News
Tesla Model 3 protects owner from unsafe air even without Bioweapon Defense Mode
Amidst the ongoing threat of the California wildfires, a Tesla Model 3 owner has posted a brief demonstration of the electric sedan’s capability to maintain the air quality inside its cabin, despite the vehicle not being equipped with the Model S and X’s hospital-grade HEPA filter or a dedicated “Bioweapon Defense Mode.”
Elon Musk took to Twitter last week to offer the Model S and Model X as vehicles that can be used to transport people away from the ongoing CA wildfires. The Model S and X are capable of scrubbing the air inside the car, thanks to their large HEPA filters that are fitted with separate acid and alkaline gas neutralization layers. Later social media updates and anecdotes from Model S and X owners driving through the CA area indicate that Bioweapon Defense Mode helped maintain the air quality inside their vehicles.
In a follow-up tweet, Elon Musk noted that the Model 3’s air filtration system is not on the same “hospital-grade” level as that of the Model S and X, since the smaller vehicle does not have enough space to accommodate the HEPA filtration system in Tesla’s two flagship vehicles. This could be seen in the parts catalog for the vehicles, where the Model X HEPA filter was listed as “FILTER, HEPA, MDL X,” while the Model 3’s system was simply listed as “HVAC, CABIN FILTER, M3.”
If a recent video from a Model 3 owner is any indication, though, the electric sedan, even without a hospital-grade HEPA filter or Bioweapon Defense Mode, is still capable of keeping the air inside its cabin clean. The Tesla owner opted to conduct the Model 3’s air filter test in the San Jose area, which has been affected by the smoke from the Camp Fire (Paradise, CA). Prior to the test, the Model 3 owner recorded a PM2.5 level of up to 135 μg/m3 with the vehicle’s windows down.
Upon closing the windows, the Model 3 owner activated the “recycle air” feature and set the fan speed to 5. Within two minutes, the air inside the electric sedan’s cabin improved to less than 50 μg/m3. Keeping the same settings, the air quality inside the vehicle continued to get better, hitting 5 μg/m3 within nine minutes. For a vehicle with a filter that Elon Musk simply described as “good,” the results of the Model 3 owner’s test were quite impressive on their own right.
-
- Air quality readings inside a Tesla Model 3 with “recycle air” on and fan speed set to 5. [Credit: sensohax/YouTube]
-
- Air quality readings inside a Tesla Model 3 with the windows down. [Credit: sensohax/YouTube]
A comparison of air quality readings inside the Model 3’s cabin. [Credit: sensohax/YouTube]
It should be noted, though, that when the “recycle air” setting was disabled, the air quality inside the cabin dropped. Within five minutes, the air inside the Model 3 was back to the 75 μg/m3 level. These results are in line with Tesla’s announcement through its official Twitter account last week, when the company advised Model 3 owners to “set manual recirculating air and turn up the blower speed” to get the best air quality inside the electric sedan.
Overall, the findings of the Model 3 owner’s test are to be expected, considering Tesla’s intense focus on vehicle and passenger safety. The Model 3, after all, is among the safest vehicles on the road today, thanks to its all-electric design and its standard safety features like forward collision warning systems, dynamic brake support, crash imminent braking, and lane departure warning features. The Model 3’s suite of cameras and sensors, as well as capabilities like Autopilot, make the electric sedan even safer.
Just last month, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration awarded the Model 3 a flawless 5-Star Safety Rating, just like the Model S and X. Based on the NHTSA’s crash test data, Tesla has noted that the Model 3 now holds the distinction of being the vehicle with the lowest probability of injury among all cars that the agency has tested to date. The Model S and Model X immediately follow the Model 3, standing at second and third place.
Watch the Tesla Model 3 protect its occupants from unsafe air in the video below.
News
Tesla Robotaxi was just spotted in a new state for the first time
The company is still attempting to expand and has explicitly stated that it plans to offer rides in Nevada, Arizona, and Florida in the near future. However, a pair of Robotaxi mules, fitted with LiDAR equipment for ground truth validation, was spotted in a new region for the first time.
Tesla Robotaxi mules were spotted in a new state for the first time as the company plans to expand the ride-sharing service to new areas of the United States in the coming months.
Tesla is offering Robotaxi rides in Austin already, where nobody is present in the driver’s seat except for on freeway routes. In California, Tesla refers to its platform as a ride-hailing suite, and a “Safety Monitor” is present in the driver’s seat at all times, but the vehicle operates on Full Self-Driving.
The company is still attempting to expand and has explicitly stated that it plans to offer rides in Nevada, Arizona, and Florida in the near future. However, a pair of Robotaxi mules, fitted with LiDAR equipment for ground truth validation, was spotted in a new region for the first time.
Over the weekend, Tesla Robotaxi mules were spotted in Enola, Pennsylvania, just about ten minutes from downtown Harrisburg:
🚨 Enola is about 10 minutes from Harrisburg, the State Capitol
Interesting tidbit of information as Tesla is testing Robotaxi close to PA’s legislators https://t.co/5rDlcYrV8w
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) November 17, 2025
Enola is situated to the northwest of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania’s State Capitol. Interestingly, you’d expect Tesla to be testing these types of vehicles in other, more populated areas; Philadelphia is about two hours East, and Pittsburgh is about three hours west. State College is about an hour North of Enola.
