The Professor was looking forward to getting a new US driver’s license. After moving from the East Coast to teach at the University of California, it became pertinent for the 38-year old engineer and scientist to have his own driver’s license again. The coming school year would be different from the last, after all, and with face-to-face classes likely starting again, it was important for the Professor to have the capability to drive the family’s Tesla Model 3 when needed.
Having extensive driving experience overseas before moving to the United States, the Tesla owner (name witheld as requested) was fairly optimistic that he could pass the Department of Motor Vehicles’ standards. His family certainly looked forward to it, so his wife, who also teaches at the University of California, and their two kids — a 4-year-old and a 3-month old baby — headed over to the Santa Ana DMV. Unfortunately for the Professor, he made a grave mistake.
He drove a Tesla.
Driving Tests from Hell
It is no stretch to state that California is the heart of the US’ electric vehicle transition. It’s home to Tesla’s headquarters and the company’s Fremont Factory, where vehicles like the Model 3 and the Model Y are produced. The Professor was then surprised when the DMV examiner, after what appeared to be an uneventful drive, told him that he had failed his driving test. As related to Teslarati, the DMV examiner reportedly informed the Tesla owner that he failed because the “technology in the car was not off.” When asked for more explanation, the examiner explained that the Model 3’s acceleration should have been on “Chill Mode” and the steering settings in “Comfort.”
This was inconvenient, but the Professor figured that he should probably just try again. The Model 3 owner ultimately opted to try his hand at another test in the LA DMV, especially since Teslas are extremely common in Los Angeles. For the second time, the family of four headed over to the LA DMV in their Model 3 for another test. The Professor then drove away with his examiner, but not before ensuring that the Model 3 was in Chill Mode and its steering was set in Comfort. But just like his previous attempt, the DMV examiner informed the Tesla owner that he had failed because of the Model 3’s “automatic engage.” Explaining further, the examiner stated that she could feel the brakes even when the physical brake pedal was not being pressed.
This set off alarms in the Professor and his wife, as regenerative braking is a feature that is very common among electric vehicles. It is also not in any way connected to a Model 3’s automated features. As they addressed their concerns with the DMV, the manager of the LA office told the Model 3 owners that there was no way for Teslas to disable their automated features. When the Tesla owners asked where she got her information from, the manager stated that she heard it from a customer who visited the DMV a few weeks prior. The manager then extended an offer, telling the Tesla owner that he could retake the exam that same day if he could rent a traditional car.
This was an unexpected turn for the family, but they were eventually able to secure a Toyota Camry from a rental car company an hour away. But upon presenting the vehicle to the DMV, the LA office rejected the Camry since it was not under the Professor’s name. Ultimately, the Tesla owner was not allowed to take his driving test in the rental car, though he was given the option of renting one from the LA DMV office instead for $140, $40 more than the Camry that the family had initially rented. Unfortunately for the Professor, he was given a failing score once more, despite the DMV examiner acknowledging that he seemed to have a lot of experience driving cars.
DMV Policies and Customer Advice
In a later message, the Professor’s wife stated that her husband would most definitely try to get his driver’s license once more, though they would probably wait some time before trying again. The last three tries were quite exhausting, and by the third driving test, the Model 3 owner stated that some DMV staff were already irate. This was not that unusual, of course, considering that the DMV is one of America’s least-liked agencies. It was just quite surprising that in the first two tests, it was the Model 3’s features that caused the examiner to fail the Tesla owner.
In a response to a Teslarati inquiry about the Model 3 owners’ experience, the CA DMV Public Affairs Office confirmed that there is no policy that prevents customers from taking their driving test in a Tesla. The office added that while the DMV currently has no specific criteria for features like regenerative braking in EVs, it is working to ensure that examiners have an understanding of the function and how it impacts driving. That being said, the agency advised that those who wish to take their driving test in a Tesla should speak to a manager first to avoid issues.
“In the event (that) a customer has questions about taking a driving test in a particular vehicle, they should ask to speak with a manager before the test. DMV employees who give behind-the-wheel tests receive updated training as necessary,” the DMV Public Affairs Office noted.
