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First Tesla Model 3 Performance VBOX test yields 0-60 mph in 3.32 seconds

[Credit: My Tesla Adventure/Instagram]

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The Tesla Model 3 Performance is intended to be a vehicle that is quick off the line and balanced enough to endure extended track driving.

Videos of the Model 3 Performance doing acceleration runs began to emerge online almost immediately after the company began to offer test drives in select showrooms across the US. A Model 3 Performance test drive unit from Tesla’s Costa Mesa Sales & Delivery Center in Orange County, CA was filmed doing a 0-60 mph run in 4 seconds flat while carrying four adults. More recently, Tesla owner-enthusiast Erik Strait, better known as the host of YouTube’s DÆrik channel, also shared a video showcasing the Model 3 Performance’s 0-60 mph acceleration

Tesla enthusiast Eli of My Tesla Adventure was able to get behind the wheel of a fully stock Model 3 Performance earlier this week. Eli noted that he was able to use his VBOX, a device that measures a vehicle’s acceleration, speed, and overall stats during a specific run, when he took the Model 3 Performance for a spin. While a video is unavailable as per the electric car owner’s request, the YouTube host was able to share the data gathered by his VBOX in social media. Following are screenshots from the My Tesla Adventure host’s VBOX app on his smartphone.

The Model 3 Performance’s VBOX data during a 0-60 mph run. [Credit: My Tesla Adventure/Instagram]

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As could be seen in the Model 3 Performance’s VBOX data, the electric car was able to hit the 60 mph mark in 3.32 seconds, the speed mentioned by Elon Musk when he tweeted about the vehicle’s optimum performance. According to Musk, the electric car’s 20″ Performance Wheels and Michelin Pilot Sport 4S summer tires are balanced for speed and range. Musk suggested that thicker and stickier tires at the rear of the Model 3 Performance should help the vehicle lower its 0-60 mph time to 3.3 seconds. If the recent VBOX data is any indication, however, it seems like a 3.3-second 0-60 mph run is already possible even if the vehicle is completely stock.

Tesla tends to underrate its electric cars’ performance figures. When the Long Range RWD Model 3 started making its way to reservation holders, racing enthusiasts such as Brooks of DragTimes were able to get 0-60 times in the 4.5-second range, far quicker than Tesla’s listed 0-60 time of 5.1 seconds for the vehicle. Over the past few months, however, it appears like Tesla has adjusted the Long Range RWD Model 3’s acceleration, with the sedan’s 0-60 mph performance now being more consistent to Tesla’s 5.1-second estimate. In a recent update on the r/TeslaMotors subreddit, Model 3 Dual Motor AWD owner u/Cynapse noted that his electric car showed a 0-60 mph time of 4.33 seconds with 18″ Aero Wheels. Tesla’s specs for the vehicle list a 0-60 mph time of 4.5 seconds.

During Tesla’s Q2 2018 earnings call, Tesla worldwide head of sales Robin Ren stated that orders for the Model 3 Performance and the Dual Motor AWD have been encouraging, and interest for the vehicle even among non-reservation holders remain high. With Tesla now delivering the Model 3 Performance and Dual Motor AWD to customers, it would only be a matter of time before the electric cars are analyzed by VBOX data on the track. 

For now, here is a video of a Tesla Model 3 Performance doing a 0-60 mph run on a freeway as measured by Dragy, another performance-measuring device. The electric car, whose battery was at the low 80s during the run, was equipped with Tesla’s stock 18″ wheel package with Aero hubcaps off.

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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.

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Tesla Full Self-Driving shows stunning maneuver in Europe to silence skeptics

In a striking demonstration of autonomous driving prowess, Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) system recently showcased its capabilities on the narrow rural roads of the Netherlands. Captured in two in-car videos, the system encountered scenarios that would challenge even the most experienced human drivers.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla Full Self-Driving, fresh on the heels of its approval for operation on European roads for the first time, showed off a stunning maneuver that will certainly silence any skeptics on the continent.

Fresh off its approval in the Netherlands, Full Self-Driving is working toward a significant expansion into more parts of Europe.

In a striking demonstration of autonomous driving prowess, Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) system recently showcased its capabilities on the narrow rural roads of the Netherlands. Captured in two in-car videos, the system encountered scenarios that would challenge even the most experienced human drivers.

In the first clip, a wide tractor occupied more than half the lane on a tight two-way road. Rather than braking abruptly or forcing a collision risk, FSD smoothly edged the vehicle onto the adjacent bike path—using the extra space with precision—before seamlessly returning to the lane once clear.

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The second clip was equally demanding: while overtaking a group of cyclists, an oncoming car approached at speed.

FSD maintained a safe, minimal buffer to the cyclists while timing the pass perfectly, avoiding any swerve or hesitation that could unsettle passengers or other road users.

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This maneuver highlights FSD’s advanced spatial reasoning and predictive planning. On roads often under three meters wide, with no room for error, the system calculated available clearance in real time, incorporated shoulder and path geometry, and executed a controlled deviation without compromising safety.

It treated the bike path as a legitimate extension of navigable space, something many drivers might hesitate to do, while respecting Dutch road norms and cyclist priority.

Such feats align closely with a growing library of impressive FSD maneuvers documented on camera worldwide.

In urban Amsterdam, for instance, FSD has navigated the world’s densest cyclist environments, weaving through hundreds of unpredictable bike movements on canal-side streets with tram tracks and pedestrians.

