Lifestyle
S in the City: Model S Owner Experience in the Big City

Whether you live or work in the city, or drive in for entertainment, there are notable nuances with driving a Tesla Model S into a busy metropolitan area. Finding parking, navigating tight streets, locating public charging stations and learning etiquettes with charging overnight are areas that I’m quickly adjusting to.
Driving into the City
I drive my Model S as much as humanly possible and under most circumstances. Whether it’s taking long road trips or navigating through narrow city streets, there hasn’t been many situation which I’ve shied away from. Driving into the city (Boston) for dinner was no different.
Since I didn’t know the city streets very well, I posted to the local New England forum on TMC and asked for help. TMC is a great resource for Tesla owners that are looking for advice from other Tesla owners. My quest to find a “Tesla owner approved” local parking spot directed me to a garage not too far from the restaurant – Boston’s Post Office Square.
Parking was tight, as expected, but I managed to find comfort knowing that I parked next to another Model S owner. I plugged the car into a ChargePoint unit, went off to my long dinner and came back to an extra 60 miles of range. Best of all this was all free since Massachusetts law prohibits re-sale of electricity.
I didn’t need the extra 60 miles of extra range to get home, but because there were several open EV spots available, I didn’t feel as bad using one for a longer duration of time. It’s important to note that this wouldn’t be the case during the day when charging stalls are a more sought after commodity. Keep this in mind and don’t occupy an EV charging stall when there’s only one available and you’re not in need of a charge.
Overnight in the City
My second experience with the Model S in the city came by way of a conference held at the Boston Seaport Hotel. The conference required me to stay overnight so I did my own research via Plugshare and found a charging location with five J1772 chargers. It turned out there were only three Chargepoint systems installed for the five EV parking spots. Parking was extremely tight but I was able to take my time, as there was no other cars around, and get the Model S placed perfectly into the parking spot.
I couldn’t help but wonder why there were three ChargePoint systems but five EV specific parking spaces. The ChargePoint system claimed to have two chargers on each post. There was clearly a J1772 plug on each of the systems but they were all in use.
Upon further inspection I could see a label for “Charger #2” but unfortunately I had no adapter that would work for it. I later realized that this was just the receiving end for the J1772 plug and meant to be a holder for the plug. I poked around a bit more and swiped my ChargePoint card on the scanner for “Charger #1”. A secret door popped open and provided a standard NEMA 5-15 outlet (standard US wall charger).
Fortunately I came prepared with an extra UMC. I didn’t have much of a choice with my charging options so I decided to plug into the very slow charging NEMA 5-15 and leave it overnight. I’m not quite sure why ChargePoint decided to name the higher power charging solution “Charger #2”, or why the NEMA 5-15 is hidden, but having a sticker or signage explaining these details could go a long way.
Lessons Learned
Driving into the city with a Model S comes with a few lessons learned as follows:
- ChargePoint seems to be the prevailing charging network provider (at least for much of Boston).
- Charging can be free depending on local laws governing re-sale of electricity.
- EV parking spaces are generally placed at very premium locations and reside on the floor your entering the parking garage from.
- City parking spots are tight to begin with so the additional size and width of the Model S makes it even more difficult to maneuver. Be careful when parking!
- City parking structures are usually underground so cell phone service is generally inaccessible. Don’t rely on keyless entry when parking in the city.
Do you have your own strategy when taking the Model S into the city? I’d love to hear it in the comments below.
Lifestyle
EV fans urge Tesla to acquire Unplugged Performance for edge in fleet and security industry
Unplugged Performance has built a name for itself by producing performance upgrades for Tesla vehicles.

A growing number of Tesla enthusiasts and longtime community voices are calling on the electric vehicle maker to acquire Unplugged Performance, a California-based aftermarket company best known for tuning Tesla vehicles and developing specialized government fleet solutions under its UP.FIT division.
The idea was once considered a niche proposal among EV fans, but it is now gaining serious attention not just as a performance play but as a strategic move to deepen Tesla’s roots in the fleet and security industry.
A strategic fit
Unplugged Performance has built a name for itself by producing performance upgrades for Tesla vehicles, from track-optimized components to visual and aerodynamic upgrades. But in recent years, its UP.FIT division has pivoted toward a more functional future by outfitting Tesla vehicles like Model Ys for police, military, and government use.
That work has sparked growing calls for closer collaboration with Tesla, especially as the EV maker increasingly leans into autonomy, AI, and fleet services as core components of its next chapter.
“I posted this four years ago, but I think it’s more true now than ever,” wrote Whole Mars Catalog, a well-known Tesla investor and FSD Beta tester, on X. “Tesla should buy Unplugged. But not just as a Performance division. What they are doing with UP.FIT unlocks large government and commercial fleet purchases that can improve utilization.”
Tesla fans such as shareholder Sawyer Merritt echoed the sentiment, calling Unplugged a “great fit within Tesla.” adding, “They are literally located directly next to Tesla’s design studio in Hawthorne.”
Enabling the next wave
Supporters of the idea noted that integrating Unplugged into Tesla’s corporate structure could help accelerate the adoption of autonomous technologies in government sectors. With UP.FIT patrol cars already in use across some U.S. police departments, Tesla fans envisioned a future where self-driving Teslas could potentially revolutionize law enforcement, search-and-rescue, and public service logistics.
“Just imagine how autonomous patrol cars could transform policing and bring us into a safer future,” the veteran FSD tester wrote.
The benefits could also extend to Tesla’s existing consumer base. “They also have some incredible products in the works that I think will appeal to many ordinary Tesla drivers — not just those looking for performance or mods. Stuff that’s so good it should have come straight from the design studio next door,” Whole Mars Catalog noted.
Unplugged Performance, founded in 2013, shares not just a product vision with Tesla, but also geography. Its Hawthorne headquarters sits directly adjacent to Tesla’s design studio, and the two companies have maintained a close working relationship over the years. The aftermarket firm has long positioned itself as a “mission-aligned” partner to Tesla.
In response to the recent calls for acquisition, Unplugged Performance acknowledged the support from the community. “Our very existence is to support the Tesla mission with @UpfitTesla and @UnpluggedTesla,” Unplugged CEO Ben Schaffer posted on X. “We love working with Tesla and are grateful for the community’s support since 2013!”
Elon Musk
X account with 184 followers inadvertently saves US space program amid Musk-Trump row
Needless to say, the X user has far more than 184 followers today after his level-headed feat.

