News
Electric vehicles will be allowed to drive at higher speed limits than gas cars, says Austrian government
A new initiative from the Austrian government is set to reward electric car owners with a unique incentive. On October 25, the Austrian ministerial cabinet announced that it would be adjusting the speed restrictions for electric vehicles traveling in the country’s IG-L-Hundred zone, which covers a total area of 440 kilometers (273 miles). With the updated rules in place, owners of Teslas and other electric vehicles will be allowed to travel up to 130 km/h (80 mph) on the highway, 30 km/h (20 mph) faster than their fossil fuel-powered counterparts.
Austrian Minister of Sustainability Elisabeth Köstinger noted that the speed limit exception for electric vehicles is part of the country’s initiative to encourage the adoption of sustainable transportation. Together with the adjusted speed limits, the Austrian government is also pushing to open bus lanes for zero-emissions cars, and promote free parking programs for electrified vehicles.
“The exception for electric vehicles in the IG-L-Hundred is an advantage that we want to give owners of e-vehicles to internal combustion engines,” Köstinger said.
While the specifics of the speed limit incentive are yet to be fully announced, the Austrian government’s wording on the program suggests that the exception would be tailor-fit for battery-powered vehicles like Tesla’s electric cars. Köstinger, for one, noted that the top speed advantage would be given to EV drivers over drivers in vehicles with internal combustion engines. With this statement in mind, it appears that hybrid vehicles such as the BMW i8, which are equipped with a internal combustion engines and electric motors, would not be awarded the same top speed incentive.
The country’s EV community would likely appreciate a speed limit incentive for electric cars, and if it proves effective in Austria, there is a good chance that the program would be adopted in other regions as well. Electric cars, after all, emit no emissions regardless of their speed, and with the advent of high-performance vehicles like the Tesla Model S, Model X, and Model 3, EVs are now more than capable of maintaining high speeds for long periods of time. With batteries getting cheaper and better, electric cars will soon be able to travel even farther than before as well. With this in mind, even simple perks like a higher speed limit would likely encourage even more drivers to join the growing electric car movement.
When Tesla started rolling out the original Roadster more than ten years ago, the small, two-door sports car broke the stereotype of electric vehicles being nothing more than glorified golf carts. Prior to the original Tesla Roadster, electric vehicles were seen mostly as novelty cars, with fancy technology but little performance to show for. A mainstream attempt at a battery-powered vehicle, GM’s EV1, was promising, but it was unceremoniously canceled and eventually forgotten amidst the advent of the large SUV.
Since the days of the original Tesla Roadster, the improvements in electric car technology have been palpable. With the Model S, X, and 3, Tesla was able to prove that battery-powered vehicles are not only a viable alternative to fossil fuel-powered cars — in some points, they are even better. With countries such as Austria and other nations like France and Britain adopting a strong zero-emissions stance, more and more well-rounded electric cars are coming to market. Tesla currently rules the premium EV segment, though its Model 3 is steadily approaching its highly-anticipated $35,000 mark. In the lower end of the market, entries in the electric car segments are getting more impressive as well, in the form of vehicles like the Hyundai Kona Electric, Kia Niro EV, and the current-gen Nissan Leaf.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk’s Boring Company opens Vegas Loop’s newest station
The Fontainebleau is the latest resort on the Las Vegas Strip to embrace the tunneling startup’s underground transportation system.
Elon Musk’s tunneling startup, The Boring Company, has welcomed its newest Vegas Loop station at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas.
The Fontainebleau is the latest resort on the Las Vegas Strip to embrace the tunneling startup’s underground transportation system.
Fontainebleau Loop station
The new Vegas Loop station is located on level V-1 of the Fontainebleau’s south valet area, as noted in a report from the Las Vegas Review-Journal. According to the resort, guests will be able to travel free of charge to the stations serving the Las Vegas Convention Center, as well as to Loop stations in Encore and Westgate.
The Fontainebleau station connects to the Riviera Station, which is located in the northwest parking lot of the convention center’s West Hall. From there, passengers will be able to access the greater Vegas Loop.
Vegas Loop expansion
In December, The Boring Company began offering Vegas Loop rides to and from Harry Reid International Airport. Those trips include a limited above-ground segment, following approval from the Nevada Transportation Authority to allow surface street travel tied to Loop operations.
Under the approval, airport rides are limited to no more than four miles of surface street travel, and each trip must include a tunnel segment. The Vegas Loop currently includes more than 10 miles of tunnels. From this number, about four miles of tunnels are operational.
