Tesla Model X
Tesla Model X completely dominates coal-rolling BMW in drag race
There’s just something strangely gratifying about seeing a coal-rolling, smoke-belching vehicle get completely dominated in a drag race. Thanks to a recent YouTube drag race video from Portugal, we can watch this exact scenario play out, courtesy of the drag racing chops of the Tesla Model X P100D.
The drag race video was uploaded by YouTube’s CrAzYDr1veR channel, a Portugal-based auto enthusiast group that covers races and sleeper builds. The race was held at a local drag strip, where the Model X P100D faced off against ICE-based racing-modified cars. One of its opponents was a diesel-powered BMW coupe, which, based on the video of the race, was specially modified to roll coal.
Rolling coal is the practice of intentionally blowing out excessive amounts of smoke from a diesel-powered vehicle. This is done by modifying a car’s motor to increase the amount of fuel entering the engine. Some rolling coal enthusiasts take the modifications even further, removing the particulate filter of their diesel vehicles to increase the amount of smoke emitted by their cars.
The unhealthy practice originated in the United States’ Truck Pulls, a rural motorsport event that involves diesel pickup trucks pulling a weighted sled, as noted in an expose from Vocativ back in 2014. To get an advantage in the competition, some drivers began modifying their trucks so that vast amounts of fuel are dumped into the motor.
While this results in a boost in the trucks’ horsepower, speed, and torque, it had the aftereffect of emitting large clouds of black smoke when the accelerator is pressed. The trend caught on, and over the years, a subculture was born, with the practice even evolving into a form of protest among anti-environmentalists.
When faced with a green powerhouse like a Tesla Model X P100D, however, how will a coal-rolling BMW fare? Not so well, apparently. In the recent video, the diesel-powered coupe could be seen rolling coal as soon as the light turned green. The harder the BMW accelerated, the more coal it rolled. Such a display of diesel-powered bravado, however, didn’t matter much, as the Model X immediately dominated the race. As could be seen in the video, the all-electric luxury SUV established its lead early on, thanks to its electric motors’ instant torque, and it just kept pulling until the end of the race.
The Model X P100D ultimately finished the quarter-mile run in 11.19 seconds. The coal-rolling BMW ran the quarter-mile in 12.50 seconds.
Apart from the coal-rolling BMW, the recently uploaded video also features the Model X P100D battling two souped-up hatchbacks. Just like the diesel-powered coupe, however, the two hatchbacks fell against the all-electric SUV, despite the second one getting a jump on the Model X off the line.
Earlier this year, DragTimes’ Model X P100D set the world record for the electric SUV before completely walking all over a 707 hp Jeep Trackhawk in the quarter-mile. The Model S P100D, the Model X P100D’s sedan sibling, recently battled a fully loaded Dodge Demon in a quarter-mile race as well.
Watch the Model X P100D race a coal-rolling BMW coupe in the video below.
In a move echoing its earlier commitment to open innovation, Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced recently that the company plans to make the design and software of its Model S and Model X fully open source.
This follows the same approach Tesla took with its original Roadster, releasing all available design, engineering, and diagnostic materials in November 2023 so that “whatever we have, you now have.”
Just as Tesla made the original Roadster design & software open source, we plan to do the same with Model S & X
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 24, 2026
The Model S, introduced in 2012, was Tesla’s first mass-produced vehicle and a groundbreaking luxury electric sedan. It offered impressive range, rapid acceleration, and over-the-air software updates that redefined expectations for electric cars.
The Model X, launched in 2015, built on that foundation as a high-performance electric SUV notable for its distinctive falcon-wing doors, spacious interior, and advanced safety features. Both models served as flagships that helped establish Tesla as a leader in the EV industry and popularized long-range battery-electric vehicles.
Production of the Model S and Model X was wound down earlier in 2026, with manufacturing ending in the second quarter. Tesla redirected the Fremont factory space previously used for these vehicles toward higher-priority projects, including Optimus humanoid robots and the Cybercab autonomous vehicle.
By the time of Musk’s open-source announcement, custom orders had closed and only remaining inventory was available.
Open-sourcing the designs and software offers several clear advantages. Owners of these aging but still capable vehicles gain better access to technical documentation, diagnostic tools, and software resources, making independent repairs and modifications easier and more affordable.
Independent repair shops and third-party specialists can support the large existing fleet without relying solely on Tesla’s service network. Enthusiasts and engineers can study real-world implementations of Tesla’s battery, powertrain, and software systems, potentially accelerating broader industry progress in electric mobility.
