Connect with us

News

Tesla offers Model 3 Performance buyers free unlimited Supercharging in latest referral program update

Published

on

Tesla has updated the details for its latest Referral Program to include Model 3 Performance as a vehicle that’s eligible for incentives when purchased through a referral code. In addition, Tesla has extended free unlimited Supercharging to Model S and Model X purchases made between August 1 and September 16, which also includes Model 3 Performance. 

With a new Referral Program in place, owners can give five of their referrals free unlimited Supercharging with the purchase of a Model S, Model X, or Model 3 Performance. Vehicles purchased before September 16 would enjoy the full, unlimited fast-charging perk for the lifetime of the vehicle under its original ownership. After September 16, Tesla would be limiting unlimited Supercharging to one year for the Model S, Model X, and Model 3 Performance. The limits of the new Referral Program also indicate that all Model 3 Performance orders placed before August 1, 2018 would be given unlimited Supercharging, including vehicles not purchased through a referral code. This is the first time Model 3 buyers are being offered free use of the company’s global network of Superchargers.

Tesla has been rolling out a Referral Program for Model 3 owners over the past few months, though some owners were only able to receive their referral codes recently. Ultimately, the updated Referral Program features benefits designed specifically for the growing Model 3 community, but it also comes with a time limit. If the company does follow through and retires the program after September 16, it will only be a matter of time before new owners of Tesla’s vehicles, including its flagship Model S and X, would have to pay for Supercharging.

Tesla’s introduction of rewards directly linked to the Model 3 Performance appears to be the electric car maker’s latest way of upselling the vehicle to reservation holders. Considering that the company is pushing for profitability this third quarter, every order of the Model 3 Performance, which starts at $64,000, would likely help Tesla become profitable this Q3. The Model 3, after all, has been found to the profitable, with a recent teardown and analysis of the vehicle from Detroit veteran Sandy Munro revealing that the electric car’s Long Range RWD variant exceeds 30% profit. The Model 3 Performance, being priced higher, would most likely give Tesla even more.

Apart from the introduction of free unlimited Supercharging to the Model 3 Performance, Tesla’s updated Referral Program still features much of the same perks as before. The following is a breakdown of referral awards for participating Tesla owners.

Advertisement
-

1 to 2 Qualifying Referrals

  • Signature Black Wall Connector – This item is only available under the Referral Program. Shipping started in July 2018.
  • Founders Series Tesla Model S for Kids – This item is a miniature version of the Tesla Model S, complete with working headlights, a sound system, and even a working charge port. Anecdotes from the Tesla community note that the large box of the Model S for Kids fits perfectly at the back of the family sedan with the rear seats folded down.

3 Qualifying Referrals

  • Early Access Token for Solar Roof – Customers who opt for this perk would get early access and priority scheduling for Solar Roof installations, which already begun earlier this year. This perk could be given to a friend.

4 Qualifying Referrals

  • 21” Arachnid Wheels for Model S or 22” Turbine Wheels for Model X — Wheels designed to improve the performance of the Model S and X.
  • One Week with Model S or Model X – The Teslas used for this perk could be used on a road trip. Customers who opt to not use this reward can give this to a friend.

5 Qualifying Referrals

  • Tesla Unveiling Invitation – Owners who reach five referral orders will be invited to a future unveiling event. The VIP invitation is valid for the Tesla owner and one guest.
  • Founders Series Powerwall 2 – This home battery storage unit features a unique red color scheme. 

Tesla is also extending its Race an Electric Semi Truck referral award. Just like before, the person who can get the most number of friends to sign up for Tesla’s newsletter would have the opportunity to race the Tesla Semi around the company’s test track.

Referral rewards for Tesla Solar have also been extended with the updated program. Owners could give their referrals a 5-year extended limited warranty on new solar energy system installations. One to four qualifying referrals would give Tesla owners $400 cash of $750 credit per installed referrals. Five qualifying referrals gives owners a free Founders Series Powerwall 2 battery.

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.

Advertisement
Comments

Cybertruck

Tesla Cybertruck windshield protection just got cheaper

Published

on

Credit: Tesla

Tesla is lowering the monthly price of its Cybertruck Windshield Protection Plan from $35 to $25. The new rate will apply to the first payment on or after October 1, 2026. Tesla has told subscribers that all other benefits stay the same.

The plan covers unlimited repairs for chips and minor cracks on the front windshield. It also includes one full replacement every 12 months at no extra charge. Additional replacements in the same year carry a $100 deductible. Service is performed with Tesla glass and camera calibration, which matters because Autopilot and Full Self-Driving rely on those lenses behind the windshield.

There is no long-term contract. Coverage applies only to the front glass and does not include collision, vandalism, or weather damage.

Advertisement
-

The Cybertruck’s large, complex windshield has been more expensive to replace than glass on Tesla’s cars, which is why the pickup started at a higher subscription price. The $10 monthly cut reduces the annual cost from $420 to $300. Tesla has not publicly explained the change. The timing coincides with a year of claims data after the plan was extended to the Cybertruck.

Tesla sells several related protection products as monthly subscriptions through the Tesla app. The Windshield Protection Plan is also offered on other models. Model 3 and Model Y currently cost $16 a month. Those passenger-car rates are unchanged in the latest Cybertruck notice.

The Wheel and Tire Protection Plan covers road-hazard damage such as potholes, nails, and debris. Repairs are unlimited. Each wheel or tire replacement appointment has a $25 deductible. Pricing varies by model and whether the vehicle is a Performance version. Tesla is raising some of those rates on the same October 1 date.

