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Thoughts on Tesla Autopilot under 8.0 vs. 7.0

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Tesla’s latest Version 8.0 of Autopilot has done a complete 180 when it comes to the core technology that powers its driving-assist features. Where the former 7.0 version relied primarily on the front-facing camera to detect obstacles, 8.0 has swapped focus to the onboard radar, making it the main source for Autopilot input. Let that sink in a moment: this very advanced suite of drivers’ assistance features that we’ve all come to trust to propel and Autosteer our cars down the highway has fundamentally changed. One part of me wanted to mentally start over again using Autopilot cautiously and not really trusting that it would do the right thing. The other part of me figured that if Tesla decided to change course, the new tech must be at least as safe and reliable as before.

My very first use of Autopilot features after the 8.0 update was on my usual stop-and-go traffic commute, on the same highway I always take. The car performed as expected and I really had nothing to note. But as luck would have it, we got the update mere days before embarking on our longest Tesla road trip to date. 8 days, 21 Superchargers and 2100 miles. I estimate that 1,750 of those miles were done using Autopilot, with my husband using it for 90% of his drive, and me using it for 60% of the time while I was behind the wheel of our Model S.

Here is what I’ve noticed:

  • Autosteer: The same dark, rainy conditions where I’ve previously experienced Autosteer to be unavailable are still present. I agree, these aren’t ideal for use, so no harm in being unavailable.
  • Car offsets in lane: Exactly as described in Tesla’s 8.0 blog update, the car would move over to hug the far side of its lane when approaching another vehicle in the opposite adjacent lane, if that vehicle was either too close to your side or so large as to take up a lot of space. We saw this several times on our trip, mostly with tractor trailers.
  • Wheel nag more prominent. Very true. The wheel nag now includes a pretty white frame around the entire instrument panel and the ‘red hands of death‘. I went two whole days of driving without the nag even once. The other driver, not so much.
  • Approximately 200 small enhancements that aren’t worth a bullet point. This was the ending bullet on Tesla’s blog update and it sort of tickled me when I first read it. Thinking more now, I see the point. Autopilot technology is so extremely complex and intelligent, with so many moving parts and algorithms that it’s needless for an owner such as myself to even be concerned with knowing it all.

Though a recent poll suggests that Americans still aren’t sure if they’re ready for self-driving technology, hopping behind the wheel of a Tesla with driver-assist features is a good starting point. Autopilot continues to improve and the company’s latest 8.0 is no different. It’s smooth and makes long distance driving a heck of a lot more enjoyable.

Again, everything has changed, while nothing really has. The whole way it works was turned on it’s ear, yet the outcome of using the system is about the same. The car sees two cars ahead and sometimes even three, instead of one in 7.0, and the instrument panel shows as much. That visual change took exactly zero getting used to. I thought the whole system would take some getting used to, some learning curve or at the very least, some trust curve. Nope. What I’ve actually found is that the system is just as reliable as before so keep on using your Autopilot, keep on logging miles, keep on contributing to fleet learning, and keep on helping Tesla to refine the most technologically advanced car ever.

The below video was intended to describe the differences in using Autopilot before and after the 8.0 upgrade.

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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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