An X user with 184 followers has become the unlikely hero of the United States’ space program by effectively de-escalating a row between SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and President Donald Trump on social media.
Needless to say, the X user has far more than 184 followers today after his level-headed feat.
A Near Fall
During Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s fallout last week, the U.S. President stated in a post on Truth Social that a good way for the United States government to save money would be to terminate subsidies and contracts from the CEO’s companies. Musk responded to Trump’s post by stating that SpaceX will start decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft immediately.
Musk’s comment was received with shock among the space community, partly because the U.S. space program is currently reliant on SpaceX to send supplies and astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). Without Dragon, the United States will likely have to utilize Russia’s Soyuz for the same services—at a significantly higher price.
X User to the Rescue
It was evident among X users that Musk’s comments about Dragon being decommissioned were posted while emotions were high. It was then no surprise that an X account with 184 followers, @Fab25june, commented on Musk’s post, urging the CEO to rethink his decision. “This is a shame this back and forth. You are both better than this. Cool off and take a step back for a couple days,” the X user wrote in a reply.
Much to the social media platform’s surprise, Musk responded to the user. Even more surprising, the CEO stated that SpaceX would not be decommissioning Dragon after all. “Good advice. Ok, we won’t decommission Dragon,” Musk wrote in a post on X.
Not Planned, But Welcomed
The X user’s comment and Musk’s response were received extremely well by social media users, many of whom noted that @Fab25june’s X comment effectively saved the U.S. space program. In a follow-up comment, the X user, who has over 9,100 followers as of writing, stated that he did not really plan on being a mediator between Musk and Trump.
“Elon Musk replied to me. Somehow, I became the accidental peace broker between two billionaires. I didn’t plan this. I was just being me. Two great minds can do wonders. Sometimes, all it takes is a breather. Grateful for every like, DM, and new follow. Life’s weird. The internet’s weirder. Let’s ride. (Manifesting peace… and maybe a Model Y.)” the X user wrote.
Lifestyle
Tesla Cybertruck takes a bump from epic failing Dodge Charger
The Cybertruck seemed unharmed by the charging Charger.

There comes a time in a driver’s life when one is faced with one’s limitations. For the driver of a Dodge Charger, this time came when he lost control and crashed into a Tesla Cybertruck–an absolute epic fail.
A video of the rather unfortunate incident was shared on the r/TeslaLounge subreddit.
Charging Charger Fails
As could be seen in the video, which was posted on the subreddit by Model Y owner u/Hammer_of_something, a group of teens in a Dodge Charger decided to do some burnouts at a Tesla Supercharger. Unfortunately, the driver of the Charger failed in his burnout or donut attempt, resulting in the mopar sedan going over a curb and bumping a charging Cybertruck.
Ironically, the Dodge Charger seemed to have been parked at a Supercharger stall before its driver decided to perform the failed stunt. This suggests that the vehicle was likely ICE-ing a charging stall before it had its epic fail moment. Amusingly enough, the subreddit member noted that the Cybertruck did not seem like it took any damage at all despite its bump. The Charger, however, seemed like it ran into some trouble after crashing into the truck.
Alleged Aftermath
As per the the r/TeslaLounge subreddit member, the Cybertruck owner came rushing out to his vehicle after the Dodge Charger crashed into it. The Model Y owner then sent over the full video of the incident, which clearly showed the Charger attempting a burnout, failing, and bumping into the Cybertruck. The Cybertruck owner likely appreciated the video, in part because it showed the driver of the Dodge Charger absolutely freaking out after the incident.
The Cybertruck is not an impregnable vehicle, but it can take bumps pretty well thanks to its thick stainless steel body. Based on this video, it appears that the Cybertruck can even take bumps from a charging Charger, all while chilling and charging at a Supercharger. As for the teens in the Dodge, they likely had to provide a long explanation to authorities after the incident, since the cops were called to the location.
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