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Could Tesla’s ride sharing service make car ownership obsolete?

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Everything from Elon’s Master Plan Part 2 is still resounding in my brain. I could go on about every single point. But for now, I just want to talk about the car sharing part.

I think it is safe to guess that there are a lot of people out there with similar thoughts. To me, a vehicle is a profound investment, done so exclusively for my family’s personal transportation. I keep my car clean. I get annoyed even when familiar and approved passengers have the audacity to push radio buttons or alter climate settings. I keep my kid’s car seats in there. Those are my sunglasses in there. For god’s sake, my sunglasses should not be victimized by some greasy stranger. My car is and should be calibrated to me, only me. It’s mine. I bought it. Me me me.

The idea of sharing my significant investment terrifies me, even if profit is involved. What kind of world is being proposed where I lose that sense of personal space and security of the vehicle for which I had set out and purchased? I get the concept. From a distance, I even like the concept. I could see myself as a respectful borrower of someone else’s car. It is just difficult to fathom the opposite arrangement. I understand that it will be completely optional. Still, I find it to be a strange concept. Tesla is not alone on this general idea. Google, ride sharing, and driving service companies have all suggested that they would like to replace privately owned vehicles with ones that are just a paid sharing service enhanced by autonomy.

“What kind of world is being proposed where I lose that sense of personal space and security of the vehicle for which I had set out and purchased?”

We should probably take a big step back and examine the bigger picture. I know I have likely jumped to some erroneous conclusions. Elon is very talented at teasing us and leaving out all detail. I would like to postulate that maybe Tesla’s version of car sharing won’t be as anonymous as I am fearing. Maybe we will get to select levels of availability for our cars. There may be a way to list pre-approved users of my vehicle that I know and can trust to not do weird things while sitting in it, unsupervised. Kind of like a social network of care sharing. Heck, you need a two-way mutual agreement on Facebook and LinkedIn to establish a connection. Can we expect the same idea with personal car sharing?

For example maybe my retired and aging parents could ditch their own cars and subscribe to using mine when it’s available. My elderly widow neighbor doesn’t need to be driving her own Buick anymore, she can use mine to get around. Then, when MY car comes to ME when needed, it should recognize me and adjust the seats and climate and radio to my preferences (as they already do). Maybe it can even lock up the glove box for everyone but me, keeping my sunglasses unmolested.

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Ok, now I’m slowly warming up to the idea.

I know there are good and reputable people left in the world, but maybe they just need to pass my own background check prior to sitting in my Tesla. At the very least, I would expect there to be some sort of user rating system, where they can be refused service and fined for improper use. There may even be a built-in passenger facing camera that monitors other users in addition to my own driving attentiveness. My instincts say I should trust that Elon has the details worked out and that it won’t be the terrifying anonymous arrangements I’m fearing.

Sincerely,

Shawn Brandt

(Submitted via email to the Teslarati Network. Interested in sharing your thoughts to the greater Tesla community? Email it to us at info@teslarati.com)

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I have a passion for all that is clean, green, responsible and logical. Because of this, I am a big Tesla enthusiast and future owner.

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Tesla Model S Plaid battles China’s 1500 hp monster Nurburgring monster, with surprising results

There is just something about Tesla’s tuning and refinement that makes raw specs seem not as game-changing.

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Credit: Carwow/YouTube

The Tesla Model S Plaid has been around for some time. Today, it is no longer the world’s quickest four-door electric sedan, nor is it the most powerful. As per a recent video from motoring YouTube channel Carwow, however, it seems like the Model S Plaid is still more than a match for some of its newer and more powerful rivals. 

The monster from China

The Xiaomi SU7 Ultra is nothing short of a monster. Just like the Model S Plaid, it features three motors. It also has 1,548 hp and 1,770 Nm of torque. It’s All Wheel Drive and weighs a hefty 2,360 kg. The vehicle, which costs just about the equivalent of £55,000, has been recorded setting an insane 7:04.957 at the Nurburgring, surpassing the previous record held by the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT.

For all intents and purposes, the Model S Plaid looked outgunned in Carwow’s test. The Model S Plaid is no slouch with its three motors that produce 1,020 hp and 1,420 Nm of torque. It’s also a bit lighter at 2,190 kg despite its larger size. However, as the Carwow host pointed out, the Model S Plaid holds a 7:25.231 record in the Nurburgring. Compared to the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra’s record, the Model S Plaid’s lap time is notably slower. 

Real-world tests

As could be seen in Carwow’s drag races, however, Tesla’s tech wizardry with the Model S Plaid is still hard to beat. The two vehicles competed in nine races, and the older Model S Plaid actually beat its newer, more powerful counterpart from China several times. At one point in the race, the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra hit its power limit due to its battery’s temperature, but the Model S Plaid was still going strong.

