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Tesla Model 3 protects owner by shaking off near-crash with swerving semi
A Tesla owner is thanking her Model 3’s safety features and stability after a near-miss with a swerving semitrailer in Nebraska. The harrowing incident resulted in the Model 3 fishtailing at high speed and driving into a median, then finding its traction and getting back on the road — grass, mud, bugs and all.
Vivianna Van Deerlin was driving her Long Range RWD Model 3 about 70 miles from Lincoln NE on I-80 when she encountered an unsettling sight on the road. Ahead of her, a massive semitrailer was swerving from side to side. She tried to overtake the semi carefully, but just as she was midway through the maneuver, the large truck swerved into her lane. The Model 3 was on Autopilot then, and she opted to take control of the vehicle to avoid the truck.
This caused her to fishtail and skid into the median. The incident happened while the Model 3 was traveling at 80 mph, but despite this speed, the vehicle refused to spin or roll over. Covered in grass from top to bottom, the car was able to get back on the road without any problems. None of the Model 3’s passengers were harmed, and the sedan proved tough enough to drive all the way to a service center where it could be checked for any needed repairs.
Looking at pictures of the aftermath and footage of the incident, it was evident that the Model 3 owner escaped what could very well have been a serious accident. Unfortunately, the video also revealed that the driver of the semitrailer, which caused the incident, didn’t stop to check up on the Model 3 or its passengers. It just drove on, seemingly oblivious of what transpired behind it.
The Tesla owner credits several aspects of her Model 3 for saving her and her husband’s life during the close call with the semi. She noted that her vehicle showed remarkable stability as she drove into the median thanks to its low center of gravity, and it promptly gained traction as soon as she floored it to avoid getting stuck on the muddy grass. Particularly notable was that the vehicle was an RWD version, which only had one electric motor.
In hindsight, Vivian noted that she might not have driven into the median had she not disengaged Autopilot. Past videos of Autopilot avoiding accidents, after all, show that the driver-assist system might have avoided the swerving semi without leaving the road. “Probably would’ve been better off letting AP continue but hard to know that in the moment. My reflexes just took over when the truck crossed over the white line, unfortunately there just wasn’t any shoulder to move into,” she wrote in an update on Twitter.
Fortunately, the vehicle incurred no damages from its grassy encounter. There was a ton of grass to be cleaned out and some remarkable dashcam footage to save, but apart from these, the Model 3 was completely fine.
Vivianna Van Deerlin is an active member of the Tesla community, organizing the Tesla Boot Camp program for new electric car owners. She and her husband Peter are also longtime Tesla owners, being one of the customers who placed a reservation for the Model S back in 2009 and taking delivery of the sedan in 2012. Apart from her Long Range RWD Model 3, she and her husband also own a Model 3 Performance and a rather rare 2010 Tesla Roadster Sport. In this particular trip, the Van Deerlins were taking a 3,000-mile journey from New Jersey to California to give their Long Range RWD Model 3 to their son. Thanks to the durability of the Model 3, the parents’ journey will continue.
Tesla will increase its Full Self-Driving subscription price, meaning it will eventually be more than the current $99 per month price tag it has right now.
Already stating that the ability to purchase the suite outright will be removed, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said earlier this week that the Full Self-Driving subscription price would increase when its capabilities improve:
“I should also mention that the $99/month for supervised FSD will rise as FSD’s capabilities improve. The massive value jump is when you can be on your phone or sleeping for the entire ride (unsupervised FSD).”
This was an expected change, especially as Tesla has been hinting for some time that it is approaching a feature-complete version of Full Self-Driving that will no longer require driver supervision. However, with the increase, some are concerned that they may be priced out.
$99 per month is already a tough ask for some. While Full Self-Driving is definitely worth it just due to the capabilities, not every driver is ready to add potentially 50 percent to their car payment each month to have it.
While Tesla has not revealed any target price for FSD, it does seem that it will go up to at least $150.
I should also mention that the $99/month for supervised FSD will rise as FSD’s capabilities improve.
The massive value jump is when you can be on your phone or sleeping for the entire ride (unsupervised FSD). https://t.co/YDKhXN3aaG
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 23, 2026
Additionally, the ability to purchase the suite outright is also being eliminated on February 14, which gives owners another reason to be slightly concerned about whether they will be able to afford to continue paying for Full Self-Driving in any capacity.
Some owners have requested a tiered program, which would allow people to pay for the capabilities they want at a discounted price.
Unsupervised FSD would be the most expensive, and although the company started removing Autopilot from some vehicles, it seems a Supervised FSD suite would still attract people to pay between $49 and $99 per month, as it is very useful.
