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Tesla’s Dual Motor AWD tech takes on Audi’s Quattro system in 4×4 roller test
Being all-electric, Tesla’s vehicles enjoy a number of advantages. They have instant torque for quick acceleration runs, a low center of gravity for great handling, and large crumple zones for protection during a crash. Recent traction tests on metal rollers have also shown that the electric car maker’s Dual Motor AWD setup gives vehicles like the Model 3 some very impressive traction.
It is pertinent then to see just how well Tesla’s Dual Motor AWD setup stacks up against one of the best 4×4 systems available today: Audi’s Quattro. The German automaker’s all-wheel-drive system has been around for nearly 40 years, and it was tempered and developed at a time when the Audi was competing in the 1980’s rally championships. Audi sedans with Quattro technology are known today as vehicles that can handle wet, slippery conditions without any issues.
Compared to the long history of Audi’s Quattro, Tesla’s Dual Motor AWD is a newcomer. The electric car maker’s all-wheel-drive system made its debut on October 2014 with the Model S P85D, and it has received refinements since. Tesla’s Dual Motor AWD setup, just like Audi’s Quattro, gives the company’s vehicles, from the Model S to the Model X to the Model 3, notable traction even in slippery conditions.
The capabilities of these two AWD systems was recently compared by YouTube group duszaniespokojna – 4×4 tests on rollers, which conducts traction tests on a variety of vehicles using rollers, from serious off-roaders like the Land Rover Discovery to sedans like the Tesla Model 3. For its comparative test, the YouTube group opted to use a Tesla Model 3 Dual Motor AWD and an Audi A4 Allroad 2.0 TFSI Quattro Ultra, both of which are midsize vehicles.
The Tesla Model 3 aced all of the group’s traction tests, both in its Standard and in Slip Start settings. Even when three of its wheels were in rollers, the electric sedan was able to find its traction without any issue. This is likely due to several factors, including the Model 3’s weight thanks to its hefty battery pack, as well as the instant torque from the vehicle’s two electric motors.
In comparison, the Audi A4 Allroad struggled in a couple of tests. While the vehicle had no issues finding its traction during tests that involved one or two rollers, the A4 had a notably difficult time when three of its wheels were fitted with rollers. When all but one rear wheel of the A4 Allroad was on rollers, the car actually got stuck when it was in its Standard setting.
Tesla may be a new carmaker, but it is steadily gaining a reputation as one of the best, if not the best, maker of premium electric cars on the market. It should also be noted that the Model 3 Dual Motor AWD is designed for city driving, which makes its 4×4 performance even more impressive. It takes a great city car, after all, to beat Audi’s Quattro system at its own game.
Watch a Tesla Model 3 Dual Motor AWD take on an Audi A4 Allroad 2.0 TFSI Quattro Ultra in the video below.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk’s xAI Secures $3B Investment From Saudi AI Firm HUMAIN
The transaction converts HUMAIN’s xAI stake into SpaceX shares, positioning the Saudi-backed firm as a significant minority shareholder in the newly combined entity.
Saudi artificial intelligence firm HUMAIN has confirmed a $3 billion Series E investment in xAI just weeks before the startup’s merger with SpaceX.
The transaction converts HUMAIN’s xAI stake into SpaceX shares, positioning the Saudi-backed firm as a significant minority shareholder in the newly combined entity.
The investment gives HUMAIN exposure to what has been described as one of the largest technology mergers on record, combining xAI’s artificial intelligence capabilities with SpaceX’s scale, infrastructure, and engineering base, as noted in a press release.
“This investment reflects HUMAIN’s conviction in transformational AI and our ability to deploy meaningful capital behind exceptional opportunities where long-term vision, technical excellence, and execution converge, xAI’s trajectory, further strengthened by its acquisition by SpaceX, one of the largest technology mergers on record, represents the kind of high-impact platform we seek to support with significant capital” HUMAIN CEO Tareq Amin stated.
The investment also positions HUMAIN for potential long-term equity upside should SpaceX proceed with a public offering.
The investment expands on an existing partnership announced in November 2025 at the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum. Under that agreement, HUMAIN and xAI committed to jointly develop more than 500 megawatts of next-generation AI data center and compute infrastructure in Saudi Arabia.
The collaboration also includes deployment of xAI’s Grok models within the kingdom, aligning with Saudi Arabia’s broader strategy to build domestic AI capacity and attract global technology players.
