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Tesla Model 3 mule spotted with interesting cameras ahead of Robotaxi unveil

Credit: Teslarati via Blake M.

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A Tesla Model 3 mule with very interesting cameras placed in several notable locations was spotted in Northern California ahead of the Robotaxi Unveiling Event in less than a month.

The Tesla Robotaxi will enable driverless ride-sharing and vehicle operation when it eventually hits the market, but there will be a new, next-generation platform upon which the car is built.

Ahead of the unveiling, Tesla seems to be testing several camera locations that could be utilized for Robotaxi performance assessments on the new Model 3 “Highland” design.

These images were shared with me through Blake M., a reader and friend of mine who lives in California:

As you can see, there are three very interesting camera locations on this mule:

Rear Bumper:

B-Pillar and Side Repeater on Interesting Angle:

Front Bumper:

You’ll also notice that this vehicle is void of side mirrors, something Tesla was adamant on doing with the Cybertruck.

What it could be before the 8/8 Robotaxi Unveiling

Speculation is all we have to go on with this sighting, but with the timing of the vehicle appearing on public roads with these interesting camera locations, it seems Tesla could be preparing for the imminent unveiling of its Robotaxi for the event. Tesla has always used on-road and public road testing to gather more information about a soon-to-be-released product.

This is perhaps the most groundbreaking development in the Tesla story in some time. The Robotaxi fleet would not only enable driverless ride-sharing for owners to profit from, but it would also complete the Full Self-Driving suite.

We have to remember that Tesla is still a ways away from this, and it could be solved in one year or five years. It truly all depends on the suite’s development and how quickly a driverless, Level 5 Robotaxi could operate in traffic.

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Tesla will officially offload its Robotaxi to the public on August 8. Until then, we will continue to dig for the latest developments in the Robotaxi’s development.

I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.

Joey has been a journalist covering electric mobility at TESLARATI since August 2019. In his spare time, Joey is playing golf, watching MMA, or cheering on any of his favorite sports teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles, Miami Heat, Washington Capitals, and Penn State Nittany Lions. You can get in touch with joey at joey@teslarati.com. He is also on X @KlenderJoey. If you're looking for great Tesla accessories, check out shop.teslarati.com

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Tesla just teased something crazy with the next Full Self-Driving update

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Credit: Tesla Europe & Middle East | X

Tesla just teased something crazy with the next Full Self-Driving update, which will be released to Early Access Program (EAP) members today.

Tesla just recently released the v14 Full Self-Driving update, and it followed up just a few days later with v14.1.1.

The subsequent release helped refine a handful of things, especially an issue with stuttering at intersections and overall indecisiveness, but it was more of a smoothing over of the initial v14.1 Full Self-Driving release.

However, on Wednesday evening, Tesla’s Head of AI, Ashok Elluswamy, said that the company would be releasing v14.1.2 to EAP members today, and that it would “debut a much-awaited feature.”

He followed that up with a racecar emoji and a smoke emoji, potentially hinting toward something speed-related. However, it could mean something totally different.

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Some suggested it was potentially a new Speed Profile that could rank above the “Hurry” option, but that seems unnecessary. As far as other features that have been teased, one that definitely comes to mind is the “Banish” feature that was recently teased by CEO Elon Musk.

Banish is essentially the finishing touch to Tesla’s Actually Smart Summon (ASS), which launched earlier this year.

While ASS will bring your car to your location using the Tesla app on your phone, Banish does just the opposite by dropping you off at the door of your destination and finding a parking spot on its own.

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Elon Musk teases ‘Banish’ feature to pair perfectly with Summon

This was recently teased by Musk yet again, as he said earlier this month that Full Self-Driving would be capable of it very soon.

Based on what we’ve seen out of v14.1 and v14.1.1, there is some potential that Banish could be released and could be the feature that Elluswamy is hinting toward, although there is no direct evidence of that.

Luckily, I was able to get into the EAP, so as the feature is released and the Release Notes are available, we’ll be able to report on exactly what feature is on the way.

