News
Tesla Model Y converted into green hydrogen car to show “Hyper Hybrid” innovations
German Federal Research Minister Anja Karliczek recently unveiled an example of a “hyper hybrid” vehicle powered by synthetic methanol, which is based on “green hydrogen” technologies. But while the idea to produce a climate-friendly car is admirable, the vehicle Germany used for the project was quite questionable. This was because the Federal Research Minister’s team opted to use a Tesla Model Y — an all-electric vehicle that is, in many ways, already the pinnacle for efficiency and sustainability — for the project.
Simply put, Germany took a perfectly working battery-electric vehicle, modified it with a synthetic methanol engine, and dubbed it as a work of true innovation. Karliczek, for his part, noted in a press release that such a project is incredibly important since “green hydrogen” is a valuable building block for climate protection.
“Climate protection can only succeed with green hydrogen. That’s why we are already providing massive support for research into the use of green hydrogen, although efforts will have to be stepped up again in the coming years. Especially in industry and transportation, we will continue to need chemical energy sources in the future. Not all industrial processes can be completely decarbonized. CO2 will continue to be produced. We need solutions for this.
“Today we are building a very interesting bridge between these two points: The use of methanol from ‘recycled’ CO2 from industry as a fuel in road transport… But the methanol car itself is also an ‘innovation showcase’ for low-emission, resource- and energy-efficient mobility of tomorrow. Synthetic fuels have an important role to play in making a sustainable, climate-friendly mobility system possible worldwide. This is important in shipping and air travel, or where a charging station for the electric car may not always be available in the future. Especially there, the serial hybrid drive can be a good solution in perspective,” the Federal Research Minister said.
Speaking about the hybrid Model Y project, Prof. Robert Schlögl, Director of the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion and Carbon2Chem project coordinator, noted that the hybrid technologies used in the initiative present a great synergy between two systems: the efficient electric drivetrain and the easily accessible synthetic fuel methanol.
“The urgency of climate protection requires a rapid and comprehensive entry into renewable energy. In a global market for renewable energy, carbon-based energy sources such as methanol are key building blocks. The serial hybrid drive concept presented here combines the advantages of the efficient electric drive and the energy-dense and easily accessible synthetic fuel methanol. This concept must be further optimized by the research project presented here,” the professor said.
The hybrid Tesla Model Y is part of the Carbon2Chem initiative, which aims to reduce CO2 emissions in the steel industry. The vehicle is a concept built to showcase how methanol is recycled. The Obrist DE GmbH worked with the Technical University of Munich, the Technical University of Dresden, and the RWTH Aachen to create the vehicle. About 10 million euros were estimated to have been spent on the methanol-powered Tesla Model Y. That being said, OBRIST Group CEO Frank Wolf remained proud of the project’s end result.
“Our HyperHybrid powertrain, whose zero-vibration generator produces electricity with green methanol, is an essential innovation for globally deployable, efficient, and emission-neutral e-mobility – in other words, a car with green liquid electricity in the tank!” Wolf said.
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Elon Musk
Tesla CEO Elon Musk announces major update with texting and driving on FSD
“Depending on context of surrounding traffic, yes,” Musk said in regards to FSD v14.2.1 allowing texting and driving.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has announced a major update with texting and driving capabilities on Full Self-Driving v14.2.1, the company’s latest version of the FSD suite.
Tesla Full Self-Driving, even in its most mature and capable versions, is still a Level 2 autonomous driving suite, meaning it requires attention from the vehicle operator.
You cannot sleep, and you should not take attention away from driving; ultimately, you are still solely responsible for what happens with the car.
The vehicles utilize a cabin-facing camera to enable attention monitoring, and if you take your eyes off the road for too long, you will be admonished and advised to pay attention. After five strikes, FSD and Autopilot will be disabled.
However, Musk announced at the Annual Shareholder Meeting in early November that the company would look at the statistics, but it aimed to allow people to text and drive “within the next month or two.”
He said:
“I am confident that, within the next month or two, we’re gonna look at the safety statistics, but we will allow you to text and drive.”
“I am confident that, within the next month or two, we’re gonna look at the safety statistics, but we will allow you to text and drive.”
Does anyone think v14.3 will enable this? pic.twitter.com/N2yn0SK70M
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) November 23, 2025
Today, Musk confirmed that the current version of Full Self-Driving, which is FSD v14.2.1, does allow for texting and driving “depending on context of surrounding traffic.”
