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EV owner driving Tesla’s shortest-range car shares experience during I-95 traffic catastrophe
Dan Kanninen, an electric vehicle driver and former White House liaison at the Environmental Protection Agency, recently shared his personal experience during the I-95 traffic catastrophe, which resulted in about 48 miles of the interstate being closed due to ice and snow. Drivers who were caught in the middle of the nightmare traffic scenario had to survive numerous hours in their vehicles in below-freezing temperatures.
In the aftermath of the incident, The Washington Post published an opinion piece alleging that the catastrophe would have been far worse if every vehicle in the traffic jam were electric. Citing a post shared on Twitter about a concerned Tesla driver who knocked on a truck driver’s door in the middle of the night (a follow-up post from the driver on Twitter confirmed that the Tesla driver actually survived the night with 18% of the vehicle’s battery remaining), The Post’s Charles Lane argued that electric vehicles “might have littered the highway for miles” if there were more battery-powered cars involved.
The former White House liaison could not disagree more, and he would definitely know since he was personally trapped in the I-95 for fourteen whole hours during the gridlock. Interestingly enough, Kanninen drives a base Tesla Model 3, the company’s shortest-range car available today. Yet despite these, and contrary to the estimates of The Post, the Model 3 actually handled the frigid night competently. An image shared in a blog post by Kanninen even included an image showing the EV owner watching what appeared to be Netflix in his Model 3’s 15″ display while waiting for the gridlock to end.
Kanninen listed several factors that helped him and his Model 3 handle the I-95 catastrophe without much issue. “I am grateful that I was driving my standard-range Tesla Model 3 when I hit traffic. While fellow drivers ran their engines to stay warm, my EV directed power solely to temperature regulation. As other drivers then fretted about their dwindling gas reserves, my EV continuously monitored my power supply. Because EV drivers charge at home and in the community, we are less likely to have just a partial charge, unlike other drivers, who rarely drive on a full tank,” he wrote.
The Model 3 owner left the I-95 traffic nightmare without any drama, with the vehicle’s navigation directing Kanninen to a nearby charging station when the roads opened up. The former White House liaison added that his car still had 50 miles of range left by the time he reached the EV charging location. Meanwhile, drivers of vehicles powered by an internal combustion engine could be seen waiting in long lines at gas stations, who were overwhelmed and snowed in themselves.
The fact that a lot of misinformed takes about electric cars were published following the I-95 traffic catastrophe proves that there is still a lot that must be done to inform and educate the public about electric cars. If The Washington Post could make a completely erroneous take about how electric cars could handle an overnight gridlock in the middle of winter, after all, then it would suggest that electric cars’ real capabilities and advantages over ICE vehicles are still largely unfamiliar with the mainstream audience.
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Tesla FSD fleet is nearing 7 billion total miles, including 2.5 billion city miles
As can be seen on Tesla’s official FSD webpage, vehicles equipped with the system have now navigated over 6.99 billion miles.
Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) fleet is closing in on almost 7 billion total miles driven, as per data posted by the company on its official FSD webpage.
These figures hint at the massive scale of data fueling Tesla’s rapid FSD improvements, which have been quite notable as of late.
FSD mileage milestones
As can be seen on Tesla’s official FSD webpage, vehicles equipped with the system have now navigated over 6.99 billion miles. Tesla owner and avid FSD tester Whole Mars Catalog also shared a screenshot indicating that from the nearly 7 billion miles traveled by the FSD fleet, more than 2.5 billion miles were driven inside cities.
City miles are particularly valuable for complex urban scenarios like unprotected turns, pedestrian interactions, and traffic lights. This is also the difference-maker for FSD, as only complex solutions, such as Waymo’s self-driving taxis, operate similarly on inner-city streets. And even then, incidents such as the San Francisco blackouts have proven challenging for sensor-rich vehicles like Waymos.
Tesla’s data edge
Tesla has a number of advantages in the autonomous vehicle sector, one of which is the size of its fleet and the number of vehicles training FSD on real-world roads. Tesla’s nearly 7 billion FSD miles then allow the company to roll out updates that make its vehicles behave like they are being driven by experienced drivers, even if they are operating on their own.
