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Tesla’s ‘Bioweapon Defense Mode’ is proving invaluable once more amid CA’s wildfires
Tesla Model S and Model X owners affected by the ongoing wildfires in CA are thanking the electric car maker once more for their vehicles’ Bioweapon Defense Mode, which allows passengers to breathe clean air inside the cabin despite hazardous air conditions outside.
The state of CA is currently experiencing several blazes. In Southern CA alone, authorities from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department have confirmed that the Sandalwood Fire in Calimesa has taken the lives of two individuals, an 89-year-old woman in a mobile home and another person that is yet to be identified.
The Sandalwood Fire, which has so far burned 820 acres and was at least 25% contained as of Saturday, is only one of several blazes in the state. The Saddleridge Fire, currently the largest in the state, has burned more than 7,500 acres and destroyed around 31 homes. Amidst these blazes, the South Coast Air Quality Management District has urged residents to protect themselves from heavy smoke and dangerous air conditions.
It is these dangerous air conditions that are being addressed by Tesla’s Bioweapon Defense Mode for the Model S and X, and some electric car owners have taken to social media to share their experiences with the feature. A Tesla Model X owner who goes by the handle @BLKMDL3 on Twitter, for one, mentioned that Bioweapon Defense Mode was a “lifesaver” as he and his passengers were traveling in Los Angeles.
“Thank you Elon Musk and Tesla for helping us with breathing issues during the fires today in Los Angeles due to bad air quality. Bioweapon defense mode is a life saver,” the Tesla owner wrote.
Fellow Tesla enthusiast and r/TeslaMotors subreddit member u/cherrycolasoda shared a similar experience that was briefly captured on film. The Tesla enthusiast mentioned that Bioweapon Defense Mode significantly helped with the air quality in the cabin as they passed through an area that was practically surrounded by fires. The vehicle’s Autopilot system reportedly functioned normally, following lane lines without any difficulties despite the conditions on the road.
Bioweapon Defense Mode is made possible by the extremely large HEPA filter in the Model X (later equipped on the Model S as well). Tesla notes that Bioweapon Defense Mode is “100 times more effective than premium automotive filters, removing at least 99.97% of fine particulate matter and gaseous pollutants, as well as bacteria, viruses, pollen, and mold spores.”
These statements were met with a notable degree of skepticism and dismissal from critics, though Tesla later demonstrated Bioweapon Defense Mode’s capabilities by holding a test on a Model X. During the demonstration, the company placed the all-electric SUV inside a bubble contaminated with extreme levels of pollution (1,000 µg/m3 of PM2.5 vs. the EPA’s “good” air quality index limit of 12 µg/m3). Bioweapon Defense Mode effectively scrubbed the air inside the Model X’s cabin in 2 minutes, and over the next few minutes, the vehicle started cleaning the air around the SUV as well.
Watch u/cherrycolasoda‘s brief video of his drive through CA’s wildfires in below.
Bioweapon defense mode at its finest. from r/teslamotors
Elon Musk
Starlink achieves major milestones in 2025 progress report
Starlink wrapped up 2025 with impressive growth, adding more than 4.6 million new active customers and expanding service to 35 additional countries, territories, and markets.
Starlink wrapped up 2025 with impressive growth, adding more than 4.6 million new active customers and expanding service to 35 additional countries, territories, and markets. The company also completed deployment of its first-generation Direct to Cell constellation, launching over 650 satellites in just 18 months to enable cellular connectivity.
SpaceX highlighted Starlink’s impressive 2025 progress in an extensive report.
Key achievements from Starlink’s 2025 Progress
Starlink connected over 4.6 million new customers with high-speed internet while bringing service to 35 more regions worldwide in 2025. Starlink is now connecting 9.2 million people worldwide. The service achieved this just weeks after hitting its 8 million customer milestone.
Starlink is now available in 155 markets, including areas that are unreachable by traditional ISPs. As per SpaceX, Starlink has also provided over 21 million airline passengers and 20 million cruise passengers with reliable high-speed internet connectivity during their travels.
