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Tesla Model Y drag races Model X “Raven”, and Model 3 in 1/4-mile test

Credit: YouTube | Brian Jenkins of i1Tesla

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A Tesla Model Y Performance drag raced a Model 3 Performance and Model X Performance Raven in a test to determine how the newest all-electric crossover from Tesla stacked up against its siblings.

Brian Jenkins from YouTube channel i1Tesla took his Model X Raven, a Model 3 Performance, and his brand new Model Y Performance to the NCCAR drag strip in Northampton County, North Carolina, for a quarter-mile test between the three vehicles. Jenkins planned to measure the Model Y against both the Model 3 and Model X during separate runs, predicting that the Model X Performance with 100 kWh battery pack would stand as king of the hill.

The first race paired the Model Y Performance up against the Model 3 Performance. While the Model 3 won the race easily, the Model Y held its own. The all-electric crossover recorded a quarter-mile time of 12.04 seconds, just over four-tenths of a second behind the Model 3 Performance’s time of 11.63 seconds, with the Model Y reaching 113.05 MPH, while the Model 3 maxed out at 114.05 MPH.

The next run between the Model X and Model Y showed the new crossover’s speed against the most powerful vehicle of the three tested. The Model X Raven pushed an 11.28-second lap at 119.27 MPH, making it easily the fastest and most powerful car on the strip during this testing session.

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While the Model Y was the slowest of the three, Jenkins was still impressed with its performance and has a theory on why the vehicle is not as fast as it could be. “I think that is software,” he said. “I think they’re doing that to protect it because it is so early on. There will be a software update to make it launch like the Model 3.”

A comparison of the three vehicles shows how they differ and what each car offers in performance.

  • Tesla Model Y Performance
    • 75 kWh Battery Pack
    • 450 Horsepower
    • Advertised 0-60 MPH in 3.5 Seconds
    • 155 MPH top speed
    • 280-mile EPA estimated range
  • Tesla Model 3 Performance
    • 75 kWh Battery Pack
    • 450 Horsepower
    • Advertised 0-60 MPH in 3.2 Seconds
    • 162 MPH top speed
    • 322-mile EPA estimated range
  • Tesla Model X Performance “Raven”
    • 100 kWh Battery Pack
    • 762 Horsepower
    • Advertised 0-60 MPH in 2.9 seconds
    • 163 MPH top speed
    • 305-mile EPA estimated range

Tesla started deliveries of the Model Y in mid-March, and the company has made arrangements through a new “contactless delivery” system to ensure those who have ordered can still get their hands on the latest Tesla vehicle.

Watch Brian from i1Tesla’s video on the quarter-mile race of the Model X “Raven,” Model Y Performance, and Model 3 Performance below.

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Joey has been a journalist covering electric mobility at TESLARATI since August 2019. In his spare time, Joey is playing golf, watching MMA, or cheering on any of his favorite sports teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles, Miami Heat, Washington Capitals, and Penn State Nittany Lions. You can get in touch with joey at joey@teslarati.com. He is also on X @KlenderJoey. If you're looking for great Tesla accessories, check out shop.teslarati.com

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Tesla looks to upgrade Matrix Headlights with new features

According to the update, Tesla will work on improving the headlights when coming into contact with highly reflective objects, including road signs, traffic signs, and street lights. Additionally, pixel-level dimming will happen in two stages, whereas it currently performs with just one, meaning on or off.

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Credit: @jojje167 on X

Tesla is looking to upgrade its Matrix Headlights, a unique and high-tech feature that is available on several of its vehicles. The headlights aim to maximize visibility for Tesla drivers while being considerate of oncoming traffic.

The Matrix Headlights Tesla offers utilize dimming of individual light pixels to ensure that visibility stays high for those behind the wheel, while also being considerate of other cars by decreasing the brightness in areas where other cars are traveling.

Here’s what they look like in action:

As you can see, the Matrix headlight system intentionally dims the area where oncoming cars would be impacted by high beams. This keeps visibility at a maximum for everyone on the road, including those who could be hit with bright lights in their eyes.