The Boring Company President Steve Davis previously told the Review-Journal that the University Center Loop segment, which is currently under construction, is expected to open in the first quarter of 2026. That extension would allow Loop vehicles to travel beneath Paradise Road between the convention center and the airport, with a planned station located just north of Tropicana Avenue.
News
Tesla leases new 108k-sq ft R&D facility near Fremont Factory
The lease adds to Tesla’s presence near its primary California manufacturing hub as the company continues investing in autonomy and artificial intelligence.
Tesla has expanded its footprint near its Fremont Factory by leasing a 108,000-square-foot R&D facility in the East Bay.
The lease adds to Tesla’s presence near its primary California manufacturing hub as the company continues investing in autonomy and artificial intelligence.
A new Fremont lease
Tesla will occupy the entire building at 45401 Research Ave. in Fremont, as per real estate services firm Colliers. The transaction stands as the second-largest R&D lease of the fourth quarter, trailing only a roughly 115,000-square-foot transaction by Figure AI in San Jose.
As noted in a Silicon Valley Business Journal report, Tesla’s new Fremont lease was completed with landlord Lincoln Property Co., which owns the facility. Colliers stated that Tesla’s Fremont expansion reflects continued demand from established technology companies that are seeking space for engineering, testing, and specialized manufacturing.
Tesla has not disclosed which of its business units will be occupying the building, though Colliers has described the property as suitable for office and R&D functions. Tesla has not issued a comment about its new Fremont lease as of writing.
AI investments
Silicon Valley remains a key region for automakers as vehicles increasingly rely on software, artificial intelligence, and advanced electronics. Erin Keating, senior director of economics and industry insights at Cox Automotive, has stated that Tesla is among the most aggressive auto companies when it comes to software-driven vehicle development.
Other automakers have also expanded their presence in the area. Rivian operates an autonomy and core technology hub in Palo Alto, while GM maintains an AI center of excellence in Mountain View. Toyota is also relocating its software and autonomy unit to a newly upgraded property in Santa Clara.
Despite these expansions, Colliers has noted that Silicon Valley posted nearly 444,000 square feet of net occupancy losses in Q4 2025, pushing overall vacancy to 11.2%.
In Pennsylvania, we got between 10 and 12 inches of snow over the weekend as a nasty Winter storm ripped through a large portion of the country, bringing snow to some areas and nasty ice storms to others.
I have had a Model Y Performance for the week courtesy of Tesla, which got the car to me last Monday. Today was my last full day with it before I take it back to my local showroom, and with all the accumulation on it, I decided to run a cool little experiment: How long would it take for Tesla’s Defrost feature to melt 8 inches of snow?
Tesla’s Defrost feature is one of the best and most underrated that the car has in its arsenal. While every car out there has a defrost setting, Tesla’s can be activated through the Smartphone App and is one of the better-performing systems in my opinion.
It has come in handy a lot through the Fall and Winter, helping clear up my windshield more efficiently while also clearing up more of the front glass than other cars I’ve owned.
The test was simple: don’t touch any of the ice or snow with my ice scraper, and let the car do all the work, no matter how long it took. Of course, it would be quicker to just clear the ice off manually, but I really wanted to see how long it would take.
Tesla Model Y heat pump takes on Model S resistive heating in defrosting showdown
Observations
I started this test at around 10:30 a.m. It was still pretty cloudy and cold out, and I knew the latter portion of the test would get some help from the Sun as it was expected to come out around noon, maybe a little bit after.
I cranked it up and set my iPhone up on a tripod, and activated the Time Lapse feature in the Camera settings.
The rest of the test was sitting and waiting.
It didn’t take long to see some difference. In fact, by the 20-minute mark, there was some notable melting of snow and ice along the sides of the windshield near the A Pillar.
However, this test was not one that was “efficient” in any manner; it took about three hours and 40 minutes to get the snow to a point where I would feel comfortable driving out in public. In no way would I do this normally; I simply wanted to see how it would do with a massive accumulation of snow.
It did well, but in the future, I’ll stick to clearing it off manually and using the Defrost setting for clearing up some ice before the gym in the morning.
Check out the video of the test below:
❄️ How long will it take for the Tesla Model Y Performance to defrost and melt ONE FOOT of snow after a blizzard?
Let’s find out: pic.twitter.com/Zmfeveap1x
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) January 26, 2026
Elon Musk’s Boring Company opens Vegas Loop’s newest station
Tesla leases new 108k-sq ft R&D facility near Fremont Factory
