

News
Tesla’s Elon Musk hailed as ‘Disruptor of the Year’ in Detroit, but Model 3 misses awards
Tesla might not be a participant in the North American International Auto Show on Monday, but Elon Musk’s presence could still be felt in the event. During the CNET Roadshow Shift Awards, Musk was named as “Disruptor of the Year,” beating out the CEOs of other companies such as McLaren Automotive and Bird, an electric scooter-share startup.
Chris Paukert, executive editor of the auto publication, noted that the Disruptor of the Year award is based on the person who caused the most ripples in the auto industry during the past year. In this sense, there is very little doubt that Musk was the definite choice, considering his well-publicized challenges and successes with the Model 3 ramp, as well as his daring, out-of-the-box strategies that ultimately brought Tesla into the green in Q3.
“This award is all about pushing the industry forward and leaving a lasting impact on the future of the automotive industry. Elon Musk fits that bill to a T. After smoothing out its production process, Tesla once again proved profitable. The Model 3 quickly launched itself to prominence in an already busy segment, and buyers themselves could feel the effects of those launches thanks to its wild Performance variant. Hell, he even made tunnels interesting,” CNET‘s Tim Stevens wrote.
While the auto publication granted Elon Musk an award, though, Tesla’s latest and most disruptive vehicle to date — the Model 3 — was strangely absent from the auto publication’s rankings. CNET Roadshow, for one, awarded the Genesis G70, a car that has received acclaim from critics and consumers alike, as Vehicle of the Year. Finalists for the award were the Jaguar I-Pace and Volvo S60/V60. The award for Cabin Tech of the Year was also granted to Audi’s MMI touch response system, with the finalists being Mercedes-Benz’ MBUX infotainment system and Ram’s Uconnect 12 technology.
That said, Tesla’s technology did make an appearance in the Roadshow Shift Awards’ other categories. Roadshow‘s Driveline Tech of the Year award, for one, was given to Nissan and Infiniti’s variable compression turbo, though finalists included Hyundai’s Kona electric powertrain and Tesla’s all-wheel-drive performance powertrain. Together with GM’s advance trailering system with apps, Tesla’s Navigate on Autopilot update was listed as a finalist in Safest Tech of the Year award as well. Audi’s drive-assistance package, though, ultimately bagged the award for Safety Tech of the Year.
The absence of the Model 3 in the CNET Roadshow Shift Awards is quite notable, considering that the electric sedan has received wide acclaim from professional reviewers, auto veterans like Sandy Munro, and owners alike. Tesla’s UI for its vehicles, which the company develops in-house, is also among the best in the market, with the system at times being compared to Apple’s iOS. As such, it is quite interesting to see Tesla be beaten by legacy auto in areas where it otherwise excels, such as cabin tech.

That said, it’s not like the Tesla Model 3 is being ignored by legacy auto either. Late last month, for example, 30-year auto news veteran and longtime car enthusiast Henry Payne dubbed the Tesla Model 3 as The Detroit News‘ 2018 Car of the Year. This was despite Payne only experiencing the capabilities of a Long Range RWD Model 3, a tamer version of the electric car compared to the range-topping, track-optimized Model 3 Performance. Following the Tesla Model 3 were the Ford Ranger and the Chevy Corvette ZR1, which were listed as the 2nd and 1st runner up for The Detroit News‘ 2018 Car of the Year award.
The past year has been notably impressive for the Model 3. Over 2018, 145,846 Model 3 were sold, despite Tesla being challenged with the electric sedan’s production during Q1 and Q2. With these sales figures, the Model 3 became the United States’ best-selling luxury vehicle, far overtaking its closest rival — the Lexus RX, which sold 111,641 in 2018. Tesla is not done, either, as the company intends to continue the electric sedan’s ramp all the way to 10,000 units per week.
It should be noted that the Model 3 has been showing these impressive numbers despite the vehicle only being available in the United States and Canada. This year, Tesla intends to bring the car to the international stage, starting with Europe and China, both of which represent a potentially lucrative market for the electric sedan. Tesla for one, is reportedly shipping 3,000 Model 3 per week to the European region starting in February. In China, Model 3 reservation holders who have configured their vehicles are expecting deliveries on March or April. By the end of the year, Tesla is set to roll out more affordable versions of the electric sedan to the local Chinese market, thanks to the vehicle production capabilities of Gigafactory 3.
News
Tesla Full Self-Driving impressions after three weeks of ownership
I will be fair and tell you all what I truly enjoy, as well as what frustrates me about Full Self-Driving.

