Lifestyle
Tesla Model 3 takes on Pikes Peak hill climb in performance and range test
An unmodified Tesla Model 3 took on the famed climb to the 14,000-ft summit of Pikes Peak, the site of one of the most intense hill climb events in the automotive world. As noted by the Model 3’s owner, the compact electric car handled the 12.42-mile climb flawlessly, with no signs of performance degradation.
The man behind the wheel of the Model 3 was Peter Lafford, who was featured in a previous article for his stunning and clever mod to his vehicle’s 18-inch Aero Wheels. Peter had taken on Pikes Peak multiple times in the past, several of them driving an internal combustion vehicle. In a conversation with Teslarati, Peter recalled an instance when he and his father had to slow down their car to a crawl just to reach the summit, leaving behind vehicle after vehicle that were stalled on the side of the road.
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- The Tesla Model 3 at the top of Pikes Peak. [Credit: Peter Lafford]
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- A photo taken during the drive up to Pikes Peaks summit. [Credit: Peter Lafford]
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- The Tesla Model 3s Summit Pass for Pikes Peak. [Credit: Peter Lafford]
Being the go-to track for uphill endurance races, Pikes Peak features 156 turns and a change of elevation of almost 5,000 feet. This means that as the car climbs higher, the vehicle gets less oxygen from the thinner air, effectively sapping performance from both vehicle and its driver. In this sense, electric vehicles, whose electric motors do not get affected by low oxygen levels, have an inherent advantage in Pikes Peak. This was proven recently when Volkswagen’s I.D. R vehicle — an electric supercar designed to tackle the hill climb — shattered the all-time record for the Pikes Peak Challenge, reaching the summit in just 7:57.148.
While Peter Laffords’ Pikes Peak run in the Model 3 was limited by speed restrictions for civilian drivers in the area, a video of the drive shows just how well the compact electric car took the turns and the steep climb without breaking a sweat. As could be seen in footage from his run, Peter drove his car spiritedly. He began the hill climb with an 80% battery state of charge and reached the summit with 60%. Using the vehicle’s regenerative braking (set to Standard), he was able to regain 8% worth of range, returning with a 68% state of charge by the time he reached the toll booth at the bottom.
Peter’s climb up to the summit of Pikes Peak stands as yet another feat for Tesla’s compact electric car. Over the past months, the vehicle has started gaining a reputation as a solid electric car that can handle spirited driving for extended periods of time. Just recently, a Model 3 with aftermarket suspension and brakes took the pole position at the Canadian Sport Compact Series Time Attack series, beating a Porsche Boxter and a Mazda RX-8 and finishing 5th overall from a lineup of more than a hundred vehicles.
What’s particularly impressive, however, is the fact that all Model 3 currently on the road today are non-Performance Long Range RWD versions of the electric car. Thus, the automotive world is yet to witness the true capability of a Model 3 that is built from the ground up to be a performance vehicle.
Watch Peter’s silver Model 3 take on the final miles of the Pikes Peak hill climb in the video below.
Lifestyle
Tesla brings perhaps the coolest interior feature to cars in latest update
Tesla adds on to the “fun” aspect of its vehicles.
Tesla has brought perhaps the coolest interior feature to its cars in a new update that is rolling out to vehicles now.
The feature will require a newer vehicle that has interior ambient lighting, which is present on the new Model S, Model X, Model 3 “Highland,” and Model Y “Juniper.” The Cybertruck also has ambient lighting strips throughout.
Tesla Model Y’s ambient lighting design changes revealed in leaked video
With the Version 2025.26+ Software Update, Tesla is rolling out a new “Sync Accent Lights w/ Music” feature, which is available on the Tesla Toybox:
Turn your Tesla into a rave cave with the new Light Sync feature 🎶
Rolling out now in software update 2025.26+ pic.twitter.com/IIsQxZ9jDP
— Tesla (@Tesla) July 29, 2025
To enable the feature, you’ll access the Toybox, choose “Light Sync,” and then choose “Sync Accent Lights w/ Music.”
Although it does not improve the performance of the vehicle, it is yet another example of Tesla making one of the coolest cars out there. This is truly a cool add-on that can be used to impress your friends and family.
Elon Musk
xAI, Musk Foundation helps schools near Memphis supercomputer site
Reports of xAI and the Musk Foundation’s work were recently posted by local news media.
Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence startup xAI and the Musk Foundation have been supporting Memphis-Shelby County Schools with HVAC repairs and facility upgrades, while also funding youth programs for students in the area.
