News
Tesla’s Elon Musk addresses Taycan comparison, confirms +50 hp OTA update for Model S
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has provided a response to Top Gear‘s recent test of the Porsche Taycan Turbo S and the Tesla Model S Performance. In a couple of posts on Twitter, Musk noted that the Model S performance figures posted by the motoring publications are incorrect, and that an upcoming over-the-air update will be released for the flagship sedan to give it an additional edge against the top-tier Taycan.
Top Gear‘s Taycan vs Model S comparison was pretty balanced for the most part, with the publication noting that the Tesla is more comfortable for hauling passengers on long trips due to its superior range and large interior space. That being said, Top Gear also included a quarter-mile drag race between the two all-electric sedans, which reportedly ended with the Model S posting a 0-60 mph time of 2.68 seconds, a 0-100 mph of 6.46 seconds, and a quarter-mile time of 11.08 seconds at 124.0 mph.
These times, which were exactly identical to the results of a Model S P100D vs Mercedes AMG E63S drag race from 2017, as well as signs that Top Gear did not engage the Model S’ Launch Mode and full Ludicrous Plus Mode during its race with the Taycan Turbo S, were highlighted in a video by veteran drag racer and DragTimes host Brooks. According to the longtime drag racer, the figures posted by Top Gear were suspicious, to say the least, as it did not reflect the actual capabilities of a Model S performing at optimum capacity.
Musk responded to this comparison, stating that the DragTimes host is indeed correct in his observations. Never one to stand down, Musk also stated that the Model S Performance will be receiving a peak power increase through an upcoming over-the-air update. The update should add 50 hp to the flagship Model S, which should allow the flagship sedan to outrun the Porsche Taycan Turbo S in a 0-60 mph and quarter-mile sprint.
Elon Musk’s recent announcement provides a bit more detail to the upcoming OTA update that is being prepared for the Model S, X, and Model 3. The update was initially mentioned during the company’s third-quarter earnings call, with CEO Elon Musk and CTO Drew Baglino describing the upcoming improvements.
“We’re also expecting there’s going to be an over-the-air improvement that will improve the power of the Model S, X, and 3. That’s, by the way coming in a few weeks. Should be in the order of 5% power improvement due to improved firmware,” Musk said. Baglino added that the improvements are possible as Tesla continues to learn “how to optimize the motor control in our products.”
With Musk’s recent tweets, it appears that Tesla’s upcoming update will give the Model S Performance a 50 hp boost. That’s a 50 hp improvement that will be received by the all-electric sedan through a free over-the-air update. Once the update is fully rolled out, it would be very interesting to see how the Model S Performance stacks up against the Porsche Taycan Turbo S.
Elon Musk
Tesla Optimus’ pilot line will already have an incredible annual output
And this would just be the beginning. In the future, Musk mused that Optimus’ production could literally be out of this world.
During the 2025 Tesla Annual Shareholder Meeting, Elon Musk provided a teaser of the company’s targets for Optimus’s annual production. As per the CEO, Optimus’ pilot line will be capable of producing up to one million units annually.
And this would just be the beginning. In the future, Musk mused that Optimus’ production could literally be out of this world.
Musk targets world’s fastest production ramp for Optimus robots
Tesla’s first Optimus line will be built in Fremont, California, and is projected to produce around one million robots per year. Other facilities like Gigafactory Texas could scale Optimus production to 10 million units annually. Musk even joked that a 100-million-unit line might one day be built “on Mars.” With Optimus, Musk stated that Tesla is looking to achieve a historic production ramp.
“So we’re going to launch on the fastest production ramp of any product of any large complex manufactured product ever, starting with building a one million unit production line in Fremont. And that’s Line One. And then a 10-million-unit-per-year production line here (at Giga Texas). I don’t know where we’re going to put the one hundred million unit production line, maybe on Mars. But I think it’s going to literally get to one hundred million a year, maybe even a billion a year,” Musk said.
Optimus and sustainable abundance
Tesla’s Master Plan Part IV is all about sustainable abundance, and Musk highlighted that the humanoid robot will play a huge role in his vision for the future. He noted that Optimus’ mass production could redefine economic and social systems worldwide and open up premium services for everyone across the globe.