It should be noted that California is arguably the US state that is friendliest to electric vehicles. The state still offers clean vehicle rebates, and there is still a Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate for automakers. It is then no surprise that Teslas are very popular in the state. In 2015, California accounted for 43% of Tesla’s new vehicle registrations, as per data from IHS Markit. This percentage has since decreased as Tesla started selling its cars to more territories — but its California stake is still no joke. In 2020 alone, Tesla still sold 37% of its vehicles in California, despite the pandemic and the company no longer having any access to the $7,500 federal tax credit enjoyed by competitors like the Ford Mustang Mach-E and the Volkswagen ID.4.
Insights from CA’s Clean Air Protectors
The California Air Resources Board (CARB), which is charged with protecting the public from the harmful effects of air pollution and developing programs to fight climate change, is among the agencies that are helping push the transition to sustainable transportation. With this in mind, it seemed appropriate to get the agency’s take on the Tesla Model 3 owners’ experience with the Santa Ana and LA DMV. After all, it would be quite challenging to fully adopt electric vehicles in California if some driving examiners or DMV offices were still unfamiliar with how EVs work, or their features for that matter.
CARB Communications Specialist John Swanton informed Teslarati that while driving tests are not CARB’s area of responsibility, the agency could work together with the DMV if there are widespread issues that could impede the greater goals of California’s transition to Zero-Emission vehicles. That being said, Swanton remarked that driver-assist technologies are becoming more and more common in modern cars, and they are widely accepted as features that enhance safety.
“While the driver’s license test is not our area of responsibility, we can say that we are not aware of any serious concerns that DMV has with the routine features found in a very wide range of vehicles equipped with driver-assistance technologies. As you are probably aware, these are in use in both EV and combustion-powered vehicles, and are widely accepted to enhance vehicle safety. These systems not only meet state requirements; they are fully certified for use nationwide by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,” Swanton said.
The CARB Communications Specialist further stated that specific features like regenerative braking have long been proven to be very efficient, driver-operated controls that have been utilized since the early days of hybrid vehicles like the Toyota Prius. In this light, at least, it appears that the DMV examiner’s statements about the Model 3’s regenerative braking being an automated feature seems misinformed at best or biased at worst. “Their operation is not unlike the use of an automatic transmission. So it’s safe to say that these are not autonomous features, but rather simply part of modern automobile controls. I think this complaint may be a situation with an individual examiner that DMV management will need to speak to or clarify policy,” Swanton remarked.
Behind the Times
There is something ironic about the idea of a Tesla driver in California failing a driving test because of the electric vehicle’s basic functions. Numerous driving schools across the globe, after all, are already embracing electric vehicles fully. Los Angeles-based Drivers Ed Direct currently operates an all-electrified fleet of cars for its students. Defensive Driving School, which was founded in 1945, actually offers a “specialty course” on Model 3s called “The Tesla Experience.” These programs suggest that driving schools across the country are already aware that sustainable vehicles are inevitable, and it is in everyone’s best interest to ensure that drivers of the future are fully acquainted with the features and behavior of electric cars.
And it’s not just the United States either. In Germany, a country famous for its mastery of carmaking, schools like Die Fahrschule have made it their mission to ensure that the next generation of drivers is properly prepared for the era of electric vehicles. In an interview with noted EV advocate Ove Kröger, one of the German driving school’s instructors, Alexander Erler, stated that there are actually advantages to teaching in an EV like a Model 3, since the vehicles provide a calm atmosphere. Remarkably, Erler noted that the presence of Model 3s in the school’s fleet actually helped dispel misinformation about electric vehicles, especially when younger drivers take their EV-skeptical parents along for their lessons.
Even oil-rich Dubai is no different. Electric vehicles are still a niche product in the Middle Eastern city, but prominent driving schools like Emirates Driving Institute (EDI) are already investing in electric vehicles. The school purchased a Model X to be part of its premium driving fleet in 2018, and since then, the vehicle has been received well. In a conversation with Teslarati, EDI Marketing Executive Disha Bhatia explained that the addition of electric vehicles to the school’s fleet is fully supported by the government. This is a big vote of confidence in EVs, since Dubai mandates all drivers to attend a formal driving school before attempting a driving test.
“It becomes important for them to also know that if tomorrow, electric cars are the future, then how would driving be any different than that of regular cars? So when (the students) learn on Teslas, they would understand the differences between a normal car versus an electric car. However, they also need to understand that driving is the same. They still need to focus on the same points… the same (focus on safety)… We’ve received great responses from a lot of our customers who are very interested to drive in a Tesla, and they’re very happy to get their licenses,” she said.
