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Tesla Cybertruck high-speed session shows need for dedicated Track Mode
The Tesla Cybertruck has been taken to the track, and it performed surprisingly well. Insights from the all-electric pickup truck’s driver suggest that Tesla should probably consider releasing a dedicated Track Mode feature for the Cybertruck.
Electric vehicle enthusiasts recently visited Buttonwillow Raceway for a series of runs. A number of Teslas were in attendance, including Unplugged Performance’s Pikes Peak Hill Climb Model S Plaid race car. Also present was a Tesla Cybertruck with Unplugged Performance parts, which towed the Model S Plaid racer to the track.
I think it’s crucial to understand how tough it is to haul southbound grapevine. We passed every trailer including other cars with ease. I could have gone 90 up that incline if I wanted. To be honest I was hesitant towing with Cybertruck when I saw the first reviews. Instead it… https://t.co/48QcR7DxY7— Craig Coker (@FromWhereICHG) January 29, 2024
Considering just how novel the Cybertruck is today, EV race car driver Craig Coker, who has taken Unplugged Performance’s Pikes Peak Model S Plaid racer to the track multiple times, noted that it would be a good idea to see how well the Cybertruck performs around Buttonwillow. Images and videos of the Cybertruck being driven hard around the track suggest that the EV race car driver tried his best to push the all-electric pickup truck as much as he could during his runs.
What a blast ripping this thing around ? https://t.co/rfphf6tYnc— Craig Coker (@FromWhereICHG) January 29, 2024
In later comments, Coker noted that the Cybertruck was an absolute blast to drive around Buttonwillow despite its all-terrain tires. He did observe, however, that the all-electric pickup truck’s stability control was engaging everywhere while he pushed the vehicle. He also stated that the Cybertruck is pretty much a boat on the track, so the vehicle was rolling when it took the track’s turns. Despite these, Coker admitted that his high-speed Cybertruck run was extremely fun, and he was giggling throughout his drive.
?️ @FromWhereICHG first impressions tracking a Cybertruck https://t.co/D6kZxSU0PE pic.twitter.com/Nahv2Aup2a— The Kilowatts ?⚡️ (@klwtts) January 28, 2024
The EV race car driver’s comments are very interesting, as they show some areas of improvement for the all-electric pickup truck. As noted by EV group The Kilowatts, which was also at the event, the Cybertruck that was used in the run was a Dual Motor AWD variant, so it was not the fastest version of the all-electric pickup truck. And since the Cybertruck had no dedicated Track Mode setting, the vehicle was placed in Off-Road Baja Mode for its Buttonwillow run.
Tesla.
The dream fulfilled.
? @FromWhereICHG pic.twitter.com/xSVsr7Yejh— UNPLUGGED PERFORMANCE (@UnpluggedTesla) January 28, 2024
With a dedicated Track Mode and proper racing tires, the Cybertruck, especially in its tri-motor Cyberbeast trim, could likely perform very well on the track. Hopefully, Tesla could release such features in the near future, as functions like a dedicated Track Mode would very well make the Cybertruck even more of a standout than it already is today.
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Tesla Full Self-Driving v14 ‘Lite’ Release Notes: new capabilities and features
Tesla released the Full Self-Driving v14 ‘Lite’ suite to owners of Hardware 3 or AI3 vehicles today, adding several new features to the vehicles that were once believed to be capable of unsupervised self-driving.
Now, Tesla has released this modified suite to older Tesla vehicles, adding plenty of new features and capabilities.
Here are the full release notes for the suite:
- Distilled the intelligence from HW4 V14 into HW3. This allows HW3 to directly learn how to handle scenarios using HW4 V14 as a guide. This process unlocks the improvements that have been made to HW4 including Reinforcement Learning (RL) and offline models for HW3.
- Improved both proactive and reactive responsiveness across a wide variety of categories including navigation handling, merges and forks, pedestrian interactions, traffic lights, and vehicle cut-in scenarios.
- Improved general comfort in nominal scenarios through fewer false slowdowns, smoother steering and more consistent lane centering.
- Introduced parking, unparking, and reversing capabilities.
- Added Arrival Options for you to select where FSD should park: in a Parking Lot, on the Street, in a Driveway, or at the Curbside.
- Speed Profiles are now available at all times, to further customize driving style preference.
These improvements, according to Tesla’s Head of AI, Ashok Elluswamy, help distill the driving behavior from AI4’s v14 series into both the camera and compute configurations of AI3.
Tesla Full Self-Driving v14 ‘Lite’ for older cars finally gets released
He added:
“It includes destination options and speed profiles on city roads, but more importantly significantly improved safety. We hope you’ll enjoy it, once the build ships wide.”