Starlink Direct to Cell
Starlink’s Direct to Cell constellation, more than 650 satellites strong, has already connected over 12 million people at least once, marking a breakthrough in global mobile coverage.
Starlink Direct to Cell is currently rolled out to 22 countries and 6 continents, with over 6 million monthly customers. Starlink Direct to Cell also has 27 MNO partners to date.
“This year, SpaceX completed deployment of the first generation of the Starlink Direct to Cell constellation, with more than 650 satellites launched to low-Earth orbit in just 18 months. Starlink Direct to Cell has connected more than 12 million people, and counting, at least once, providing life-saving connectivity when people need it most,” SpaceX wrote.
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Tesla Giga Nevada celebrates production of 6 millionth drive unit
To celebrate the milestone, the Giga Nevada team gathered for a celebratory group photo.
Tesla’s Giga Nevada has reached an impressive milestone, producing its 6 millionth drive unit as 2925 came to a close.
To celebrate the milestone, the Giga Nevada team gathered for a celebratory group photo.
6 million drive units
The achievement was shared by the official Tesla Manufacturing account on social media platform X. “Congratulations to the Giga Nevada team for producing their 6 millionth Drive Unit!” Tesla wrote.
The photo showed numerous factory workers assembled on the production floor, proudly holding golden balloons that spelled out “6000000″ in front of drive unit assembly stations. Elon Musk gave credit to the Giga Nevada team, writing, “Congrats on 6M drive units!” in a post on X.
Giga Nevada’s essential role
Giga Nevada produces drive units, battery packs, and energy products. The facility has been a cornerstone of Tesla’s scaling since opening, and it was the crucial facility that ultimately enabled Tesla to ramp the Model 3 and Model Y. Even today, it serves as Tesla’s core hub for battery and drivetrain components for vehicles that are produced in the United States.
Giga Nevada is expected to support Tesla’s ambitious 2026 targets, including the launch of vehicles like the Tesla Semi and the Cybercab. Tesla will have a very busy 2026, and based on Giga Nevada’s activities so far, it appears that the facility will be equally busy as well.
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Tesla Supercharger network delivers record 6.7 TWh in 2025
The network now exceeds 75,000 stalls globally, and it supports even non-Tesla vehicles across several key markets.
Tesla’s Supercharger Network had its biggest year ever in 2025, delivering a record 6.7 TWh of electricity to vehicles worldwide.
To celebrate its busy year, the official @TeslaCharging account shared an infographic showing the Supercharger Network’s growth from near-zero in 2012 to this year’s impressive milestone.
Record 6.7 TWh delivered in 2025
The bar chart shows steady Supercharger energy delivery increases since 2012. Based on the graphic, the Supercharger Network started small in the mid-2010s and accelerated sharply after 2019, when the Model 3 was going mainstream.
Each year from 2020 onward showed significantly more energy delivery, with 2025’s four quarters combining for the highest total yet at 6.7 TWh.
This energy powered millions of charging sessions across Tesla’s growing fleet of vehicles worldwide. The network now exceeds 75,000 stalls globally, and it supports even non-Tesla vehicles across several key markets. This makes the Supercharger Network loved not just by Tesla owners but EV drivers as a whole.
Resilience after Supercharger team changes
2025’s record energy delivery comes despite earlier 2024 layoffs on the Supercharger team, which sparked concerns about the system’s expansion pace. Max de Zegher, Tesla Director of Charging North America, also highlighted that “Outside China, Superchargers delivered more energy than all other fast chargers combined.”
Longtime Tesla owner and FSD tester Whole Mars Catalog noted the achievement as proof of continued momentum post-layoffs. At the time of the Supercharger team’s layoffs in 2024, numerous critics were claiming that Elon Musk was halting the network’s expansion altogether, and that the team only remained because the adults in the room convinced the juvenile CEO to relent.
Such a scenario, at least based on the graphic posted by the Tesla Charging team on X, seems highly implausible.
Starlink achieves major milestones in 2025 progress report
Tesla Giga Nevada celebrates production of 6 millionth drive unit