Tesla Full Self-Driving is amongst the most robust and refined semi-autonomous driver assistance systems on the market today. After three weeks of ownership, I’ve driven around half of my miles using it, and my impressions put me right in the middle of it being very impressive and needing some work.
Of course, if it were perfect, it would be driving us all around all the time while we sleep, scroll our phones, or watch movies in the cockpit. It does a lot of things very well, and it has managed to impress everyone I’ve put in the passenger’s seat.
However, there are some things that are obvious pain points, situations that need improvement, and areas where I believe it has a long way to go. Regardless, these are things I have noticed, and they may differ from your opinions based on your location or traffic situations.
Tesla Model Y ownership two weeks in: what I love and what I don’t
I’ll try to keep it pretty even and just highlight the things that are truly noticeable with Full Self-Driving. I won’t be too critical of the things that it is bad at, and I won’t try to give it too much of a pat on the back.
I will be fair and tell you all what I truly enjoy, as well as what frustrates me about it.
*Disclaimer: These Full Self-Driving examples were in use with v13.2.9.
Where Tesla Full Self-Driving is Great
Highway Driving
I have yet to have a critical intervention of any kind on the highway. I have driven on easy highways like Rt. 30 in Pennsylvania, and I have driven on congested four-lane parking lots like I-695 near Baltimore, Maryland.
Tesla FSD does a tremendous job on all of it. I usually use the “Hurry” setting of FSD with an offset of between 25 and 40 percent, depending on what I’m doing and where I’m going. Sometimes, I want to push it a bit, and at other times, I’m okay with taking my time and enjoying the drive.
I find the driving style of Hurry is more similar to the traffic around me than the Standard, which tends to drive like an 80-year-old on their way to Bingo.
It does a great job of being considerate, maintaining an appropriate rate of travel, getting over for cars that are tailgating in the left lane after passing traffic, and it always is where it needs to be when it needs to be there.
Taking the Stress Out of Driving
A few nights ago, I was having some trouble sleeping, and I was up at 3 a.m. I decided it would be a good time to get up, grab a breakfast burrito and a coffee, and head to the Supercharger.
(If you don’t know, I do not have home charging, and I will be diving into EV ownership without that in a future article.)
I let FSD drive me to the Supercharger and back while I was done. I was able to enjoy a beautiful sunrise without having to focus all my attention on the traffic around me, while still maintaining enough attention to the road to keep the driver monitoring happy.
It was really nice. I enjoyed the ride, and it felt like I was in an Uber with a very careful driver while I enjoyed the rest of my coffee and peeked at the sky every few seconds.
Learning and Improving
A few weeks ago, I approached an “Except Right Turn” stop sign. I have discussed how these are a Pennsylvania specialty, and the first time FSD encountered one in my Model Y, it stopped, even though we were heading right.
I took over, submitted a voice memo to Tesla about it, and went on with my evening. A week later, the car approached the same turn, and, to my surprise, it proceeded through the Stop Sign correctly, safely, and at an appropriate speed.
It was nice to see this improvement, especially since this is one of those regional issues that Tesla will need to address before FSD is fully autonomous. The change even impressed my Fiancé, who was with me during both instances we came upon this turn.
Where Tesla Full Self-Driving Could Be Better
Auto Wipers
Good gravy, these Auto Wipers always seem to give me a good laugh.
They never really have the right speed; they are either way too fast or not fast enough. There’s never been a happy medium.
It also loves to activate a single wipe of the blade at the strangest times. I’ve noticed that it actually seems to activate at the same spots on the road sometimes. There’s a hanging branch near my house, and every time we go under it and FSD is activated, the wipers wipe once.
It would be nice to set your own intervals for the wipers, but I am okay with the current presets. I do hope the Auto Wipers improve, because it could be one of the best features the car has if it’s more accurate.
It Struggles with Signs That Require Reading
The “Except Right Turn” sign is one example, but another is a “Stop Here on Red” sign that is recessed from an intersection at a stop light if it’s a tighter turn. Recently, I had to slam on the brakes as it was headed straight through one of these signs.
It can recognize Stop Signs and Yield Signs, but signs with instructions for an intersection appear to present a greater challenge for FSD.
Sometimes, It Just Does Things I Don’t Like
There is a four-lane light near my house; the two right lanes go straight, but the lane furthest right is for turning into businesses past the intersection. Some people tend to go in that far right lane, even if they have no intention of turning right into the businesses, and take off quickly from the light to cut ahead.
I’m not saying it’s illegal or even wrong, but I personally prefer not to do it. I am never in that much of a hurry.
FSD tried to do that the other day; I intervened and kept it in the lane that is designed to go straight. I wouldn’t say this is technically an intervention. I would just say it’s a move I wasn’t super comfortable with because I know people tend to get frustrated with those who cut the line. It’s an etiquette issue, and I didn’t want FSD to do it.
I also am not a huge fan of when there is no traffic in the right lane, yet it continues to cruise in the fast lane. I was taught to drive in the right lane and pass in the left lane. There are states where cruising in the left lane is illegal, and it sometimes tends to stay in the passing lane too long for my liking. I will turn on my right signal and get back into the correct lane.
These are totally disputable, and I am aware of that. Some people might not see a huge issue with these two examples, and I can understand that. My courtesy on the road differs from others, and that’s okay.
All in all, I’m pretty happy with FSD, and I will be continuing my Subscription after the three-month trial ends. In the coming days, I’ll be picking up a camera for FSD videos, and I’ll be able to embed examples of what I mean, as well as share full-length videos of my drive.
News
Tesla gets price target increase on Wall Street, but it’s a head-scratcher
Delaney’s price target on Tesla shares went up to $395 from $300. Currently, Tesla is trading between $420 and $430, making the new price target from Goldman Sachs a bit of a head-scratcher.

Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) received a price target increase from a Wall Street analyst today, who noted in his report that the company’s shares could rise or fall based on its execution in robotics and autonomy.
However, the price target boost still fell below Tesla’s current trading levels.
Mark Delaney of Goldman Sachs said in a note to investors today that Tesla has a significant opportunity to solidify itself as one of the stable and safe plays in the market if it can execute on its two key projects: humanoid robots and autonomy.
In the note, Delaney said:
“If Tesla can have [an] outsized share in areas such as humanoid robotics and autonomy, then there could be upside to our price target.”
Delaney’s price target on Tesla shares went up to $395 from $300. Currently, Tesla is trading between $420 and $430, making the new price target from Goldman Sachs a bit of a head-scratcher.
He went on to say that Tesla could also confront outside factors that would limit the stock’s ability to see growth, including competition and potentially its own lack of execution:
“…although if competition limits profits (as is happening with the ADAS market in China) or Tesla does not execute well, then there could be downside.”
The note is an interesting one because it seems to point out the blatantly obvious: if Tesla performs well, the stock will rise. If it doesn’t, the stock price will decline.
We discussed yesterday in an article that Tesla is one of the few stocks out there that does not seem to be influenced by financials or anything super concrete. Instead, it is more influenced by the narrative currently surrounding the company, rather than the technicals.
Tesla called ‘biggest meme stock we’ve ever seen’ by Yale associate dean
Tesla’s prowess in robotics and autonomy is strong. In robotics, it has a very good sentiment following its Optimus project, and it has shown steady improvement with subsequent versions of the robot with each release.
On the autonomy front, Tesla is expanding its Robotaxi platform in Austin every few weeks, and also has a sizeable geofence in the Bay Area. Its Full Self-Driving suite is among the most robust in the world and is incredibly useful and accurate.
The company can gain significant value if it continues to refine the platform and eventually rolls out a driverless or unsupervised version of the Full Self-Driving suite.
Elon Musk
Tesla addresses door handle complaints with simple engineering fix
“We’ll have a really good solution for that. I’m not worried about it.”

Tesla is going to adjust one heavily scrutinized part of its vehicles after recent government agencies have launched probes into an issue stemming from complaints from owners.
Over the past few days, we have reported on the issues with Tesla’s door handle systems from both the Chinese and American governments.
In China, it dealt with the Model S, while the United States’ National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported nine complaints from owners experiencing issues with 2021 Model Ys, as some said they had trouble entering their car after the 12V battery was low on power.
Bloomberg, in an interview with Tesla Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen, asked whether the company planned to adjust the door handle design to alleviate any concerns that regulatory agencies might have.
Regarding the interior latch concerns in the United States:
- Von Holzhausen said that, while a mechanical door release resolves this problem, Tesla plans to “combine the two” to help reduce stress in what he called “panic situations.”
- He also added that “it’s in the cars now…The idea of combining the electronic and the manual one together in one button, I think, makes a lot of sense.” Franz said the muscle memory of reaching for the same button will be advantageous for children and anyone who is in an emergency.
Regarding the exterior door handle concerns in China:
- Von Holzhausen said Tesla is reviewing the details of the regulation and confirmed, “We’ll have a really good solution for that. I’m not worried about it.”
Franz von Holzhausen (from Tesla’s Robovan) on Tesla’s upcoming redesigned door handles: pic.twitter.com/lnaKve1SlJ
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) September 17, 2025
The new Model Y already has emergency mechanical door release latches in the back, but combining them in future vehicles seems to be an ideal solution for other vehicles in Tesla’s lineup.
It will likely help Tesla avoid complaints from owners about not having an out in the event of a power outage or accident. It is a small engineering change that could be extremely valuable for future instances.
-
News2 weeks ago
Tesla launches new Supercharger program that business owners will love
-
Elon Musk2 weeks ago
Tesla Board takes firm stance on Elon Musk’s political involvement in pay package proxy
-
News2 weeks ago
Tesla deploys Unsupervised FSD in Europe for the first time—with a twist
-
News2 weeks ago
Tesla explains why Robotaxis now have safety monitors in the driver’s seat
-
News2 weeks ago
Tesla is already giving Robotaxi privileges hours after opening public app
-
Elon Musk2 weeks ago
Elon Musk says Tesla will take Safety Drivers out of Robotaxi: here’s when
-
Elon Musk2 weeks ago
Elon Musk is setting high expectations for Tesla AI5 and AI6 chips
-
News1 week ago
Tesla is improving this critical feature in older vehicles