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Tesla benefits from new incentive program that’s active after tax credit loss

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(Credit: Tesla)

Tesla benefits from an incentive program in Texas that has become active following the loss of the $7,500 EV tax credit, which was a significant advantage for EV drivers.

In Texas, the State Commission on Environmental Quality has a grant program for light-duty motor vehicles that are either purchased or leased by consumers.

Referred to as the Light-Duty Motor Vehicle Purchase or Lease Incentive Program (LDPLIP), the program opened on October 13 and provides grants for consumers who want to buy new energy vehicles.

Will Tesla thrive without the EV tax credit? Five reasons why they might

The program allows for grants of up to $2,500 for electric or hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

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These are the eligibility criteria:

  • Individuals or entities who purchase or lease an eligible vehicle on or after September 1, 2025, and who apply for or acquire title and registration of the vehicle in Texas
  • Applicants must have taken possession of the vehicle before applying
  • Applicants must commit to operating and registering the vehicle in Texas for at least one year

Additionally, the car must:

  • Be included on the TCEQ Eligible Vehicle List
  • Be new and must not have been the subject of any prior retail sale or lease
  • Have a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or less

They are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.

The good news is that Tesla’s entire vehicle lineup, as of October 7, qualifies. Here is what the LDPLIP’s list of qualifying vehicles shows for Tesla:

  • Tesla Cybertruck AWD
  • Tesla Cybertruck Beast
  • Tesla Model S AWD
  • Tesla Model S Plaid
  • Tesla Model X AWD
  • Tesla Model X Plaid
  • Tesla Model Y Long Range RWD
  • Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD
  • Tesla Model Y Performance
  • Tesla Model 3 Long Range RWD
  • Tesla Model 3 Long Range AWD
  • Tesla Model 3 Performance

This list was published during the day of October 7, which is coincidentally the same day Tesla launched its Tesla Model 3 ‘Standard’ and Tesla Model Y ‘Standard.’

We reached out to the program to confirm that these vehicles qualify for that grant, and we will update when we hear back.

With the loss of the Federal EV Tax Credit, local programs are still available to help with the cost of an EV. Although electric cars are affordable, there are benefits to choosing one, especially as these grant programs continue to become available.

The full list of vehicles that qualify for the grant is available here.

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Tesla’s pay package saga with Elon Musk enters its final chapter

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tesla elon musk

Tesla has made a last-ditch effort to secure the $56 billion pay package for CEO Elon Musk, which was approved twice by company shareholders, after a Delaware Chancery Court denied the frontman the payday.

Perhaps one of the biggest issues from a standpoint of being fluent in Tesla-related events has been Musk’s pay package.

It was approved by shareholders once in 2018, and required Musk to oversee various growth tranches that would bring investors value. He completed each of the tranches and was entitled to the pay package.

However, the Delaware Chancery Court decided in January 2024 to rescind the pay package, which Musk had earned, based on a suit filed by a shareholder.

Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick ruled that Tesla’s board lacked independence from Musk when the pay package was approved in 2018, and that it should not be granted.

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She called it “an unfathomable sum.”

In response to the pay package’s rejection by Chancellor McCormick, Tesla held a second shareholder vote last year, which once again showed investors were willing to support Musk’s payday. It was approved by shareholders, but it was once again denied by the court.

Today, Tesla attorneys argued to the Delaware Supreme Court that the pay package should be restored because of last year’s vote by shareholders.

Jeffrey Wall, an attorney for Tesla, said (via Reuters):

“This was the most informed stockholder vote in Delaware history. Reaffirming that would resolve this case. Shareholders in 2024 knew exactly what they were voting.”

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In a response to the decision by the Delaware courts last year, Tesla proposed a new pay package for Musk in September, which would give him a potentially $1 trillion compensation plan. It would require Musk to help Tesla reach several performance-based growth milestones, including achieving an $8.5 trillion market cap.

Elon Musk’s new pay plan ties trillionaire status to Tesla’s $8.5 trillion valuation

Musk is currently worth $483 billion, making him the richest person in the world. If he were to achieve his pay package tranches, granted the new pay package is passed at the Shareholder Meeting in November, he would easily be the first trillionaire.

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