News
Tesla owner credits Autopilot for avoiding disaster in odd collision with distracted driver
A Tesla Model 3 owner is thanking his vehicle’s Autopilot system for saving his vehicle from fishtailing out of control after contact with a distracted driver.
During a nighttime drive on California Highway 880, a Model 3 owner who wished to be referred to as Rorlover, was minding his own business and using Tesla’s Autopilot functionality to travel. Suddenly, a Nissan sedan quickly approached the all-electric vehicle from the rear, shifted lanes, and appeared to attempt a “pit maneuver.” The contact sent the Nissan spinning into the left-hand retaining wall, while the Model 3 maintained control and safely slowed down and came to a halt on the shoulder of the road.
“I do credit the Tesla Autopilot for keeping the car heading straight after being hit,” Rorlover said to Teslarati. “I was really quite impressed.”
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- Credit: u/Rorlover11 on Reddit
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- Credit: u/Rorlover11 on Reddit
Rorlover initially posted the incident on a Subreddit, and although the incident appeared to be on purpose, Rorlover says the driver was actually distracted and accidentally made contact with his Tesla.
“The police report confirms there was nothing but a young and distracted driver. No road rage or attempted murder—hopefully, they’ve learned their lesson.”
The impact caused significant damage to the rear passenger door on the driver’s side of the Model 3, but it was by far the more fortunate vehicle in the event. The Nissan collided head-on with a jersey wall, sending debris all over the highway and ultimately lead to a six-vehicle pile-up that shut down the side of the highway the two cars were traveling on.
Rorlover walked away from the incident unharmed. The driver of the Nissan was taken to the hospital after a brief interview with Police, but the nature of their injuries is unknown.
The Model 3’s weight, which is supported by a large battery pack that gives the vehicle a low center of gravity, may have assisted in the car’s ability to maintain control. However, Rorlover’s description of the accident implies that Autopilot deserves more of the credit than the car’s weight distribution. Rorlover shared an exclusive video of the accident with Teslarati and stated that the impressive nature of Autopilot’s handling could be recognized from the Dashcam perspective of the vehicle.
“I didn’t share it initially as it’s not that exciting, unless you know it’s Autopilot doing the steering,” he said.
Tesla has made significant strides in its development of self-driving characteristics this year. In addition to releasing a more broad Autopilot functionality earlier this year that included driving on City Streets and Automatic Traffic Light Navigation, Tesla also rolled out its Full Self-Driving Beta in October. The release has revealed Tesla’s complex self-driving software, and CEO Elon Musk expects a Level 5 Autonomy version to be released next year.
The Model 3 already holds a Top Safety Pick+ recommendation from the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) and also achieved the lowest probability of injury of any vehicle ever tested by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA). With its focus on semi-autonomous driving features, the inclusion of basic Autopilot with any Tesla car hints toward an even more robust safety system. After Autopilot prevented the Model 3 from fishtailing and colliding with a jersey wall, perhaps the system could contribute to even higher safety ratings in future tests.
Investor's Corner
SpaceX IPO is coming, CEO Elon Musk confirms
However, it appears Musk is ready for SpaceX to go public, as Ars Technica Senior Space Editor Eric Berger wrote an op-ed that indicated he thought SpaceX would go public soon. Musk replied, basically confirming it.
Elon Musk confirmed through a post on X that a SpaceX initial public offering (IPO) is on the way after hinting at it several times earlier this year.
It also comes one day after Bloomberg reported that SpaceX was aiming for a valuation of $1.5 trillion, adding that it wanted to raise $30 billion.
Musk has been transparent for most of the year that he wanted to try to figure out a way to get Tesla shareholders to invest in SpaceX, giving them access to the stock.
He has also recognized the issues of having a public stock, like litigation exposure, quarterly reporting pressures, and other inconveniences.
However, it appears Musk is ready for SpaceX to go public, as Ars Technica Senior Space Editor Eric Berger wrote an op-ed that indicated he thought SpaceX would go public soon.
Musk replied, basically confirming it:
As usual, Eric is accurate
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 10, 2025
Berger believes the IPO would help support the need for $30 billion or more in capital needed to fund AI integration projects, such as space-based data centers and lunar satellite factories. Musk confirmed recently that SpaceX “will be doing” data centers in orbit.
AI appears to be a “key part” of SpaceX getting to Musk, Berger also wrote. When writing about whether or not Optimus is a viable project and product for the company, he says that none of that matters. Musk thinks it is, and that’s all that matters.
