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Tesla’s nickel future will benefit the company and the consumer
It is no secret that batteries play a massive role in Tesla’s future. Not only do the materials that are mined for the company’s electric cars need to be sustainably sourced, but they need to fit the company’s long and short-term goals.
For a long time, the talk about electric vehicle batteries has been focused on cobalt. The chemical element is controversial for several reasons: it is expensive, it is mined in immoral ways in many countries, and it is not great for the environment. However, companies can choose to source it responsibly, and Tesla has maintained that its cobalt sources are moral and proper in their obtaining of the element.
But during yesterday’s Q2 2020 Earnings Call with Tesla executives, cobalt was not mentioned even once. The focus stood on nickel and the benefits it could play for future company projects, which are based on the foundation that batteries need to be long-lasting and energy-dense. This fact is especially prevalent when it comes to the company’s commercial Semi truck, which will be responsible for transitioning the considerable commerce and trucking industry to function more sustainably.
“Please mine more nickel,” CEO Elon Musk pleaded to mining companies. “Tesla will give you a giant contract for a long period of time if you mine nickel efficiently and in an environmentally sensitive way.”
Nickel is included in the current EV batteries that Tesla uses. A Nickel-Cobalt-Aluminum battery has been produced at Giga Nevada, but the company continues to submit patents that could revolutionize the way its batteries function. Ultimately, the goal is to have million-mile capable cells that will not only translate to a longer lifespan for an electric car but also an extended time of use for Tesla energy storage products.
Musk was adamant during yesterday’s call that Nickel mining is crucial to the company’s fleet of future vehicles. Why? Because Nickel-based battery cells can handle what the Tesla Semi will require to function, which is high energy density. This will ultimately translate to an extended range.
The Semi will be responsible for hauling massive amounts of cargo across the country. It will have to scale steep grades and handle different weather scenarios in every area it travels in. All of these factors will inevitably affect the Semi’s range, and the way to combat that is to come up with more energy-dense cells that are capable of handling a multitude of situations.
“Obviously, those are needed for something like Semi, where every, every unit of mass that you add in a battery pack, you have to subtract in cargo,” Musk said. “So it’s very important to have a mass efficient and long-range pack for four batteries.”
But Tesla’s nickel operation goes far past the company’s Semi plans. It also translates to be beneficial for passenger vehicles that are aimed toward mass-market production, like the Model 3 and Model Y.
After Tesla scrapped plans for the Standard Range RWD Model Y earlier this month, Musk indicated that the new normal for EVs should be 300 miles of range. The Standard Range Y wouldn’t fit that description, as the CEO said it would be capable of less than 250 miles. In Tesla terms, that is unacceptable.
A question during yesterday’s call suggested that Tesla could be shifting from smaller-pack vehicles to larger ones, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. The real struggle is creating effective electric transport across the entire market, instead of for one type of vehicle.
Range is a substantial part of driving an electric vehicle, regardless of who made the car. The focus for Tesla is increasing range and longevity for the company and the consumer. Across each of its cars, the range is of utmost importance, and it begins with nickel mining.
Tesla is set to improve a critical feature that has not been present in older vehicles with a new update.
Tesla vehicles feature a comprehensive suite of driver assistance features, some of which aid in driving itself, while others support the vehicle’s surroundings.
One of those features is that of Driver Visualization, and with the rollout of a new update, owners of Intel-based Tesla vehicles are receiving an upgrade that will come with a simple software update.
Tesla plans to use Unreal Engine for driver visualization with crazy upgrade
The update will provide new visualizations while Intel-based vehicles are in reverse, a feature that was not previously available, but will be with Software Update 2025.32.2.
The improvement was spotted by Not a Tesla App via TheBeatYT_evil:
Noticed something new in 2025.32.2 on my Intel MCU + USS car with FSD.
When shifting into reverse, the full FSD visualization now stays on instead of switching to the old plain autopilot visuals.
Might be small, but it makes backing up feel more seamless. pic.twitter.com/o44levkdtM
— Beat (@TheBeatYT_evil) September 5, 2025
Previously, vehicles Tesla built were equipped with Intel-based processors, but newer cars feature the AMD chip, which is capable of rendering these visualizations as they happen. They were capable of visualizations when driving forward, but not in reverse, which is what this change resolves.
