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Robocar becomes first autonomous race car to complete Goodwood hill climb

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The 2018 Goodwood Festival of Speed is off with a bang, with high-profile car manufacturers and cutting-edge vehicles gracing the event. As could be seen in a recently uploaded video online, this year’s Festival of Speed also featured Robocar — an all-electric, fully-autonomous, AI-powered vehicle — successfully completing the event’s traditional hill climb course.

Roborace, the company behind the self-driving racecar, uploaded Robocar’s hill climb run on its official YouTube channel. The vehicle’s run was just a test session during the early morning before the festival officially started, but it did prove that the self-driving car was capable of traversing Goodwood’s 1.16-mile hill climb course independently. This was a milestone for Robocar’s development, considering that the Goodwood hill course presented several challenges to the vehicle’s systems.

Robocar is built from the ground up as an autonomous racecar. Thus, when attempting its run up Goodwood’s hill course, the car had to rely exclusively on data gathered by its array of sensors such as its GPS, radar, LiDAR, ultrasonic sensors, and machine vision cameras. Due to the terrain of the hill climb track, however, Robocar’s GPS was compromised, since the course’s narrow roads and trees block the car’s GPS signals, preventing the vehicle to map its position accurately. In order to address this challenge, Roborace developed a specialized code for Robocar just for the event, utilizing the car’s LiDAR sensors for real-time environment perception.

Robocar during its hill climb attempt at the 2018 Goodwood Festival of Speed. [Credit: Roborace/YouTube]

As could be seen in the company’s recently-uploaded video, it appears that the specialized code it developed for the self-driving racecar was enough to navigate the vehicle to the finish line without any problems.

Roborace hopes to eventually start a racing series with Robocar, with teams being issued identical cars and the competition being determined by how each vehicle is coded. Robocar, after all, is not just robust sensor-wise, it also packs some serious power, with the self-driving car being equipped with four 135 kW electric motors that produce 500 hp, as well as a 58 kWh battery. Within the heart of Robocar are NVIDIA Drive PX 2 processors, as well as an AI system provided by Arrival.

Robocar’s appearance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed was supported by the founder of the event himself, Charles Gordon-Lennox, better known as the Duke of Richmond. According to the Duke, he believes that the participation of a self-driving car such as Robocar in this year’s event is a statement for the future of mobility.

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Robocar featured in Roborace’s booth at the 2018 Goodwood Festival of Speed. [Credit: Dean Scott]

“I can’t think of a more exciting way to celebrate our Silver Jubilee than to have Roborace attempt the first autonomous race car run up the hill. Roborace plays an important role in the future of mobility, challenging public perceptions and providing a platform to advance new technologies. This makes them the perfect partner to undertake this significant feat,” he said.

The 2018 Goodwood Festival of Speed starts on July 12 and ends on July 15. Several of the world’s biggest auto manufacturers, including Tesla, are participating in the event. As we noted in a previous report, Tesla’s booth at Goodwood, which features the Model 3 as its centerpiece, is proving to be quite popular with the event’s attendees.

Check out pictures of Tesla’s booth and the Model 3 at the event here.

Watch Robocar’s hill climb run in the video below.

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Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

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Why Tesla’s Q4 performance could shock many after incredible Q3

There is still some residual impact to be felt as we enter Q4, and there is a potential shock coming to many investors as it could be stronger than what many think:

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla reported vehicle deliveries and energy deployments for the third quarter of 2025 today, blowing analyst estimations from Wall Street firms completely out of the water with its strongest three-month performance in company history.

The strong performance, which resulted in nearly half a million vehicle deliveries in the quarter, was largely driven by the momentum of the EV tax credit, which expired at the end of September, marking the end of the $7,500 discount that was previously available.

Tesla hits record vehicle deliveries and energy deployments in Q3 2025

This was a massive contributor to Tesla’s record-high in vehicle deliveries, as consumers rushed to take advantage of the credit.

There is still some residual impact to be felt as we enter Q4, and there is a potential shock coming to many investors as it could be stronger than what many think:

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EV Tax Credit Deliveries Will Continue Through Q4

Despite the credit’s expiration, people will still be able to take advantage of it because the IRS changed the rules mid-quarter.

Prospective buyers can utilize the credit after September 30 if they place an order for an EV and make a marginal payment on the car.

Tesla’s $250 order deposit qualified as the marginal payment, so as long as the order was submitted before the end of the day on September 30, they could still take delivery in Q4 or even Q1 and still take advantage of the credit.