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One uncut drive showed it yielding smoothly at crossings, overtaking where needed, and even handling a near-perfect auto-park in a tight residential spot, demonstrating the same low-speed precision seen in the rural clips.

Teslas using FSD have tackled turbo roundabouts in the Netherlands, complex multi-lane circles notorious for geometry challenges, merging confidently while yielding to traffic. Similar clips depict smooth handling of construction zones, emergency vehicle pull-overs, and gated parking barriers, where the car stops precisely, waits for clearance, and proceeds without driver input.

Collectively, these examples illustrate FSD’s evolution toward handling the unpredictable.

The rural Netherlands maneuvers aren’t isolated. Instead, they reflect a pattern of spatial awareness, cyclist deference, and traffic anticipation seen from city streets to highways.

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As FSD continues refining through real-world data, videos like this one are certainly building a compelling case for its readiness on Europe’s varied roads.

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Tesla utilizes its ‘Rave Cave’ for new awesome safety feature

Part of the massive interior overhaul of both the Model 3 “Highland” and Model Y “Juniper” was the addition of interior accent lighting to help bring out the mood of the vehicle, increase the customization of the interior, and to create a unique listening experience.

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Credit: Tesla | X

Tesla is utilizing its ‘Rave Cave’ for an awesome new safety feature that will arrive with the upcoming Spring Update for 2026.

Part of the massive interior overhaul of both the Model 3 “Highland” and Model Y “Juniper” was the addition of interior accent lighting to help bring out the mood of the vehicle, increase the customization of the interior, and to create a unique listening experience.

Tesla added a Sync Lights feature that will strobe the accent strips with the beat of the music.

It is one of the most unique and one of the coolest non-functional features of a Tesla, as it does not improve the driving of the vehicle, but makes it a cool and personal addition to the interior.

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However, Tesla is going to take it one step further, as the Rave Cave lights will now be used for blind spot recognition. This feature will be added as the Spring 2026 Update starts to roll out.

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Tesla writes:

“Accent lights now turn red when an object is in your blind spot and your turn signal is engaged, or when an approaching object is detected while parked.”

This neat new safety feature will now increase the likelihood of a driver, who is operating their Tesla manually, of seeing the blind spot warnings that are currently available on the A pillar and on the center touchscreen.

These new alerts will now warn drivers of cross traffic as they back out of a parking space with little to no visibility of what is coming. It is a great new addition that will only increase the safety of the vehicles, while also utilizing something that is already installed in these specific Model 3 and Model Y units.

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The Model 3 and Model Y were the central focus of the Spring 2026 Update, especially considering the fact that the Model S and Model X are basically gone, with only a few hundred units left. Additionally, Tesla included new Immersive Sound and Car Visualization for the Model 3 and Model Y specifically in this new update.

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Tesla parked 50+ Cybercabs outside its Texas Factory with some crash tested

Dozens of Tesla Cybercabs have been spotted at Giga Texas crash testing facility ahead of launch.

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Tesla Cybercab fleet spotted at Gigafactory Texas [Credit: Joe Tegtmeyer)
Tesla Cybercab fleet spotted at Gigafactory Texas on April 13, 2026 [Credit: Joe Tegtmeyer)

Drone footage captured by longtime Giga Texas observer Joe Tegtmeyer shows over 50 units of Tesla Cybercab at the Austin factory campus, including several units clustered by Tesla’s on-site crash testing facility.

The outbound lot at Gigafactory Texas sits just outside the factory exit and serves as the primary staging area where finished vehicles are held before being loaded onto transport carriers or dispatched for validation testing. On any given day, the lot holds a mix of Model Y and Cybertruck units alongside the growing Tesla Cybercab fleet, as can be seen in the drone footage captured by Joe Tegtmeyer.

Tesla Cybercab fleet spotted at Gigafactory Texas [Credit: Joe Tegtmeyer)

Tesla Cybercab fleet spotted at Gigafactory Texas on April 13, 2026 [Credit: Joe Tegtmeyer)

Roughly 50 Cybercab units are visible across the campus, parked in tight organized rows. Most of the units visible still carry steering wheels and pedals, temporary additions Tesla included to satisfy current safety regulations while the vehicles accumulate real-world data ahead of full regulatory approval for a steering wheel-free design.

Tesla Cybercab fleet spotted at Gigafactory Texas [Credit: Joe Tegtmeyer)

Tesla Cybercab fleet spotted at Gigafactory Texas [Credit: Joe Tegtmeyer)

Tesla operates dedicated Crash Labs at both its Giga Texas and Fremont facilities that are purpose-built for controlled structural crash tests. Historically, automakers begin intensive crash testing roughly one to two months before volume production kicks off. The Cybertruck followed almost exactly that pattern. The Cybercab appears to be on the same track facility that we first saw back in October 2025.

Tesla Cybercab crash test units spotted at Gigafactory Texas [Credit: Joe Tegtmeyer)

Tesla Cybercab crash test units spotted at Gigafactory Texas [Credit: Joe Tegtmeyer)

The first production Cybercab rolled off the Giga Texas line on February 17, 2026. Volume production is now targeted for April. Musk previously wrote on X that “the early production rate will be agonizingly slow, but eventually end up being insanely fast,” and separately stated Tesla is targeting at least 2 million Cybercab units per year. Commercial robotaxi service in Austin is targeted for late 2026.

 

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