So notable are Tesla’s improvements to FSD that NVIDIA Director of Robotics Jim Fan, after experiencing FSD v14, noted that the system is the first AI that passes what he described as a “Physical Turing Test.”
“Despite knowing exactly how robot learning works, I still find it magical watching the steering wheel turn by itself. First it feels surreal, next it becomes routine. Then, like the smartphone, taking it away actively hurts. This is how humanity gets rewired and glued to god-like technologies,” Fan wrote in a post on X.
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Tesla starts showing how FSD will change lives in Europe
Local officials tested the system on narrow country roads and were impressed by FSD’s smooth, human-like driving, with some calling the service a game-changer for everyday life in areas that are far from urban centers.
Tesla has launched Europe’s first public shuttle service using Full Self-Driving (Supervised) in the rural Eifelkreis Bitburg-Prüm region of Germany, demonstrating how the technology can restore independence and mobility for people who struggle with limited transport options.
Local officials tested the system on narrow country roads and were impressed by FSD’s smooth, human-like driving, with some calling the service a game-changer for everyday life in areas that are far from urban centers.
Officials see real impact on rural residents
Arzfeld Mayor Johannes Kuhl and District Administrator Andreas Kruppert personally tested the Tesla shuttle service. This allowed them to see just how well FSD navigated winding lanes and rural roads confidently. Kruppert said, “Autonomous driving sounds like science fiction to many, but we simply see here that it works totally well in rural regions too.” Kuhl, for his part, also noted that FSD “feels like a very experienced driver.”
The pilot complements the area’s “Citizen Bus” program, which provides on-demand rides for elderly residents who can no longer drive themselves. Tesla Europe shared a video of a demonstration of the service, highlighting how FSD gives people their freedom back, even in places where public transport is not as prevalent.
What the Ministry for Economic Affairs and Transport says
Rhineland-Palatinate’s Minister Daniela Schmitt supported the project, praising the collaboration that made this “first of its kind in Europe” possible. As per the ministry, the rural rollout for the service shows FSD’s potential beyond major cities, and it delivers tangible benefits like grocery runs, doctor visits, and social connections for isolated residents.
“Reliable and flexible mobility is especially vital in rural areas. With the launch of a shuttle service using self-driving vehicles (FSD supervised) by Tesla in the Eifelkreis Bitburg-Prüm, an innovative pilot project is now getting underway that complements local community bus services. It is the first project of its kind in Europe.
“The result is a real gain for rural mobility: greater accessibility, more flexibility and tangible benefits for everyday life. A strong signal for innovation, cooperation and future-oriented mobility beyond urban centers,” the ministry wrote in a LinkedIn post.
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Tesla China quietly posts Robotaxi-related job listing
Tesla China is currently seeking a Low Voltage Electrical Engineer to work on circuit board design for the company’s autonomous vehicles.
Tesla has posted a new job listing in Shanghai explicitly tied to its Robotaxi program, fueling speculation that the company is preparing to launch its dedicated autonomous ride-hailing service in China.
As noted in the listing, Tesla China is currently seeking a Low Voltage Electrical Engineer to work on circuit board design for the company’s autonomous vehicles.
Robotaxi-specific role
The listing, which was shared on social media platform X by industry watcher @tslaming, suggested that Tesla China is looking to fill the role urgently. The job listing itself specifically mentions that the person hired for the role will be working on the Low Voltage Hardware team, which would design the circuit boards that would serve as the nervous system of the Robotaxi.
Key tasks for the role, as indicated in the job listing, include collaboration with PCB layout, firmware, mechanical, program management, and validation teams, among other responsibilities. The role is based in Shanghai.
China Robotaxi launch
China represents a massive potential market for robotaxis, with its dense urban centers and supportive policies in select cities. Tesla has limited permission to roll out FSD in the country, though despite this, its vehicles have been hailed as among the best in the market when it comes to autonomous features. So far, at least, it appears that China supports Tesla’s FSD and Robotaxi rollout.
This was hinted at in November, when Tesla brought the Cybercab to the 8th China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, marking the first time that the autonomous two-seater was brought to the Asia-Pacific region. The vehicle, despite not having a release date in China, received a significant amount of interest among the event’s attendees.
Tesla FSD fleet is nearing 7 billion total miles, including 2.5 billion city miles
Tesla starts showing how FSD will change lives in Europe