So what exactly happened in the case of the Model 3 owner? It would be very difficult to determine exactly what caused the examiners to fail the Tesla owner, though it appears that a lack of proper information is the prominent culprit. Teslas are ultimately cars, after all, and they serve the same purpose as regular vehicles. They just happen to be more advanced, and in more ways than one, safer, than traditional vehicles. With this in mind, it seems to be a bad idea to be misinformed about Teslas, especially since the vehicles are practically everywhere in the state.
Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to tips@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.
Elon Musk recently restated a fact that still defines SpaceX’s origin story: if Falcon 1’s fourth launch had failed, the company would not exist. The comment answered a reminder that after three consecutive losses, SpaceX had money for only one more attempt.
On X, Peter Diamandis said that the present-day acknowledgement of SpaceX’s success does not discount the rough start the company had. “Almost nobody remembers that Elon’s first rocket failed three times, and there was money for exactly only one more attempt.”
Musk said, “If the 4th launch had failed, SpaceX would not exist.”
If the 4th launch had failed, SpaceX would not exist
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 30, 2026
In late 2008, the firm was nearly out of cash. Another failure would have ended payroll, closed the Hawthorne factory, and left the Falcon 9 and Dragon programs as unfinished drawings.
The first flight lifted off from Omelek Island on 24 March 2006. Thirty-three seconds later, a corroded aluminum fitting on a fuel line leaked. Kerosene ignited around the Merlin engine, control was lost, and the vehicle came apart. The small DARPA payload, FalconSAT-2, survived the short flight only to land on a storage shed near the pad. Investigators later traced the fitting to a materials mix-up that should never have reached the rocket.
Flight 2, on 21 March 2007, looked far better at first. The first stage burned cleanly and handed off to the Kestrel-powered upper stage. The vehicle crossed 100 kilometers and reached a peak of about 289 kilometers. Then propellant slosh in the second-stage tank started a circular coning motion that grew until the engine shut down. Telemetry faded as the stage tumbled, and SpaceX had reached space but not orbit. Over the next year, the team redesigned everything from the ground up, including tanks, baffles, and the new regeneratively cooled Merlin 1C.
That engine flew on Flight 3 on 2 August 2008. The first stage performed almost perfectly and reached 217 kilometers. After main-engine cutoff, leftover fuel in the cooling channels produced a faint residual thrust, roughly 10 pounds per square inch of chamber pressure. On a Texas test stand, the effect was invisible beneath ambient air pressure. In vacuum it was enough to push the spent first stage back into the second stage after separation. The stages collided, the upper stage spun, and the mission was lost. Musk later said a slightly longer delay before staging would have saved the flight.
Six weeks later, the team assembled Flight 4 from remaining parts and flew it on 28 September 2008 at 23:15 UTC. The payload was Ratsat, a 165-kilogram aluminum mass simulator built in-house. Staging was delayed so residual thrust could decay. The Kestrel ignited, the fairing split away, and nine and a half minutes after liftoff the vehicle was in orbit. After a coast, the second stage restarted, settling into a 621-by-643-kilometer path at 9.35 degrees inclination. Falcon 1 became the first privately developed liquid-fueled rocket to reach Earth orbit. Musk called the insertion “middle of the bull’s-eye.”
SpaceX restores a Falcon 1 rocket for 10th anniversary of first launch success
That success unlocked NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services award later that year. Without it, there would have been no Falcon 9, no reusable first stages, and no Dragon cargo or crew flights to the International Space Station. Launch prices would have remained far higher. Starlink’s constellation would not exist; broadband from low Earth orbit would still be a paper concept.
Ride-share markets, high launch cadence, and the current pace of lunar and Mars hardware would be years behind. Communications, Earth observation, and the cost of putting anything into space would look more like the 2000s than the 2020s.
One extra second of residual thrust in August 2008 would have written a different decade.
News
Tesla surges Robotaxi fleet ahead of Cybercab launch event
Tesla’s unsupervised robotaxi fleet quietly grew sevenfold in three weeks just before Cybercab Day arrives.
Tesla’s unsupervised Robotaxi fleet has grown far faster than the public numbers suggested, and the timing lines up with the company’s biggest autonomy showcase yet. According to data compiled by the crowdsourced Robotaxi Tracker, Tesla now has nearly 200 vehicles operating without a safety monitor across Austin, Dallas and Houston, yielding a roughly 7X increase in about three weeks.