Looking at the location of where the vehicles were spotted tells an interesting story, as Enola, located right outside of the State Capitol, could be a move to nudge legislators to consider looking at some of the laws that deal with driverless and autonomous vehicle operation.
Pennsylvania’s Act 130 of 2022 and subsequent guidelines permit the testing of driverless vehicles in the Commonwealth, but PennDOT requires a permit from Tesla or any other company that wants to operate a ride-hailing service in PA.
It’s also important to note that the cars could have simply been stopping through, as they were spotted at a Supercharger location along Interstate 81, which spans from Tennessee to New York.
It is not to say the vehicles are testing along the entire route, but likely a segment of it. The fact that they were spotted in Pennsylvania does bode well for Tesla’s expansion efforts moving forward.
Elon Musk
Tesla CEO Elon Musk sends final warning to Bill Gates over short position
“If Gates hasn’t fully closed out the crazy short position he has held against Tesla for ~8 years, he had better do so soon,” Musk said.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk sent a final warning to former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates over his short position, which he confirmed he held to Musk directly several years ago.
Gates has been a skeptic of Tesla for some time, but he has also tried to work with Musk on philanthropic opportunities several years ago, which was coincidentally when he admitted to the company’s frontman that he held a short position.
Musk was, in turn, “super mean” to Gates, according to Walter Isaacson’s biography about the Tesla CEO. Gates had put $500 million against Tesla, shorting the stock and hoping to profit from its failure.
Elon Musk explains Bill Gates beef: He ‘placed a massive bet on Tesla dying’
A short position essentially means Gates is betting Tesla shares will go down, which would make him money. However, shares have gone up over six percent this year and increased nearly 150 percent over the past five years.
At the recent Annual Shareholder Meeting, Musk made many claims about Tesla’s future projects and how they could manage to disrupt various industries. He also recently had a massive $1 trillion compensation package approved, which will be awarded in twelve tranches, all of which combine a company valuation goal and an individual goal related to a product.
Musk was able to complete his last approved pay package, but it was not awarded due to a ruling by a Delaware Chancery Court. Nevertheless, his track record of proving growth for Tesla shareholders is excellent, and investors are obviously very encouraged by his capabilities as a CEO, considering 76.6 percent of shareholders voted to approve his new compensation.
After it was revealed that the Gates Foundation dumped 65 percent of its Microsoft position for nearly $9 billion, Musk had one final message for him: drop your Tesla short position soon, or else.
If Gates hasn’t fully closed out the crazy short position he has held against Tesla for ~8 years, he had better do so soon
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 16, 2025
Musk’s rivalry with Gates is mostly founded on the Tesla CEO’s discontent with the former Microsoft frontman’s short position. However, Musk might have a bit of a soft spot for Gates, considering he is giving him a warning of what is potentially to come. If he really wanted to do some damage to Gates, he would not give him any heads-up at all.
News
Tesla rolls out most aggressive Model Y lease deal in the US yet
With the promotion in place, customers would be able to take home a Model Y at a very low cost.
Tesla has rolled out what could very well be its most aggressive promotion for Model Y leases in the United States yet. With the promotion in place, customers would be able to take home a Model Y at a very low cost.
Zero downpayment leases
The new Model Y lease promotion was initially reported on X, with industry watcher Sawyer Merritt stating that while the vehicles’ monthly payments are still similar to before, the cars can now be ordered with a $0 downpayment.
Tesla community members noted that this promotion would cut the full payment cost of Model Y leases by several thousand dollars, though prices were still a bit better when the $7,500 federal tax credit was still in effect. Despite this, a $0 downpayment would likely be appreciated by customers, as it lowers the entry point to the Tesla ecosystem by a notable margin.
Premium freebies included
Apart from a $0 downpayment, customers of Model Y leases are also provided one free upgrade for their vehicles. These upgrades could be premium paint, such as Pearl White Multi-Coat, Deep Blue Metallic, Diamond Black, Quicksilver or Ultra Red, or 20″ Helix 2.0 Wheels. Customers could also opt for a White Interior or a Tow Hitch free of charge.
A look at Tesla’s Model Y order page shows that the promotion is available for all the Model Y Premium Rear-Wheel Drive and the Model Y Premium All-Wheel Drive. The Model Y Standard and the Model Y Performance are not eligible for the $0 downpayment or free premium upgrade promotion as of writing.
Tesla Robotaxi was just spotted in a new state for the first time
Tesla CEO Elon Musk sends final warning to Bill Gates over short position
Tesla rolls out most aggressive Model Y lease deal in the US yet
-
News1 week agoTesla shares rare peek at Semi factory’s interior
-
Elon Musk1 week agoTesla says texting and driving capability is coming ‘in a month or two’
-
News1 week agoTesla makes online ordering even easier
-
News1 week agoTesla Model Y Performance set for new market entrance in Q1
-
News1 week agoTesla Cybercab production starts Q2 2026, Elon Musk confirms
-
News1 week agoTesla is launching a crazy new Rental program with cheap daily rates
-
News1 week agoTesla China expecting full FSD approval in Q1 2026: Elon Musk
-
News2 weeks agoTesla Model Y Performance is rapidly moving toward customer deliveries