The Model S Plaid was first teased five years ago, in September 2020 during Tesla’s Battery Day. Since then, cars like the Lucid Air Sapphire and the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra have been released, surpassing its specs. But just like the Model Y ended up being the better all-rounder compared to the BYD Sealion 7 and the MG IM6, there is just something about Tesla’s tuning and refinement that makes raw specs seem not as game-changing. 

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Check out Carwow’s Model S Plaid vs Xiaomi SU7 drag race video below.

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500-mile test proves why Tesla Model Y still humiliates rivals in Europe

On paper, the BYD Sealion 7 and MG IM6 promised standout capabilities against the Model Y.

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Credit: Tesla China

BYD is seeing a lot of momentum in Europe, so much so that mainstream media has taken every opportunity to argue that the Chinese automaker has beaten Tesla in the region. But while BYD sales this year in Europe are rising and Tesla’s registrations remain challenged, the raw capabilities of vehicles like the Model Y are difficult to deny. 

This was highlighted in a 500-mile challenge by What Car? magazine, which showed that the new Tesla Model Y is more efficient, cheaper to run, and more reliable than rivals like the BYD Sealion 7, and even the nearly 400 KW-charging MG IM6.

Range and charging promises

On paper, the BYD Sealion 7 and MG IM6 promised standout capabilities against the Model Y. The Sealion 7 had more estimated range and the IM6 promised significantly faster charging. When faced with real-world conditions, however, it was still the Model Y that proved superior.

During the 500-mile test, the BYD nearly failed to reach a charging stop, arriving with less range than its display projected, as noted in a CarUp report. MG fared better, but its charging speeds never reached its promised nearly-400 kW charging speed. Tesla’s Model Y, by comparison, managed energy calculations precisely and arrived at each stop without issue.

Tesla leads in areas that matter

Charging times from 25% to 80% showed that the MG was the fastest at 17 minutes, while Tesla and BYD were close at 28 and 29 minutes, respectively. Overall efficiency and cost told a different story, however. The Model Y consumed 19.4 kWh per 100 km, compared to 22.2 for MG and 23.9 for BYD. Over the full trip, Tesla’s charging costs totaled just £82 thanks to its supercharger network, far below BYD’s £130 and MG’s £119. 

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What Car? Magazine’s testers concluded that despite BYD’s rapid sales growth and the MG IM6’s seriously impressive charging speeds, Tesla remains the more compelling real-world choice. The Model Y just offers stability, efficiency, and a proven charging infrastructure through its Supercharging network. And as per the magazine’s hosts, the Model Y is even the cheapest car to own among the three that were tested.

Watch What Car? Magazine’s 500-mile test in the video below.

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Tesla Cybertruck slapped with world’s least intimidating ticket, and it’s pure cringe

One cannot help but cringe and feel second-hand embarrassment at the idea of a person just driving around with a stack of these babies.

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Credit: Ryan Torres/X

A Cybertruck parked at Stanford Shopping Center in California was recently hit with what might be the most try-hard piece of paper ever slipped under a wiper blade: a “fake citation” accusing the driver of supporting a “fascist car.” 

The note, shared on X by Tesla staff program manager Ryan Torres, quickly made the rounds on X, where it quickly gained attention as an example of how not to protest.

The world’s least intimidating ticket

According to the citation, the supposed “violation” was “driving a fascist car.” The remedial action? Take the bus, call an Uber, or ride a bike. The note also dubbed Elon Musk a “chainsaw-wielding Nazi billionaire.” Now, protests against Tesla and Elon Musk have become commonplace this year, but one cannot help but cringe and feel second-hand embarrassment at the idea of a person just driving around with a stack of fake anti-Tesla/Musk citations.

Torres pointed out the irony himself in his post on X. Tesla currently employs over 140,000 Americans, and SpaceX has put the U.S. firmly back at the top of space technology. As Torres put it, maybe the person behind the world’s least intimidating ticket should “read a book on innovation before vandalizing” other people’s property.

Peak performative clownery

Not to mention that the fake ticket’s logic collapses under its own weight. EVs like the Cybertruck are literally designed to reduce emissions, not “destroy the economy.” If anything, Tesla has bolstered the United States’ economy by fueling jobs in engineering, manufacturing, and clean energy. It’s not the first time a Tesla has been the target of vandalism or politically charged notes, but this one stands out for sheer cringe value. 

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Torres summed it up neatly: “Peak clownery.” On that point, at least, the citation earns full marks. In a way, though, perhaps cringe fake tickets are not as bad as the literal firebombs that were being thrown at Tesla stores and cars earlier this year because some critics were gleefully misinformed about Elon Musk.

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