Porsche appears to be set on covering the bases when it releases its first all-electric car — the Taycan — later this year. Apart from frequent track tests on the Nurburgring, Porsche also seems to be ensuring that the Taycan performs well in cold weather. This was recently highlighted by images recently captured of the upcoming EV’s test mules as they were being driven on the icy, snowy roads of Norway.
The Taycan’s recent images were shared on the r/Cars subreddit by auto enthusiast u/NexpFPV. Several images were captured of the vehicle out in the cold. It was spotted being test driven on the snow and at a charging station. In one picture, two Taycan prototypes appeared to be stopped on the road, and one of the vehicles had its hood open. Just like other sightings of the cars, the test mules in the recent Norway sighting were fitted with faux exhaust pipes.
- Porsche Taycan test mule spotted winter driving. (Photo: NexpFPV/Reddit)
- Porsche Taycan test mule spotted winter driving. (Photo: NexpFPV/Reddit)
- Porsche Taycan test mule spotted winter driving. (Photo: NexpFPV/Reddit)
- Porsche Taycan test mule spotted winter driving. (Photo: NexpFPV/Reddit)
Porsche Taycan test mules being driven in Norway. (Photo: NexpFPV/Reddit)
Despite the cars being test mules, it is evident that the units spotted in the recent sightings appeared to be more refined versions of the rough prototypes frequently spotted on the Nurburgring in the past. If any, the Taycan test mules still invoke a classic Porsche stance — wide, aggressive, and giving the impression that it would stick on the road despite some spirited driving.
Amidst these tests, Porsche is currently in full throttle with its preparations for the Taycan. In the company’s historic Zuffenhausen site alone, the veteran carmaker has announced that it is investing €700 million (over $797 million) to prepare for the Taycan’s ramp. Included in these improvements is a conveyor system that transports drive system components, a new assembly and logistics hall, a new paint shop, and a dedicated body shop.
The German carmaker initially announced that it would be building 20,000 units of the all-electric car per year. Though, Porsche noted that the reception to the vehicle has been overwhelmingly positive. As the demand for the electric sedan became evident, Porsche eventually adjusted its estimates. According to German news media outlet WirtschaftsWoche, the carmaker is now looking at producing 40,000 units of the Taycan per year — twice its initial estimate.
Pricing for the Taycan is yet to be annnounced. That said, a Porsche Global Brand Ambassador has reportedly stated that the Taycan would be offered in three models — the Taycan, the Taycan 4S, and (the) Taycan Turbo. Pricing will reportedly start in the low $90,000 for the Taycan, high $90,000 for the 4S, and over $130,000 for the Turbo before options.
In a press release, Porsche stated that the Taycan would have coast-to-coast travel capabilities in the United States, thanks to a partnership with Electrify America. Dealers across the US would also be installing fast chargers on their outlets. The company would be releasing home charging equipment as well, to allow owners to charge their vehicles at home.
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Tesla Model Y L gets suspension complaints in over odd issue China
The Tesla Model Y L is arguably the most hyped trim of the all-electric crossover, other than the Performance configuration that comes with white-knuckle speed and sports car-level handling.
However, it is not all perfect. Tesla owners in China who took delivery of the Model Y L, denoted with an L to highlight its longer wheelbase, are experiencing what they are referring to as “collapsing” of the rear wheels, as suspension issues appear to be an issue with some of the builds.
🚨 Model Y L owners in China report rear suspension sag
• Six-seat long-wheelbase Y. Shanghai. On sale since August 2025
• Owners say the rear tire-to-arch gap shrinks after mileage or a full load. Some cases after about 9,000 km loaded. Others near 30,000 km
• Tesla service… pic.twitter.com/Lr6i5Tbi07— Joe Hansen (@joehansen) September 1, 2026
The gap between the wheel arch and tire has narrowed to the point that “not even a single finger” could fit, according to a report from Car News China. The failures are not tied to a specific mileage, as one owner said that after just 9,000 kilometers (5,600 miles), they noticed the suspension issue when their car was fully loaded.
Another one had the issue at 30,000 kilometers (18,640 miles) and noticed that the wheel gap shrank to two fingers, so not as drastic as the person who reported a similar issue at 9,000 km.
Tesla Model Y L is gaining momentum in China’s premium segment
Along with the visual recognition of the issue, others are saying the sagging is causing abnormal wear on the inside of the tires. Extra weight and instant torque already provide additional stress on the tires in electric vehicles during normal operation, so it is no surprise that this is another complaint.
