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Tesla Model 3 with Ludicrous may be coming as Model S, X receives ‘Plaid’ updates
Tesla’s upcoming “Plaid Powertrain” update for the Model S stands to widen the gap between the electric car maker and its competitors in the EV segment. And with the rollout of a faster, more track-capable flagship sedan that’s equipped with a new powertrain and triple motors, Tesla appears to be setting the stage for one of the Model 3’s biggest potential updates — the introduction of Ludicrous Mode.
While Tesla’s “Plaid Powertrain” is still about a year from production, a look at the behavior of Tesla’s Model S prototype at the Nürburgring shows that the electric car maker is tuning its flagship sedan for the track. Videos captured of the vehicle’s passes at certain segments of the nearly 13-mile circuit, for one, suggest that the Model S’ track performance is starting to look comparable to the Porsche Taycan, which was honed in the Nürburgring. This is something that past generations of the Model S were not able to do very well, including the drag racing monster that’s the P100D.
With the introduction of a “Plaid Powertrain,” Tesla could very well be ushering in a new generation of Model S and Model X that is faster, tighter around a racetrack’s corners, and more efficient. Musk’s statement about the upcoming “Plaid” vehicles being more expensive than Tesla’s current Model S and X variants suggests that this will be the case. In a year, it would not be surprising if Tesla would start equipping the Model S and X with “Plaid Mode” instead of Ludicrous Mode.
Fortunately, the beloved Ludicrous Mode will likely not be going away with the introduction of “Plaid Mode.” This is because there is a perfect vehicle that is pretty much tailor-fit and ready for it: the Model 3. The sedan, after all, already has an efficient powertrain, and its batteries are comprised of 2170 cells manufactured in Gigfactory 1 at Nevada. At least from the perspective of electric car batteries and powertrain, there does not seem to be anything that could get in the way of the Model 3 receiving a Ludicrous Mode update.
What is quite interesting is that CEO Elon Musk has actually confirmed this in the past. Just a few weeks after the initial unveiling of the Model 3, Elon Musk was asked on Twitter if Ludicrous Mode will be coming to the more affordable, midsize sedan. Musk’s answer only comprised two words, but they were direct: “Of course,” he wrote.
So far, the Tesla Model 3 has been causing a disruption of its own in the high-performance sedan market even without a dedicated launch mode for straight-line races. Track Mode is great for closed circuit driving, but it is difficult to argue against the idea of a Ludicrous Mode-equipped Model 3 dominating in the drag strip as well. Tesla could even get substantial revenue from introducing Ludicrous to the Model 3, as the feature mostly involves software optimizations.
Tesla’s “Plaid Powertrain” update for the Model S and Model X, together with a potential Ludicrous upgrade for the Model 3 (and likely the Model Y) stands to usher in a new era for the company’s electric cars. If Elon Musk’s recent Twitter announcements are any indication, it appears that Tesla is building up to a generation of vehicles that are both ludicrously quick on a straight line, and capable of performing excellently in a track. Such vehicles, if any, serve as perfect companions to the company’s halo car, the next-generation Tesla Roadster, which was designed to be a “hardcore smackdown” to gasoline-powered vehicles.
Elon Musk
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.
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.
Giga Texas today is busy with production coming back up following the long weekend. Of interest today in the outbound lot is the appearance of hundreds of Mode; YL’s and many more Cybercabs and for the 1st time equipped with the Starlink module one the hatch in big numbers.
At… pic.twitter.com/G9yl6s51m4
— Joe Tegtmeyer 🚀 🤠🛸😎 (@JoeTegtmeyer) September 8, 2026
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.
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.
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.”
Hopefully soon in Europe too https://t.co/vqQ69bLJuN
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 8, 2026
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.
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.
Tesla Cybercab might have just rolled out to the public as it entered the company’s Robotaxi suite in Austin this past week. However, the vehicle might already be on its way to becoming even better, as the company is asking riders to describe what they’d like to see improved with the Cybercab.
Tesla sent a rider experience survey to Cybercab passengers only days after paid rides began in Austin. The questionnaire asks how satisfied riders were with the overall trip. Then it requests star ratings for availability and wait time, door functionality, vehicle touchscreen, mobile app experience, seat comfort, interior space, ride comfort, cleanliness, and cargo space.
A later section asks which features riders would most like to have and allows selection of up to three items from a list that includes heated seats, ventilated seats, fully reclining seats, a tray table, a wireless phone charger, a better sound system, and more storage. Respondents may also choose none of these or write in another idea. The survey closes with a recommendation score from zero to ten.
Tesla just sent out a Cybercab rider experience survey so you can give feedback to the team. pic.twitter.com/YsU5OYdAjW
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) September 8, 2026
This rapid request for input illustrates Tesla’s habit of treating early users as collaborators rather than mere customers. The company has long refined vehicles through software updates and hardware changes informed by real-world use across its passenger cars.
Collecting structured opinions so soon after commercial service started shows the same mindset applied to a purpose-built autonomous taxi. The questions themselves reveal an openness to cabin changes even after the first vehicles reached public streets, which is no surprise.
Tesla has always hoped to cater a great experience to anyone in its vehicles, which is why so many fan-requested features have made it into its vehicles.
Replies already circulating online favor reclining seats, tray tables, wireless charging, improved audio, and extra room when seats fold back.
Tesla Cybercabs narrowly miss deadly Amazon cargo plane crash
Those preferences point toward comfort upgrades that Tesla can implement in later production batches or through cabin revisions. Because the Cybercab is designed around software first principles, many requested amenities can arrive faster than in traditional automakers.
Tesla’s willingness to survey riders immediately after launch therefore makes near-term cabin and experience improvements likely as the team reviews responses and iterates toward a more refined robotaxi people will choose daily.
Tesla primes Cybercabs for 4K streaming and high bandwidth gaming with Starlink integration
Elon Musk hints at Tesla Cybercab’s next market