FSD v14 Lite is now rolling out to AI3 early-access customers. Based on the feedback, will rollout to more customers over the next few weeks.
This build distills the driving behavior from AI4’s v14 series into both the camera and compute config of AI3. It includes destination…
— Ashok Elluswamy (@aelluswamy) June 29, 2026
Tesla will continue to roll out the v14 Lite suite more widely in the coming weeks, the company said.
News
Tesla Full Self-Driving v14 ‘Lite’ for older cars finally gets released
Tesla has finally released its Full Self-Driving v14 ‘Lite’ suite for older cars that equip the Hardware 3 or AI 3 chip, which have not been able to handle the newest versions of the company’s driver assistance software.
Tesla officially started releasing the v14 Lite suite to owners in the Early Access Program last night. The company’s Head of AI, Ashok Elluswamy, said that the rollout will continue over the next few weeks. The build distills the driving behavior from AI4’s v14 series into both the camera and compute configurations of an AI3 car.
🚨 Tesla is releasing v14 Lite for AI3 owners who are in early-access
This will give AI3 cars the ability to experience new FSD features like parking preferences. https://t.co/pp6Q5FOKoz pic.twitter.com/tqexMB8SVy
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) June 29, 2026
It also includes a variety of new features that were available to AI4 cars running v14, including:
- Start Self-Driving from Park
- Arrival and Parking Options
- Speed Profiles
The release is highly anticipated because those owners with AI3 vehicles were early adopters into the FSD platform and were promised that their cars would be capable of achieving Full Self-Driving.
However, Tesla CEO Elon Musk admitted during the company’s recent Q1 Earnings Call that these vehicles would not be capable of achieving unsupervised Full Self-Driving, which is what Tesla had originally said.
Owners were not pleased with this answer, or the idea that their commitment to buying the suite outright for thousands of dollars would not yield the ability to drive without operating the car. Tesla gave some solutions for this, including a discount on a new car, or an upgrade to an AI4 or AI5 self-driving computer and new, upgraded cameras.
Tesla owners do not seem pleased with these options, as they require giving the company more money.
Nevertheless, it is important to note that Tesla came through for owners here by releasing v14 Lite before the end of Q2, something it had promised owners during the previous Earnings Call. Tesla has had trouble keeping up with timelines, but this is a big achievement for the team.
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Tesla Q2 delivery consensus confirms this long-standing theory
Tesla released what analysts believe the company will report in terms of deliveries and energy deployments for Q2, but the figures seem to confirm a long-standing theory on the company’s vehicle division.
For years, Tesla was just looked at as a car company. Now that it has established itself as a powerhouse in energy, AI, and tech as a whole, the company is now less hellbent on achieving quarterly growth, on a sequential basis, at least from a major standpoint.
Tesla topped out its annual deliveries in 2023 at 1.81 million, and in the two years since, the company has reported a decrease in deliveries for the entire 12-month term both times.
With Tesla delivering 358,023 cars in Q1, a 6.3 percent increase over Q1 2025, but falling short of Wall Street expectations at 365,000-370,000 units, the narrative around vehicle deliveries and their importance continued to change earlier this year. Some might say it is convenient, but others might say it is the typical evolution of a company that continues to change over time.
For Q2, Tesla’s delivery consensus estimates sit at 406,024 units, analysts believe. They were surveyed from Daiwa, DB, Wedbush, Cowen, Canaccord, Baird, Wolfe, BMP Paribas, Goldman Sachs, RBC, Evercore ISI, Barclays, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Morgan Stanley, Truist, UBS, Jefferies, JPM, Needham & Co., HSBC, and William Blair.

Credit: Tesla
Tesla is also expected to report deployments of 13.8 GWh this quarter.
The change to Tesla’s overall narrative now leans less on vehicle deliveries and more on its other projects. Most notably, Tesla’s Robotaxi project has taken the priority over most of its other business ventures, and investors and the public are more concerned about the deployment of vehicles into the fleet, the operation of a driverless ride-hailing service, Cybercab production and operation, and expansion into new cities.
Tesla analyst realizes one big thing about the stock: deliveries are losing importance
This big narrative switch happened when Tesla indicated it was looking at making transportation a service by launching a ride-hailing service that will operate using Tesla’s Full Self-Driving suite. Once unsupervised operation begins, Robotaxi could be a new way for people to get around, all without a driver in their car.
Instead, they will rely on the billions of miles Tesla has accumulated from its real-world fleet.
It is important to note that Tesla remains significant in the automotive sector, and deliveries must continue as they have for years. Tesla still has a strong automotive business and needs to execute further on all facets to keep its investors happy.