Reported examples include Model 3 Performance moving from $16 to $24 and Model Y Performance from $20 to $24. Cybertruck wheel-and-tire coverage has been listed at $20 a month for the standard configuration.

A separate Luxe Package bundles four years of windshield coverage, wheel-and-tire coverage, and recommended maintenance on certain new Model S, Model X, and Cyberbeast orders, although the Model S and X are now defunct.

Tesla also offers an Extended Service Agreement after the basic vehicle warranty ends. That product covers many Tesla-manufactured parts rather than glass or tires. Together, the plans give owners a menu of targeted, cancel-anytime coverage instead of relying only on auto insurance.

Advertisement
-
Continue Reading

News

Tesla Cybercab fleet grows in Austin ahead of launch event

Published

on

Credit: Teslarati

UPDATE: The number has now been updated to 45 units, up from 7!

Tesla is bolstering its Cybercab fleet with the State of Texas’s regulatory bodies ahead of the planned launch of the all-electric ride-hailing vehicle this Thursday.

Seven purpose-built Tesla Cybercabs have been added to Texas’s official automated vehicle registry, appearing in the Texas Motor Carrier Credentialing System (TxMCCS) public lookup just three days before Tesla’s invite-only Cybercab launch event in Austin on September 3.

Advertisement
-

The records, visible through TxDMV’s Motor Carrier and Automated Motor Vehicle Operator Lookup, list seven 2026 Tesla Cybercabs under Tesla Robotaxi, LLC. Their VINs begin with the 5YJA prefix, distinct from the 7SAYG Model Y robotaxis that already dominate Tesla’s Texas fleet.

Community trackers that scrape the same public database recorded the new entries on August 31, bringing Tesla’s authorized Texas robotaxi total to 276 vehicles: 269 Model Ys and the seven Cybercabs:

Texas Senate Bill 2807, which took effect in late May 2026, created a self-certification framework for commercial Level 4 operations. Operators file through TxMCCS, attest to SAE Level 4 capability, maintain insurance, and keep an active vehicle list.

Advertisement
-

Tesla completed that process months earlier for its existing Model Y Robotaxi service, which has carried paying passengers in Austin, Dallas, Houston and other markets. Adding the Cybercabs to the same authorization means the new two-seat, steering-wheel-free vehicles are now legally recognized for commercial use on Texas roads.

The timing is deliberate as Tesla scheduled the September 3 event at its Austin campus after sending invitations to selected Robotaxi riders and other guests. The company has described the evening as a chance to “experience the future of full autonomy” and plans to livestream it.

Production Cybercabs, which lack pedals and a steering wheel, have been rolling off the Giga Texas line for months; some earlier examples still carried temporary driver controls for data collection. Registering a small fleet of the finished design immediately before the public event signals that Tesla intends to move the purpose-built vehicle from factory and test tracks into the same Robotaxi app already used by Model Y passengers.

The seven units remain a tiny fraction of Tesla’s overall Texas authorization and far smaller than competing fleets. Registration does not automatically equal unsupervised public rides; it is the legal prerequisite.

Still, the sudden appearance of Cybercab VINs in the state’s lookup system, after a year of Model Y-only listings, is the clearest official confirmation yet that Tesla’s dedicated robotaxi hardware is entering the regulatory pipeline at the same moment the company is preparing to show it to invited guests and a global livestream audience.

Whether those seven vehicles appear at the September 3 event or begin carrying passengers shortly afterward, their presence in TxMCCS marks a concrete regulatory step that has been anticipated since the Cybercab concept was first revealed.

Advertisement
-
Continue Reading

News

Tesla expands driverless Robotaxi geofence in Austin

Published

on

Credit: @JoeTegtmeyer/X

Tesla has expanded the operational geofence for its driverless Robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, marking the first such increase in some time. The updated Service Area for Robotaxi in Austin now spans about 288 square miles and is roughly 9 percent larger than the previous boundary.

This incremental growth adds approximately 24 square miles of coverage, bringing the prior zone of roughly 264 square miles into a broader footprint that better serves northern suburbs.

The expansion extends the geofence northward toward Pflugerville along the US 183 corridor, incorporating additional neighborhoods north of the Domain and areas such as Mesa Park. These additions include higher-end residential and commercial districts that previously sat just outside the allowed operating zone.

Riders can now request unsupervised trips that begin or end in these newly included locations, provided the entire route remains inside the digital boundary:

Tesla first launched public Robotaxi operations in Austin in mid-2025 with a modest initial zone of about 20 square miles. Subsequent enlargements in 2025 and early 2026 steadily grew the map until it covered much of the metropolitan area.

After the last major update roughly ten months earlier, the company held the boundary steady while it collected additional miles and refined the FSD suite.

The modest nine percent increase still matters for daily utility. Longer trips become possible, more residents gain access, and the fleet can accumulate more diverse real-world data across new road types and traffic patterns. Observers note that the added territory aligns with existing Tesla service infrastructure, which could support more efficient vehicle staging in the North end of Austin.

Although the geofence has grown, Tesla continues to operate a relatively small unsupervised fleet in the city. The company has emphasized safety and software readiness over rapid geographic scaling. This latest map update signals that Tesla remains committed to expanding Robotaxi availability in its home market as it prepares for further software improvements and potential Cybercab deployments.

The 288-square-mile zone now gives Austin riders one of the larger driverless service areas currently available in the United States.

Advertisement
-
Continue Reading