There has been no recall issued by Tesla, and the company has not yet publicly acknowledged the issue.
Some are suggesting that owners use a “finger test” to self-diagnose whether there is an issue with the suspension. There should be four fingers between the tire and the wheel well; anything less than that starts to get dicey.
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Tesla Cybercab event gains steam ahead of massive launch
Tesla is starting to truly tease and hype its groundbreaking Cybercab event, which takes place tomorrow in Austin, Texas. It will be the first time members of the public will be able to ride in a Cybercab, a vehicle without any manual controls, on public roads.
Tesla has been dropping some hype on X over the past several days, but this morning, the excitement has truly started to build up for the event. Although Cybercab has been unveiled before, this is truly Tesla’s announcement that it is ready to start offering autonomous rides for public passengers in its new ride-hailing-geared vehicle for the first time.
The hype has started with a variety of different social media posts that are a true indication that Tesla is preparing for something big. Teasing so much of the potential of Cybercab, including its ability to truly revolutionize how people hail rides for local travel, is what the big idea for the event entails. The time that many Tesla owners, fans, and investors have been waiting for is potentially here:
— Tesla (@Tesla) September 2, 2026
The event has remained slim on details. Even invitees are still awaiting true details about what the event will entail, where they’ll go, and what is in store for the evening. This is pretty typical for an event run by Tesla; they keep things under wraps for the most part until the very last minute.
However, there is no secret about what the real intention of Tesla is for this event: it is going to be a huge reveal party for a vehicle that has no steering wheel and no pedals. It is a truly massive step for the company moving forward.
No steering wheel, no pedals
— Tesla Robotaxi (@robotaxi) September 2, 2026
Speculation persists as to whether this is going to be an event that simply announces that rides will begin with the Cybercab, or it will be something more substantial. Tesla has said in the past that they plan to sell the Cybercab to the general public in what could become a great way to earn passive income by adding it to a more global fleet of Robotaxi-geared vehicles.
Tomorrow, the show begins in Austin, and the Cybercab goes live at some capacity; we just don’t know exactly how quite yet.
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SpaceX tells the FCC that Starship Flight 14 is going to orbit
SpaceX filed with the FCC for Starship Flight 14, its first true orbital launch attempt.
SpaceX has asked the Federal Communications Commission for permission to fly Starlink terminals during Starship’s fourteenth flight test, and the filing lays out a genuine trip to orbit, something the program has never attempted.
Every Starship flight so far, including Flight 13’s successful splashdown in the Indian Ocean on July 24, has flown a suborbital arc that ends with the ship reentering the atmosphere within the same hour it launches. The FCC paperwork describes a mission profile built around an actual orbital insertion instead.
The payload is the other half of the story. Flight 13 carried 20 production Starlink V3 satellites, but because that mission never reached orbit, the satellites reentered along with the ship rather than joining the constellation, something Teslarati covered in detail after SpaceX released footage shot from one of those satellites as it drifted away from Starship in space. Flight 14 is designed to close that gap. If the orbital insertion holds, the roughly 20 V3 satellites onboard would separate into an operational orbit and could eventually go into service, each one rated for about 1 terabit per second of downlink capacity by SpaceX’s own account.
SpaceX announces new Starbase for ‘thousands of Starship launches annually’
Elon Musk first flagged the orbital attempt during SpaceX’s August 4 earnings call, the company’s first as a public entity following its June IPO under the ticker SPCX. He also floated catching the ship with the Starbase tower on the same flight, an idea he walked back on August 20, saying the catch attempt would more likely come “in a few months,” as Teslarati reported at the time. Flight 14 will instead target a splashdown for the ship in the Indian Ocean, the same recovery method used since Flight 12.
Hardware has been catching up to the ambition. Booster 21 completed a full 33-engine static fire on August 28, and Ship 41 finished its own six-engine test the week before. An airspace briefing circulated to pilots on August 20 listed September 15 as the target date, later than the end of August window Musk mentioned on the earnings call, though SpaceX has not confirmed a launch date publicly and Starship schedules routinely slip while hardware and FAA paperwork line up.
The FCC filing itself does not guarantee a launch date. It covers communications authority, and not flight readiness, considering SpaceX still needs Ship 41 fully stacked and cleared by the FAA before Flight 14 can fly. But the filing is a real marker of intent and it puts a specific regulatory process behind what had so far only been Musk’s word on the earnings call.