Depending on context of surrounding traffic, yes
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 4, 2025
There are some legitimate questions with this capability, especially as laws in all 50 U.S. states specifically prohibit texting and driving. It will be interesting to see the legality of it, because if a police officer sees you texting, they won’t know that you’re on Full Self-Driving, and you’ll likely be pulled over.
Some states prohibit drivers from even holding a phone when the car is in motion.
It is certainly a move toward unsupervised Full Self-Driving operation, but it is worth noting that Musk’s words state it will only allow the vehicle operator to do it depending on the context of surrounding traffic.
He did not outline any specific conditions that FSD would allow a driver to text and drive.
News
Tesla Semi just got a huge vote of confidence from 300-truck fleet
The confidential meeting marks a major step for the mid-sized carrier in evaluating the electric truck for its regional routes.
The Tesla Semi is moving closer to broader fleet adoption, with Keller Logistics Group wrapping up a key pre-production planning session with the electric vehicle maker’s team this week.
The confidential meeting marks a major step for the mid-sized carrier in evaluating the electric truck for its regional routes.
Keller’s pre-production Tesla Semi sessions
Keller Logistics Group, a family-owned carrier with over 300 tractors and 1,000 trailers operating in the Midwest and Southeast, completed the session to assess the Tesla Semi’s fit for its operations. The company’s routes typically span 500-600 miles per day, positioning it as an ideal tester for the Semi’s day cab configuration in standard logistics scenarios.
Details remain under mutual NDA, but the meeting reportedly focused on matching the truck to yard, shuttle and regional applications while scrutinizing economics like infrastructure, maintenance and incentives.
What Keller’s executives are saying
CEO Bryan Keller described the approach as methodical. “For us, staying ahead isn’t a headline, it’s a habit. From electrification and yard automation to digital visibility and warehouse technology, our teams are continually pressure-testing what’s next. The Tesla Semi discussion is one more way we evaluate new tools against our standards for safety, uptime, and customer ROI. We don’t chase trends, we pressure-test what works,” Keller said.
Benjamin Pierce, Chief Strategy Officer, echoed these sentiments. “Electrification and next-generation powertrains are part of a much broader transformation. Whether it’s proprietary yard systems like YardLink™, solar and renewable logistics solutions, or real-time vehicle intelligence, Keller’s approach stays the same, test it, prove it, and deploy it only when it strengthens service and total cost for our customers,” Pierce said.
News
Tesla extends FSD Supervised ride-alongs in Europe by three months
Needless to say, it does appear that FSD fever is starting to catch in Europe.
Tesla appears to be doubling down on its European Full Self-Driving (Supervised) push, with the company extending its demo ride-along program by three months until the end of March 2026. The update seems to have been implemented due to overwhelming demand.
Needless to say, it does appear that FSD fever is starting to catch in Europe.
Extended FSD demonstrations
Tesla EU Policy and Business Development Manager Ivan Komušanac shared on LinkedIn that the company is offering ride-along experiences in Germany, France and Italy while working toward FSD (Supervised) approval in Europe.
He noted that this provides a great feedback opportunity from the general public, encouraging participants to record and share their experiences. For those unable to book in December, Komušanac teased more slots as “Christmas presents.”
Tesla watcher Sawyer Merritt highlighted the extension on X, stating that dates now run from December 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026, in multiple cities including Stuttgart-Weinstadt, Frankfurt and Düsseldorf in Germany. This suggests that the FSD ride-along program in Europe has officially been extended until the end of the first quarter of 2026.
Building momentum for European approval
Replies to Merritt’s posts buzzed with excitement, with users like @AuzyMale noting that Cologne and Düsseldorf are already fully booked. This sentiment was echoed by numerous other Tesla enthusiasts on social media. Calls for the program’s expansion to other European territories have also started gaining steam, with some X users suggesting Switzerland and Finland as the next locations for FSD ride-alongs.
Ultimately, the Tesla EU Policy and Business Development Manager’s post aligns with the company’s broader FSD efforts in Europe. As per recent reports, Tesla recently demonstrated FSD’s capabilities for Rome officials. Reporters from media outlets in France and Germany have also published positive reviews of FSD’s capabilities on real-world roads.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk announces major update with texting and driving on FSD
Tesla Semi just got a huge vote of confidence from 300-truck fleet
