News
Porsche Taycan rips through Nurburgring as track-testing continues
Back in February, Porsche’s Vice President of Product Line BEV Stefan Weckbach stated that the Taycan, then widely known as the Mission E sedan, would be a track-capable vehicle. The Porsche Taycan lead threw some shade at electric car maker Tesla as well, stating that cars like the Model S P100D are limited in the way that their performance gets throttled after a few hard launches. Weckbach noted that this problem would not be present in the Taycan, Porsche’s first all-electric car.
“(Tesla’s) system is throttled. Porsche drivers won’t need to worry about that because the Mission E’s being developed to deliver reproducible performance and a top speed which can be maintained for long periods,” the Porsche exec said.
The Porsche Taycan has been seen track testing in the Nurburgring multiple times since then. Several camouflaged Taycan prototypes are doing real-world tests in multiple regions across the globe, including the Western region of South Africa, where 21 camouflaged Taycan prototypes are being tested. While these are ongoing, other camouflaged Taycan prototypes have also been spotted testing around Germany’s streets. The most recent sighting, recorded by electric car enthusiast @ZoePionierin while the vehicle was charging at a CCS station in Germany, provided a close look into the camouflaged electric car, including its strange, faux exhaust pipes and even a little bit of its frunk.
The recent sightings of the camouflaged Taycan prototypes in the Nurburgring show that Porsche is pushing hard to refine the track capabilities of its first all-electric car. Porsche’s vehicles, after all, are known for being proficient on racecourses. This past June alone, the Porsche 919 Evo set the record for the fastest lap around the Nurburgring, completing the course in 5:19.55. The 919 is a hybrid vehicle, and its permanently excited synchronous motors (PSM) — which Porsche calls the “turbos of the electric milieu” — will be used as basis for the Taycan’s electric motors.
The frequent tests of the Taycan in the Nurburgring show how a legacy automaker approaches the development of a vehicle’s track capabilities. Being a veteran in the auto industry, Porsche appears to be refining the Taycan’s track features through consistent testing around racecourses like the Nurburgring. This strategy is quite different from Tesla, whose development of the Model 3 Performance’s Track Mode was largely unknown until the feature was mentioned by YouTube host Marques Brownlee in a test drive of the vehicle. Nevertheless, the Model 3 Performance’s Track Mode, as shown in tests by Road and Track, proved that the feature does make the electric sedan capable of being driven hard for extended periods of time.
The Porsche Taycan is set to be equipped with two permanently excited synchronous motors (PSM) that produce a combined 600 hp (440 kW). The company lists the vehicle with a 0-60 mph time of 3.5 seconds, a top speed of 155 mph, and a range of ~310 miles per charge. Porsche expects to build the Taycan in its Zuffenhausen plant in Stuttgart, Germany — the same site where it manufactures the Porsche 911, 718 Boxster, and the 718 Cayman.
Watch the Porsche Taycan take on the Nurburgring in the videos below.
Elon Musk
Tesla CEO Elon Musk announces major update with texting and driving on FSD
“Depending on context of surrounding traffic, yes,” Musk said in regards to FSD v14.2.1 allowing texting and driving.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has announced a major update with texting and driving capabilities on Full Self-Driving v14.2.1, the company’s latest version of the FSD suite.
Tesla Full Self-Driving, even in its most mature and capable versions, is still a Level 2 autonomous driving suite, meaning it requires attention from the vehicle operator.
You cannot sleep, and you should not take attention away from driving; ultimately, you are still solely responsible for what happens with the car.
The vehicles utilize a cabin-facing camera to enable attention monitoring, and if you take your eyes off the road for too long, you will be admonished and advised to pay attention. After five strikes, FSD and Autopilot will be disabled.
However, Musk announced at the Annual Shareholder Meeting in early November that the company would look at the statistics, but it aimed to allow people to text and drive “within the next month or two.”
He said:
“I am confident that, within the next month or two, we’re gonna look at the safety statistics, but we will allow you to text and drive.”
“I am confident that, within the next month or two, we’re gonna look at the safety statistics, but we will allow you to text and drive.”
Does anyone think v14.3 will enable this? pic.twitter.com/N2yn0SK70M
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) November 23, 2025
Today, Musk confirmed that the current version of Full Self-Driving, which is FSD v14.2.1, does allow for texting and driving “depending on context of surrounding traffic.”