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There are still a handful of complaints from owners, however, but Tesla appears to be looking to resolve these with the coming updates in a Software Version that is currently labeled 2026.2.xxx. The coding was spotted by X user BERKANT:

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According to the update, Tesla will work on improving the headlights when coming into contact with highly reflective objects, including road signs, traffic signs, and street lights. Additionally, pixel-level dimming will happen in two stages, whereas it currently performs with just one, meaning on or off.

Finally, the new system will prevent the high beams from glaring back at the driver. The system is made to dim when it recognizes oncoming cars, but not necessarily objects that could produce glaring issues back at the driver.

Tesla’s revolutionary Matrix headlights are coming to the U.S.

This upgrade is software-focused, so there will not need to be any physical changes or upgrades made to Tesla vehicles that utilize the Matrix headlights currently.

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Elon Musk

xAI’s Grok approved for Pentagon classified systems: report

Under the agreement, Grok can be deployed in systems handling classified intelligence analysis, weapons development, and battlefield operations. 

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Credit: xAI

Elon Musk’s xAI has signed an agreement with the United States Department of Defense (DoD) to allow Grok to be used in classified military systems.

Previously, Anthropic’s Claude had been the only AI system approved for the most sensitive military work, but a dispute over usage safeguards has reportedly prompted the Pentagon to broaden its options, as noted in a report from Axios.

Under the agreement, Grok can be deployed in systems handling classified intelligence analysis, weapons development, and battlefield operations. 

The publication reported that xAI agreed to the Pentagon’s requirement that its technology be usable for “all lawful purposes,” a standard Anthropic has reportedly resisted due to alleged ethical restrictions tied to mass surveillance and autonomous weapons use.

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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is scheduled to meet with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei in what sources expect to be a tense meeting, with the publication hinting that the Pentagon could designate Anthropic a “supply chain risk” if the company does not lift its safeguards. 

Axios stated that replacing Claude fully might be technically challenging even if xAI or other alternative AI systems take its place. That being said, other AI systems are already in use by the DoD. 

Grok already operates in the Pentagon’s unclassified systems alongside Google’s Gemini and OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Google is reportedly close to an agreement that will result in Gemini being used for classified use, while OpenAI’s progress toward classified deployment is described as slower but still feasible. 

The publication noted that the Pentagon continues talks with several AI companies as it prepares for potential changes in classified AI sourcing.

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Elon Musk

Elon Musk denies Starlink’s price cuts are due to Amazon Kuiper

“This has nothing to do with Kuiper, we’re just trying to make Starlink more affordable to a broader audience,” Musk wrote in a post on X.

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Credit: Starlink

Elon Musk has pushed back on claims that Starlink’s recent price reductions are tied to Amazon’s Kuiper project.

In a post on X, Musk responded directly to a report suggesting that Starlink was cutting prices and offering free hardware to partners ahead of a planned IPO and increased competition from Kuiper.

“This has nothing to do with Kuiper, we’re just trying to make Starlink more affordable to a broader audience,” Musk wrote in a post on X. “The lower the cost, the more Starlink can be used by people who don’t have much money, especially in the developing world.”

The speculation originated from a post summarizing a report from The Information, which ran with the headline “SpaceX’s Starlink Makes Land Grab as Amazon Threat Looms.” The report stated that SpaceX is aggressively cutting prices and giving free hardware to distribution partners, which was interpreted as a reaction to Amazon’s Kuiper’s upcoming rollout and possible IPO.

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In a way, Musk’s comments could be quite accurate considering Starlink’s current scale. The constellation currently has more than 9,700 satellites in operation today, making it by far the largest satellite broadband network in operation. It has also managed to grow its user base to 10 million active customers across more than 150 countries worldwide. 

Amazon’s Kuiper, by comparison, has launched approximately 211 satellites to date, as per data from SatelliteMap.Space, some of which were launched by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. Starlink surpassed that number in early January 2020, during the early buildout of its first-generation network.

Lower pricing also aligns with Starlink’s broader expansion strategy. SpaceX continues to deploy satellites at a rapid pace using Falcon 9, and future launches aboard Starship are expected to significantly accelerate the constellation’s growth. A larger network improves capacity and global coverage, which can support a broader customer base.

In that context, price reductions can be viewed as a way to match expanding supply with growing demand. Musk’s companies have historically used aggressive pricing strategies to drive adoption at scale, particularly when vertical integration allows costs to decline over time.

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