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Tesla Cybertruck futuristic aero wheel makes debut in Los Angeles unveiling event on Nov. 21, 2019 (Photo: Teslarati) Tesla Cybertruck futuristic aero wheel makes debut in Los Angeles unveiling event on Nov. 21, 2019 (Photo: Teslarati)

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Tesla and other EVs are a good fit for the US Army's next-gen brigades: 3-Star General

Tesla Cybertruck futuristic aero wheel makes debut in Los Angeles unveiling event on Nov. 21, 2019 (Photo: Teslarati)

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The transition of the automotive sector to sustainable solutions will not only affect the mainstream transportation industry. As the adoption of electric cars like Teslas continue, branches of the US government such as the US Army would need to embrace electrification as well. This is something that was recently discussed by 3-Star General Eric Wesley, the director of the US Army’s Futures and Concepts Center. 

In an interview with Defense News, Wesley explained why it is pertinent for the military to explore sustainable solutions for its future fleets. The Lt. Gen. also discussed some of the inherent advantages of electric vehicles compared to machines powered by the internal combustion engine. When talking about the current state of the US Army’s sustainable transition, though, Wesley admitted that things are running behind. 

“Let’s be clear. We’re behind. We’re late to meet on this thing. If you look at all of the analysis, all of the various nations that we work with, they’re all going to electric power with their automotive fleet, and right now, although we do (science and technology), and we’ve got some research and development going on, and we can build prototypes, in terms of a transition plan, we are not there,” he said. 

The Tesla Model 3 is currently being used as a vehicle by the Taiwanese military. (Credit: Tesla Owners Taiwan/Twitter)

Wesley and his team are currently preparing a proposal for the head of Army Futures Command that addresses the topic of the US military’s efforts at electrifying its fleet. The 3-Star General noted that there are several key reasons why such an endeavor is needed. One of these is the fact that it is now undeniable that the entire automotive industry is going electric. The Army must do the same, or risk having its vehicles compromised by a potential lack of parts from the supply chain. 

Operating electric brigades presents a variety of advantages that are simply not possible with petrol-powered machines. Electric vehicles, for example, are very quiet, and they generally have low heat signatures. This makes them more difficult to detect compared to internal-combustion vehicles. But these are just the tip of the iceberg. 

Wesley added that electric brigades have a significant advantage in the way that they can remain deployed for extended periods for time. Since EVs can be charged from renewable sources such as the sun, they could operate independently in potentially contested environments. “We have to operate distributed, which means you have to have organic power that is readily available… Electrification allows you to have access to readily available power to distribute not only for the vehicle but for all those different systems that I have,” the Lt. Gen. said. 

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The Tesla Cybertruck’s tough exoskeleton could be a perfect fit for military use. (Credit: Adam Savage’s Tested/YouTube)

Lastly, electrified army vehicles have far less parts than regular petrol-powered machines. Tesla’s electric motors only have a few dozen moving parts, for example, while a regular internal combustion engine has thousands of moving parts. Key components such as batteries are usually modular as well, which means that replacing compromised sections could be accomplished fairly easily. Several electric vehicles today share a lot of the same parts as well, fostering commonality. 

Electric vehicles have grown and evolved to the point where some EVs today are objectively better than their internal combustion counterparts, period. Battery costs are also dropping, with companies like Tesla reportedly approaching the $100 per kWh milestone. Vehicles such as the Tesla Cybertruck, which could be perfect for the Army due to its durable exoskeleton and over 500-mile range, suggests that more electric innovations are in active development as well. 

Ultimately, Wesley admitted that the US Army’s transition to electric vehicles would come with a substantial price tag. That being said, he estimates that the cost to power an all-electric brigade will be lower than the cost to power the military’s existing internal combustion vehicles. 

Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

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Tesla opens Robotaxi access to everyone — but there’s one catch

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla has officially opened Robotaxi access to everyone and everyone, but there is one catch: you have to have an iPhone.

Tesla’s Robotaxi service in Austin and its ride-hailing service in the Bay Area were both officially launched to the public today, giving anyone using the iOS platform the ability to simply download the app and utilize it for a ride in either of those locations.

It has been in operation for several months: it launched in Austin in late June and in the Bay Area about a month later. In Austin, there is nobody in the driver’s seat unless the route takes you on the freeway.

In the Bay Area, there is someone in the driver’s seat at all times.

The platform was initially launched to those who were specifically invited to Austin to try it out.

Tesla confirms Robotaxi is heading to five new cities in the U.S.

Slowly, Tesla launched the platform to more people, hoping to expand the number of rides and get more valuable data on its performance in both regions to help local regulatory agencies relax some of the constraints that were placed on it.

Additionally, Tesla had its own in-house restrictions, like the presence of Safety Monitors in the vehicles. However, CEO Elon Musk has maintained that these monitors were present for safety reasons specifically, but revealed the plan was to remove them by the end of the year.

