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Tesla Model 3 with white seats and dual motor AWD could come in July, says Elon Musk

Photo credit: TeslaOwnersLA via Facebook

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In a series of tweets this weekend, Elon Musk stated that the production for the dual motor AWD version of the Tesla Model 3 could start production as early as July. White seats for the mass market compact electric sedan could be introduced in the same month as well.

Musk’s update on Twitter came as a response to Brandon Ledford, a Model 3 reservation holder, who asked for a timeline on when the dual motor configuration would arrive. Not long after Ledford’s inquiry, Musk responded, explaining that options such as dual motors would be offered when the production ramp-up of the existing Long Range Model 3 in rear-wheel drive hits 5,000/week.

“We need to achieve 5k/week with Model 3 before adding complexity that would inhibit production ramp,” Musk tweeted.

Musk added an afterthought to his explanation, stating that the dual motor configuration would probably be available in July. As soon as Musk gave a timeline for the AWD option for the Model 3, another Tesla enthusiast inquired about the availability of white seats for the car. The Tesla CEO responded to this inquiry as well, stating that the white seat option for the Model 3 would be introduced in “similar timing” as the dual motor.

Considering Musk’s recent updates on Twitter, July might prove to be a pivotal month for Model 3 reservation holders. With production expected to reach a steady 5,000/week rate by then, Tesla would finally be able to roll out new configurations for the vehicle. Other options, such as the $35,000 standard-range variant, as well as the much-anticipated Performance version with Ludicrous Mode, would likely follow after.

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Sightings in the wild appear to be building up towards the release of the Model 3’s dual-motor AWD and white interior configurations. Back in February, we reported on a Model 3 with a dual-motor VIN being spotted in San Francisco, CA. The sighting of the vehicle was shared on Twitter by Ryan McCaffrey of the Ride the Lightning podcast.

A Model 3 with white interior was also spotted in February near Tesla’s OSH showroom in Palo Alto, CA. From what could be seen in pictures taken of the vehicle, the color scheme of the electric car’s interior appears to have been changed from the car’s prototype, with some elements such as the center console being black instead of white. The headliner for the Model 3 near the OSH showroom was also white, in contrast to the prototype of the vehicle, which had a distinct black headliner. 

Showing his trademark charm on Twitter, Elon Musk also pledged to take corrective action for Model 3 line-waiters who are still waiting for their configuration invites.

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Musk’s pledge came after Justin Streufert, a Model 3 reservation holder, noted that some who reserved the car online were getting priority over those who stood in line for the vehicle. Another Model 3 reservation holder added that some who placed online reservations in April-June were already getting invites to configure. Some Day 1 line-waiters, however, were still waiting for invitations.

Musk first responded that he would be “looking into it now,” before following up with another tweet. Musk pledged to take measures to address the problem and issued an apology to his Twitter followers.

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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 FSD Supervised wins MotorTrend’s Best Driver Assistance Award

The decision marks a notable reversal for the publication from prior years, with judges citing major real-world improvements that pushed Tesla’s latest FSD software ahead of every competing ADAS system.

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Credit: Grok Imagine

Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) system has been named the best driver-assistance technology on the market, earning top honors at the 2026 MotorTrend Best Tech Awards

The decision marks a notable reversal for the publication from prior years, with judges citing major real-world improvements that pushed Tesla’s latest FSD software ahead of every competing ADAS system. And it wasn’t even close. 

MotorTrend reverses course

MotorTrend awarded Tesla FSD (Supervised) its 2026 Best Tech Driver Assistance title after extensive testing of the latest v14 software. The publication acknowledged that it had previously criticized earlier versions of FSD for erratic behavior and near-miss incidents, ultimately favoring rivals such as GM’s Super Cruise in earlier evaluations.

According to MotorTrend, the newest iteration of FSD resolved many of those shortcomings. Testers said v14 showed far smoother behavior in complex urban scenarios, including unprotected left turns, traffic circles, emergency vehicles, and dense city streets. While the system still requires constant driver supervision, judges concluded that no other advanced driver-assistance system currently matches its breadth of capability.

Unlike rival systems that rely on combinations of cameras, radar, lidar, and mapped highways, Tesla’s FSD operates using a camera-only approach and is capable of driving on city streets, rural roads, and freeways. MotorTrend stated that pure utility, the ability to handle nearly all road types, ultimately separated FSD from competitors like Ford BlueCruise, GM Super Cruise, and BMW’s Highway Assistant.

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High cost and high capability

MotorTrend also addressed FSD’s pricing, which remains significantly higher than rival systems. Tesla currently charges $8,000 for a one-time purchase or $99 per month for a subscription, compared with far lower upfront and subscription costs from other automakers. The publication noted that the premium is justified given FSD’s unmatched scope and continuous software evolution.

