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Tesla listed as carmaker with highest proportion of speeding drivers in NL

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Driving a premium, all-electric car is a lot of fun. The instant torque, the quick acceleration, and the spaceship-like silence as one steps on the accelerator is something that simply could not be replicated in a car equipped with an internal combustion engine. While fun, though, these factors could also result in drivers not being aware that they are already driving past the speed limit.

In the Netherlands, this appears to be the case. According to new figures from CBS, NL’s national statistics office, 75% of the country’s 9,000 Tesla drivers have picked up a speeding ticket last year. That’s the highest proportion of speeding drivers from any car brand. Just below Tesla drivers are owners of plug-in hybrid cars, with 2/3 of PHEV owners being fined at least once for speeding.

In contrast, only 27% of petrol-powered car owners, and 46% of diesel car drivers have been given speeding tickets during the year. The CBS did not provide an explanation for the figures, though the agency did note that the different driving experience between electric cars and fossil fuel-powered vehicles are probably a factor.

With fossil fuel-powered vehicles, for example, it is quite easy to get a feel for the car’s speed by listening to the way the engine is operating. These sounds are entirely absent in electric vehicles; thus, it becomes easy for motorists to be utterly unaware that they are already moving too fast.

EV or not, though, it should be noted that driving too fast carries a lot of risks, especially in areas where there are a lot of vehicles present. As such, it is always the responsibility of drivers to make sure that they are driving within the speed limit. That said, it is a bit ironic to see Tesla owners as some of the most prominent groups of drivers who are prone to getting speeding tickets.

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Part of this is due to the capability of the cars themselves. Electric vehicles, after all, are no longer slow and unwieldy. With the advent of the Tesla Roadster more than ten years ago to the emergence of the disruptive Model 3, electric cars are beginning to become vehicles that are superior to gas-powered automobiles in terms of power and and raw acceleration. The consistent performance of Tesla’s electric cars on the drag strip is a prime example of this.

If any, some countries are now starting to roll out regulations that favor electric cars. Last October, for one, the Austrian ministerial cabinet announced that it will be adjusting the speed restrictions for EVs traveling in Austria’s IG-L-Hundred zone, which covers a total area of 440 kilometers (273 miles). With the new rules in effect, 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.

The Austrian government did not list the specifics of its initiative then, though statements from Minister of Sustainability Elisabeth Köstinger seemed to suggest that the top speed adjustments will only be given to all-electric vehicles like Tesla’s Model S and X, not hybrids like the BMW i8. 

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 is rolling out a new FSD version with a massive safety addition

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla is rolling out a new version of its Full Self-Driving suite to some owners that comes with the massive addition of a safety feature.

Tesla is rolling out Automatic Collision Evasion with the 2026.27.6 Software Update, which started rolling out to some vehicles last night. We received the update, along with Full Self-Driving v14.3.9, which has identical release notes as the previous version and seems to have some refinements and improvements in behavior and performance.

However, most of the attention has fallen on the Automatic Collision Evasion feature, which we covered in an article last week.

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The function will activate Full Self-Driving to “try to keep your vehicle safe and then continue driving. It can engage in the following situations while you are driving manually:

  • Scenario 1: A frontal collision is imminent and braking alone may not avoid it.
  • Scenario 2: Your vehicle detects that you are not sufficiently attentive to the road (for example, reaching toward the back seat), or that Full Self-Driving (Supervised) may have been unintentionally disengaged.”

Essentially, FSD will take over when the vehicle determines you are not paying sufficient attention or are heading toward a potential collision. The addition of this feature is incredibly useful as distracted driving is a major issue in today’s world.

Along with the new safety feature is Tesla FSD v14.3.9, which has no additional release notes compared to the previous version, but in my first drives, my first impression is that operation is great, and parking is still sort of a pain point.

The addition of an Automatic Collision Evasion feature is similar to that of other collision avoidance systems that are used by companies like Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis. These programs typically utilize radar and camera sensors to apply emergency brakes autonomously, though evasive steering in a manual driving mode is pioneered primarily by Tesla’s newest addition.

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Tesla primes Cybercabs for 4K streaming and high bandwidth gaming with Starlink integration

Tesla is now shipping Cybercabs from Giga Texas with Starlink hardware built in as standard.