HUMAIN, backed by the Public Investment Fund, is positioning itself as a full-stack AI player spanning advanced data centers, cloud infrastructure, AI models, and applied solutions. The Series E investment deepens its role from development partner to major shareholder in the Musk-led AI and space platform.
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Tesla Giga Berlin plant manager faces defamation probe after IG Metall union complaint
Prosecutors in Frankfurt (Oder) confirmed they have opened a defamation probe into Gigafactory Berlin plant manager André Thierig.
Tesla’s Giga Berlin plant manager is now under investigation after a complaint from trade union IG Metall, escalating tensions ahead of next month’s works council elections.
Prosecutors in Frankfurt (Oder) confirmed they have opened a defamation probe into Gigafactory Berlin plant manager André Thierig, as per a report from rbb24.
A spokesperson for the Frankfurt (Oder) public prosecutor’s office confirmed to the German Press Agency that an investigation for defamation has been initiated following a criminal complaint filed by IG Metall against Thierig.
The dispute stems from Tesla’s allegation that an IG Metall representative secretly recorded a works council meeting using a laptop. In a post on X, Thierig described the incident as “truly beyond words,” stating that police were called and a criminal complaint was filed.
“What has happened today at Giga Berlin is truly beyond words! An external union representative from IG Metall attended a works council meeting. For unknown reasons, he recorded the internal meeting and was caught in action! We obviously called police and filed a criminal complaint!” Thierig wrote in a post on X.
Police later confirmed that officers did seize a computer belonging to an IG Metall member at Giga Berlin. Prosecutors are separately investigating the union representative on suspicion of breach of confidentiality and violation of Germany’s Works Constitution Act.
IG Metall has denied Tesla’s allegations. The union claimed that its member offered to unlock the laptop for review in order to accelerate the investigation and counter what it called false accusations. The union has also sought a labor court injunction to “prohibit Thierig from further disseminating false claims.”
The clash comes as Tesla employees prepare to vote in works council elections scheduled for March 2–4, 2026. Approximately 11,000 Giga Berlin workers are eligible to participate in the elections.
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Tesla wins FCC approval for wireless Cybercab charging system
The decision grants Tesla a waiver that allows the Cybercab’s wireless charging system to be installed on fixed outdoor equipment.
Tesla has received approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to use Ultra-Wideband (UWB) radio technology in its wireless EV charging system.
The decision grants Tesla a waiver that allows the Cybercab’s wireless charging system to be installed on fixed outdoor equipment. This effectively clears a regulatory hurdle for the company’s planned wireless charging pad for the autonomous two-seater.
Tesla’s wireless charging system is described as follows in the document: “The Tesla positioning system is an impulse UWB radio system that enables peer-to-peer communications between a UWB transceiver installed on an electric vehicle (EV) and a second UWB transceiver installed on a ground-level pad, which could be located outdoors, to achieve optimal positioning for the EV to charge wirelessly.”
The company explained that Bluetooth is first used to locate the charging pad. “Prior to the UWB operation, the vehicular system uses Bluetooth technology for the vehicle to discover the location of the ground pad and engage in data exchange activities (which is not subject to the waiver).”
Once the vehicle approaches the pad, the UWB system briefly activates. “When the vehicle approaches the ground pad, the UWB transceivers will operate to track the position of the vehicle to determine when the optimal position has been achieved over the pad before enabling wireless power charging.”
Tesla also emphasized that “the UWB signals occur only briefly when the vehicle approaches the ground pad; and mostly at ground level between the vehicle and the pad,” and that the signals are “significantly attenuated by the body of the vehicle positioned over the pad.”
As noted by Tesla watcher Sawyer Merritt, the FCC ultimately granted Tesla’s proposal since the Cybercab’s wireless charging system’s signal is very low power, it only turns on briefly while parking, it works only at very short range, and it won’t interfere with other systems.
While the approval clears the way for Tesla’s wireless charging plans, the Cybercab does not appear to depend solely on the new system.
Cybercab prototypes have frequently been spotted charging at standard Tesla Superchargers across the United States. This suggests the vehicle can easily operate within Tesla’s existing charging network even as the wireless system is developed and deployed. With this in mind, it would not be surprising if the first batches of the Cybercab that are deployed and delivered to consumers end up being charged by regular Superchargers.
Elon Musk’s xAI Secures $3B Investment From Saudi AI Firm HUMAIN
Tesla Giga Berlin plant manager faces defamation probe after IG Metall union complaint