Depending on context of surrounding traffic, yes
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 4, 2025
There are some legitimate questions with this capability, especially as laws in all 50 U.S. states specifically prohibit texting and driving. It will be interesting to see the legality of it, because if a police officer sees you texting, they won’t know that you’re on Full Self-Driving, and you’ll likely be pulled over.
Some states prohibit drivers from even holding a phone when the car is in motion.
It is certainly a move toward unsupervised Full Self-Driving operation, but it is worth noting that Musk’s words state it will only allow the vehicle operator to do it depending on the context of surrounding traffic.
He did not outline any specific conditions that FSD would allow a driver to text and drive.
News
Tesla Semi just got a huge vote of confidence from 300-truck fleet
The confidential meeting marks a major step for the mid-sized carrier in evaluating the electric truck for its regional routes.
The Tesla Semi is moving closer to broader fleet adoption, with Keller Logistics Group wrapping up a key pre-production planning session with the electric vehicle maker’s team this week.
The confidential meeting marks a major step for the mid-sized carrier in evaluating the electric truck for its regional routes.
Keller’s pre-production Tesla Semi sessions
Keller Logistics Group, a family-owned carrier with over 300 tractors and 1,000 trailers operating in the Midwest and Southeast, completed the session to assess the Tesla Semi’s fit for its operations. The company’s routes typically span 500-600 miles per day, positioning it as an ideal tester for the Semi’s day cab configuration in standard logistics scenarios.
Details remain under mutual NDA, but the meeting reportedly focused on matching the truck to yard, shuttle and regional applications while scrutinizing economics like infrastructure, maintenance and incentives.
What Keller’s executives are saying
CEO Bryan Keller described the approach as methodical. “For us, staying ahead isn’t a headline, it’s a habit. From electrification and yard automation to digital visibility and warehouse technology, our teams are continually pressure-testing what’s next. The Tesla Semi discussion is one more way we evaluate new tools against our standards for safety, uptime, and customer ROI. We don’t chase trends, we pressure-test what works,” Keller said.
Benjamin Pierce, Chief Strategy Officer, echoed these sentiments. “Electrification and next-generation powertrains are part of a much broader transformation. Whether it’s proprietary yard systems like YardLink™, solar and renewable logistics solutions, or real-time vehicle intelligence, Keller’s approach stays the same, test it, prove it, and deploy it only when it strengthens service and total cost for our customers,” Pierce said.
News
Tesla extends FSD Supervised ride-alongs in Europe by three months
Needless to say, it does appear that FSD fever is starting to catch in Europe.
Tesla appears to be doubling down on its European Full Self-Driving (Supervised) push, with the company extending its demo ride-along program by three months until the end of March 2026. The update seems to have been implemented due to overwhelming demand.
Needless to say, it does appear that FSD fever is starting to catch in Europe.
Extended FSD demonstrations
Tesla EU Policy and Business Development Manager Ivan Komušanac shared on LinkedIn that the company is offering ride-along experiences in Germany, France and Italy while working toward FSD (Supervised) approval in Europe.
He noted that this provides a great feedback opportunity from the general public, encouraging participants to record and share their experiences. For those unable to book in December, Komušanac teased more slots as “Christmas presents.”
Tesla watcher Sawyer Merritt highlighted the extension on X, stating that dates now run from December 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026, in multiple cities including Stuttgart-Weinstadt, Frankfurt and Düsseldorf in Germany. This suggests that the FSD ride-along program in Europe has officially been extended until the end of the first quarter of 2026.
Building momentum for European approval
Replies to Merritt’s posts buzzed with excitement, with users like @AuzyMale noting that Cologne and Düsseldorf are already fully booked. This sentiment was echoed by numerous other Tesla enthusiasts on social media. Calls for the program’s expansion to other European territories have also started gaining steam, with some X users suggesting Switzerland and Finland as the next locations for FSD ride-alongs.
Ultimately, the Tesla EU Policy and Business Development Manager’s post aligns with the company’s broader FSD efforts in Europe. As per recent reports, Tesla recently demonstrated FSD’s capabilities for Rome officials. Reporters from media outlets in France and Germany have also published positive reviews of FSD’s capabilities on real-world roads.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk announces major update with texting and driving on FSD
Tesla Semi just got a huge vote of confidence from 300-truck fleet