It is a good sign for those with Intel-based vehicles, as Tesla seems to be paying attention to what those cars are not capable of and improving them.
This was an undocumented improvement associated with this particular update, so you will not find any mention of it in the release notes that Tesla distributes with each update.
News
Tesla looks to make a big splash with Robotaxi in a new market
Tesla has been transparent that it is prioritizing safety, but it believes it can expand to basically any geographical location within the United States and find success with its Robotaxi suite. CEO Elon Musk said it could be available to half of the U.S. population by the end of the year.
Tesla is looking to make a big splash with Robotaxi in a new market, as the company was spotted testing validation vehicles in one region where it has not yet launched its ride-hailing service.
After launching Robotaxi in Austin in late June, Tesla followed up with a relatively quick expansion to the Bay Area of California. Both service areas are operating with a geofence that is expansive: In Texas, it is 173 square miles, while in the Bay Area, it is roughly 400 square miles.
Tesla has been transparent that it is prioritizing safety, but it believes it can expand to basically any geographical location within the United States and find success with its Robotaxi suite. CEO Elon Musk said it could be available to half of the U.S. population by the end of the year.
There have been plenty of reports out there that have speculated as to where Tesla would land next to test Robotaxi, and Nevada, Florida, Arizona, and New York have all been in the realm of possibility. These regions will need to approve Tesla for regulatory purposes before Robotaxi can officially operate.
Tesla is still testing and performing validation in several regions, and in Tempe, Arizona, things are moving forward as a Model Y with a LiDAR rig was spotted performing ground truth for the platform:
🚨 BREAKING: Just caught Tesla Robotaxi test vehicles cruising in Tempe, AZ! Rollout coming soon! pic.twitter.com/Oanw0Zx5pP
— Adub08 (@adub0808) September 10, 2025
With the LiDAR unit, many followers of the self-driving and autonomy space might wonder why Tesla uses these apparatuses during validation, especially considering the company’s stance and vision-based approach.
LiDAR is used for “ground truth,” which is basically a solidification or confirmation of what the cameras on the car are seeing. It is a great way to essentially confirm the accuracy of the vision-based suite, and will not be used on Robotaxi units used within the ride-hailing suite.
The Robotaxi platform was made available to the public earlier this month, as Tesla launched its app for iOS users.
Tesla Robotaxi app download rate demolishes Uber, Waymo all-time highs
Downloading the app allows you to join a waitlist, giving you the opportunity to utilize and test the Robotaxi platform in either Austin or the Bay Area.
News
Tesla hacker finds lifesaving FSD suggestions in 2025.32.3
The feature could drastically reduce instances of drivers operating their vehicles while distracted or exhausted.
A Tesla hacker has shared references to what could very well be lifesaving FSD suggestions in software update 2025.32.3.
The feature could drastically reduce instances of drivers operating their vehicles while distracted or exhausted.
New FSD features
As per longtime Tesla hacker @greentheonly, the EV maker’s drowsiness and lane departure suggestions in 2025.32.3 reference FSD. The hacker shared two alerts that specifically suggest the use of FSD, such as “Lane drift detected. Let FSD assist so you can stay focused,” and “Drowsiness detected. Stay focused with FSD.”
The hacker noted that the updated messages in 2025.32.3 are quite interesting because Tesla still advises drivers to be fully alert when using FSD Supervised. Thus, it is quite interesting to see the company advising users to use FSD when they seem unfocused or tired. That being said, FSD is still a supervised solution for now, but the system itself is already very capable, so the company’s updated alerts are not surprising.
Steps to FSD Unsupervised
Such warning messages would definitely make more sense once Tesla actually rolls out FSD Unsupervised. The system seems to be just waiting for regulatory approval for now, considering that it is already being used in vehicles that are coming off the production line at the Fremont Factory and Giga Texas. Tesla is also now using a driverless system for its Robotaxi services in Austin, as well as its autonomous ride-hailing service in the Bay Area.
For now, Tesla is hard at work preparing for the impending rollout of FSD V14, which Elon Musk has stated will be a notable improvement from the already-impressive performance of FSD V13. As per Musk, Teslas running FSD V14 will feel “sentient.” He also noted that the system “feels alive.”
Tesla is improving this critical feature in older vehicles
Tesla looks to make a big splash with Robotaxi in a new market
Tesla hacker finds lifesaving FSD suggestions in 2025.32.3
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