The step aligns with Tesla’s 2014 patent pledge and its overall mission to advance sustainable transport by sharing hard-won knowledge rather than locking it behind proprietary walls.
By releasing these materials now that the models have left production, Tesla ensures continued support for its early adopters while freeing internal resources for future technologies. The open-source release of the original Roadster already enabled simulations, community projects, and deeper technical understanding.
Extending that practice to the Model S and Model X should deliver similar benefits on a larger scale, helping keep these influential vehicles relevant and repairable for years to come
Cybertruck
Tesla Mobile App gets a new feature that wrap fans are going to love
Tesla’s Summer Update removes the USB drive step from customizing your car’s digital wrap design.
Tesla’s latest 2026 Summer Update quietly closes out one of the more tedious steps in personalizing a Tesla’s digital appearance. Uploading a custom wrap design used to require a USB drive. Now it doesn’t.
The feature is listed in Tesla’s release notes as “Send Custom Wraps from Mobile App.” The company described it plainly: “Skip the USB drive and upload a custom wrap of your car from the mobile app. Instructions for creating a custom wrap here: github.com/teslamotors/custom-wraps.”
The digital wrap tool has been around since Tesla’s 2024 Holiday Update, when it launched for Cybertruck owners first, as Teslarati reported at the time. Getting a design onto the car meant formatting a USB drive, creating a folder named exactly “Wraps,” dropping in PNG files sized between 512×512 and 1024×1024 pixels and under 1 MB each, then plugging the drive in and applying the wrap through Toybox. Tesla expanded the tool to other models and renamed it from “Colorizer” to “Paint Shop” with the 2025 Holiday Update, while also adding license plate and window tint customization alongside the wraps.
Custom wraps via mobile app https://t.co/5OydZ26g9p pic.twitter.com/uexU0ZePxu
— Tesla (@Tesla) July 22, 2026
The latest Summer Update removes the USB step from that process. Owners will be able to pull a design from wherever they saved it, whether that’s a download from social media or something built from Tesla’s own GitHub templates, and push it to the car directly through the app.
Tesla reveals 2026 Summer Update with crazy fixes to Nav and more
It’s a small fix relative to the rest of this latest release, which also included expanded Grok voice commands, automatic navigation that learns regular routes, and self-driving stats inside the mobile app, all detailed in our rundown of the full Summer Update. The USB requirement was one of the more common complaints about Paint Shop since it launched. Tesla did not say when the wrap upload change would reach individual vehicles, only that the broader update is rolling out now in waves.
Lifestyle
Tesla makes the cut on California’s newest EV Rebate program
California just signed a $270 million EV rebate into law and it starts this summer.
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 168 into law on Monday, July 13, 2026, creating a $270 million EV rebate program that delivers money directly at the dealership rather than as a tax credit applied months later. The program, called MyFirstEV, is funded equally by California’s state budget and participating automakers, with each contributing $135.5 million to make the math work.
The timing is directly tied to the loss of federal support when the $7,500 federal EV tax credit ended, removing the most significant consumer incentive that had driven EV adoption in the U.S. California, which accounts for roughly one-third of all EVs sold nationally, moved to fill that gap with a state-level replacement.
The rebate structure is straightforward. First-time EV buyers can receive $3,500 off any new battery-electric vehicle with an MSRP up to $50,000. Used EVs priced at $25,000 or below qualify for a $1,750 rebate. The credit is applied at the point of sale, which removes the friction of the old federal system where buyers had to wait for tax season to see the benefit. The program goes live later this summer, with the California Air Resources Board expected to release full participation details next month.
California hits Tesla Cybercab and Robotaxi driverless cars with new law
For Tesla buyers, the implications are mixed. The Tesla Model 3 RWD at $42,490 and the Model 3 Long Range at $47,490 both fall under the $50,000 cap and would qualify for the full $3,500 rebate for first-time buyers. The Model Y, which starts at $44,990 after Tesla’s recent price adjustment, also qualifies. The Model X, Model S, and Cybertruck all exceed the cap and receive no benefit. As Teslarati has reported, the program also includes a carve-out exempting California-based automakers like Rivian and Lucid from the price cap entirely, a provision that puts Tesla at a disadvantage since it relocated its headquarters to Texas in 2021.
Other qualifying vehicles include the Chevrolet Equinox EV, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, and Volkswagen ID.4.
SpaceX wants to catch Starship for launch 14, Elon Musk says
Tesla to open source Model S and Model X designs and software
