles could be entering the company’s lineup.
Tesla sends production Cybercab with no steering wheel, pedals to on-road testing
The slightly longer Model Y L has been a highly speculated release candidate in the U.S. It has already done incredibly well in China, and U.S. buyers have been wanting slightly more interior space than the Model Y. Now that the Model X is gone, it is more needed than ever.
Q2 highlights a pretty stable automotive division within Tesla, and no true concerns arise from these figures, especially considering it managed to beat expectations convincingly.
Tesla just told us twice that Model Y L is coming to the U.S.
Tesla is using vehicle microphones to improve build quality: here’s how