Safety remained a central focus of the evaluation. While testers reported collision-free operation over thousands of miles, they noted ongoing concerns around FSD’s configurable driving modes, including options that allow aggressive driving and speeds beyond posted limits. MotorTrend emphasized that, like all Level 2 systems, FSD still depends on a fully attentive human driver at all times.

Despite those caveats, the publication concluded that Tesla’s rapid software progress fundamentally reshaped the competitive landscape. For drivers seeking the most capable hands-on driver-assistance system available today, MotorTrend concluded Tesla FSD (Supervised) now stands alone at the top.

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Elon Musk’s Grokipedia surges to 5.6M articles, almost 79% of English Wikipedia

The explosive growth marks a major milestone for the AI-powered online encyclopedia, which was launched by Elon Musk’s xAI just months ago.

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UK Government, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Elon Musk’s Grokipedia has grown to an impressive 5,615,201 articles as of today, closing in on 79% of the English Wikipedia’s current total of 7,119,376 articles. 

The explosive growth marks a major milestone for the AI-powered online encyclopedia, which was launched by Elon Musk’s xAI just months ago. Needless to say, it would only be a matter of time before Grokipedia exceeds English Wikipedia in sheer volume.

Grokipedia’s rapid growth

xAI’s vision for Grokipedia emphasizes neutrality, while Grok’s reasoning capabilities allow for fast drafting and fact-checking. When Elon Musk announced the initiative in late September 2025, he noted that Grokipedia would be an improvement to Wikipedia because it would be designed to avoid bias. 

At the time, Musk noted that Grokipedia “is a necessary step towards the xAI goal of understanding the Universe.”

Grokipedia was launched in late October, and while xAI was careful to list it only as Version 0.1 at the time, the online encyclopedia immediately earned praise. Wikipedia co-founder Larry Sanger highlighted the project’s innovative approach, noting how it leverages AI to fill knowledge gaps and enable rapid updates. Netizens also observed how Grokipedia tends to present articles in a more objective manner compared to Wikipedia, which is edited by humans.

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Elon Musk’s ambitious plans

With 5,615,201 total articles, Grokipedia has now grown to almost 79% of English Wikipedia’s article base. This is incredibly quick, though Grokipedia remains text-only for now. xAI, for its part, has now updated the online encyclopedia’s iteration to v0.2. 

Elon Musk has shared bold ideas for Grokipedia, including sending a record of the entire knowledge base to space as part of xAI’s mission to preserve and expand human understanding. At some point, Musk stated that Grokipedia will be renamed to Encyclopedia Galactica, and it will be sent to the cosmos

“When Grokipedia is good enough (long way to go), we will change the name to Encyclopedia Galactica. It will be an open source distillation of all knowledge, including audio, images and video. Join xAI to help build the sci-fi version of the Library of Alexandria!” Musk wrote, adding in a later post that “Copies will be etched in stone and sent to the Moon, Mars and beyond. This time, it will not be lost.”

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Tesla Model 3 becomes Netherlands’ best-selling used EV in 2025

More than one in ten second-hand electric cars sold in the country last year was a Tesla Model 3.

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Credit: Tesla Asia/Twitter

The Tesla Model 3 became the most popular used electric car in the Netherlands in 2025, cementing its dominance well beyond the country’s new-car market. 

After years at the top of Dutch EV sales charts, the Model 3 now leads the country’s second-hand EV market by a wide margin, as record used-car purchases pushed electric vehicles further into the mainstream.

Model 3 takes a commanding lead

The Netherlands recorded more than 2.1 million used car sales last year, the highest level on record. Of those, roughly 4.8%, or about 102,000 vehicles, were electric. Within that growing segment, the Tesla Model 3 stood far ahead of its competitors.

In 2025 alone, 11,338 used Model 3s changed hands, giving the car an 11.1% share of the country’s entire used EV market. That means more than one in ten second-hand electric cars sold in the country last year was a Tesla Model 3, Auto Week Netherlands reported. The scale of its lead is striking: the gap between the Model 3 and the second-place finisher, the Volkswagen ID3, is more than 6,700 vehicles.

Rivals trail as residual values shape rankings

The Volkswagen ID.3 ranked a distant second, with 4,595 used units sold and a 4.5% market share. Close behind was the Audi e-tron, which placed third with 4,236 registrations. As noted by Auto Week Netherlands, relatively low residual values likely boosted the e-tron’s appeal in the used market, despite its higher original price.

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Other strong performers included the Kia Niro, the Tesla Model Y, and the Hyundai Kona, highlighting continued demand for compact and midsize electric vehicles with proven range and reliability. No other model, however, came close to matching the Model 3’s scale or market presence.

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