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Tesla Model S vs Porsche Taycan comparison finally hits the nail on the head
For the longest time, the Tesla Model S and the Porsche Taycan have been compared in a manner that one would not necessarily be considered completely fair. Some would focus on the badge and build quality and automatically give the win to Porsche, while some would focus on tech and driver-assist features and give the win automatically to Tesla. But giving the crown of the best luxury EV on the market today is no joke, and comparing these two vehicles requires a deep dive.
This is something that Roadshow was actually able to accomplish recently. In a video shared on its YouTube channel, the motoring publication compared the Model S and the Taycan on five fronts: Range and Charging, Acceleration, Handling, Design, and Price and Value. Using this metric, the publication was able to reach a result that is actually very fair to both vehicles.
First up is range and charging, and in this sense, there is really no contest. Tesla’s years of work on battery research has paid off in spades, and this is shown by the Model S’ nearly 400-mile range. The Supercharger Network is icing on the cake, providing the Model S with a convenient way to charge its batteries during road trips. The Taycan has a tendency to exceed its EPA range figures, and it’s supported by a vast charging network too. But compared to Tesla’s raw range and Supercharger Network, the gap is simply too big. One win for Tesla.
Acceleration is something that both vehicles excel at. In this sense, Roadshow noted that the top-tier versions of the two premium EVs, the Model S Performance and the Taycan Turbo S, are both insanely quick. The Taycan Turbo S is rated by Porsche with a 0-60 time of 2.6 seconds, but tests from publications have recorded the vehicle hitting 2.4 seconds instead. This was originally faster than the Model S Performance’s 2.5 seconds, but after Tesla’s Cheetah Stance Launch Mode update, the flagship sedan could now hit 60 mph in 2.3 seconds instead. That’s another win for Tesla, but only just.
Things change when handling is discussed. While both are large vehicles, Roadshow noted that the Taycan simply feels much better to throw around corners. This is where Porsche’s pedigree comes to light as a veteran sports car maker, since the Taycan simply feels a lot lighter than its over 5,000-pound weight. The Model S Performance handles great too, but when thrown into the same corners at the same speed as the Taycan, the Tesla’s large size simply becomes more evident. The Taycan wins this round.
Design is also something that was given to the Porsche. After all, the Model S has pretty much retained its design since its first iteration that was rolled out eight years ago. Save for a facelift, the Model S is still the same car that broke barriers back in 2012. Thus, the Taycan simply feels much newer and more fresh in this sense. The fact that the Taycan’s interior is filled to the brim with premium materials worthy of its price also adds to its edge against the Tesla Model S.
But when it comes to the price and value of the two vehicles, it is difficult not to be impressed by the Tesla Model S. Roadshow opted to compare the Taycan 4S and the Model S Long Range, which are the more conservatively priced and specced versions of the two cars. But even then, a fully loaded Model S Long Range is still cheaper than a Taycan 4S that is so basic, it doesn’t even have adaptive cruise control. This, ultimately, proves that eight years on, Tesla’s flagship sedan still has a lot of fight left in it, and it’s not about to give up its crown easily either.
Elon Musk
Tesla’s Elon Musk: 10 billion miles needed for safe Unsupervised FSD
As per the CEO, roughly 10 billion miles of training data are required due to reality’s “super long tail of complexity.”
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has provided an updated estimate for the training data needed to achieve truly safe unsupervised Full Self-Driving (FSD).
As per the CEO, roughly 10 billion miles of training data are required due to reality’s “super long tail of complexity.”
10 billion miles of training data
Musk comment came as a reply to Apple and Rivian alum Paul Beisel, who posted an analysis on X about the gap between tech demonstrations and real-world products. In his post, Beisel highlighted Tesla’s data-driven lead in autonomy, and he also argued that it would not be easy for rivals to become a legitimate competitor to FSD quickly.
“The notion that someone can ‘catch up’ to this problem primarily through simulation and limited on-road exposure strikes me as deeply naive. This is not a demo problem. It is a scale, data, and iteration problem— and Tesla is already far, far down that road while others are just getting started,” Beisel wrote.
Musk responded to Beisel’s post, stating that “Roughly 10 billion miles of training data is needed to achieve safe unsupervised self-driving. Reality has a super long tail of complexity.” This is quite interesting considering that in his Master Plan Part Deux, Elon Musk estimated that worldwide regulatory approval for autonomous driving would require around 6 billion miles.
FSD’s total training miles
As 2025 came to a close, Tesla community members observed that FSD was already nearing 7 billion miles driven, with over 2.5 billion miles being from inner city roads. The 7-billion-mile mark was passed just a few days later. This suggests that Tesla is likely the company today with the most training data for its autonomous driving program.