Tesla set to win big after IRS adjusts EV tax credit rules

With the Model Y Performance launching in the U.S. on September 30, that undoubtedly contributed to some orders. However, there are likely many people who ordered in the latter portion of Q3 and have not yet taken delivery. These will all contribute to Q4 delivery figures.

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Seasonal Holiday Boost

Tesla traditionally has its strongest quarters in Q4, as the company typically introduces initiatives such as price cuts, incentives, and other offers to close out the year strong.

Car buyers are more likely to jump at these offers as well, as gifts for either themselves or others. What Tesla does in the final quarter of the year is usually boosted by whatever types of offers it can make.

Affordable Model Production Ramp

Tesla is likely preparing for the launch of its affordable model, which is essentially a stripped-down Model Y.

Some rumors have been circulating within the community, indicating that the company is nearing the sale of this vehicle, which is coded within Tesla’s website as the “Model Y Standard.”

If Tesla is able to lock in some good pricing on its affordable model, Tesla could see its quarterly figures return to QoQ growth, something that the company has not had in a few years.

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Tesla hits record vehicle deliveries and energy deployments in Q3 2025

As per Tesla’s Q3 2025 vehicle delivery and production report, the bulk of the company’s numbers came from its mass-market lineup.

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Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) reported record-breaking results for the third quarter of 2025, producing 447,450 vehicles and delivering 497,099 units worldwide. 

The company also deployed 12.5 GWh of energy storage products, setting a new record in its fast-growing energy business.

Model 3/Y domination

As per Tesla’s Q3 2025 vehicle delivery and production report, the bulk of the company’s numbers came from its mass-market lineup. The Model 3 sedan and Model Y crossover accounted for 435,826 units produced and 481,166 delivered in the quarter. This is quite impressive considering that both the Model 3 and Model Y are still premium-priced vehicles with numerous competitors that are significantly more affordable.

Other models, including the Model S, Model X, and Cybertruck, contributed 11,624 vehicles produced and 15,933 delivered. Beyond vehicles, Tesla’s energy business posted its best quarter to date, deploying 12.5 GWh of storage systems.

Credit: Tesla

Q3 2025 earnings call date

Tesla’s third-quarter results are extremely impressive, and they exceed Wall Street’s estimates by a significant margin. As per Benchmark analyst Mickey Legg, who had a delivery estimate of 442,000 vehicles in Q3, Wall Street consensus was at 448,000 units. Even more optimistic analysts estimated that Tesla would only post deliveries in the mid-460,000s.

Investors will gain further insight later this month when Tesla reports full financials for the quarter. The company will release Q3 2025 earnings after market close on October 22, followed by a Q&A webcast at 4:30 p.m. Central Time.

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Elon Musk

Elon Musk is halfway towards becoming the world’s first trillionaire

Musk’s fortune remains heavily tied to Tesla, which has rallied nearly 100% since April.

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Credit: Tesla Manufacturing/X

Elon Musk has reached a new milestone by becoming the first individual in history to achieve a net worth of $500 billion. ForbesReal-Time Billionaires tracker confirmed the record Wednesday afternoon after Tesla stock gained nearly 4%, adding an estimated $9.3 billion to Musk’s net worth in a single day. 

He now sits more than $150 billion ahead of Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, whose net worth also stands at a very impressive $350 billion.

Tesla stock leads wealth surge

Musk’s fortune remains heavily tied to Tesla, which has rallied nearly 100% since April, when the CEO announced he would step back from outside roles to focus more on the EV maker. The company’s market capitalization is back within 10% of its all-time peak, lifting the value of Musk’s 12% stake to about $191 billion. 

Beyond this, his 2018 compensation package, which was rescinded by a Delaware judge last year but is still under appeal, could unlock additional stock worth more than $130 billion if reinstated, Forbes noted. Investors see Musk’s refocused leadership as a stabilizing force for Tesla as it pursues ambitious global growth. Tesla has also proposed a new compensation plan for Musk that could bring the company’s market cap to $8.5 trillion and add an additional $900 billion to the CEO’s net worth. 

SpaceX and xAI boost portfolio value

While Tesla drives much of his wealth, Musk’s stakes in SpaceX and xAI have added significant upside to his net worth. SpaceX, his private rocket company, recently hit a $400 billion valuation in a private tender offer, valuing Musk’s 42% stake at $168 billion. Meanwhile, xAI Holdings, which merged with social platform X earlier this year, is worth an estimated $113 billion, giving Musk another $60 billion on paper. 

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These ventures, combined with Tesla’s resurgence, have pushed Musk’s net worth past the half-trillion-dollar mark and highlighted his reach across multiple industries, from clean energy to space, artificial intelligence, brain implants, and tunneling.

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