It seems like Musk has certainly mulled something this big for a very long time, and the idea of taking SpaceX public is not just likely; it is necessary for the company to get to Mars.
The details of when SpaceX will finally hit that public status are not known. Many of the reports that came out over the past few days indicate it would happen in 2026, so sooner rather than later.
But there are a lot of things on Musk’s plate early next year, especially with Cybercab production, the potential launch of Unsupervised Full Self-Driving, and the Roadster unveiling, all planned for Q1.
Tesla has added the 15th automaker to the growing list of companies whose EVs can utilize the Supercharger Network this year, as BMW is the latest company to gain access to the largest charging infrastructure in the world.
BMW became the 15th company in 2025 to gain Tesla Supercharger access, after the company confirmed to its EV owners that they could use any of the more than 25,000 Supercharging stalls in North America.
Welcome @BMW owners.
Download the Tesla app to charge → https://t.co/vnu0NHA7Ab
— Tesla Charging (@TeslaCharging) December 10, 2025
Newer BMW all-electric cars, like the i4, i5, i7, and iX, are able to utilize Tesla’s V3 and V4 Superchargers. These are the exact model years, via the BMW Blog:
- i4: 2022-2026 model years
- i5: 2024-2025 model years
- 2026 i5 (eDrive40 and xDrive40) after software update in Spring 2026
- i7: 2023-2026 model years
- iX: 2022-2025 model years
- 2026 iX (all versions) after software update in Spring 2026
With the expansion of the companies that gained access in 2025 to the Tesla Supercharger Network, a vast majority of non-Tesla EVs are able to use the charging stalls to gain range in their cars.
So far in 2025, Tesla has enabled Supercharger access to:
- Audi
- BMW
- Genesis
- Honda
- Hyundai
- Jaguar Land Rover
- Kia
- Lucid
- Mercedes-Benz
- Nissan
- Polestar
- Subaru
- Toyota
- Volkswagen
- Volvo
Drivers with BMW EVs who wish to charge at Tesla Superchargers must use an NACS-to-CCS1 adapter. In Q2 2026, BMW plans to release its official adapter, but there are third-party options available in the meantime.
They will also have to use the Tesla App to enable Supercharging access to determine rates and availability. It is a relatively seamless process.
News
Tesla adds new feature that will be great for crowded parking situations
This is the most recent iteration of the app and was priming owners for the slowly-released Holiday Update.
Tesla has added a new feature that will be great for crowded parking lots, congested parking garages, or other confusing times when you cannot seem to pinpoint where your car went.
Tesla has added a new Vehicle Locator feature to the Tesla App with App Update v4.51.5.
This is the most recent iteration of the app and was priming owners for the slowly-released Holiday Update.
While there are several new features, which we will reveal later in this article, perhaps one of the coolest is that of the Vehicle Locator, which will now point you in the direction of your car using a directional arrow on the home screen. This is similar to what Apple uses to find devices:
Interesting. The location arrow in the Tesla app now points to your car when you’re nearby. pic.twitter.com/b0yjmwwzxN
— Whole Mars Catalog (@wholemars) December 7, 2025
In real time, the arrow gives an accurate depiction of which direction you should walk in to find your car. This seems extremely helpful in large parking lots or unfamiliar shopping centers.
Getting to your car after a sporting event is an event all in itself; this feature will undoubtedly help with it:
The nice little touch that Tesla have put in the app – continuous tracking of your vehicle location relative to you.
There’s people reporting dizziness testing this.
To those I say… try spinning your phone instead. 😉 pic.twitter.com/BAYmJ3mzzD
— Some UK Tesla Guy (UnSupervised…) (@SomeUKTeslaGuy) December 8, 2025
Tesla’s previous app versions revealed the address at which you could locate your car, which was great if you parked on the street in a city setting. It was also possible to use the map within the app to locate your car.
However, this new feature gives a more definitive location for your car and helps with the navigation to it, instead of potentially walking randomly.
It also reveals the distance you are from your car, which is a big plus.
Along with this new addition, Tesla added Photobooth features, Dog Mode Live Activity, Custom Wraps and Tints for Colorizer, and Dashcam Clip details.
🚨 Tesla App v4.51.5 looks to be preparing for the Holiday Update pic.twitter.com/ztts8poV82
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) December 8, 2025
All in all, this App update was pretty robust.
SpaceX IPO is coming, CEO Elon Musk confirms
Tesla adds 15th automaker to Supercharger access in 2025