“People often talk about eliminating poverty or giving everyone amazing medical care. There’s only one way to do that, and that’s with the Optimus robot,” Musk said. “With humanoid robots, you can actually give everyone amazing medical care. In terms of Optimus will be more precise. Optimus will ultimately be better than the best human surgeon with a level of precision that is beyond human… People always talked about eliminating poverty, but actually, Optimus will actually eliminate poverty,” Musk said.
News
Ford considers drastic move with F-150 Lightning: ‘The demand is just not there’
Ford is considering a drastic move with its F-150 Lightning, which was the best-selling EV pickup on the market last quarter, beating out Tesla’s Cybertruck.
Ford has had a tumultuous entrance into its more expanded electric vehicle strategy over the past several years. At one point, the company was widely considered to be the most invested legacy automaker in the transition to electrification, but as the company has seen some real backtracking in terms of its sales and demand, it is cooling down its commitment.
At the end of Q3, it seemed to already be considering making some moves to cool off its EV ambitions, especially as the $7,500 EV tax credit was removed and it appeared that consumers would be less attracted to its vehicles without this sizeable discount.
Now, according to a new report from the Wall Street Journal, Ford is considering scrapping the F-150 Lightning altogether, as one employee said “the demand is just not there.”
Despite it being the best-selling EV pickup in the U.S. last quarter, the sales simply do not match up with the pricing, and financially, it is not the time to try to dive further into a project that is not making a profit. Ford has been dwindling in its commitment to EVs over the past several quarters, and its profits are reflecting a slowing interest in its electric vehicles.
Simply put, Ford’s combustion engine lineup of pickups in the F-Series is, by far, the best-selling division of trucks globally. Ford brought an awesome product forth with the Lightning, a mirror of the gas-powered F-Series that had a variety of trim levels for whatever the truck would be used for by the consumer.
However, the demand and sales have caused Ford to take a loss on its electric truck: figures from early last year indicated it was losing between $100,000 and $132,000 per vehicle.
It is not an official announcement, as Ford has not publicly said anything regarding its plans for the Lightning at this time.
Elon Musk
Tesla schedules Roadster unveiling event, and you won’t believe when it is
Tesla has tentatively scheduled its unveiling event for the Roadster’s next-generation iteration, and you will not believe the date the company picked for it.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said during the 2025 Annual Shareholders Meeting that the company is aiming for an April 1 demo event.
Yes, April Fools’ Day.
🚨 Tesla’s unveiling event for the Roadster Gen 2 is scheduled for April 1, 2026.
Yes, April Fools’ Day. pic.twitter.com/sw09GUYFPV
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) November 6, 2025
Tesla originally aimed for its “most epic demo” to take place at the end of this year. However, the writing on the wall as 2025 winds down seemed to indicate the company was not quite ready to show off everything it plans to implement into the Roadster.
Its capabilities have been teased quite heavily throughout most of the year, but the biggest hints came last week when Musk appeared on the Joe Rogan Experience Podcast.
He said:
“Whether it’s good or bad, it will be unforgettable. My friend Peter Thiel once reflected that the future was supposed to have flying cars, but we don’t have flying cars. I think if Peter wants a flying car, he should be able to buy one…I think it has a shot at being the most memorable product unveil ever. [It will be unveiled] hopefully before the end of the year. You know, we need to make sure that it works. This is some crazy technology in this car. Let’s just put it this way: if you took all the James Bond cars and combined them, it’s crazier than that.”
The Roadster has been somewhat of a letdown, at least in its newest version, thus far. Tesla has routinely delayed the project, putting those who put lofty down payments on the car in a weird limbo, lost at what to do.
One notable pre-orderer cancelled his reservation last week and got in a spat with Musk about it.
Now that there is a definitive date for the Roadster unveiling, Musk and Co. should have a more definitive cutoff date for features and capabilities. Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen said earlier this year that when they showed Musk what they had done with the Roadster, the CEO encouraged them to do even more with it.
This delayed things further.
Musk also said he believes production would begin between 12 and 18 months after the unveiling, putting it out sometime in 2027.
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