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tesla cybercab with no manual controls showing a movie with two employees inside

Tesla’s Cybercabs are now leaving Gigafactory Texas with Starlink hardware on the rear hatch in significant numbers, according to drone footage captured Tuesday by longtime Austin drone observer Joe Tegtmeyer. Production at the factory ramped back up after the Labor Day weekend, and his flyover of the outbound lot showed rows of gold Cybercabs alongside Model Y Long Wheelbase units, many carrying the satellite module for the first time as standard equipment rather than a one off retrofit.

Tesla first showed Starlink built into an actual Cybercab on August 10, when the Robotaxi account posted images of a single gold unit with the antenna integrated into the roofline above the taillights and called it the first Cybercab with Starlink integration. That followed a July reveal where Tesla and Starlink jointly posted a cutaway diagram of the antenna placement without a working vehicle to back it up. Ashok Elluswamy, Tesla’s VP of AI software, said at the time that the connection isn’t required for the car to drive itself. It exists mainly for navigation, customer service and keeping tabs on the fleet.

Musk has made a different case in public. During Tesla’s Q2 earnings call, he said the company can’t afford robotaxis stranded in what he called “Bermuda Triangles of lack of cellular connectivity,” and he separately claimed on X that Starlink will eventually reach every Tesla built, calling it the only way to deliver high bandwidth to billions of vehicles. He has also pitched the antenna as an entertainment upgrade, telling riders they would be able to stream 4K video or play games during a trip.

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The rollout has moved fast since. Robotaxi service opened to the public in Austin on September 3, and Cybercabs had already been spotted with Starlink hardware in Houston and near Miami International Airport in the weeks before Tuesday’s factory footage showed the module shipping at volume rather than on scattered test units. Whether the satellite link earns its keep is still an open question. Tesla’s unsupervised service currently runs in dense metro geofences in Texas and Florida, markets where cellular coverage is already strong, which is not where the rural dead zones Musk describes tend to show up.

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Elon Musk hints at Tesla Cybercab’s next market

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(Credit: Teslarati)

After launching in Austin, Texas, last week, Tesla is looking to expand the Cybercab to new parts of the United States in an effort that will see the driverless, steering wheel-less, and pedal-less vehicle chauffeur people around as part of the Robotaxi ride-hailing service.

However, the expansion will go far beyond the United States, and CEO Elon Musk revealed he hopes Europe will be the next market where Cybercab will be operational.

Musk has publicly expressed hope that Tesla’s Cybercab robotaxi will reach Europe in the near future.

On September 8, Tesla’s Chief Executive quoted a German rider who had just completed a trip in Austin, Texas, and wrote that he hoped the vehicle would not take years to arrive in Germany. Musk replied with a short but notable message: “Hopefully soon in Europe too.”

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The comment arrived only days after Tesla opened Cybercab ride-hailing to the public in Austin. The two-seat vehicle has no steering wheel or pedals and relies entirely on Tesla’s Full Self-Driving software. Early passengers have described the rides as quiet, smooth, and more stylish than competing robotaxis such as Waymo.

Austin is currently the only city where members of the public can hail a Cybercab through Tesla’s Robotaxi app. The initial fleet is small; Texas registration records show only a few dozen of the purpose-built vehicles on the road.

Tesla set to open Cybercab rides to the public, with no steering wheel or pedals

Tesla has also been operating a larger number of conventional Model Y robotaxis in the same area, but the Cybercab itself represents the company’s first dedicated, controls-free taxi design.

Europe presents a different regulatory picture. The European Union does not permit manufacturers to self-certify vehicles the way Tesla did in the United States.

Type-approval rules and a small-series limit of 1,500 automated vehicles per type per year apply across the bloc.

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Supervised Full Self-Driving has gained provisional approval in several member states through national recognition of Dutch certification, yet unsupervised robotaxi operation remains a separate and more distant step. Tesla has not announced a European launch city, date, or approval pathway for the Cybercab.

Musk himself has previously cautioned that the company does not control European regulators. In an earnings call earlier in 2026, he noted that even supervised FSD took an “immense amount of time” to clear and that unsupervised service would be “somewhat at the mercy of the governments in Europe and the EU.”

The latest social-media remark therefore functions more as an expression of intent than a timetable.

If the Cybercab eventually reaches European streets, it would mark a significant expansion of Tesla’s robotaxi ambitions beyond the United States. For now, the vehicle remains an Austin-only experience, and the gap between Musk’s hope and actual deployment will be decided by regulators rather than by engineering alone.

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