Tesla will likely release pricing for the Unsupervised suite when it is available, but price increases could still come to the Supervised version as things improve.
This is not the first time Musk has hinted that the price would change with capability improvements, either. He’s been saying it for some time. In 2020, he even said the value of FSD would “probably be somewhere in excess of $100,000.”
The FSD price will continue to rise as the software gets closer to full self-driving capability with regulatory approval. It that point, the value of FSD is probably somewhere in excess of $100,000.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 18, 2020
Tesla has chosen to axe the ability to purchase Full Self-Driving outright from a select group of cars just days after CEO Elon Musk announced the company had plans to eliminate that option in February.
The company is making a clear-cut stand that it will fully transition away from the ability to purchase the Full Self-Driving suite outright, a move that has brought differing opinions throughout the Tesla community.
Earlier this week, the company also announced that it will no longer allow buyers to purchase Full Self-Driving outright when ordering a pre-owned vehicle from inventory. Instead, that will be available for $99 per month, the same price that it costs for everyone else.
The ability to buy the suite for $8,000 for a one-time fee at the time of order has been removed:
NEWS: Tesla no longer allows buyers to purchase FSD outright in the U.S. when ordering a pre-owned vehicle directly from inventory. Tesla now gives you the option to either subscribe for $99/month, or purchase FSD outright after taking delivery (available until February 14th). pic.twitter.com/1xZ0BVG4JB
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) January 23, 2026
This is a major move because it is the first time Tesla is eliminating the ability to purchase FSD outright for one flat fee to any of its vehicles, at least at the time of purchase.
It is trying to phase out the outright purchase option as much as it can, preparing people for the subscription-based service it will exclusively offer starting on February 14.
In less than a month, it won’t be available on any vehicle, which has truly driven some serious conversation from Tesla owners throughout the community.
There’s a conflict, because many believe that they will now lose the ability to buy FSD and not pay for it monthly, which is an attractive offer. However, others believe, despite paying $8,000 for FSD, that they will have to pay more money on top of that cost to get the unsupervised suite.
Additionally, CEO Elon Musk said that the FSD suite’s subscription price would increase over time as capabilities increase, which is understandable, but is also quite a conflict for those who spent thousands to have what was once promised to them, and now they may have to pay even more money.
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Tesla Robotaxi has a highly-requested hardware feature not available on typical Model Ys
These camera washers are crucial for keeping the operation going, as they are the sole way Teslas operate autonomously. The cameras act as eyes for the car to drive, recognize speed limit and traffic signs, and travel safely.
Tesla Robotaxi has a highly-requested hardware feature that is not available on typical Model Ys that people like you and me bring home after we buy them. The feature is something that many have been wanting for years, especially after the company adopted a vision-only approach to self-driving.
After Tesla launched driverless Robotaxi rides to the public earlier this week in Austin, people have been traveling to the Lone Star State in an effort to hopefully snag a ride from one of the few vehicles in the fleet that are now no longer required to have Safety Monitors present.
BREAKING: Tesla launches public Robotaxi rides in Austin with no Safety Monitor
Although only a few of those completely driverless rides are available, there have been some new things seen on these cars that are additions from regular Model Ys, including the presence of one new feature: camera washers.
With the Model Y, there has been a front camera washer, but the other exterior “eyes” have been void of any solution for this. For now, owners are required to clean them manually.
In Austin, Tesla is doing things differently. It is now utilizing camera washers on the side repeater and rear bumper cameras, which will keep the cameras clean and keep operation as smooth and as uninterrupted as possible:
🚨 Tesla looks to have installed Camera Washers on the side repeater cameras on Robotaxis in Austin
pic.twitter.com/xemRtDtlRR— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) January 23, 2026
Rear Camera Washer on Tesla Robotaxi pic.twitter.com/P9hgGStHmV
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) January 24, 2026
These camera washers are crucial for keeping the operation going, as they are the sole way Teslas operate autonomously. The cameras act as eyes for the car to drive, recognize speed limit and traffic signs, and travel safely.
This is the first time we are seeing them, so it seems as if Safety Monitors might have been responsible for keeping the lenses clean and unobstructed previously.
However, as Tesla transitions to a fully autonomous self-driving suite and Robotaxi expands to more vehicles in the Robotaxi fleet, it needed to find a way to clean the cameras without any manual intervention, at least for a short period, until they can return for interior and exterior washing.
Tesla to increase Full Self-Driving subscription price: here’s when
Tesla starts removing outright Full Self-Driving purchase option at time of order
