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EV fans are using Tesla memes to win over skeptics during recent gas crisis

Credit:@JamariJones_ATL, SNL/Twitter

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With memes being the preferred language of the internet and with the United States East Coast recently experiencing a gas crisis, it was almost inevitable to see EV fans using Tesla memes and jokes to make a point and perhaps even win over some fossil fuel supporters. Over the past few days, and as the lines of cars in gas stations got longer, memes about “Tesla owners during a gas crisis” became more widespread and creative.

The thesis of the Tesla memes was straightforward. Gas cars need fossil fuels to run, so when the supply of gas is compromised, said vehicles could not run. This results in panic buying for some car owners. Over the past days, images of people siphoning gas off one car into another, as well as people storing fuel in plastic bags, inspired lots of raised eyebrows and laughs among netizens. 

Tesla owners simply do not have such problems. Thanks to their vehicles being powered by electricity, Tesla owners could simply charge their cars from their homes, just like their smartphones. Owners who have solar panels installed in their houses are even better off since not only can they run their cars, they can do so using literal sunlight. Needless to say, these EV advantages became an excellent source for memes online. 

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https://twitter.com/ThisIsMemeboi/status/1392944109040590856?s=20

Apart from memes, short, funny videos highlighting Tesla owners during the ongoing crisis also made the rounds online. A couple of friends in a Model S who visited a gas station convenience store during the gas shortage proved immensely popular with over 115,000 likes on Twitter. Even the hosts of the Holderness Family Vlogs channel on YouTube got involved (albeit inadvertently) by sharing a skit of how Tesla owners are, particularly at a time when gas is scarce. 

In the case of the YouTuber, the intended jokes about Tesla owners became all too real and ironic, as the host of the channel revealed that his personal vehicle, a gas car, was actually in need of some fuel. But with the fuel crisis ongoing, it was tough to get some gas. With that in mind, the host noted that he should probably just keep borrowing a friend’s Tesla, which could operate without any issues despite the fuel shortage

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Memes and funny videos may be used mostly for harmless fun, but there is no denying that they do work. Tesla CEO Elon Musk knows this, and this is one of the reasons why he himself dabbles in a lot of memes and humor. A look at the comments and threads of posts on Twitter about EVs operating fine in the fuel crisis also shows conversations and debates about the benefits of electric cars, hinting that a growing population is becoming more aware of EVs and their advantages. Ultimately, within the brought photos and the loud videos of the past few days, a notable narrative was being pushed—Tesla owners feel great during a gas shortage, and if you get an EV, you can feel the same way too. 

Watch the Holderness Family’s video about Tesla owners in a gas shortage in the video below. 

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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 lands regulatory green light for Robotaxi testing in new state

This will be the third state in total where Tesla is operating Robotaxi, following Austin and California.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla has landed a regulatory green light to test its Robotaxi platform in a new state, less than three months after the ride-hailing service launched in Texas.

Tesla first launched its driverless Robotaxi suite in Austin, Texas, back on June 22. Initially offering rides to a small group of people, Tesla kept things limited, but this was not to be the mentality for very long.

It continued to expand the rider population, the service area, and the vehicle fleet in Austin.

The company also launched rides in the Bay Area, but it does use a person in the driver’s seat to maintain safety. In Austin, the “Safety Monitor” is present in the passenger’s seat during local rides, and in the driver’s seat for routes that involve highway driving.

Tesla is currently testing the Robotaxi platform in other states. We reported that it was testing in Tempe, Arizona, as validation vehicles are traveling around the city in preparation for Robotaxi.

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Tesla looks to make a big splash with Robotaxi in a new market

Tesla is also hoping to launch in Florida and New York, as job postings have shown the company’s intention to operate there.

However, it appears it will launch in Nevada before those states, as the company submitted its application to obtain a Testing Registry certification on September 3. It was processed by the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles Office of Business Licensing on September 10.

It will then need to self-certify for operations, essentially meaning they will need to comply with various state requirements.

This will be the third state in total where Tesla is operating Robotaxi, following Austin and California.

CEO Elon Musk has stated that he believes Robotaxi will be available to at least half of the U.S. population by the end of the year. Geographically, Tesla will need to make incredible strides over the final four months of the year to achieve this.

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Tesla is improving this critical feature in older vehicles

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla is set to improve a critical feature that has not been present in older vehicles with a new update.

Tesla vehicles feature a comprehensive suite of driver assistance features, some of which aid in driving itself, while others support the vehicle’s surroundings.

One of those features is that of Driver Visualization, and with the rollout of a new update, owners of Intel-based Tesla vehicles are receiving an upgrade that will come with a simple software update.

Tesla plans to use Unreal Engine for driver visualization with crazy upgrade

The update will provide new visualizations while Intel-based vehicles are in reverse, a feature that was not previously available, but will be with Software Update 2025.32.2.

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The improvement was spotted by Not a Tesla App via TheBeatYT_evil:

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Previously, vehicles Tesla built were equipped with Intel-based processors, but newer cars feature the AMD chip, which is capable of rendering these visualizations as they happen. They were capable of visualizations when driving forward, but not in reverse, which is what this change resolves.

It is a good sign for those with Intel-based vehicles, as Tesla seems to be paying attention to what those cars are not capable of and improving them.

This was an undocumented improvement associated with this particular update, so you will not find any mention of it in the release notes that Tesla distributes with each update.

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Tesla looks to make a big splash with Robotaxi in a new market

Tesla has been transparent that it is prioritizing safety, but it believes it can expand to basically any geographical location within the United States and find success with its Robotaxi suite. CEO Elon Musk said it could be available to half of the U.S. population by the end of the year.

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Credit: Joe Tegtmeyer | X

Tesla is looking to make a big splash with Robotaxi in a new market, as the company was spotted testing validation vehicles in one region where it has not yet launched its ride-hailing service.

After launching Robotaxi in Austin in late June, Tesla followed up with a relatively quick expansion to the Bay Area of California. Both service areas are operating with a geofence that is expansive: In Texas, it is 173 square miles, while in the Bay Area, it is roughly 400 square miles.

Tesla has been transparent that it is prioritizing safety, but it believes it can expand to basically any geographical location within the United States and find success with its Robotaxi suite. CEO Elon Musk said it could be available to half of the U.S. population by the end of the year.

There have been plenty of reports out there that have speculated as to where Tesla would land next to test Robotaxi, and Nevada, Florida, Arizona, and New York have all been in the realm of possibility. These regions will need to approve Tesla for regulatory purposes before Robotaxi can officially operate.

Tesla is still testing and performing validation in several regions, and in Tempe, Arizona, things are moving forward as a Model Y with a LiDAR rig was spotted performing ground truth for the platform:

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With the LiDAR unit, many followers of the self-driving and autonomy space might wonder why Tesla uses these apparatuses during validation, especially considering the company’s stance and vision-based approach.

LiDAR is used for “ground truth,” which is basically a solidification or confirmation of what the cameras on the car are seeing. It is a great way to essentially confirm the accuracy of the vision-based suite, and will not be used on Robotaxi units used within the ride-hailing suite.

The Robotaxi platform was made available to the public earlier this month, as Tesla launched its app for iOS users.

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Tesla Robotaxi app download rate demolishes Uber, Waymo all-time highs

Downloading the app allows you to join a waitlist, giving you the opportunity to utilize and test the Robotaxi platform in either Austin or the Bay Area.

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