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Starlink provides free service for 30 days in areas impacted by Hurricane Helene

(Credit: Starlink)

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Starlink’s capability to provide fast, reliable connectivity to disaster zones was proven once again when the satellite internet system was deployed in states that were ravaged by Hurricane Helene. To further help communities that were affected by the natural disaster, Starlink has announced its Hurricane Helene Relief program, which offers 30 days of free internet connectivity to areas affected by the Category 4 storm.

While the deployment of Starlink kits to hurricane-ravaged areas such as North Carolina has become an unfortunately political topic, Starlink’s contributions to people who were affected by the storm are undeniable. In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, SpaceX announced on X that about 500 Starlink kits have been deployed by private individuals and organizations to help with recovery efforts. 

Separately, FEMA noted in a press release that it had deployed 40 Starlink kits to help with responder communications in North Carolina, with one terminal being deployed per county EOC to assist with communications and continuity of government. FEMA also noted that an additional 140 Starlink kits were being deployed. As of writing, FEMA noted that it has helped provide 67 total Starlink kits to North Carolina, including three terminals for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Nation and four terminals for critical lifeline locations as determined by the state.” 

Amidst continued efforts to reestablish communication and connectivity in areas affected by Hurricane Helene, a number of private individuals who were donating Starlink kits asked Elon Musk if the satellite internet service could be made free for a period for time in disaster zones. Musk responded to these requests on X, stating that SpaceX was making a system update that would allow Starlink kits in disaster areas to work regardless of payment. 

In a later post on X, Starlink’s official account announced the launch of its Hurricane Helene Relief program, which provides 30 days of free connectivity to terminals operating in areas affected by Hurricane Helene. Starlink provided the following terms and conditions, as well as instructions, to new and current users in disaster zones: 

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Hurricane Helene Relief

Starlink aims to enable anyone impacted by a natural disaster to be able to access internet connectivity.

For those in areas that were impacted by Hurricane Helene, Starlink is available and temporarily offering free service for the first month.

If you are impacted by Hurricane Helene, or are looking to enable rapid assistance for responding to communities impacted by Hurricane Helene, and need to access this 30 day free service option, please follow the steps below:

New customers:

  1. Go to starlink.com/residential
  2. Enter your address, and click order now
  3. Select the “Helene Relief” service plan and check out
    • Note – Only service areas impacted by Helene will display the “Helene Relief” service option. if you do not see the $0 option, your area is not eligible. If you believe this is in error, please let us know by contacting support.

Current customers activating additional kits purchased from a retailer:

  1. Go to starlink.com/activate
  2. Enter your Starlink kit identifier
  3. Enter your address, click search
  4. Select “Residential”
  5. Select the “Helene Relief” service plan and check out
  6. Repeat for each kit, if adding more than one
    • Note – We have temporarily increased the kit limit to 20 kits per residential account. If you need to add more than 20 kits to your account for large account activation assistance for emergency response groups, please contact support requesting Helene assistance.

Current customers:

If you are in need of assistance due to Hurricane Helene as a current customer, please create a support ticket requesting a Helene relief credit. Our teams will evaluate eligibility based on the same impacted areas as above.

Other information to know

  • After 30 days, we will move you to a paid Residential subscription, tied the location you are using it in at that time. We will reevaluate as necessary based on conditions in the area. Starlink will notify you as the 30 day mark approaches to remind you of the change.
  • There may be limitations on the ability to transfer these kits or continue free service outside of the disaster region. More details will be added here as necessary.

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

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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Investor's Corner

Tesla gets bold Robotaxi prediction from Wall Street firm

Last week, Andrew Percoco took over Tesla analysis for Morgan Stanley from Adam Jonas, who covered the stock for years. Percoco seems to be less optimistic and bullish on Tesla shares, while still being fair and balanced in his analysis.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) received a bold Robotaxi prediction from Morgan Stanley, which anticipates a dramatic increase in the size of the company’s autonomous ride-hailing suite in the coming years.

Last week, Andrew Percoco took over Tesla analysis for Morgan Stanley from Adam Jonas, who covered the stock for years. Percoco seems to be less optimistic and bullish on Tesla shares, while still being fair and balanced in his analysis.

Percoco dug into the Robotaxi fleet and its expansion in the coming years in his latest note, released on Tuesday. The firm expects Tesla to increase the Robotaxi fleet size to 1,000 vehicles in 2026. However, that’s small-scale compared to what they expect from Tesla in a decade.

Tesla expands Robotaxi app access once again, this time on a global scale

By 2035, Morgan Stanley believes there will be one million Robotaxis on the road across multiple cities, a major jump and a considerable fleet size. We assume this means the fleet of vehicles Tesla will operate internally, and not including passenger-owned vehicles that could be added through software updates.