The difficulties of achieving autonomy were referenced by Elon Musk recently, when he commented on Nvidia’s Alpamayo program. As per Musk, “they will find that it’s easy to get to 99% and then super hard to solve the long tail of the distribution.” These sentiments were echoed by Tesla VP for AI software Ashok Elluswamy, who also noted on X that “the long tail is sooo long, that most people can’t grasp it.”
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Tesla earns top honors at MotorTrend’s SDV Innovator Awards
MotorTrend’s SDV Awards were presented during CES 2026 in Las Vegas.
Tesla emerged as one of the most recognized automakers at MotorTrend’s 2026 Software-Defined Vehicle (SDV) Innovator Awards.
As could be seen in a press release from the publication, two key Tesla employees were honored for their work on AI, autonomy, and vehicle software. MotorTrend’s SDV Awards were presented during CES 2026 in Las Vegas.
Tesla leaders and engineers recognized
The fourth annual SDV Innovator Awards celebrate pioneers and experts who are pushing the automotive industry deeper into software-driven development. Among the most notable honorees for this year was Ashok Elluswamy, Tesla’s Vice President of AI Software, who received a Pioneer Award for his role in advancing artificial intelligence and autonomy across the company’s vehicle lineup.
Tesla also secured recognition in the Expert category, with Lawson Fulton, a staff Autopilot machine learning engineer, honored for his contributions to Tesla’s driver-assistance and autonomous systems.
Tesla’s software-first strategy
While automakers like General Motors, Ford, and Rivian also received recognition, Tesla’s multiple awards stood out given the company’s outsized role in popularizing software-defined vehicles over the past decade. From frequent OTA updates to its data-driven approach to autonomy, Tesla has consistently treated vehicles as evolving software platforms rather than static products.
This has made Tesla’s vehicles very unique in their respective sectors, as they are arguably the only cars that objectively get better over time. This is especially true for vehicles that are loaded with the company’s Full Self-Driving system, which are getting progressively more intelligent and autonomous over time. The majority of Tesla’s updates to its vehicles are free as well, which is very much appreciated by customers worldwide.
Elon Musk
Judge clears path for Elon Musk’s OpenAI lawsuit to go before a jury
The decision maintains Musk’s claims that OpenAI’s shift toward a for-profit structure violated early assurances made to him as a co-founder.
A U.S. judge has ruled that Elon Musk’s lawsuit accusing OpenAI of abandoning its founding nonprofit mission can proceed to a jury trial.
The decision maintains Musk’s claims that OpenAI’s shift toward a for-profit structure violated early assurances made to him as a co-founder. These claims are directly opposed by OpenAI.
Judge says disputed facts warrant a trial
At a hearing in Oakland, U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers stated that there was “plenty of evidence” suggesting that OpenAI leaders had promised that the organization’s original nonprofit structure would be maintained. She ruled that those disputed facts should be evaluated by a jury at a trial in March rather than decided by the court at this stage, as noted in a Reuters report.
Musk helped co-found OpenAI in 2015 but left the organization in 2018. In his lawsuit, he argued that he contributed roughly $38 million, or about 60% of OpenAI’s early funding, based on assurances that the company would remain a nonprofit dedicated to the public benefit. He is seeking unspecified monetary damages tied to what he describes as “ill-gotten gains.”
OpenAI, however, has repeatedly rejected Musk’s allegations. The company has stated that Musk’s claims were baseless and part of a pattern of harassment.
Rivalries and Microsoft ties
The case unfolds against the backdrop of intensifying competition in generative artificial intelligence. Musk now runs xAI, whose Grok chatbot competes directly with OpenAI’s flagship ChatGPT. OpenAI has argued that Musk is a frustrated commercial rival who is simply attempting to slow down a market leader.
The lawsuit also names Microsoft as a defendant, citing its multibillion-dollar partnerships with OpenAI. Microsoft has urged the court to dismiss the claims against it, arguing there is no evidence it aided or abetted any alleged misconduct. Lawyers for OpenAI have also pushed for the case to be thrown out, claiming that Musk failed to show sufficient factual basis for claims such as fraud and breach of contract.
Judge Gonzalez Rogers, however, declined to end the case at this stage, noting that a jury would also need to consider whether Musk filed the lawsuit within the applicable statute of limitations. Still, the dispute between Elon Musk and OpenAI is now headed for a high-profile jury trial in the coming months.
Tesla’s Elon Musk: 10 billion miles needed for safe Unsupervised FSD
Tesla earns top honors at MotorTrend’s SDV Innovator Awards