The jump lands four days before this week’s Tesla Cybercab launch event in Austin, where the company plans to show off its purpose-built, two-seat robotaxi with no steering wheel or pedals in a live commercial setting for the first time. Stick with us on X and Facebook for live reporting from the event.
The strategic logic is straightforward. Tesla has spent the past year scaling Robotaxi in small, deliberate steps, first widening geofences, then extending operating hours, then quietly growing fleet size, usually with little advance notice. Ashok Elluswamy told investors on the Q2 earnings call that the program had logged more than 380,000 unsupervised miles with zero notable incidents, a safety record the company has leaned on to justify moving slowly. Critics have used the flip side of that caution, a fleet that appeared stuck around two dozen vehicles for months, as evidence that Tesla’s driverless ambitions were outrunning its actual deployment.
A fleet quietly scaling to nearly 200 vehicles right before Cybercab Day undercuts that argument without Tesla having to say anything about it directly. It also sets up the event to do double duty. Rather than simply introducing new hardware, Tesla can point to an operating base of unsupervised Model Ys already running at meaningful scale, then argue the Cybercab, which uses the same underlying Full Self-Driving stack according to earlier coverage of the fleet’s software upgrades, is a natural next steps. Tesla has separately been registering the two-seat Cybercabs with Texas regulators this week, with the count climbing from seven to 45 in a matter of days.
The two ramps, one in software-driven Model Y deployment and one in physical Cybercab registrations, are happening in parallel rather than in sequence. That suggests Tesla wants Thursday’s event to land as proof that the robotaxi business is already running at scale, not just a reveal of a new vehicle shape. Whether the unsupervised numbers hold up once Cybercabs start mixing into the same fleet is the detail worth watching once the event wraps.
Tesla is lowering the monthly price of its Cybertruck Windshield Protection Plan from $35 to $25. The new rate will apply to the first payment on or after October 1, 2026. Tesla has told subscribers that all other benefits stay the same.
The plan covers unlimited repairs for chips and minor cracks on the front windshield. It also includes one full replacement every 12 months at no extra charge. Additional replacements in the same year carry a $100 deductible. Service is performed with Tesla glass and camera calibration, which matters because Autopilot and Full Self-Driving rely on those lenses behind the windshield.
Looks like Tesla is decreasing the Cybertruck windshield protection plan price from $35 to $25
Awesome https://t.co/MRlTU1XTbf pic.twitter.com/PWkMZt1H7G
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) August 28, 2026
There is no long-term contract. Coverage applies only to the front glass and does not include collision, vandalism, or weather damage.
The Cybertruck’s large, complex windshield has been more expensive to replace than glass on Tesla’s cars, which is why the pickup started at a higher subscription price. The $10 monthly cut reduces the annual cost from $420 to $300. Tesla has not publicly explained the change. The timing coincides with a year of claims data after the plan was extended to the Cybertruck.
Tesla sells several related protection products as monthly subscriptions through the Tesla app. The Windshield Protection Plan is also offered on other models. Model 3 and Model Y currently cost $16 a month. Those passenger-car rates are unchanged in the latest Cybertruck notice.
The Wheel and Tire Protection Plan covers road-hazard damage such as potholes, nails, and debris. Repairs are unlimited. Each wheel or tire replacement appointment has a $25 deductible. Pricing varies by model and whether the vehicle is a Performance version. Tesla is raising some of those rates on the same October 1 date.
Reported examples include Model 3 Performance moving from $16 to $24 and Model Y Performance from $20 to $24. Cybertruck wheel-and-tire coverage has been listed at $20 a month for the standard configuration.
A separate Luxe Package bundles four years of windshield coverage, wheel-and-tire coverage, and recommended maintenance on certain new Model S, Model X, and Cyberbeast orders, although the Model S and X are now defunct.
Tesla also offers an Extended Service Agreement after the basic vehicle warranty ends. That product covers many Tesla-manufactured parts rather than glass or tires. Together, the plans give owners a menu of targeted, cancel-anytime coverage instead of relying only on auto insurance.
Elon Musk says SpaceX would not exist if this crucial early launch failed
Tesla surges Robotaxi fleet ahead of Cybercab launch event