He also listed three specific catalysts that investors should pay attention to, as these will represent the company being on track to achieve its Robotaxi dreams:

  1. Opening Robotaxi to the public without a Safety Monitor. Timing is unclear, but it appears that Tesla is getting closer by the day.
  2. Improvement in safety metrics without the Safety Monitor. Tesla’s ability to improve its safety metrics as it scales miles driven without the Safety Monitor is imperative as it looks to scale in new states and cities in 2026.
  3. Cybercab start of production, targeted for April 2026. Tesla’s Cybercab is a purpose-built vehicle (no steering wheel or pedals, only two seats) that is expected to be produced through its state-of-the-art unboxed manufacturing process, offering further cost reductions and thus accelerating adoption over time.

Robotaxi stands to be one of Tesla’s most significant revenue contributors, especially as the company plans to continue expanding its ride-hailing service across the world in the coming years.

Its current deployment strategy is controlled and conservative to avoid any drastic and potentially program-ruining incidents.

So far, the program, which is active in Austin and the California Bay Area, has been widely successful.

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News

Tesla Model Y L is gaining momentum in China’s premium segment

This suggests that the addition of the Model Y L to Tesla China’s lineup will not result in a case of cannibalization, but a possible case of “premiumization” instead.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla’s domestic sales in China held steady in November with around 73,000 units delivered, but a closer look at the Model Y L’s numbers hints at an emerging shift towards pricier variants that could very well be boosting average selling prices and margins. 

This suggests that the addition of the Model Y L to Tesla China’s lineup will not result in a case of cannibalization, but a possible case of “premiumization” instead.

Tesla China’s November domestic numbers

Data from the a Passenger Car Association (CPCA) indicated that Tesla China saw domestic deliveries of about 73,000 vehicles in November 2025. This number included 34,000 standard Model Y units, 26,000 Model 3 units, and 13,000 Model Y L units, as per industry watchers. 

This means that the Model Y L accounted for roughly 27% of Tesla China’s total Model Y sales, despite the variant carrying a ~28% premium over the base RWD Model Y that is estimated to have dominated last year’s mix.

As per industry watcher @TSLAFanMtl, this suggests that Tesla China’s sales have moved towards more premium variants this year. Thus, direct year-over-year sales comparisons might miss the bigger picture. This is true even for the regular Model Y, as another premium trim, the Long Range RWD variant, was also added to the lineup this 2025. 

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November 2025 momentum

While Tesla China’s overall sales this year have seen challenges, the Model Y and Model 3 have remained strong sellers in the country. This is especially impressive as the Model Y and Model 3 are premium-priced vehicles, and they compete in the world’s most competitive electric vehicle market. Tesla China is also yet to roll out the latest capabilities of FSD in China, which means that its vehicles in the country could not tap into their latest capabilities yet. 

Aggregated results from November suggest that the Tesla Model Y took the crown as China’s #1 best-selling SUV during the month, with roughly 34,000 deliveries. With the Model Y L, this number is even higher. The Tesla Model 3 also had a stellar month, seeing 25,700 deliveries during November 2025.

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Cybertruck

Tesla Cybertruck earns IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award

To commemorate the accolade, the official Cybertruck account celebrated the milestone on X.

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Credit: IIHS/YouTube

The Tesla Cybertruck has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest honor, earning a Top Safety Pick+ rating for 2025 models built after April 2025. 

The full-size electric pickup truck’s safety rating is partly due to the vehicle’s strong performance in updated crash tests, superior front crash prevention, and effective headlights, among other factors. To commemorate the accolade, the official Cybertruck account celebrated the milestone on X.

Cybertruck’s IIHS rating

As per the IIHS, beginning with 2025 Cybertruck models built after April 2025, changes were made to the front underbody structure and footwell to improve occupant safety in driver-side and passenger-side small overlap front crashes. The moderate overlap front test earned a good rating, and the updated side impact test also received stellar marks.

The Cybertruck’s front crash prevention earned a good rating in pedestrian scenarios, with the standard Collision Avoidance Assist avoiding collisions in day and night tests across child, adult crossing, and parallel paths. Headlights with high-beam assist compensated for limitations, contributing to the top award.

Safest and most autonomous pickup

The Cybertruck is one of only two full-size pickups to receive the IIHS’ Top Safety Pick + rating. It is also the only one equipped with advanced self-driving features via Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) system. Thanks to FSD, the Cybertruck can navigate inner city streets and highways on its own with minimal supervision, adding a layer of safety beyond passive crash protection.

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Community reactions poured in, with users praising the vehicle’s safety rating amidst skepticism from critics. Tesla itself highlighted this by starting its X post with a short clip of a Cybertruck critic who predicted that the vehicle will likely not pass safety tests. The only question now is, of course, if the vehicle’s Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS will help the Cybertruck improve its sales. 

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