Now, Tesla is opening up Robotaxi to anyone who wants to try it, as many people reported today that they were able to access the app and immediately fetch a ride if they were in the area.

We also confirmed it ourselves, as it was shown that we could grab a ride in the Bay Area if we wanted to:

The launch of a more public Robotaxi network that allows anyone to access it seems to be a serious move of confidence by Tesla, as it is no longer confining the service to influencers who are handpicked by the company.

In the coming weeks, we expect Tesla to then rid these vehicles of the Safety Monitors as Musk predicted. If it can come through on that by the end of the year, the six-month period where Tesla went from launching Robotaxi to enabling driverless rides is incredibly impressive.

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Tesla analyst sees Full Self-Driving adoption rates skyrocketing: here’s why

“You’ll see increased adoption as people are exposed to it. I’ve been behind the wheel of several of these and the different iterations of FSD, and it is getting better and better. It’s something when people experience it, they will be much more comfortable utilizing FSD and paying for it.”

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tesla interior operating on full self driving
Credit: TESLARATI

Tesla analyst Stephen Gengaro of Stifel sees Full Self-Driving adoption rates skyrocketing, and he believes more and more people will commit to paying for the full suite or the subscription service after they try it.

Full Self-Driving is Tesla’s Level 2 advanced driver assistance suite (ADAS), and is one of the most robust on the market. Over time, the suite gets better as the company accumulates data from every mile driven by its fleet of vehicles, which has swelled to over five million cars sold.

The suite features a variety of advanced driving techniques that many others cannot do. It is not your typical Traffic-Aware Cruise Control (TACC) and Lane Keeping ADAS system. Instead, it can handle nearly every possible driving scenario out there.

It still requires the driver to pay attention and ultimately assume responsibility for the vehicle, but their hands are not required to be on the steering wheel.

It is overwhelmingly impressive, and as a personal user of the FSD suite on a daily basis, I have my complaints, but overall, there are very few things it does incorrectly.

Tesla Full Self-Driving (Supervised) v14.1.7 real-world drive and review

Gengaro, who increased his Tesla price target to $508 yesterday, said in an interview with CNBC that adoption rates of FSD will increase over the coming years as more people try it for themselves.

At first, it is tough to feel comfortable with your car literally driving you around. Then, it becomes second nature.

Gengaro said:

“You’ll see increased adoption as people are exposed to it. I’ve been behind the wheel of several of these and the different iterations of FSD, and it is getting better and better. It’s something when people experience it, they will be much more comfortable utilizing FSD and paying for it.”

Tesla Full Self-Driving take rates also have to increase as part of CEO Elon Musk’s recently approved compensation package, as one tranche requires ten million active subscriptions in order to win that portion of the package.

The company also said in the Q3 2025 Earnings Call in October that only 12 percent of the current ownership fleet are paid customers of Full Self-Driving, something the company wants to increase considerably moving forward.

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Tesla scores major court win as judge rejects race bias class action

The ruling means the 2017 lawsuit cannot proceed as a class action because plaintiff attorneys were unable to secure testimony commitments from at least 200 workers.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla scored a significant legal victory in California after a state judge reversed a class certification in a high-profile race harassment case involving 6,000 Black workers at its Fremont plant. The ruling means the 2017 lawsuit cannot proceed as a class action because plaintiff attorneys were unable to secure testimony commitments from at least 200 workers ahead of a 2026 trial, a threshold the judge viewed as necessary to reliably represent the full group.

No class action

In a late-Friday order, California Superior Court Judge Peter Borkon concluded that the suit could not remain a class action, stating he could not confidently apply the experiences of a much smaller group of testifying workers to thousands of potential class members. His ruling reverses a 2024 decision by a different judge who had certified the case under the belief that a trial of that size would be manageable, as noted in a Reuters report.

The lawsuit was originally filed by former assembly-line worker Marcus Vaughn, who alleged that Black employees at Tesla’s Fremont factory were exposed to various forms of racially hostile conduct, including slurs, graffiti, and instances of disturbing objects appearing in work areas. Tesla has previously said it does not tolerate harassment and has removed employees found responsible for misconduct. Neither Tesla nor the plaintiffs’ legal team immediately commented on the latest ruling.

Tesla’s legal challenges

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While the decertification narrows the scope of this particular case, Tesla still faces additional litigation over similar allegations. A separate trial involving related claims brought by a California state civil rights agency is scheduled just two months after the now-vacated class trial date. The company is also contending with federal race discrimination claims filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, alongside several individual lawsuits it has already resolved.

For now, the reversal removes the large-scale exposure Tesla would have faced in a unified class trial, shifting the dispute back to individual claims rather than a single mass action. The case is Vaughn v. Tesla, filed in Alameda County Superior Court.

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