Reports of xAI and the Musk Foundation’s work were recently posted by local news media.
xAI’s school visits lead to facility repairs
Representatives from xAI visited John P. Freeman Optional School, Fairley High School, and Westwood High School, all of which are located near its Colossus supercomputer site, to assess HVAC systems, plumbing, gym facilities, and athletic fields. The visits resulted in a list of priority repairs, some of which were completed in April and May.
In addition to the repairs, xAI also shared a number of initiatives that are planned for students in the area, as stated in a Commercial Appeal report.
“xAI is working on providing STEM workshops for local students, donating equipment to technical training programs, and supporting job fairs to boost employment opportunities. These initiatives reflect xAl’s commitment to fostering education and economic growth in Memphis,” xAI noted in a statement.
Musk Foundation donation
Apart from xAI, the Musk Foundation also donated $350,000 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis, enabling the reopening of two club sites located at Booker T. Washington High School and Westwood High School. Both locations had closed earlier this year due to lapses in funding. As per xAI, the Musk Foundation’s donation allows clubs to reopen for almost 1,000 students.
The donation will fund staffing, supplies, and transportation, among others. “Kids are the future of humanity,” Elon Musk said in a statement, adding that students need “every chance to shoot for the stars.”
“We’re honored to support the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis in reopening these sites, giving kids in underserved communities the tools to build brighter futures,” Musk said.
The gift was praised by local officials, including Boys & Girls Clubs board chair Michael Garriga, who stated that the “commitment will ensure the youth of our community have the opportunities they need to develop their skills and talents to become successful students and future citizens.”
Lifestyle
EV fans urge Tesla to acquire Unplugged Performance for edge in fleet and security industry
Unplugged Performance has built a name for itself by producing performance upgrades for Tesla vehicles.
A growing number of Tesla enthusiasts and longtime community voices are calling on the electric vehicle maker to acquire Unplugged Performance, a California-based aftermarket company best known for tuning Tesla vehicles and developing specialized government fleet solutions under its UP.FIT division.
The idea was once considered a niche proposal among EV fans, but it is now gaining serious attention not just as a performance play but as a strategic move to deepen Tesla’s roots in the fleet and security industry.
A strategic fit
Unplugged Performance has built a name for itself by producing performance upgrades for Tesla vehicles, from track-optimized components to visual and aerodynamic upgrades. But in recent years, its UP.FIT division has pivoted toward a more functional future by outfitting Tesla vehicles like Model Ys for police, military, and government use.
That work has sparked growing calls for closer collaboration with Tesla, especially as the EV maker increasingly leans into autonomy, AI, and fleet services as core components of its next chapter.
“I posted this four years ago, but I think it’s more true now than ever,” wrote Whole Mars Catalog, a well-known Tesla investor and FSD Beta tester, on X. “Tesla should buy Unplugged. But not just as a Performance division. What they are doing with UP.FIT unlocks large government and commercial fleet purchases that can improve utilization.”
Tesla fans such as shareholder Sawyer Merritt echoed the sentiment, calling Unplugged a “great fit within Tesla.” adding, “They are literally located directly next to Tesla’s design studio in Hawthorne.”
Enabling the next wave
Supporters of the idea noted that integrating Unplugged into Tesla’s corporate structure could help accelerate the adoption of autonomous technologies in government sectors. With UP.FIT patrol cars already in use across some U.S. police departments, Tesla fans envisioned a future where self-driving Teslas could potentially revolutionize law enforcement, search-and-rescue, and public service logistics.
“Just imagine how autonomous patrol cars could transform policing and bring us into a safer future,” the veteran FSD tester wrote.
The benefits could also extend to Tesla’s existing consumer base. “They also have some incredible products in the works that I think will appeal to many ordinary Tesla drivers — not just those looking for performance or mods. Stuff that’s so good it should have come straight from the design studio next door,” Whole Mars Catalog noted.
Unplugged Performance, founded in 2013, shares not just a product vision with Tesla, but also geography. Its Hawthorne headquarters sits directly adjacent to Tesla’s design studio, and the two companies have maintained a close working relationship over the years. The aftermarket firm has long positioned itself as a “mission-aligned” partner to Tesla.
In response to the recent calls for acquisition, Unplugged Performance acknowledged the support from the community. “Our very existence is to support the Tesla mission with @UpfitTesla and @UnpluggedTesla,” Unplugged CEO Ben Schaffer posted on X. “We love working with Tesla and are grateful for the community’s support since 2013!”
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